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| PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) | |
| Posted by: student_rush 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Last night's PARADISE SQUARE was a packed house, albeit heavily comped. It should be pretty interesting to see weekly grosses for this first week. Some scattered thougths: The show is extremely average, aspiring to be some mixture of "Ragtime," "Les Mis," and (tonally, aesthetically, geographically) "Newsies." The movement by Bill T. Jones is often a highlight, but can't compensate for a million different fractured storylines. Act One is fairly solid, but Act Two squanders basically every plot point that has been previously introduced: deaths, pregnancies, financial woes ... little to no pay off across the board. Weirdly, specific bits of information provided to essentially differentiate characterization are forgotten about or disregarded so that, in the end, there's little that defines most of these characters other than 1) their proximity to the central saloon and 2) their relationship status to others. It's overtly clear that the three credited book writers are all looking to speak to different story lines, and the directing/producing team hasn't clearly settled on what is most interesting to this narrative. The performances are varied but mostly compelling: AJ Shivley acquits himself the best, in fine voice and fantastic Irish dancing. Matt Bogart, radiating charisma, is entirely wasted. Joaquina Kalukango is extremely competent but has no distinct personality (more a writing issue than performance). Most of the antagonists are cartoons (John Dossett is literally just doing his 'Pulitzer' from "Newsies") and the stakes - despite themes of slavery, forced military conscription, murder - are silly, presented in the safest possible staging (let's build a barricade in slow motion!) that echoes most high-school productions of "Les MIs." Short of a few "feckin'" curse words, this show could be mounted by youth groups all over the country as written ... this is how these artists choose to depict an incredibly challenging moment in history that resulted in the deaths of 119 people? Certain lines are ridiculous: the term "ass-face" makes a super weird appearance, one character says "they were living in a future yet to be realized" (yes, that's how time works). The score is serviceable in the moment but no ear worms. The eleven o'clock number is titled "Let It Burn" ... that would be like writing an Act One finale called "Fighting Gravity." The scenic design is interesting (if, again, too similar to "Newsies") with an attractive exposed orchestra in the pit. More to say when more people have seen this: I was happy to go (for free), but would not recommend this to legit ticket buyers. |
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| re: PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) | |
| Posted by: CanadianRyan 08:46 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) - student_rush 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Obviously the stories are different but I felt similar when I saw Sousatzka. Trying to be Ragtkme or Les Mis, plot points that disappear as quickly as they come up… | |
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| Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! | |
| Last Edit: DanielVincent 03:41 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 03:39 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) - student_rush 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| On Wednesday night, front-of-house operations at the Barrymore were a MESS. My companion and I arrived 15 minutes early. We did not get into the house until 7:45 PM..AND WE WERE SEATED LATE. They literally started the show before people who had arrived EARLY were seated. We missed the entire first number. I was livid. I hated most of the show that came after, but it's very possible that my perspective was skewed because of my unpleasant experience being seated. Then again, maybe it wasn't because I agree with most of what the original poster wrote. Was FOH any better last night? |
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| An alternate reality re wednesday night. | |
| Posted by: ryhog 06:42 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! - DanielVincent 03:39 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I was there Wednesday night. I arrived at the theatre at 7:10. [I can document this because I texted my friend to see where the hell he was. (He was a block away.)] I was in my seat at 7:17 (meaning it took me 7 minutes to get in). [I can document this because that's when I took a selfie to send to his partner.] I then went downstairs to the restroom. (No significant line.) I came back up (noted that the house was quite full), took my seat, chit-chatted, and at 7:40, I looked at my watch and commented to my friend that this was not a good sign. The house lights were still up and the pre-show had not been made. [I cannot document this other than by my own word.] The announcement came pretty soon after that, followed by the show. Latecomers (I'd estimate a couple dozen in the orchestra) were seated after the opening song, which was well after 7:45. Are you sure you were at the right show? Something is not adding up in your rendition. I agree with the general consensus here about the show, bearing in mind that it was the 3rd preview but also noting (with little hope of a cure) that it will need to be frozen in 10 days. I'd still tell folks to see it as long as they don't have to pay all that much, which I am fairly sure they won't. |
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| re: An alternate reality re wednesday night. | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 06:47 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: An alternate reality re wednesday night. - ryhog 06:42 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Those five minutes made all the difference? | |
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| re: An alternate reality re wednesday night. | |
| Posted by: ryhog 06:53 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: An alternate reality re wednesday night. - Singapore/Fling 06:47 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I'll be polite and just say "doubtful." | |
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| Just double-checked my texts… | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 11:36 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: An alternate reality re wednesday night. - ryhog 06:53 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| …the exact time my friend and I got online was 7:17pm. | |
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| re: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! | |
| Posted by: student_rush 04:26 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! - DanielVincent 03:39 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Last night I arrived to the theatre around 7:55 PM, joined the long vaccine/ticket line, and was seated with plenty of time before the show began. I would not have stayed for the show (any show) if I showed up fifteen minutes early and they didn't seat me. |
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| re: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! | |
| Posted by: Violet 04:24 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! - DanielVincent 03:39 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Wednesday night curtain is at 7:30 per Telecharge, so if you got in at 7:45, that's why you were seated late. (I speak from experience - albeit at a different show. I had no idea curtain was at 7 | |
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| Clarification | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 04:37 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! - Violet 04:24 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| We arrived and joined the line outside the theater at 7:15 PM. (And there were still plenty of people behind us.) We got into the house at 7:45 PM, at which point they were starting the show, 15 minutes late. There were MANY of us forced to wait behind the last row of the orchestra--where there are curtains preventing people in the traditional "standing room" area from actually seeing the stage--until the first song was over. |
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| re: Clarification | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 04:59 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Clarification - DanielVincent 04:37 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| This don't sound kosher. I hope they get their act together. I'd be furious. | |
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| 15 minutes early? | |
| Posted by: Leon_W 04:15 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Potential Word of Warning to Attendees: ARRIVE VERY EARLY! - DanielVincent 03:39 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| You mean 15 minutes before the start of the performance? If so that is cutting it very fine, no wonder they were in a mess if many people arrived then. Recently theaters have been advising people to arrive an hour before shows. | |
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| I have never arrived 15 minutes early and been seated late. | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 04:20 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: 15 minutes early? - Leon_W 04:15 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Never. And I have seen a LOT of theatre since the reopening in New York. | |
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| re: PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) | |
| Posted by: jaymac 03:11 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: PARADISE SQUARE (Minor Spoilers) - student_rush 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| you echoed my sentiments. a les miz ragtime wanna be with LET IT BURN anthem. I like almost everything but this one was a let down. I felt like me and my friend were the only ones in the theater not enjoying what we're seeing. Everyone else was hooting and hollering. I'm happy for them if they get a following which translates to ticket sales and a long run. The dancing! the performances were very good. |
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