Threaded Order Chronological Order
| OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 11:35 am EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 am EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| My partner and I were seated in the 8th row, orchestra right, a little off the center (per winning the lottery) -- great seats. Set works fine in this proscenium theater (at least when sitting this close on the main floor). Evocative backdrop. Roles are well cast. Everyone gives a highly charged, sexual performance, especially the leads (Laurey, Curly, Jud, Will, Ado Annie, Ali). Sasha Hutchings as Laurey is amazing. She's hot (and knows it). She wants Curly really bad and aims to get him, but she wants him to work a lot harder at getting her than he has been willing to do thus far. She claims that Jud scares her, yet she seems sexually drawn to him (and demonstrates that feeling in the smokehouse scene). IMO her performance is much stronger than that of Rebecca Naomi Jones, who on Broadway was too dark and too low key for my taste. The revelation in this production for me is Jordan Wynn, who is officially listed as DANCE CAPTAIN. She performed the Dream Ballet on Tues. evening, and it was a stunning achievement. On Broadway the Dream Ballet left me cold. It seemed odd, uninvolving, and hard to understand. I didn't know what it was saying. However, Wynn's interpretation, dancing, and acting were outstanding and (although still credited to John Heginbotham) very much told me the same powerful story that De Mille's original always did, but yet it was in keeping with Fish's new vision. Wynn's performance made the production a single, cohesive piece. I still am not a fan of Fish's revision. This Oklahoma! owes more to William Wellman and John Huston than it does to R & H. Nevertheless, I am very happy my partner won Tuesday's lottery, and we were able to catch this performance. |
|
| reply to this message |
| Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? | |
| Last Edit: garyd 08:51 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: garyd 08:51 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) - BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 am EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I assume not but am interested in knowing. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:53 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? - garyd 08:51 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| No. Drinks and food are not allowed right now in Chicago theaters. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 09:19 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 09:03 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? - BroadwayTonyJ 08:53 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I would assume that the chili and cornbread idea was something that worked well enough at Circle, but that would not transfer well to proscenium touring houses. :-) I only wish that the audience at Once On This Island could have had some of the awesome food Alex Newell was cooking up before the show started. I was sitting in that section, and it sure smelled good...;-) |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:38 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Is chili and cornbread served onstage during intermission? - Chromolume 09:03 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| On 4/28/2019 at Circle by the time I was re-seated in the first row at intermission, the chili was all gone. Most of the other standees just grabbed an empty seat. I made the mistake of asking an usher for permission to move so I lost out on the chili, but I did get a front row seat. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) | |
| Posted by: ChicagoDRO 03:10 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) - BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 am EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I saw the chicago tour twice- subscriber ticket and lottery. I enjoyed the show even more the second time. The director made many interesting choices- most worked some didn’t. I was interested in my audience responses. I rode the bus home with five people aged 20-30ish and they all enjoyed the show but most had not seen a more traditional production or the movie yet. The user told me 100 people left at intermission (even before seeing the ballet- which I did not really enjoy). For my lottery ticket I sat next to 3 theatre students and they also enjoyed the show. I can say I saw the 1979 production at The Arie Crown Theatre and a production at Marriott. All memorable in there own way but this new production really opened the door for some great conversations. I’m glad Chicago took a chance at hosting the show- it’s not for everyone, but it seems to be bringing younger people to the production and in turn making them ask questions and researching history. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:40 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) - ChicagoDRO 03:10 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| My partner is African-American and 20 years younger than I am. He loved this version easily as much as I did. We have seen at least 3 more traditional productions of Oklahoma! at various Chicago area venues over the years, including at the Marriott and Chicago Lyric Opera. The comments we heard from people sitting near us were very positive, but a lot of folks did leave at intermission. Did you see Hamilton or Wynn in the dream ballet when you attended the two performances? |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| A scathing review | |
| Posted by: pfolson 06:01 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) - ChicagoDRO 03:10 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| This is one of the harshest reviews I've seen in a long time. | |
