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| The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Last Edit: PlazaBoy 01:51 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 01:50 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| ***Do not read if you do not like critiques of previews*** The show has been in previews for about a week. Nothing has jelled yet, but it has bigger problems than that. This is coming from a man who enjoyed Tootsie so I have no bias against film to musical adaptations. The show drains every bit of charm, wit and intrigue from the film. This is the most basic, by the numbers adaptation. Not a bit creative and not very entertaining. Beth Leavel is miscast or at least wasted in this role of Miranda. Her songs are of the Henry Higgins variety. She only gets to cut loose on one-third of one song in the second act. Her character may not be a belter, but her talents seem so under-utilized here. Taylor Iman Jones is not compelling as Andy. She will grow into the role, but her character is under written, as is the entire show. Everting feels sketched in and the stakes feel low. I didn’t care about any of the relationships depicted on stage. The bright spot in the show is Javier Munoz as Nigel. The show comes alive when he is on stage. Unfortunately, he is saddled with a dreadful production number Dress You Up, that seems totally out of character. The content is correct, but not the style. The mismatch of character and song style happens frequently. The score is not cohesive and the lyrics are often cringe worthy. And boy is it literal. The ensemble stalking the stage looking evil. Red lighting, red neon, Mirada in red! Get it, like the devil. Even a skull and other devilish imagery on the act 2 show curtain. Unless the show under goes major changes, I don’t see how this can do well on Broadway. Of course, I’ve been wrong before. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: student_rush 10:08 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 01:50 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| Reviews on the other board are similar, if not worse. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:39 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - student_rush 10:08 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| The reviews are eerily so similar, the issues are in the show's DNA. A minority opinion: I didn't think it was a solid idea for musicalization, despite the opportunity for glamourous world building. The problem is: whose story is it? The film features Hathaway's arc as protagonist, but lets face it, the reason we watch (savor, quote, gif, meme) is the Streep characterization. So a story constructed to make Priestly a force of antagonism -- ostensibly a kind of villain -- must wrestle with her character being infinitely more compelling than the young woman with the wind at her back. Film can balance this; a musical, not so easily. I still believe that problem is baked into the material. A brilliant score could mitigate its limitations, but apparently this iteration doesn't have one. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 07:59 am EDT 07/30/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 07:53 am EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - Delvino 11:39 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I was surprised to see that Leavel does not get the last bow. I know it's Andy's story. But Leavel has what should be the star part. I believe Streep was nominated for Best Lead Actress (and won the GG). Look, when I was in Harold & Maude two decades ago, it's absolutely Harold's story (especially in that production) but yes, of course, Estelle Parsons gets the final bow. Maude is the star role. Seems it should be the same thing here. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 02:49 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - Delvino 11:39 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I tend to agree with you, but I was hoping at least for the "glamourous world building" that you mention. That bewilderingly did not happen. The show is visually unappealing and Beth Leavel is costumed in a way that makes her look dowdy. We know she can look glamorous so there really in no excuse. The costumes for the rest of the cast are equally bad. There are a few satirical pokes at Haute couture, but not consistently enough for that to work as a concept. Seems the creators didn't really think about what fashion is or means. The big Dress You Up (Andy's transformation) number features mostly all white costumes. That may sound striking. It wasn't. It just made one wonder, where is the color, the texture, the fun of fashion? |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 03:26 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 03:24 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 02:49 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I haven't seen this musical, but the song title of ''Dress You Up'' reminds me of ''Dressing Them Up'' from ''Kiss of the Spider Woman.'' And if ''Prada'' needs a number about ''the fun of fashion,'' they might revisit ''My Strongest Suit'' from Elton John and Tim Rice's ''Aida.'' Amneris revels in her love of clothes (''Forget the inner me; observe the outer''), and the number included a splashy, mini-fashion show. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 05:47 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - WaymanWong 03:24 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
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| They could always use that cut number about shoes from "Spider-Man" | |
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| they could throw in "Yellow Shoes" from The Visit! | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:10 pm EDT 08/02/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - Singapore/Fling 05:47 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
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| Honestly one of my favorite songs from a new musical in the last decade or so. Even if it was probably written in the 90s or before. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 03:53 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - WaymanWong 03:24 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
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| Yes, I also thought of My Strongest Suit. Nothing as fun as that in Prada. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: SoozieVT 03:36 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - WaymanWong 03:24 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
