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connielane at 03:33am on 27/02/2011 under theater
connielane at 03:33am on 27/02/2011 under theaterThis is what I remember at the moment, and (bolding, because apparently some folks are unclear on this) it may be a bit too detailed if you're planning on seeing it yourself. But for the benefit of people who won't be able to see it, I wanted to give as many specifics as possible.
ETA: Some of these details may seem a bit weird to include, but this was written first and foremost for friends, several of whom have a passion for such details, and I would be doing less than my duty not to look out for such things.
DISCLAIMERS:
- This was a preview performance. The show will not officially open until next month. This means that the show may be a little different whenever you see it, because they are making tweaks during the preview period.
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is not one of my favorite musicals (I don't mean this version, I mean the musical itself). That might give some perspective to what follows.
THE PRE-THEATER EXPERIENCE
I really do not understand why it has become such a thing to line up outside the theaters to get inside, but there was quite a line outside the Hirschfeld this evening. Starting at the theater door, it backed up 45th Street to 8th Avenue, snaked around the corner and down the block, and I'm fairly certain that behind me, it snaked around again and down 44th Street. The proprietors on the block had never seen anything like it. Be prepared for secondhand embarrassment at fans who seem unable to divorce Dan Radcliffe from Harry Potter. Someone passing by the line actually called H2SIB "the Harry Potter play" and there was a girl in front of me with one of those HP movie art books, presumably for Dan to sign. My face should be red from all the facepalming.
STUFF TO BUY
We finally made our way inside the building. I have a really crappy picture of the outside of the theater, where Dan's and John Larroquette's names are literally up in lights on the roof. There was a guy with a merchandise cart, just a few items like t-shirts with the logo and Dan's face on them ... note pads and buttons. Just inside the door there was much more merchandise:
- Song t-shirts ("Paris Original," "A Secretary Is Not a Toy," and a couple more - I think "The Company Way" was one, but I don't remember)
- Tote bags
- Track jackets (my hand to heaven, they are exactly the kind movie!Harry wears)
- The How to Succeed book, on which the musical is based; it has a new cover, with the poster art for the revival
There aren't souvenir programs or CDs yet, but I'm pretty sure there will be eventually.
THEATER AND SEATING SITUATION
I don't know why I was under the impression that I was front and center of the BALCONY when I was actually in the middle of the SECOND ROW, ORCHESTRA. Awesome, awesome, awesome. There were a couple of questions about seats and best views. I'd say that every section has its pros and cons, and what ticket you should get depends on what you want from the performance. Front of the orchestra is perfect if you want to see facial expressions and be close to the actors, but there are things you will miss, because there are layers to the set, the blocking, and the choreography. Also, the closer you are to the orchestra pit, the more chance the orchestra has of overpowering the actors' voices. I definitely plan to see this again, though probably not until after it officially opens, and when I do, I want to be in the balcony. There are some elements of "Paris Original" and "Brotherhood of Man" and a few of the dialogue scenes that must reward an elevated view.
The Hirschfeld is, I believe, bigger than the Broadhurst but not as big as something like the Majestic (Phantom) or Imperial (Les Mis, Billy Elliot). Back of the balcony should still be a good view, though obviously you sacrifice being able to see faces clearly (but you'd do that sitting outside the first half dozen rows of the orchestra anyway).
TIDS AND BITS
Alan Rickman was reportedly at this performance, but I didn't see him. I was busy paying attention to other things!
The show is not updated. It is still set in the early 1960s (late 50s?).
No scratching. There's no point in the production where it wouldn't be conspicuous.
Rob Ashford came out just before the show started and gave a very brief intro, mostly thanking everyone for coming out.
ACT ONE (which ran for 1 hour and 34 minutes)
After the overture, you see some rope and wire drop from above and Finch is pulleyed up from the orchestra pit. This being an American audience, there was, of course, an enthusiastic response. I expect Dan was prepared for this, having been to other shows and apparently being bemused by the tradition. But I don't know that he was prepared for it to be quite as enthusiastic as it was. :) Not even for someone like Patti Lupone have I heard such a thunderous cheer at an entrance, though this being opening night probably intensified things a bit.