| Link | I don't think they enjoyed the show |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| Is Hammerstein often referred to as "Jr."? | |
| Last Edit: Ann 07:04 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:02 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: A scathing review - pfolson 06:01 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I thought it was always II. That's as far as I got, but "... a travesty of a mockery of a sham" sounds like a bad Hammerstein parody, but of course is a Woody Allen ripoff. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| It should only be Oscar Hammerstein II | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 07:37 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 07:34 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Is Hammerstein often referred to as "Jr."? - Ann 07:02 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| The suffix "Jr." is used when a boy is named after his father. The suffix "II" is used when a boy is named after a grandfather, uncle, or another male relative. Oscar was named after his grandfather. His father's name was William. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| To be expected from Hedy Weiss... | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 06:21 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: A scathing review - pfolson 06:01 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| ... the reviewer whose racist take down of the original production of "Pass Over" put that play in the national conversation and sparked a conversation in Chicago about the way Weiss had used racial stereotypes in her writing in ways that Ike Holter said amounted to Hate Speech. | |
| Link | The Review That Shook Chicago |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: To be expected from Hedy Weiss... | |
| Posted by: whereismikeyfl 11:32 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: To be expected from Hedy Weiss... - Singapore/Fling 06:21 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Most of Weiss's more outrageous reviews are no longer available on the internet. (Her review of Wicked was my favorite.) But her bizarre biases and accusations were long a feature of Chicago arts journalism. She is very smart, but has a number of triggers. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- the Wrong Place for What She Wrote | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 08:06 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 07:57 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: To be expected from Hedy Weiss... - Singapore/Fling 06:21 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Hedy Weiss is not a racist. She should not have stated those sentiments in a theatre review. Most of the young black kids that get murdered every year are killed by black drug dealers or black gang bangers. Every black mother knows this to be true. As a former high school teacher and baseball coach, I got to know a number of parents and guys who lost a son or daughter or sibling to gang violence. The initiation ritual into some black gangs in Chicago is to kidnap the young son of a former gang member, take him into an alley, and blow his brains out. Pass Over is a great play. Weiss should have reviewed the work itself and saved the rest of her remarks for the commentary page of the editorial section. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 08:35 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- the Wrong Place for What She Wrote - BroadwayTonyJ 07:57 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Statistically, most people who are murdered are murdered by somebody of their own race. That does not change the reality of systemic state violence against Black bodies by police officers, nor does it change the way that White society benefits from that systemic state violence, which was explicitly stated in the final moments of the Chicago Pass Over, to which Weiss responded using racist language. The issue, as many of us saw it, wasn't that she didn't review the work itself - she did - it's that the work elicited a racist response from her, and the only way she knew how to condemn the play was by using the racist canard of "Black on Black crime" to refute the point the show was making. And it's not just Weiss. Dave Harris shared on his IG that after the first preview of Tambo and Bones last night, a White audience member stormed out of the theater, flipped over a table in the lobby, knocked down a hand sanitizing station, and then literally pulled a planter off a sidewalk and dumped it on the street. At least Weiss' violence was limited to words. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:50 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong - Singapore/Fling 08:35 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| My feeling is that you have to put the problem in perspective. 600 to 700 black people die every year in Chicago due to violence perpetrated by black gangs and black drug dealers. Every few years in Chicago, a single unarmed black person is killed unjustifiably by a white cop. Both occurrences are horrendous, but which problem is more immediate and deserves the most action and resources. My answer to you is talk to more black people that live in neighborhoods like the West and South Sides of Chicago. That's what I have done most of my adult life, especially when I was teaching and coaching. Weiss wrote something that didn't belong in a theatre review. That doesn't make her a racist. