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PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel 2013-02-13 10:12:23

This Passion revival can be summed up easily: So much happiness. Maybe not all that much happiness for the characters on stage (though the actors are obviously enjoying their roles), but certainly the audience is being treated to a beautiful production, a first-rate cast and a score that's impossible to stop humming for days, even by the likes of After Eight!

Melissa Errico must have signed some Dorian Gray deal with the devil pact because she looks and sounds better than ever. Happiness was gorgeously sung, and then Errico gets to drift around the stage in this yellow period dress while she ethereally sings the letters. (RippedMan- if you haven't listened to the Amour OBCR please do. It should win you over on Errico's talents.) I would love to see her play Lily in a Secret Garden revival.

Judy Kuhn is a more sympathetic Fosca as some others up thread predicted she would be, but I loved her performance. It's intense and superbly sung. I Read and Loving You were highlights of the evening for sure. Loving You is one of Sondheim's best songs anyway, and the way Kuhn performs it is heartbreaking.

Ryan Silverman holds it together as Giorgio. His acting in final few scenes had me just as involved with his plight as with Fosca's.

The new orchestrations are lovely and the slightly smaller sound feels right for the space. I really, really hope they record this cast. It would be a waste not to.

I've always loved listening to the OBCR, but this was the first time I got to see the show live, and I think it is worthy to mentioned alongside Sunday in the Park, Follies and Company as one of Sondheim's best.

Doyle's staging would actually transfer nicely to the Circle in the Square. Now that the theater is free they should think about making the move Uptown so more people can experience this.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by jv92 2013-02-13 10:40:11

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Saw it last night. I don't know how well it would transfer uptown, simply because the piece is so special, and this production is so simple, and lovely. No bells and whistles here, aside from fine acting and singing from all three leads. When Doyle doesn't have the actors as their own orchestra, he's really masterful and inventive-- though I did like his Sweeney a lot.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-13 16:47:02

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Man I wish I coul dsee this. While perhaps not the shows I would pick as "his best", Company and Passion are my two favorite Sondheim shows, personally. Thanks for your reviews jv and Whizzer.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by nasty_khakis 2013-02-13 16:54:32

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When I saw it over the weekend there were red stains on Errico's dress. It looked like blood or something had dripped down her right side. It made me keep wondering if her character bleeds later in the show or the dress was rented or reused from another show.

Small detail I noticed. Not really important. lol

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Dubliner 2013-02-13 18:36:36

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Its interesting to see how much more loved the show becomes with each revival. I think in time history will place it amongst Sondheim's greatest works.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-13 18:38:31

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Isn't that true of most Sondheim shows? That said, I know Passion even divided/divides the most hardcore Sondheim fanatics.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Matt Rogers 2013-02-13 18:43:56

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Can anyone who has seen this advise whether or not front row is too close? That's all that is available on the date I can see this, but it seems like every time I end up in a front row, I get over-emoting performers who spit all over me for the entire show. I love these actors but don't want to be drenched in their saliva.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by RippedMan 2013-02-13 19:18:58

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I want to see pictures. I'm so curious to know how it's designed. And I know Doyle is designing it himself, and I love his esthetic.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-13 19:19:53

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"I want to see pictures. I'm so curious to know how it's designed. And I know Doyle is designing it himself, and I love his esthetic."

You mean his usual near monochrome use of colour? :P

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by RippedMan 2013-02-13 20:16:57

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Yeah, but I kind of like it. I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of red in this show, but I think, especially for this show, a simple design works best.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by WestwardHoHo 2013-02-13 20:32:27

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Isn't Errico like 20 years too old for the part?

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by CATSNYrevival 2013-02-13 20:38:54

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^Melissa is in her 40s and during the course of the play Clara finds her first grey hair so I think 40s is appropriate. I'm going to say no.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel 2013-02-13 21:51:08

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RippedMan- There is actually almost no red in this revival. Perhaps little bits of red on the officer's uniforms, but that's it.

I love walking into CSC each time they have a new production because the space always looks dramatically different. This time the stage is laid with like a smooth black marble and there two square black marble columns upstage. There are several massive curtains on a runner that various characters move across the back wall to set a new scene. Everything is very dark and black. The only real source of light is Errico's stunning yellow dress.

Most of the props/set pieces are mimed. The soldiers dine at a mimed table and squat into non-existent chairs. The shoot pool at a non-existent billiards table. It's simple and basic and effective.

Errico doesn't look a day over 25. She could still be playing Laurie and Julie Jordan if she wanted to. The woman just doesn't age. She's perfect for the part.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by nasty_khakis 2013-02-13 21:57:53

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There are NO chairs?? I saw the show on Sunday and they most definitely sat in chairs. They mimed a table and foot, the soldier dishing it out had a ladle though.