Fashion Commentary
I'm sure this will not happen a lot once he's been doing the show for a few weeks, but you should have seen his little trembling hands thumbing through the book at the beginning. He was so charmingly nervous, though it didn't really show anywhere else. His costume for most of Act One is the grey suit and blue bow tie he's wearing in all the promo pictures. When he's working in the mail room, he has the standard striped, short-sleeved shirt and apron like the other mail guys. And at the end of Act One, from the party on, he has a black suit. (For Act Two, he swaps the grey jacket for a plaid jacket and a black waistcoat.)
The Accent
Dan's American accent is good, if a tad generic. You can tell that perhaps the most important lesson he was taught about American diction was the "hard R." I noticed some British strains sneaking in a few times, but it was barely noticeable. His voice does sound different, more raspy and a higher timbre than usual. I would not characterize it as sounding nothing like him, however. He tripped up on a few lines, mostly I think because he was TALKING VERY FAST most of the time. This will improve with time, I think, but talking so fast also means there aren't as many nuances in the line delivery.
The Singing Voice
Quite good, especially in Act Two. It was a touch thin early on in the first act, which I suspect was purely a matter of nervousness. As I said, sitting so close to the orchestra meant that sometimes the actors' voices were drowned out. This was not a factor for everyone, however. Christopher Hanke (Bud) and Michael Park (Bert Bratt) have easily the strongest voices in the cast.
The Look
The sets are AMAZING. When the front piece came up during "How To" and the main set was revealed, I heard several "WOW"s. There are several moving pieces, like the elevator and the coffee machine, and a couple of upper level pieces that push out, like the "shorthand" view of Biggley's office. But the main part of the set is a big wall of "windows," which give a great sense of depth and motion.
The Moves
The choreography is incredibly energetic and really makes the show feel fresh, despite its being 50 years old. Probably my least favorite song in the show has always been "Coffee Break," but it was so great in this version. People were fainting and grabbing and slapping each other. One guy was breathing into a paper bag. "A Secretary Is Not a Toy" has some surprisingly lewd choreography. Lots of thrusting and fondling of phallic symbols.
The Sexpot
Tammy Blanchard is fantastic as Hedy Larue. She's drawing at least a bit on Christina Hendricks, but of course Hendricks's character on Mad Men is actually rather bright and extremely capable. Blanchard was breathy and hilarious and seemed just on the verge of orgasm every moment she was on stage.
The Elevator
"Been A Long Day" is impossibly cute, which has not been the case with the other productions I've seen. The awesomeness is kicked up at least a few notches by the very dapper hat Dan wears in this scene. The elevator is a free-standing, movable piece of the set. We see Finch, Rosemary, and Smitty get in, the doors close, and then the entire piece turns around as they do the number while riding the elevator down. This is one of Smitty's finest moments, as she has to get creative in order to be seen as more and more people get on the elevator as the song goes on.
The Surprisingly Awesome Football Number
The piece de resistance of Act One is definitely "Grand Old Ivy," which in other productions has just consisted of Finch and Biggley being goofy. And there *is* that. John Larroquette is great here, and Dan is so great, "learning" the song and the moves as he goes. There was a funny random moment of audience reaction when Dan dramatically leap-frogged over Larroquette's back. There was thunderous "way to go" applause, which was funny later when one of the dancers did the exact same thing and there was no response. Sorry, dude. We're only impressed when Dan does it. :P OH YEAH, THE DANCERS. After the first go-round of the song, Finch and Biggley are joined on stage by the male dancers, who are dressed as football players, presumably Groundhogs. This dance is INCREDIBLE, and there's even a wonderful "slow-mo" moment when Dan jumps to catch the ball and is passed over the dancers' heads, crowd-surf-style, until he hands the ball off to Biggley. This had better not change. It was awesome.
And yes, Finch knits (as does Biggley, obviously).
Rosemary...