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 02:42 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong - BroadwayTonyJ 08:50 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I hear you, though I’m unclear why you think the specific medium Weiss uses to express racist thoughts would determine the content of those racist thoughts. There are many paths we can take to discuss the ways that Black lives are not valued in this country. The issues of violence within the Black community in Chicago are one reflection of that, but we can consider that alongside the equally important issue of police officers murdering Black men, women, and children. There’s no reason to use one to negate the other, which is what Weiss did. Her reaction - specifically her need to blame Black people and exonerate White people in discussing violence against Black bodies - speaks for itself, whether she’s writing a review or an op-ed (which in a way, what is a critical response but an op-ed?). |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- 2 Paragraphs Do Not Belong in a Review of PASS OVER | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:04 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong - Singapore/Fling 02:42 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| OK, I read her full review. There are 2 paragraphs that she should not have included in a theatre review. As I said before, they belong on the commentary section of the editorial page. They are about the black on black violence in Chicago's black community and not specifically about what happens in the play. Weiss is a social conservative, but that doesn't mean she's a racist. What she is saying is very provocative, but IMO she is just stating truthfully what she sees happening every day in Chicago. The black on black violence in the city is very complex. There is a lot of poverty, a huge amount of homelessness, rampant drug dealing, and an intractable gang problem. Weiss' comments over simplify all of those factors. Nevertheless, they are legitimate opinions. Quite frankly, I hear opinions (like those of Weiss) every day from members of my own family and from members of my partner's family, the vast majority of whom are people of color, black, Asian, and Latino. They are conservative opinions. I don't completely agree with them (mine are much more nuanced), but IMO they are not racist. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 08:10 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:07 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Hedy Weiss Theatre Review -- What She Wrote Was Wrong - Singapore/Fling 02:42 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| I've been trying to read Weiss' review of Pass Over but I only get a few seconds to see it and then I get hit by a paywall. Do you know of a website where I can read it carefully to see what you are talking about? What I did read was strong language that didn't belong in a theatre review. She used phrases that you don't like, but I wouldn't consider those words racist. That's just your opinion. Frankly IMO you throw that word around much too freely on ATC. However, I need to be able to read her review without a paywall. Is that possible? Full disclosure, for a number of years (but not recently) I used to communicate with Weiss via e-mail. I'm certain that I know her better then you do. She is not a racist. She has strong opinions with which you disagree, but she knows what she is talking about. As far as I know, she has lived in Chicago most of her life. Of course, there are racist white cops in America. There are racist people in every line of work everywhere. However, there is no reliable, concrete evidence that white cops murder black women and children. That is absurd. Did you ever hear Barack Obama make a statement like that or Kamala Harris or Joe Biden? Of course, there are cases where white cops make a mistake and break into the wrong home or something like that, and as a result, black women and children are killed. There are also cases where a young black kid is carrying a gun, is told to drop the gun by a white cop, does not do it, and is killed. That's not murder. That's a tragedy, but you can't say the cop is a racist. Unfortunately, in a city like Chicago that sort of thing happens much too often, but usually the cop is black, and then black journalists like Don Lemon, Soledad O'Brien, and Joy Reid don't want to talk about it. In Chicago over the last 5 years I believe there have only been 2 cases in which a white cop unjustifiably killed an unarmed black man. I agree that those are horrendous acts and we have to stop such things from happening. There definitely have been various cases nationwide in the last 5 years where white cops unjustifiably killed an unarmed black man. I watch CNN and MSNBC every day and I've seen the coverage of those instances. They are terrible and we must work to stop them. However, what is the total number of those cases in the last 5 years? Maybe something like 20 or 30, possibly fewer? One black person murdered by a white cop is one too many but how can you compare that to the hundreds, possibly thousands of black individuals murdered every year in cities like Chicago by black gangs and black drug dealers. No matter how you look at it, that is black on black crime, and that is a much more serious problem in our society than anything else. Ask any black person who lives in a city like Chicago, and they will agree with that statement. There is not a single white community in America that has anywhere near a murder rate like that. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| That dance was horrible on broadway | |