I don't mind minimalism, but sometimes I think Doyle gets in his own way. Let people have a blanket or a chair! sheesh!

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel 2013-02-13 22:17:40

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Wait! I retract my statement about the chairs- it was so dark I think I just remembered incorrectly. They DID sit in chairs, but definitely no table and no food. It felt like they were miming the chairs though.

The minimalistic approach works well for Passion. The smaller orchestrations, the small space; it all fits together to make for an intimate experience that boosts the poignancy of the piece.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by nasty_khakis 2013-02-13 22:43:14

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LOL. Great! I don't mind the minimalism in Passion, I'm fine with the no table/food/desk/train compartment/etc. I DO kind of wish Fosca had a bed or something to actually lie down on. It was awkward to watch people mime "getting one a bed" when they're just sitting and turning front. Or at least an actual blanket for her. It makes no sense for her to use the soldier's coats when the show itself doesn't have a "let's put on a show and pull props out of a trunk" vibe like "Peter and the Starcatchers." It would just be CRUEL to not give them chairs. Someone should make Doyle squat for those 10 minutes and see how he likes it, haha.

The curtains also oddly distracted and annoyed me. I felt they weren't used to depict locations but symbolize who Georgio was thinking of. The darker curtain for Clara and the lighter and torn one for Fosca.

I had no problems with Errico's age. She looks and sounds amazing and Clara has several lines about being older (which is a relative term. I'd accept a 28 year old Clara and a 42 year old Clara). It was glorious to see a Georgio who would actually turn my head on the street. He is stunning and sings it marvelously and so truthful with Fosca, outright mean to her when needbe.

I DID have a slight problem with Kuhn's age. YES Fosca is "wretched, sick, unattractive" but she's 26/27. Kuhn looks great for her age, but I think she looks late 30s. I've seen sick and ugly 28 year olds, they dont look 39, they look a haggared 30. She also never seems to go to the truly WRETCHED place I like Foscas to go to. She does some awful, unkind, and unlikable things, but she never seems to justify them in her acting. In fact she plays most of them off as jokes. Don't get me wrong, Fosca IS funny and has lines meant to be jokes for sure, but I don't think her tricking and manipulating someone is a joke.

The show is insanely well sung. The music alone moved me to tears.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Matt Rogers 2013-02-13 22:50:04

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I'm starting to regret having bought a ticket for this.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by nasty_khakis 2013-02-13 23:07:31

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No regrets! I'm just being nit-picky because I can be.

This show is almost impossible to pull off and they are doing and remarkable job. Worth seeing for any Sondheim fan

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by April Saul 2013-02-14 00:30:35

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Saw this today and overall liked it...was my first exposure to the show and the voices are lovely. For the poster who asked if first row was too close, I would say not at all. I'd also add that for this one, it's played to all directions to such an extent that I wouldn't worry about paying any extra money to sit in the front rather than the side seats.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by lemiz3001 2013-02-14 05:24:32

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Saw the show last night. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. (Spoilers included)

Now, I have seen both filmed productions of the show (Original cast & Lincoln Center) and I own both the London and Broadway cast recordings. Thus, I have loved the score for quite a while, but I honestly have never really "connected" with the story. I also never really understood Giorgio's eventual love for Fosca. (Common criticisms of the show).

In my opinion, the cast transformed the show. Judy Kuhn was obviously brilliant, but I thought that Ryan Silverman was a definite standout for me.

Ryan Silverman's Giorgio is completely vulnerable. For this first time, I could see Giorgio's mental state slowly deteriorating as the night went on, which I think made the character much more sympathetic and it helped me understand why he loves Fosca. Not sure if it was because I watched the previous productions, but I did not see this in Jere Shea and Michael Cerveris. Giorgio felt like a ticking time bomb, a "beautiful" man on the outside but deep demons below. One of the most devastating parts of the show was when Giorgio picks Fosca up in the rain, something that people laughed at during previews of the original production. You could see Giorgio's self-hate as he picks her up, you can tell it is something that he absolutely does not want to do but he feels honor bound by duty to take her home. I thought it was pretty brilliant and devastating. Also loved how Giorgio's uniform slowly deteriorated along with his mental state throughout the show, a nice homage to the original production.

I think this was done in the Donmar production, but Fosca's mother & Ludovic's jilted lover are all played by men, which was a cause for some (in my opinion) unwanted laughter during the important flashback scene where we learn (OMG!) that Fosca is not a virgin.