"Paris Original" has always been one of my favorite songs, and Rosemary and the gals do it very well. Rosemary actually changes on stage, behind the open dress box, and I had to wonder what that looked like from the balcony, because the box probably wouldn't have covered her from that viewpoint. The "mass-produced crime," by the way, is a really great dress, with a fantastic bouquet for a hat.
The climax of Act One, starting with "Rosemary," was very good and the song has a different tone than other versions I've seen and heard. The first few notes, which someone asked about, were not powerful and "TADA" but more soft and awed, like a revelation should be. But the best part - THE BEST PART - was Dan jumping on Biggley's couch like Tom Cruise (I KID YOU NOT) after he realizes he's in love with Rosemary. Big laughs from the audience.
ACT TWO (which ran for exactly 1 hour)
Act Two kicks off with "Cinderella Darling," one of my least faves, which was left out of the 1995 revival but restored here. The good thing about it is that it emphasizes that Rosemary is almost as ambitious as Finch is. She's just aiming for something different. Rose Hemingway is the perfect Rosemary, by the way. Just the right balance of vulnerability and ambition. "Love From a Heart of Gold" is great, with Biggley knitting Hedy a blanket with two big crooked hearts on it.
Still the One with the Eyes
I was asked about Dan's rather impressive eyes, and weirdly, I didn't really notice them, even as close as I was, which I suspect can be blamed partially on the exceptionally loud blue tie he wore, which demands attention. However, when he pops up from the orchestra pit for "I Believe In You" ... um, yeah. Wow. There they were. Les yeux sure son bleu. This was a well-choreographed (and quite well sung) number, with moving sinks and mirrors.
There was quite a laugh when Dan said "This is an American company."
The Not-So-Great Bit
Speaking of choreography, in addition to directing, Rob Ashford also choreographed the show, and I suppose that is the only reason for the existence of the "Pirate Dance," which I found to be the weakest moment in the show. While it absolutely felt like something you'd see on a television broadcast in the 1960s, it still felt a bit out of place and seemed only to be there to give Ashford another number to create. It's not as if the other numbers aren't PERFECTLY SPECTACULAR, so I'm kind of curious why they felt the need to include this. (Or was this in the original stage version?)
So yeah, the World Wide Wicket Girl disaster happens and Finch is in trouble. Rosemary sings "I Believe In You (Reprise)" (left of center stage, about the level that the wings begin, for the person who asked).
The World-Shattering Awesomeness
And then there's "Brotherhood of Man," which is utter heaven. It is THE dance number of the musical (though "Grand Old Ivy" is right on its heels) and those pictures do not do it justice at all. You could tell Dan and the rest of the cast were having an absolute ball, and I sensed a little "this is so freakin' cool" moment between Dan and Ellen Harvey (who played Miss Jones). I'm sure there were several other similar moments happening elsewhere on stage during that number. It was so electric, you could just feel it. At the end of the number, Dan was on the shoulders of the male dancers. The cheers went on for, I swear, a couple of minutes, and the dancers were lifting him up and ruffling the hair. It was just this genuine celebratory moment.
I don't really like to use "song and dance man" to describe Dan, because to me that's someone like Gene Kelly, who's a dancer first and an actor second and you don't see anyone else when they're on stage. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say he reminded me a bit of James Cagney, as singing and dancing performers go. His Finch is neither smarmy like Robert Morse, nor man-childish like Matthew Broderick. Ambitious and shrewd - a classic trickster character - is how I'd describe his Finch. He's not putting on a fake personality affectation, which I loved.
The End
There were no individual bows at the curtain call, but I'm thinking there will be eventually. The whole company bowed together three or four times and John Laroquette gestured to the band and that was it. The audience stood almost immediately after the curtain music began. I've never seen such an enthusiastic audience. I'm sure some of it was due to the "Potter factor" and just the fact that this was something so different that no one was really aware Dan had in him, and perhaps the enthusiasm will not be quite so intense later on, but this is going to be a huge hit. For quite a while, I expect. Or at least as long as Dan remains in it. :)
The entire experience tonight was 2 hours and 53 minutes (1:34 for Act 1, 1:00 for Act 2, and the 15-minute intermission turned out to be 19 minutes).
