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| Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: ablankpage 06:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Just got back, what a wonderful musical! There are pros and cons, but overall it was a deeply satisfying big, old fashioned musical comedy. NaTasha Yvette Williams really sailed through a comedic performance and some big singing. J. Harrison Ghee stopped the show with their act two number. Christian Borle cements himself as an indispensable Broadway fixture. I agree that Kevin Del Aguila is singing and dancing his way straight to a Tony. Unfortunately, what Adrianna Hicks delivers in sheer vocal power she lacks in acting ability. It left a pretty big hole at the center to have a Sugar so lacking in charm and star presence, but her voice is truly exceptional. The ensemble nails an intense amount of choreography and a big act two moment involving the entire company was my favorite staging in recent memory. The music does its job to keep the story moving along, but I agree that it lacks in big earworm melodies. I'm excited for the cast recording to relive these performances, not because there was a song I can't stop humming. There's been some grumbling on here about the wokeness of the book and I couldn't disagree more. There were a couple funny winking anachronisms, but I think Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin did a great job of subtly highlighting how long these same conversations have been going on and did a beautiful job of handling each character's arc. It sidesteps a lot of the moments in old musicals that feel clunky to a contemporary audience, but still has all the effervescent charm of classic Broadway. I hope reviews boost ticket sales because this is a musical for people who love musicals and it deserves a long run. | |
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| re: "This is a musical for people who love musicals" | |
| Posted by: Dale 12:10 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 06:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| No, it isn't. | |
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| I got a headache | |
| Posted by: Genealley 01:26 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "This is a musical for people who love musicals" - Dale 12:10 am EST 11/28/22 | |
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| from all the effort emanating from the actors trying to make this stuff work. It's not a joyful noise. |
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| re: "This is a musical for people who love musicals" | |
| Posted by: ablankpage 12:16 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "This is a musical for people who love musicals" - Dale 12:10 am EST 11/28/22 | |
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| We'll agree to disagree! | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 09:05 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 06:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| The music does its job to keep the story moving along, but I agree that it lacks in big earworm melodies. I'm excited for the cast recording to relive these performances, not because there was a song I can't stop humming. That's odd. I heard the title song on the parade broadcast on Thursday - just once - and it's still in my head. |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: ablankpage 09:43 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - Chromolume 09:05 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Yep, that would be the one exception and it pops up several times. Otherwise, I couldn't remember a single melody, even at intermission. But oddly, I loved each song as it was happening. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: dsikula 09:48 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 09:43 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| I kept thinking as each number went on "That's a nice tune. Seems catchy." And as soon as it was over, I couldn't remember it. That said, I do have the title number in my head a lot. I wonder if I'll feel any different once I hear the OCR and get more familiar with them. |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: writerkev 09:51 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - dsikula 09:48 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Is instant memorability really the mark of a good score? | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 11:03 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 10:56 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - writerkev 09:51 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Is instant memorability really the mark of a good score? No, it's not. But people seem to think it is. The very vast majority of us can't remember music we've heard once. There's a famous story about Mozart perfectly transcribing the Allegri Miserere after one hearing, but that was Mozart lol. Mostly, if you go out of a show humming any tune, it's literally the last one you heard. I started thinking about this when I was doing a production of Grey Gardens, and the tune of the Act I song "The 5:15" stayed with me for some time after the show was over each night. Well, we had just played it for the exit music - no wonder. I tend to really think that what people really want to mean when they say "memorable tune" is a melody (or more likely just the "hook" of a song) that makes good sense in your head as you're hearing it - the effect some have already noted about the songs in this show. NOT the ability to remember them the next day, or even during drinks after the show. Just a tune that makes sense. But almost always, it takes a few listens to start to really remember the specifics of a full melody. (And even for me - when I said that the tune of the title song is still with me, it's really not - not specifically - but I remember the general feel of the song and the basic sense of the tune. But I couldn't hum it for you right now. I'd have to hear it again to remember it.) A song can have the impression of being incredibly "tuneful" as you hear it - but that has nothing to do with your ability to remember it later. One of the reasons jukebox shows are so popular is because the audience can hum the tunes when they're buying tickets, let alone after the show. :-) But no, this expectation that a good score is one you can really specifically remember after hearing it - no, that's not realistic. It's pretty ridiculous, actually. I can guarantee you the the first night audience for Oklahoma wasn't humming the score on the way out. Except maybe for a line or two of "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" (the last song that was sung) or a line or two of "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" (the last song played by the orchestra on the way out). That's it. They might have had a generic memory of the effect of the title song, or a few others along the way. But humming them or remembering any real musical specifics? I really doubt it. LATER audiences might, because they had then heard the recording already, bought the sheet music to play at home, maybe heard dance band arrangements on the radio, etc. But not after only one hearing. |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: ablankpage 12:28 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - Chromolume 10:56 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Grey Gardens is a great example, actually! I saw the show cold and on the way home I was humming "da da da da dum" from "The Revolutionary Costume for Today", the refrain of "Around the World", and "When lilacs return in spring/Will you?" I can remember several similar experiences with musicals over the years, a small persistent melody or two that really hit me in the theater and stuck with me on the way home. It's definitely not the metric by which I judge musicals (a lot of my favorite Sondheim songs took many repeat listens until they really opened up to me), but I've never quite had this experience where everything was enjoyable in the moment and then immediately forgettable. The way dsikula describes it (above) is exactly how I felt too. I'll be curious to hear what you think of the score if you end up seeing it before the cast recording comes out! |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 12:46 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 12:28 am EST 11/28/22 | |