Although the orchestra was quite small, it did fit the space perfectly. God knows Passion could use about 50 violins, but the orchestrations did not sound "thin" at all, just small. Not sure if these are new orchestrations, but I definitely have not heard them before. No one is listed in the playbill having written new ones, so I assume they are just a slimmed down version of the originals. Also, for the Passion fans, the reprise of "No One Has Ever Loved Me" at the end of the show added for the London production is not included in this production.

Sorry for the rambling review, but I am a big Passion fan and wanted to share my love of this production with you guys.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by newintown 2013-02-14 08:52:16

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I keep hoping I'll like Passion, but I find that it (and Bounce/Road Show, which followed it) are Sondheim's only works that are completely devoid of any humor at all - which is a turn-off to me.

It's so unrelentingly solemn and serious - I think that's why the weird laughs come when Fosca gets on the train, or when Giorgio almost leaves her passed out on the mountain.

I know that the soldiers' manly joshing is meant to lighten the mood, but it always feels actor-y; and Bounce is certainly meant to have lighter moments; they just don't land very well.

The music is always gorgeous, and the lyrics masterful, but I miss a sense of humor...

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by RippedMan 2013-02-14 13:56:30

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Hm. Not sure I liked the mimed stuff. This isn't Our Town. I think it would have been nice to be overly realistic. Real food on the table. etc.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by jv92 2013-02-14 15:11:31

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I do agree that PASSION lacks humor, but I've come to just accept that.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Thespinoy 2013-02-14 17:35:55

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Rob Berman is the Musical Director. Jonathan Tunick made new orchestrations specifically for the 9 musicians in this production.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by After Eight 2013-02-15 07:10:14

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"She does some awful, unkind, and unlikable") things,"
"I don't think her tricking and manipulating someone is a joke. "

Interesting how these insignificant little details go unmentioned by the enrapt enthusiasts. Perhaps they aren't bothered by them. Or who knows? Perhaps they even approve of them. ("Go, Fosca! Destroy that sucker's life!")

"Its interesting to see how much more loved the show becomes with each revival. I think in time history will place it amongst Sondheim's greatest works."

Yes, that is very interesting. Problem is, each of Sondheim's works is among his greatest works, and was the moment it was placed on a stage. So history has the easiest of all tasks before it.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by newintown 2013-02-15 09:27:32

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That's been a major bone of contention about Passion from the start. Is Fosca's love "true" love? Is it more "real" than Clara's?

Clara knows that she will ruin her children's lives if she leaves her family for Giorgio (for those who are oblivious to the changing mores of society, watch this season's "Downton Abbey"); Giorgio "realizes" that Fosca's love is more "pure," because she will do anything for him. It's a selfish little boy's argument: "You don't love me, because I'm not the only thing that matters to you!"

To some (including me), Fosca's "love" is not love at all, but unhealthy obsession; the fact that Giorgio eventually decides that he prefers to be the object of obsession rather than to be loved by an equal is hardly a denouement worthy of admiration (in my opinion).

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 10:16:38

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I'm not sure we're suppose to admire it. At least...that's what I got from this production last night, which is probably the best case for this piece I've seen presented thus far.

The key to this take on the material (imo) is the scene between Giorgio and Fosca after he returns from his brief leave to Milan. Kuhn is actually funny (bitchily so) in her take-down of Giorgio. It lets the audience have the moment of laughter it desperately needs, and which doesn't come back in the later scenes, as was the case on Broadway.

It is said in this production that Fosca is in here late 30's. It's appropriate for both Kuhn's actual age, and for understanding the desperation. It's not just vague illness...it's a long life of loneliness that leads to her off-putting behavior. And Silverman makes a really strong case for Giorgio, who comes truly, scarily alive only when with Fosca. The relationship has a great deal of...well...passion. The more conventional relationship with Clara is cool and it feels ordinary. For the first time, I understood why Giorgio would make the choice he does. It also helps that they didn't go out of the way to make Kuhn appear grotesque.

I don't disagree that Fosca's love is actually obsession. But ask a million different people the definition of love and you'll get a million different answers. I wouldn't presume to decide which love was 'true.' But I do buy that the experiences of the lead characters are each true. And I haven't always felt that way about PASSION.

It does lack in humor. But I don't think it's a terrible trade-off because what's presented is a thing of absolute beauty.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by newintown 2013-02-15 10:38:27

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You're right - "admire" isn't the right word. But it does seem that Sondheim/Lapine expect us to sympathize, to agree with Giorgio that Fosca's obsession is a "truer" love than Clara's more measured feelings and actions.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by themysteriousgrowl 2013-02-15 10:47:35

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Guys, quit disrupting After Eight’s willfully blind fantasy that Sondheim fans idolize Him and His works all out of proportion. (Uh, no, make that – they romanticize Him and His works all out of proportion. Better.) Ignore the fact that the most avowed Sondheim fans dissect and deconstruct the great, good, problematic, and bad elements in all of his shows in thread after thread, right here on this very board, in discussions that After Eight himself cannot resist participating in with frequency because his angry experience of the confusingly changing world passing him by makes him secretly happy.