If there's anything you're curious about that I missed, ask away and I'll do my best to remember.
ETA: Some of these details may seem a bit weird to include, but this was written first and foremost for friends, several of whom have a passion for such details, and I would be doing less than my duty not to look out for such things.
DISCLAIMERS:
- This was a preview performance. The show will not officially open until next month. This means that the show may be a little different whenever you see it, because they are making tweaks during the preview period.
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is not one of my favorite musicals (I don't mean this version, I mean the musical itself). That might give some perspective to what follows.
THE PRE-THEATER EXPERIENCE
I really do not understand why it has become such a thing to line up outside the theaters to get inside, but there was quite a line outside the Hirschfeld this evening. Starting at the theater door, it backed up 45th Street to 8th Avenue, snaked around the corner and down the block, and I'm fairly certain that behind me, it snaked around again and down 44th Street. The proprietors on the block had never seen anything like it. Be prepared for secondhand embarrassment at fans who seem unable to divorce Dan Radcliffe from Harry Potter. Someone passing by the line actually called H2SIB "the Harry Potter play" and there was a girl in front of me with one of those HP movie art books, presumably for Dan to sign. My face should be red from all the facepalming.
STUFF TO BUY
We finally made our way inside the building. I have a really crappy picture of the outside of the theater, where Dan's and John Larroquette's names are literally up in lights on the roof. There was a guy with a merchandise cart, just a few items like t-shirts with the logo and Dan's face on them ... note pads and buttons. Just inside the door there was much more merchandise:
- Song t-shirts ("Paris Original," "A Secretary Is Not a Toy," and a couple more - I think "The Company Way" was one, but I don't remember)
- Tote bags
- Track jackets (my hand to heaven, they are exactly the kind movie!Harry wears)
- The How to Succeed book, on which the musical is based; it has a new cover, with the poster art for the revival
There aren't souvenir programs or CDs yet, but I'm pretty sure there will be eventually.
THEATER AND SEATING SITUATION
I don't know why I was under the impression that I was front and center of the BALCONY when I was actually in the middle of the SECOND ROW, ORCHESTRA. Awesome, awesome, awesome. There were a couple of questions about seats and best views. I'd say that every section has its pros and cons, and what ticket you should get depends on what you want from the performance. Front of the orchestra is perfect if you want to see facial expressions and be close to the actors, but there are things you will miss, because there are layers to the set, the blocking, and the choreography. Also, the closer you are to the orchestra pit, the more chance the orchestra has of overpowering the actors' voices. I definitely plan to see this again, though probably not until after it officially opens, and when I do, I want to be in the balcony. There are some elements of "Paris Original" and "Brotherhood of Man" and a few of the dialogue scenes that must reward an elevated view.
The Hirschfeld is, I believe, bigger than the Broadhurst but not as big as something like the Majestic (Phantom) or Imperial (Les Mis, Billy Elliot). Back of the balcony should still be a good view, though obviously you sacrifice being able to see faces clearly (but you'd do that sitting outside the first half dozen rows of the orchestra anyway).
TIDS AND BITS
Alan Rickman was reportedly at this performance, but I didn't see him. I was busy paying attention to other things!
The show is not updated. It is still set in the early 1960s (late 50s?).
No scratching. There's no point in the production where it wouldn't be conspicuous.
Rob Ashford came out just before the show started and gave a very brief intro, mostly thanking everyone for coming out.
ACT ONE (which ran for 1 hour and 34 minutes)
After the overture, you see some rope and wire drop from above and Finch is pulleyed up from the orchestra pit. This being an American audience, there was, of course, an enthusiastic response. I expect Dan was prepared for this, having been to other shows and apparently being bemused by the tradition. But I don't know that he was prepared for it to be quite as enthusiastic as it was. :) Not even for someone like Patti Lupone have I heard such a thunderous cheer at an entrance, though this being opening night probably intensified things a bit.