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| The song title is Dress Your Way Up. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: Holland 03:45 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 02:49 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| Maybe someone needs to send them the Tony clip from Coco. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 04:09 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - Holland 03:45 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| Prefect! Even the Bob Mackie costume parade sequence in The Cher Show (a show I didn't particularly like) was far more exciting than anything in Prada. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Last Edit: mikem 01:48 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| Posted by: mikem 01:40 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - Delvino 11:39 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| (spoilers for the movie) This is an extremely good point, which is that part of the reason why the film is so good is that Streep is NOT the villain in the typical sense. I have watched the film A LOT (or rather, I have watched the scenes that Streep is in a lot -- the boyfriend stuff is bland and uninspired). The book apparently has more of a Boss from Hell slant, but Streep's Miranda Priestly, despite plenty of bad behavior, is a different kind of Devil, the Devil of Temptation. She's difficult and condescending, but she also shows Hathaway a glamorous exciting life that Hathaway can also be a part of, if Hathaway is willing to follow the path Temptation is laying out for her. Streep also makes it unapologetically clear from the outset what the situation is. Streep has no actual hold over Hathaway, who could walk away whenever she wanted; Streep only has the power that Hathaway gives her. I think the only time Streep is truly malicious is around the impossible Harry Potter task (and the steak lunch around that task), but I think it's also clear that Streep purposely gave Hathaway an impossible task to get her to quit. As you're saying, Hathaway is largely the Everywoman Blank Slate. Streep's character is much more nuanced and complex than Hathaway's. The film also does a great job with Emily Blunt's character, who is very condescending but never undermines Hathaway in any way. Something that is much rarer than it should be in commercial mainstream films is that you have 3 prominent female characters in the workplace who are NOT rivals or pitted against each other. None of them stab each other in the back (well, until one of them does...). But the battle for Hathaway's soul is largely an internal one. I think the film does a great job in showing that battle, but it may be harder to show on stage, especially if the score isn't helping us understand the characters' inner thoughts. |
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| re: that's a great analysis of the movie n/m | |
| Posted by: Guillaume 10:26 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - mikem 01:40 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| re: that's a great analysis of the movie n/m | |
| Posted by: mikem 01:12 pm EDT 08/03/22 | |
| In reply to: re: that's a great analysis of the movie n/m - Guillaume 10:26 pm EDT 07/30/22 | |
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| Guillaume, thank you for saying that! The book contains none of what happens in Paris, so Aline Brosh McKenna, the screenwriter, really elevated the material. The cerulean sweater speech also comes completely from the screenwriter. The Devil Wears Prada joins other movies like Shutter Island and Crazy Rich Asians where key scenes are not in the source novel at all. Fortunately, it appears that the musical follows the plot of the movie rather than the book. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 02:54 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - mikem 01:40 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| In the musical, Emily Blunt's character is turned into a cross between an annoying sorority girl and a goofball. An odd choice, but no more odd than the fact that her big number has a Country Western sound. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: mikem 05:28 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 02:54 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| Boy, that's disappointing and another indication that the creative team is off track. The Emily Blunt character doesn't have to be British (the character was conceived as American and only became British because Emily Blunt is British), but she has to have some degree of sophistication. She fits into the fashion world, and the movie wisely does not set her up to be deserving of a fall. Blunt's character can be mean and we're not exactly rooting for her, but she's a good employee. Just not as good an employee as Hathaway is. It sounds like her character in the musical is irritating and superficial, which seems like a wrong choice in what sounds like a musical full of wrong choices. It also undermines Miranda's business acumen a bit if Emily is portrayed that way -- in a business that's all about relationships, why does Miranda have a long-ish term employee who is her public face, so to speak, who is superficial and annoying? | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 05:45 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - mikem 05:28 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| You hit the nail on the head. Superficial and annoying is the way the character is drawn in the musical. Sophistication has been dropped entirely, as well as the idea of her being a hard worker. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: mikem 07:17 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 01:50 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I am sorry to hear this. The film is very well done and so much better than other films of its type. It could be a great musical. | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 02:18 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 02:18 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 01:50 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| This is unfortunate news. I love the movie and Leavel. Curious- what have you been wrong about before? | |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 02:43 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - KingSpeed 02:18 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I also love the movie and Leavel. I'm sure I've been wrong about many shows over the years. Those probably mostly fall into the category of shows I saw in previews on Broadway and loved, but they ended up having short runs. As for what I've seen in Chicago pre-Broadway, I thought Tootsie would be a major hit on Broadway and I thought The Cher Show would close more quickly than it did. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 10:08 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - PlazaBoy 02:43 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I saw Tootsie twice in Chicago (I kept winning the lottery) and enjoyed it, but felt it had a very weak ending -- mainly because the plot was switched from a soap opera to a Broadway musical. I also saw The Cher Show in Chicago, but didn't care for it. It ran for 9-1/2 months on Broadway, but probably lost a ton of money. |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: peter3053 03:23 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - BroadwayTonyJ 10:08 am EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| I hear that COMPANY is in trouble out of town. Signed, The Ghost of 1970 |
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| re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 03:34 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Devil Wears Prada – Chicago preview (Spoilers and opinions) - peter3053 03:23 pm EDT 07/29/22 | |
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| Most shows would kill for that kind of trouble. | |
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