Let us pray.

Our Father, which art Stephen Sondheim,
Company be thy Name.
A little night music come.
Thy will be done in the woods,
As it is in company.
Give us this day our daily assassins,
And merrily we roll along
As we forgive them that whistle against us.
And lead us not into pacific overtures
But deliver us from forums
For thine is the Sunday

The Sweeney, and the gypsy,

For frogs and west side,

Road show.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 10:49:41

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Do I have to drink a cup of His blood after saying that prayer?

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by newintown 2013-02-15 10:53:23

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You have to eat his body.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 11:00:43

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Well...I left that out cause been there, done that.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by themysteriousgrowl 2013-02-15 11:03:02

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Transubstantieightion.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 11:04:02

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Shit.

You win.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Michael Bennett 2013-02-15 11:08:25

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Newintown and Robbie J --

I loved reading your posts, because I think you articulated so beautifully a big piece of what is, in my opinion, an inherent flaw with the musical adaption; namely that it's extremely difficult for most audience members to accept Georgio's rather abrupt turn of heart regarding Fosca, in the face of behavior that most of us would deem unhealthy obsession rather than unconditional love, despite the musical essaying that the realization of 'real love,' is indeed what has happened..

In the original novel (and film 'Passione D'Amour') Fosca is really described as something of a monster - toxic, with an almost vampirish hold on Georgio, that ultimately takes root in him and virtually destroys him. The final scene in the film shows the once beautiful Georgio completely transformed -- sick, ugly, fettered -- in the context of the original story "your love will live in me" is not unconditional love of the spirit, but the cruel promise of a pariah. And in death, Fosca seems to almost have taken over Georgio's mind and body with the curse of her poisonous obsession. Romantic? I think not...

That Lapine and Sondheiml tried to take this twisted story and turn it into a metaphor for 'unconditional love' - has for me always been a problematic stretch, and I think despite the power of the score, fails largely because of this conceit.

But Robbie, that you describe Georgio in this production as feeling rabidly 'alive' only in the presence of Fosca I think could be a really salient way to circumvent the flaws in the musical adaptation. That could justify both of their behaviors, and perhaps guide the theme more towards a desire of 'obsessive feeling' more than a desire of obsessive love, which would be a lot more tangible given the script and score.

I can't wait to see it.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 11:30:53

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Sorry, newintown, I missed your response to me earlier...before the new Follies Creed.

I think you're right that the intention of Lapine and Sondheim is to lead us to make the decision that the love between Fosca and Giorgio is truer than that of the love between Girogio and Clara. But even if that's their intention, I'm grateful that others can take a different look at the material and present it otherwise.

Kuhn's Fosca is deeply human...and very smart. Even she seems to be surprised by the depth of feeling Giorgio stirs in her. And because she's not grotesque (no mole for her!), it takes on this meta bit of heartbreak that you're simply watching an actress be stripped of make-up and a decent wig and just presented as unattractive. It's actually hard to take in at first, because you don't want to look at Kuhn, who is a theatrical treasure, as anything but lovely. But no. So the audience is not at a safe remove. They cannot say, 'Oh, this is just some make-up trick that lets me judge this character.' It's simply a homely woman who's imprisoned by her looks.

It also helps that Silverman isn't a complete stud. I mean...he's handsome. But in a way that isn't off-putting...it's a relatable kind of attractiveness. He also possesses an innate intelligence that is a really good match for Kuhn. And so, when they do engage, sparks fly. Not sexual sparks, but something different. They are two people who seem to be most themselves when they're with each other. All of this combines to make the eventual union between the two actually believable...and not some bizarre joke.

On a completely unrelated note, what an absolute joy to hear a score that doesn't ask the singers to perform any kind of Herculean tasks. It's written in a way that clearly shows off each human voice, without taxing them in the way so many musicals now ask singers to stretch their abilities to the point of being unhealthy. And the small orchestra sounded marvelous.

ETA: MB, I'm reeeeeeally interested to see what you think.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Michael Bennett 2013-02-15 11:46:23

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Yes Robbie! And viewed in the context of the times and world that PASSION take place (which you must do to accept the story) it makes sense for Fosca (in the musical) to be such a parodx -- a witty, shameless woman whose long festering desperation combined with undesirable looks basically frees her from the oppressed role of respectable female behavior.