| Posted by: dramedy 12:37 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: OKLAHOMA! Revival (in Chicago) -- Tuesday Night: A Pleasant Surprise (Probable Spoilers) - BroadwayTonyJ 11:26 am EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I guess it can only get improved. I felt they should have cut it in the revival. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 01:21 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 01:05 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: That dance was horrible on broadway - dramedy 12:37 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I hated the dance on Broadway also. However, what Jordan Wynn did Tuesday night was more like traditional ballet, but consistent with Fish's vision. It was not Agnes De Mille's choreography, but it was in the same spirit. I could see that Wynn was acting out Laurey's conflicting fantasies and telling us a story. I liked it and I am pretty much a critic of Fish's revisionism. I had no intention of seeing this touring production, but went because my partner won the lottery, and we haven't been on the main floor of the CIBC Theater in several years. Hamilton played there for 3 years, and The Last Ship, played there prior to Hamilton -- we saw Hamilton there 3 times and Ship once but couldn't afford main floor. According to the Playbill, Wynn is DANCE CAPTAIN and an understudy for Gabrielle Hamilton, who I saw and intensely disliked on Broadway. I wonder if what I witnessed on Tuesday was Wynn's personal re-interpretation of Heginbotham's choreography. Is that possible? I wasn't the only one in the audience who liked what Wynn did. She got strong applause, both after the dance and during the bows. When I saw Gabrielle Hamilton on Broadway, some folks got up and exited the theater. Before the show I was in standing room with 23 other ticket buyers. Eventually all 24 of us were allowed to sit down. There was a noticeable number of empty seats when the show was over. I saw the Broadway Oklahoma! on Tues. evening, 4/23/2019. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 05:45 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? - BroadwayTonyJ 01:05 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| I wonder if the dance was simply rethought for the tour? That wouldn't be so odd. Someone who's seen Gabrielle Hamilton on the tour should be able to tell us. Or, it could be that Wynn was given permission to create something different that suited herself better. Btw - the position is simply Dance Captain, or even casually referred to as dance captain. No need to shout it in all caps lol. (I only say this because you've already done that twice lol.) |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 07:13 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? - Chromolume 05:45 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Unfortunately, I don't have the musical or dance technique knowledge to properly discuss what I saw. However, when it comes to acting, I feel more comfortable. Jordan Wynn's acting of the role was stunning (as well as her dancing). It was there in her eyes, her face, her arms, her gestures, her legs, the way she moved her body. She communicated to me, and I was moved by what I saw. My gut feeling is that she was allowed to put her own stamp on the dance. Just my opinion. It was a powerful performance. Again we were sitting very close to the stage, and I got the sense that others around me were reacting strongly to her also. One added detail, boots did not fall to the stage from above like they did at Circle in the Square. When I saw the Broadway Oklahoma! on 4/28/2019, I had moved from SR to the front row for Act 2. I intensely disliked the Dream Ballet as performed by Hamilton. I just didn't "get" it. It told me nothing. In the Playbill CAST page, it reads DANCE CAPTAIN: JORDAN WYNN. When we entered the theater, the board stated that Jordan Wynn would be playing the role of Lead Dancer. However, there was no white slip in my Playbill. In the WHO'S WHO IN THE CAST section, Jordan Wynn's bio reads (Alternate Lead Dancer, Dance Captain). |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Gabrielle Hamilton on tour/Broadway | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 05:59 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? - Chromolume 05:45 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| As I noted in a post about ten minutes before your post, Hamilton's tour performance was quite similar to the one on Broadway | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Gabrielle Hamilton on tour/Broadway | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 08:48 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Gabrielle Hamilton on tour/Broadway - chrismpls 05:59 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Thanks! Somehow I missed that. So It could be that Wynn was allowed to develop her own thing. Which seems unusual overall, but I guess not impossible. :-) | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Gabrielle Hamilton on tour/Broadway | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 03:46 pm EST 01/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Gabrielle Hamilton on tour/Broadway - Chromolume 08:48 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Unusual, indeed! I get that no understudy is going to be asked to duplicate the regular performer but this sounds completely unlike the original. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 05:34 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Can a Dancer Put Her Own Interpretation on a Choreographer's Work? - BroadwayTonyJ 01:05 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Hmm. Hamilton performed it when the tour was in Minneapolis two months ago. Her performance was very similar to what she did at Circle in the Square -- although, obviously, on a much different stage. (I thought it was powerful, unsettling and crucial to the themes of the production in both places.) I'm surprised to hear the understudy is so different. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.082675 seconds.