Fashion Commentary
I'm sure this will not happen a lot once he's been doing the show for a few weeks, but you should have seen his little trembling hands thumbing through the book at the beginning. He was so charmingly nervous, though it didn't really show anywhere else. His costume for most of Act One is the grey suit and blue bow tie he's wearing in all the promo pictures. When he's working in the mail room, he has the standard striped, short-sleeved shirt and apron like the other mail guys. And at the end of Act One, from the party on, he has a black suit. (For Act Two, he swaps the grey jacket for a plaid jacket and a black waistcoat.)
The Accent
Dan's American accent is good, if a tad generic. You can tell that perhaps the most important lesson he was taught about American diction was the "hard R." I noticed some British strains sneaking in a few times, but it was barely noticeable. His voice does sound different, more raspy and a higher timbre than usual. I would not characterize it as sounding nothing like him, however. He tripped up on a few lines, mostly I think because he was TALKING VERY FAST most of the time. This will improve with time, I think, but talking so fast also means there aren't as many nuances in the line delivery.
The Singing Voice
Quite good, especially in Act Two. It was a touch thin early on in the first act, which I suspect was purely a matter of nervousness. As I said, sitting so close to the orchestra meant that sometimes the actors' voices were drowned out. This was not a factor for everyone, however. Christopher Hanke (Bud) and Michael Park (Bert Bratt) have easily the strongest voices in the cast.
The Look
The sets are AMAZING. When the front piece came up during "How To" and the main set was revealed, I heard several "WOW"s. There are several moving pieces, like the elevator and the coffee machine, and a couple of upper level pieces that push out, like the "shorthand" view of Biggley's office. But the main part of the set is a big wall of "windows," which give a great sense of depth and motion.
The Moves
The choreography is incredibly energetic and really makes the show feel fresh, despite its being 50 years old. Probably my least favorite song in the show has always been "Coffee Break," but it was so great in this version. People were fainting and grabbing and slapping each other. One guy was breathing into a paper bag. "A Secretary Is Not a Toy" has some surprisingly lewd choreography. Lots of thrusting and fondling of phallic symbols.
The Sexpot
Tammy Blanchard is fantastic as Hedy Larue. She's drawing at least a bit on Christina Hendricks, but of course Hendricks's character on Mad Men is actually rather bright and extremely capable. Blanchard was breathy and hilarious and seemed just on the verge of orgasm every moment she was on stage.
The Elevator
"Been A Long Day" is impossibly cute, which has not been the case with the other productions I've seen. The awesomeness is kicked up at least a few notches by the very dapper hat Dan wears in this scene. The elevator is a free-standing, movable piece of the set. We see Finch, Rosemary, and Smitty get in, the doors close, and then the entire piece turns around as they do the number while riding the elevator down. This is one of Smitty's finest moments, as she has to get creative in order to be seen as more and more people get on the elevator as the song goes on.
The Surprisingly Awesome Football Number
The piece de resistance of Act One is definitely "Grand Old Ivy," which in other productions has just consisted of Finch and Biggley being goofy. And there *is* that. John Larroquette is great here, and Dan is so great, "learning" the song and the moves as he goes. There was a funny random moment of audience reaction when Dan dramatically leap-frogged over Larroquette's back. There was thunderous "way to go" applause, which was funny later when one of the dancers did the exact same thing and there was no response. Sorry, dude. We're only impressed when Dan does it. :P OH YEAH, THE DANCERS. After the first go-round of the song, Finch and Biggley are joined on stage by the male dancers, who are dressed as football players, presumably Groundhogs. This dance is INCREDIBLE, and there's even a wonderful "slow-mo" moment when Dan jumps to catch the ball and is passed over the dancers' heads, crowd-surf-style, until he hands the ball off to Biggley. This had better not change. It was awesome.
And yes, Finch knits (as does Biggley, obviously).
Rosemary...
"Paris Original" has always been one of my favorite songs, and Rosemary and the gals do it very well. Rosemary actually changes on stage, behind the open dress box, and I had to wonder what that looked like from the balcony, because the box probably wouldn't have covered her from that viewpoint. The "mass-produced crime," by the way, is a really great dress, with a fantastic bouquet for a hat.