Clara's behavior is almost the flip side of that same context -- she is also breaking with respectability in her adulterous affair with Georgio, but ultimately she can't completely free herself from the restrictive (and yet privileged) cage her respectable married life affords her.

And if Georgio is really searching for what amounts to a a tandemonium of real feeling in the face of a romantically repressed society, the danger of Fosca's attention could suddenly prove exciting and irresistible.

I hadn't ever really thought the 'obsession' in PASSION as equally applying to the tear against the 'repression' of the world of the characters. But all that you describe makes sense and I think Doyle was perhaps wise in approaching the material in the way he has.

At first I was surprised and skeptical about the lack of nudity, but that does indeed seem to be a very strong choice in guiding the themes of this particular staging...

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 11:54:34

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That's something that kept going through my head last night: the world around them does not allow for this kind of behavior. So when it occurs, it becomes something dangerous and thrilling. All without showing much skin.

Though...I kept thinking what it would look like to see the entire opening number performed completely naked. Like, not even a sheet to cover them. Just complete nudity. I would be interested in seeing that. AND NO, BITCHES. Not for prurient reasons.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Michael Bennett 2013-02-15 11:58:13

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Well, complete nudity on stage tends to lose its eroticism and become rather mundane after the first tantalizing few minutes, so that would be an interesting approach to the opening number, and rather telling of the theme of the story, no?

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-15 12:00:58

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That's exactly what I was thinking. I always find it fascinating when actors can find a sort of complete freedom when doing nudity so that it no longer becomes some sort of sexual thing. And I wonder how that scene would play out in that kind of staging.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by lemiz3001 2013-02-15 20:11:49

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I totally agree with you Robbie and MB. But I think it's also interesting to note how repressed Giorgio is, along with the world he lives in. He clearly did not want to be in the army, but states he only signed up because his father was an officer.

I think that's why this production makes their love somewhat more believable. Fosca targets Giorgio because she can see his vulnerability and emotional depth ("They hear drums, you hear music, as do I") and I think Giorgio falls for her in the end because, like MB said, it is "exciting and irresistible" and he is breaking free from being emotionally repressed all his life. Ryan Silverman plays Giorgio as someone easily susceptible to this kind of event that leads to catharsis. ( I also think the Doctor can see this as well, which is why he manipulates Giorgio.)

I don't think Passion and it's authors try to claim that Fosca's love is "purer" than Clara's. Love is love, plain and simple. No type of love is "purer" than any other. But I think they suggest that Giorgio & Clara's love is an immature kind of love, the kind of feelings we experience the first time we fall in love, whereas Fosca and Giorgio's love is mature, "grown up" love. In "Happiness", we see that Giorgio has never really had a true loving relationship before. ("I never knew what love was"). He is truly in love with Clara, but he doesn't realize the consequences of that love- that Clara cannot truly be with him and won't leave her husband for him. Fosca offers Giorgio unconditional love. Although, yes, she does manipulate and stalk until she gets her way but I think that Giorgio eventually falls for her because it is sort of a "big kid" kind of love, not the sort of love that stems from Clara "pitying" Giorgio. ("You pitied me/How quickly pity leads to love")

Just my two cents :)

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Idiot 2013-02-15 20:59:58

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I've never viewed Fosca's 'love' for Giorgio as 'pure'. It's based in wild obsession, and I think that's fairly clear.

I've always viewed this piece as a bit of a fantasy - not a treatise on 'true love'. It strikes me as rewarding (I am a fan of it) because the obsession wins its prize in the end -- which rarely happens in real life, or at least that's what our mores say. Therein lies the challenge of the piece, and why I enjoy it so much.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by CATSNYrevival 2013-02-15 23:14:02

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What's taking so long for a photo flash?

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by After Eight 2013-02-16 00:02:40

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Well, what a heaping mound of pretentious, longwinded hogwash all devoted to disguising/rationalizing/perverting the simple truth that the woman is a vile monster, a predator, destroying another person's life without compunction, as morally repugnant within as she is repulsive without, shoved down our throats with abject effrontery by the show's creators, to stick it to us all but good.

Nice try, guys, but no one (no one outside the cultists' circle that is) is buying. You can't disguise the truth no matter how hard you try. It's like pouring Chanel no. 5 on a compost heap- it still reeks.

Time for some fresh air.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel 2013-02-16 00:20:55

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After Eight,

Maybe it would do you well to actually pay attention to the likes of MB and Robbie J. You just might learn something.

MB is one of the most knowledgeable and articulate posters on this board. He continues to provide insights that greatly enrich all of our understandings of different pieces, Passion included. I can vouch that he's the real deal, and you should show him some respect.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by chrisampm2 2013-02-16 01:18:10

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After Eight, you continually make assumptions about artists' intentions and everyone else's opinions. It makes it difficult, for me at least, to take you seriously.

