Centralparkgirl

Autumn is here and with that will come lots of new productions. This is the place to share your views, ask questions, etc about Broadway.

I recently saw 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' with three friends. The main reason we went was to see the wonderful Cherry Jones. By intermission, one friend fled and I had to beg the other two to sit it out with me! We all felt that although Cherry Jones was good, it was just a fair production and the other three in the cast were difficult to understand. A lot of the dialogue was lost especially by the actress with the shrill voice playing the daughter.

DebitNM

"Autumn in NY" - such a wonderful time of the year to be in NY, fond memories. Give my regards to Broadway

Centralparkgirl

Ha Ha - come on over! btw - it's not so great this week - lots of rain and humidity!

TC

Just saw Scotsboro Boys at the Guthrie in Minneapolis prior to its opening this fall on Broadway. Both DH and I were stunned. I will be very interested to see if this one flies in NY.

I had read quite a bit about the Scotsboro case prior to attending and I was very disappointed to see the story handled in what, to me, seems a very disrespectful treatment. It pained me most to see such a horrific miscarriage of justice treated in such a lighthearted way -- played for laughs. I just can't wrap my head around a song and dance (maybe the best performance in the evening) depicting inmates being electrocuted.

Sadly, the show really never allows one to get to know the central characters -- the boys. They are a complete aside to the antics of other characters played for laughs. I don't understand how anyone could look at the photos of those poor boys, read their story, and then laugh. While I get what Kander and Ebb thought they were doing -- using an entertainment vehicle of the period as they did in Cabaret and Chicago. This time they got it all wrong.

I just kept thinking the whole evening -- what would the real Scotsboro boys think if they could see their life stories told in such a heartless way?

live42day

We saw. PROMISES PROMISES.
We really liked this play, Sean Hayes and all the actors were excellent. I found the sets to be great the way the props came in and out without disrupting the show at all.

We also saw BRIEF ENCOUNTER. It was good, however we were disapointed in that we did not realize it was also a musical. The special effects were good but we found it to be a bit over the top with the campy English comedy and acting. My husband liked it much more than me.

Centralparkgirl

TC - wow! I'm going to see it on 10/14 and I'm glad for the warning. I'll post back here after. It seems to me, imho, that there is a dumbing down of the arts - that is a huge generalization, I know, and certainly not true in many or most cases, but sometimes I think some things are sensationalized just to sell tickets and many audience members enjoy it. Thanks for posting your pov.

TC

CPG, You might like to read the Guthrie's playguide for Scotsboro Boys before you see the production in NY. The only cast change is John Cullum will play the Interlocutor on Broadway.

http://www.guthrietheater.org/sites/...Scottsboro.pdf

Centralparkgirl

TC - thanks so much; I will read it before seeing the play.

mclaurie

Live4, I think Promises, Promises is having a resurgence since they announced it will close Jan 2. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...romises&st=cse

I was really looking forward to Brief Encounter as it got raves last year when it was playing off Broadway in Brooklyn. That's why it came to B'way. http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/12/0...rehouse&st=cse

HowardR

Promises, Promises resurgence is mainly due, not the the closing announcement but to the general state of Broadway at this time of the year. Shows usually slip in revenue over the Labor Day period and then have somewhat of a rebound as September moves along. It's still only playing to less than 3/4 capacity, which is profitable but doesn't bode well for the long run (i.e., after the profitable year-end holiday period).
Promises, Promises isn't the only show that's recognized this reality. West Side Story also has already announced a January 2 closing. Others are sure to follow.

live42day

Well I dont want to put you off Brief Encounters McLaurie. It did have a lot of positives, but just didnt do it for me. The fellow behind me who sees a lot of Broadway plays felt the same but that being said a lot of the audience liked it.

clanwilson

I saw "Brief Encounter" last January when it was still at St. Ann's Warehouse. It was one of the most intriguing productions that I've ever seen. The integration of the film clips and the music was smooth and so innovative. It's stayed with me after all these months.

Centralparkgirl

FWIW - The NY Times liked it a lot. I'm seeing it on Wed.

http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/09/2...rantley&st=cse

mclaurie

I look forward to hearing what you think.

Rhea58

Totally agree w/your assessment of Mrs Warren's Profession,
CPG. The shrill dialogue between the mother & daughter in
2nd act was especially offensive.
Seeing Brief Encounters shortly. Not fond of musicals
but it's part of my subs.

yk

Thanks for starting the Autumn Broadway thread, CPG.

I have a question for the Broadway experts:

I'm thinking of seeing Elling, which is at the Barrymore Theatre. For the date I want to see this, the seat options are:

Orchestra Row L center (seat 107)
Side Orchestra Row B seat 1
Front Mezzanine Row A center (seat 105)

They are all in the same price category; any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Here's a link to the seating chart:
https://www.broadwayoffers.com/seati...-09_ACCESS.gif

Centralparkgirl

Hi yk - Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers; it's quite personal. I would take the Row B seat 1, then L 107 and my last choice would be the mezz. My vision is not what it used to be and I really like seeing the actors' faces clearly. (I felt this way even when my vision was great, btw). I really enjoy being close to the stage unless it's a huge musical production (Les Miz, Phantom).

HowardR

cpw is correct when she says about getting different opinions. And, there's no better example than my response in which my preferences are almost the exact opposite of hers--the mezzanine seat first, with not much difference with the other two for second and third place.
In the overall scheme of things, however, you probably wouldn't go wrong with any of the seats!

TC

My choices would be (1) Mezz - no one sitting in front of me, so unobstructed view and sound quality is more balanced in the middle of the theater. (2) Orchestra, Row L - nearly the same seat as the Mezz since Mezz overhangs Row K, but could get a big haired, tall guy sitting in front of you. (3) Row B - I don't usually like the sound on side orchestra seats and sometimes the rake isn't enough so that one isn't looking up at the performance. Having said this, I agree that all are good seats.

yk

Sorry to bother you all again. I've been dithering after reading your responses, and haven't bought my ticket yet.

I just rechecked the inventory, and it has changed somewhat. TC, thanks for reminding me about having a big hair person sitting in front of me. In fact, I'm quite short and easily get obstructed by the person sitting in front.

So, here are the options:
1) Front row center of Front Mezzanine (same seat still avail)
2) Orchestra Row C seat 1 (<- since this is on the aisle on the side, my view shouldn't be blocked by the person in front of me)
or
3) Orchestra Row BB seat 1 (<- this is the first row on the left)

I like CPG's idea of being able to see faces close up by sitting in Orchestra; but at the same time, I don't want to have to crank my neck up the whole time if that's what the Orchestra row BB and row C seats are like. Decisions decisions... Any thoughts?