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| TBH I have no interest in the show whatsoever. I might catch a potential Boston tour performance if there is one, but if I get to NYC again anytime soon I can't imagine this would be a priority on my list. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: marco49 12:22 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - Chromolume 10:56 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| There are songs in SLIH that are instantly memorable, the title song, DAPHNE’s song, YOU COULD’VE KNOCKED ME OVER WITH A FEATHER,MARAPOSA, etc., a really good score!! | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: kidmanboy 07:09 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 06:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Hicks didn’t have the comedic moments that some of her peers had, but I think she acted the part just fine and really sold the emotions of her songs. I thought she really held her own. | |
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| Adrianna Hicks | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 08:33 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:15 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - kidmanboy 07:09 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| I am honestly surprised there isn't more talk of how lacking, mediocre and damaging Hicks' acting is for the show. She is meant to be the vibrating bright star in the center and instead I find her to be dead weight more often than not, with a good voice but not one even suited to the period or music. What that show needed was an Amber Gray or Adrianne Warren... Hicks is wildly out of her league and the show, for me, just felt like it was gaslighting us into accepting her as this radiant charismatic and unique charmer with effortless talent enough that everyone bends over to keep her going as the star of the show, and falling for her as a person. Hell, she is meant to be the lead singer of this band and she does less singing in it than the band leader... it's very off and threw the musical off balance for me. | |
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| re: Adrianna Hicks | |
| Posted by: ablankpage 08:55 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Adrianna Hicks - Chazwaza 08:15 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| I was wishing we could rescue Solea Pfeiffer from her underused role in Almost Famous and drop her here instead. | |
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| That's only one of the problems with this show | |
| Last Edit: Genealley 08:42 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| Posted by: Genealley 08:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Adrianna Hicks - Chazwaza 08:15 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| 1. Not very funny. The source material was a comedy, right? 2. it's busy with a lot going on, but not much lands strongly. 2. Musical numbers all sound very much the same. 3. Waking up Jerry's role loses a lot of the comedy 4. Borle's role is basically a straight (!!!) man with not a lot of comedy built in 5. and Hicks' role is a downer 6. Thanks god for Del Aquila! |
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| re: That's only one of the problems with this show | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 01:13 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: That's only one of the problems with this show - Genealley 08:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| All the songs in INTO THE WOODS sound the same. Do we consider that to be a problem with the show? | |
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| re: That's only one of the problems with this show | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:40 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: That's only one of the problems with this show - Genealley 08:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Have you seen it since you posted about it on November 3? | |
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| Borle's role..."Not a lot of comedy build in?" | |
| Posted by: Showtunegal 10:20 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: That's only one of the problems with this show - Genealley 08:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Did we see the same show? Borle was cracking so many jokes [SPOILER ALERT] like the recurring one about how old he looks. I found him hilarious. I agree about the female lead--I just didn't care about her or her numbers at all, and a more charismatic actor would have really helped there. We had a great time and I thought the act II showstopper was superb--I can't wait to see that again. | |
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| re: Borle's role..."Not a lot of comedy build in?"--oh, I get it, sorry | |
| Posted by: Showtunegal 10:27 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Borle's role..."Not a lot of comedy build in?" - Showtunegal 10:20 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Reading the board, I guess he and a partner wrote material for him...or maybe did more than that. So when you're saying "not a lot built in" you're saying not a lot that is intrinsic to the book. | |
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| No. I meant | |
| Posted by: Genealley 10:31 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Borle's role..."Not a lot of comedy build in?"--oh, I get it, sorry - Showtunegal 10:27 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| not alot that's actually funny. Lots of snide asides but that gets tired after awhile. | |
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| re: No. I meant | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:28 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: No. I meant - Genealley 10:31 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Lots of snide asides but that gets tired after awhile. Now THAT's funny, coming from you. :-) |
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| Ah no... | |
| Posted by: Genealley 01:23 am EST 11/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: No. I meant - Chromolume 11:28 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| mine are straight on attacks. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 06:47 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - ablankpage 06:37 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Be sure to give writing credit to Christian Borle and his writing partner. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 07:17 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - KingSpeed 06:47 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Borle and Joe Farrell are credited with Additional Material, which probably means they did a joke punch-up (though who knows). You're right they should get credit, but they wouldn't be considered book writers of the musical as things currently stand. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: juniper 09:41 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - Singapore/Fling 07:17 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| I took the credit for "additional material" more than once when I came in to "save a show." I took the credit for additional material mainly because I didn't want the problems of the show (director, star, concept) to rest on me (the book writer) when I knew the show was going to get slammed. It's always the book in most cases that gets blamed. In my case, I rewrote one entire show twice in previews with the help of some very expensive directors who were also adding "additional direction" but were not credited. Thankfully, additional material writers get a percentage and I've seen a great deal from it. Some B'way flops actually make money. | |
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| re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 10:52 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Some Like It Hot (no spoilers) - juniper 09:41 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| That's fascinating, Juniper. Are you still in the business? Is script doctoring a regular occurrence in present day commercial theatre? Would love to hear any other anecdotes from your experience you'd be willing to share! | |
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