I don't consider myself a Sondheim cultist. I respect many things, love some, and have great difficulty with some others in every show he's written. But I buy much of what MB and Son of RJ write here.

I saw the original Passion production and sensed an ambiguity in both relationships. The piece seemed subjectively tied to Giorgio's POV. The women seemed to represent opposing poles of love - fearsomely obsessive and evanescently lovely. I remember feeling that Fosca awakened in Giorgio a sense of love's possibility.

I felt the intent of the growing relationship between Giorgio and Fosca, even in the original, was as Son of RJ wrote so well, "They are two people who seem to be most themselves when they're with each other." I didn't think Shea could quite there but Gallagher sounds like he did in the workshop and Cerveris certainly did.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by After Eight 2013-02-16 07:07:33

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Chris,

I'm sorry to have to open your eyes to the fact that some people refuse to check their moral compass at a theatre entrance. Yeah. Imagine that!

So whether you take me seriously or not is of no importance whatsoever.

The fact is that you, in your post, just as everyone else here -- save nasty khakis-- have failed to address the essential matter of this monster's actual character and conduct.

Therefore, although it pains me to say it, it is YOU, along with all those who have done the same, who cannot be taken seriously.

"But I buy much of what MB and Son of RJ write here."

I don't buy a word of it. Not a single, solitary word. (And there sure are a lot of them.) And for the record, I've always thought highly of MB's writing and opinions..... Until now.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Michael Bennett 2013-02-16 11:47:33

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After Eight,

I think its pretty clear in my original post that I am not in complete disagreement with you. I point out pretty plainly my reasons for believing that PASSION is an inherently flawed adaptation, because Sondheim and Lapine are not completely successful in their attempt at humanizing a character that in the source material has essentially no redeeming qualities, and instead, have unconvincingly tried to impose a theme (the meaning of love) on a story, that as written, is about the poisonous effects of pure rabid obsession.

My commentary here is simply a dissertation on how those flaws can be 'best' circumvented through directorial approach. I'm excited to see what Doyle does with the material, because it sounds like he has through his directorial concept perhaps found a reasonable bridge to really an impossible pass better than directors prior to him have done with this material.

Just to be clear, I don't believe that in itself will eradicate completely and validate Sondheim and Lapine's choices and elevate PASSION beyond what I presume it will always be a - a very flawed but fascinating musical, and worthy of debate, if no other reason because of the legacy of the man who composed it.

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Posted by Thespinoy 2013-02-16 11:52:26

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I don't buy a word of it. Not a single solitary word.

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Posted by dreaming 2013-02-16 15:45:00

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Back on topic here, how has the student rush been? What time should one get there? (I know they only give tickets an hour before curtain, so how far ahead of that should I get there?)

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Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-16 18:27:56

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Holy MutherFucking Shit.

Is AfterEight actually judging MichaelBennet's moral character because of the thoughts he has regarding a fictional character in a musical?

That...is actually crazy. That is crazy behavior.

And he wonders why people have strong negative reactions to him. It's not enough to just argue...he has to call people's moral character into question when discussing a musical. That is insane. Truly, deeply insane.

Should we not discuss the movie DOWNFALL and Bruno Ganz's brilliant, disturbing and incredibly human performance because he's playing Hitler? I just don't get it.

Hate the show all you want. But questioning people's character because they don't see the same thing you do is so far beyond the pale as to be comical. And so I titter.

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Posted by Dangerous Jade 2013-02-18 15:10:57

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I saw Passion on Friday and it was breathtaking. I highly recommend the seats on the side near the stage - I was in C20 and the actors made their entrances and exits just a few feet from me. The facial expressions I was able to witness by Melissa Errico and Judy Kuhn when making their exits made me want to rebook that seat for a future performance.

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Posted by BwayLover 2013-02-18 17:21:55

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If anyone is interested.... I'm selling my front row center ticket for tomorrow night's 7pm performance (Feb 19). Seat A109, $75 - which is what I paid for it. PM me if you're interested!!

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Posted by ZiggyCringe 2013-02-18 22:57:19

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Really, it's a "feel bad musical."

It's also a terrific musical (and this production is sensational), but when it comes right down to it, it's a depressing horror story.

You're supposed to care about Fosca, but how can you, really? Because she reads? She's a nightmare.

Sondheim isn't often kind to women. Mrs. Lovett is a man hungry cannibal. Mary (in "Merrily") is a fag hag. Desiree is a slut. All of the women in "Company" are whores. Phyllis and Sally are a dimwit and a slut. And Fosca is the worst. She ruined Georgio's life.

Does he have issues?