The climax of Act One, starting with "Rosemary," was very good and the song has a different tone than other versions I've seen and heard. The first few notes, which someone asked about, were not powerful and "TADA" but more soft and awed, like a revelation should be. But the best part - THE BEST PART - was Dan jumping on Biggley's couch like Tom Cruise (I KID YOU NOT) after he realizes he's in love with Rosemary. Big laughs from the audience.
ACT TWO (which ran for exactly 1 hour)
Act Two kicks off with "Cinderella Darling," one of my least faves, which was left out of the 1995 revival but restored here. The good thing about it is that it emphasizes that Rosemary is almost as ambitious as Finch is. She's just aiming for something different. Rose Hemingway is the perfect Rosemary, by the way. Just the right balance of vulnerability and ambition. "Love From a Heart of Gold" is great, with Biggley knitting Hedy a blanket with two big crooked hearts on it.
Still the One with the Eyes
I was asked about Dan's rather impressive eyes, and weirdly, I didn't really notice them, even as close as I was, which I suspect can be blamed partially on the exceptionally loud blue tie he wore, which demands attention. However, when he pops up from the orchestra pit for "I Believe In You" ... um, yeah. Wow. There they were. Les yeux sure son bleu. This was a well-choreographed (and quite well sung) number, with moving sinks and mirrors.
There was quite a laugh when Dan said "This is an American company."
The Not-So-Great Bit
Speaking of choreography, in addition to directing, Rob Ashford also choreographed the show, and I suppose that is the only reason for the existence of the "Pirate Dance," which I found to be the weakest moment in the show. While it absolutely felt like something you'd see on a television broadcast in the 1960s, it still felt a bit out of place and seemed only to be there to give Ashford another number to create. It's not as if the other numbers aren't PERFECTLY SPECTACULAR, so I'm kind of curious why they felt the need to include this. (Or was this in the original stage version?)
So yeah, the World Wide Wicket Girl disaster happens and Finch is in trouble. Rosemary sings "I Believe In You (Reprise)" (left of center stage, about the level that the wings begin, for the person who asked).
The World-Shattering Awesomeness
And then there's "Brotherhood of Man," which is utter heaven. It is THE dance number of the musical (though "Grand Old Ivy" is right on its heels) and those pictures do not do it justice at all. You could tell Dan and the rest of the cast were having an absolute ball, and I sensed a little "this is so freakin' cool" moment between Dan and Ellen Harvey (who played Miss Jones). I'm sure there were several other similar moments happening elsewhere on stage during that number. It was so electric, you could just feel it. At the end of the number, Dan was on the shoulders of the male dancers. The cheers went on for, I swear, a couple of minutes, and the dancers were lifting him up and ruffling the hair. It was just this genuine celebratory moment.
I don't really like to use "song and dance man" to describe Dan, because to me that's someone like Gene Kelly, who's a dancer first and an actor second and you don't see anyone else when they're on stage. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say he reminded me a bit of James Cagney, as singing and dancing performers go. His Finch is neither smarmy like Robert Morse, nor man-childish like Matthew Broderick. Ambitious and shrewd - a classic trickster character - is how I'd describe his Finch. He's not putting on a fake personality affectation, which I loved.
The End
There were no individual bows at the curtain call, but I'm thinking there will be eventually. The whole company bowed together three or four times and John Laroquette gestured to the band and that was it. The audience stood almost immediately after the curtain music began. I've never seen such an enthusiastic audience. I'm sure some of it was due to the "Potter factor" and just the fact that this was something so different that no one was really aware Dan had in him, and perhaps the enthusiasm will not be quite so intense later on, but this is going to be a huge hit. For quite a while, I expect. Or at least as long as Dan remains in it. :)
The entire experience tonight was 2 hours and 53 minutes (1:34 for Act 1, 1:00 for Act 2, and the 15-minute intermission turned out to be 19 minutes).
If there's anything you're curious about that I missed, ask away and I'll do my best to remember.
giddy