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Posted by wonderfulwizard11 2013-02-18 23:42:13

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How in any way is Mary in Merrily a fag hag? Both Frank and Charley are straight, and I don't really think there's any suggestion in the show that they're otherwise. Nor do I see how any of the women- at least the wives- in Company are whores.

And as for the rest of those characters, they may have faults, but it isn't as if any of the men in those respective shows are any better.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-18 23:53:41

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I never bought the Sondheim/misogyny thing, though some people have been saying it since Company--perhaps before with Whistle and Forum too.

But most of the examples you gave are the *librettist* much more than Sondheim (if anything a song like Ladies who Lunch humanizes Joanne compared to how we saw her up to then in the play)--and only Passion and Sweeney were projects he instigated, not ones suggested to him.

But really. If someone sees the women characters in Company, Follies, or Merrily, to use some of your examples, the way you say, than I think same person should see the male ones come off just as badly. (All your points could easily be argued--Desiree is probably less of a slut than Fredrick and definitely less of one than Carl Magnus, for example).

Re Mary as the fag hag--I guess if one defines a fag hag as someone who is in love with a man she can never have, than she is? But there's a missing element in that definition... :P

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-18 23:55:17

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(And as for Sondheim's issues, while he had an absolute horrible mother, it also seems that the majority of his really close friendships have been with women).

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Posted by ZiggyCringe 2013-02-19 01:53:09

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"But most of the examples you gave are the *librettist* much more than Sondheim (if anything a song like Ladies who Lunch humanizes Joanne compared to how we saw her up to then in the play)--and only Passion and Sweeney were projects he instigated, not ones suggested to him."

You are entirely correct.

And by the way, I really didn't mean to hijack this thread. "Passion" at CSC is terrific, and I recommend it wholehartedly. I got distracted with the Steve and missed the point. Sorry.

But Mary IS a fag hag. Even if Charlie and Frank aren't gay, she's still the quintessential hag.

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Posted by After Eight 2013-02-19 06:55:30

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"I never bought the Sondheim/misogyny thing,"

Maybe you don't want to buy it. Or see it.

"(if anything a song like Ladies who Lunch humanizes Joanne compared to how we saw her up to then in the play)"

Ridiculous. It's the coldest, nastiest, most misogynistic song imaginable.

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Posted by Kad 2013-02-19 10:52:47

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Mary is a caricature of Dorothy Parker. That's simply from the source material.

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Posted by Wee Thomas2 2013-02-19 15:22:51

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"I saw Passion on Friday and it was breathtaking. I highly recommend the seats on the side near the stage - I was in C20 and the actors made their entrances and exits just a few feet from me. The facial expressions I was able to witness by Melissa Errico and Judy Kuhn when making their exits made me want to rebook that seat for a future performance"

Agreed. We were in D 16-18 on Sunday, and you get a great view of them heading towards the exit. Just holding their poses and really being into the part was quite captivating.

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Posted by ccostumova 2013-02-19 15:52:29

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"...the simple truth that the woman is a vile monster, a predator, destroying another person's life without compunction, as morally repugnant within as she is repulsive without.."

So I saw it and what I came way with was in the last number where Fosca sings, and Giorgio repeats, "I am someone to be loved."

Fosca is a "vile monster" and is still someone who deserves love (in all its crazy manifestations). For me the show was a journey from the overt "I love you" love of Clara and Giorgio in the beginning to Giorgio and Fosca very intimately discovering together that "I am someone to be loved" love at the end.

How easy to tell others you love them but how difficult to let yourself be loved or admit that you are worthy to be loved even when most of us are not as "bad" as Fosca.

Not an expert or as studied as some of you guys obviously are but just wanted to share my two cents as I found this production so intimately moving.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-19 17:12:58

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Ccostumova--I think your point has a lot of truth in it.

And Ziggy--I don't think you were hijacking the thread, I just felt I had to comment because it is something that gets argued a lot (of course on the flipside many people think Sondheim has written many of the best female roles in theatre), so I find the discussion fascinating.

As for After8--OK, I'll follow your example as you've proven time and time again and choose what not to "buy" or see.

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Posted by doodlenyc 2013-02-20 10:40:25

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I saw it last night and liked it more than the original, but it is still the worst idea for a show after "Prettybelle". The score is beautiful and was beautifully sung. The small orchestra did a fine job as well.
I thought Doyle did a good job with the staging and the cast was quite good, with Kuhn and Silverman doing excellent work. The three of them did some magical things to take the sting out of the ridiculous book. Kuhn's Fosca was the most human I've seen...and the funniest. I can't imagine any other actor do a better job of pulling off this impossible character. I was surprised that she seemed to hold back with her glorious vocals to truly mine all she could out of Fosca. Silverman was just wonderful and fully present in every silly turn poor Giorgio has to wind through. He is a star in the making, imo.
I did have a few qualms with Errico, who was in fine voice, but seemed very tentative. She backed away from many opportunities to humanize the infidelitous young mother Clara...particularly the humor. And I am sorry to disagree with so many here, but she indeed looked her age. Beautiful at 40, but too old for the role.

The piece is definitely helped by being staged on a smaller scale. And even with the very appreciative crowd, there was still laughter at the train station. It's just too absurd of a moment.

So, a lovely production of a seriously flawed musical. Worth seeing if you like the score and want to see some fine performances.

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Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-20 11:30:17

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"there was still laughter at the train station. It's just too absurd of a moment."

That's interesting. I always think that there would be, but the night I saw it there was none. Kuhn was so clearly abashed by her own choice that it took the unintentional humor out of it. It was really more sad than anything. That's what Kuhn brought to the role: an acute self-awareness. She also brought the sense that she is not someone who does this with every new, handsome soldier. It was clearly the first time Fosca ever gave herself over to these feelings and, because they had been suppressed for so long, it came out in an ugly torrent.

And anyone who thinks LADIES WHO LUNCH is the most misogynistic song around has clearly never heard CHERRY PIE or BRICKHOUSE.

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Posted by doodlenyc 2013-02-20 11:42:30

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Oh, I totally agree, Robbie. Kuhn and Silverman did nothing but play their roles beautifully....but the titters were more of the "you've gotta be kidding" variety. It was very minor, and I'm not sure if folks werent expecting that moment.

To me, there are just too many "I love you...sorry to embarrass you...now you hate me" momemnts for Fosca.

For what it's worth, Kuhn turned every one of those moments around thankfully.

Also, for the first time I actually welled up when she sang the few lines from "Happiness" at the end...it was gorgeous.

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Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-20 11:59:25

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What did you think of the choice to do absolutely nothing to 'ugly' her up, save stripped down make-up and eschewing a wig.

I think it's brave of Kuhn and the production. Even though her actions were monstrous, the fact that she wasn't in any way transformed into a physical monster really made everything work beautifully...at least for me.

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Posted by doodlenyc 2013-02-20 12:12:00

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Very brave choice, down to the balding. It definitely worked, especially since you can see her so clearly.

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Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-02-20 12:16:28

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The balding really...it was effective and heartbreaking on nearly every level.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-20 13:34:00

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I don't even like this show but how is Fosca a vile monster who ruins Giorgio's life? How is Fosca a villain and Giorgio some kind of unwitting victim?

Fosca and Giorgio are needy and love-struck. Fosca is obsessive, immature, even selfish. But evil? No. Calculating? Yes, but in the service of her passion, not with the intent of hurting, much less ruining, Giorgio.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-20 23:38:21

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I highly recommend the link Alma (I hope I got the poster's name right) posted in another thread to a classical radio station's interview video webcast with Sondheim, Doyle, the conductor and the three leads. Lots of the things Sondheim says are things we've heard before--but I think some of it is new, particularly about the character of Fosca, and whether you agree or don't, it adds to the discussion here.

Plus the performances are gorgeous (I think Tunick's orchestrations are sublime, at least the original ones I know from CD and DVD, but I was impressed with how good it sounded just with a piano--something which I don't often find to be true with musicals.) I particularly like Kuhn and Silverman. I have to admit, I find Errico sounds a little... flat or something? It's probably just this performance, or maybe I just hear Mazzie so clearly in the role, though I like her too--and at the very end, for a Valentine's Day "surprise" (which was when it was recorded) she does a winning one woman performance of a certain older Sondheim song.

(I also really appreciated what was said about the music itself--subject matter aside--and how affecting it is. I know not everyone agrees--but I feel the exact same way).

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-21 10:13:58

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Thanks so much for that link, Eric (and Alma). I'm watching the video now and loving it.

Best line so far--in setting up a performance of 'Happiness', the host asks Sondheim if he wants to tell us anything, and Sondheim says "You want to ask me about happiness? You came to the wrong guy..."

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Posted by hen88 2013-02-21 17:11:49

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I'm wondering if there's any chance they'll record this revival.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-21 20:00:33

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"Best line so far--in setting up a performance of 'Happiness', the host asks Sondheim if he wants to tell us anything, and Sondheim says "You want to ask me about happiness? You came to the wrong guy..."

Ywah, that made me laugh. Sondheim seemed more relaxed and, well, happy, than I've seen him in a long time. I love how, unlike so many people when interviewed, he has no problem *quickly* correcting anyone who makes a factual error in a question they ask him--but often recently he seems really defensive when doing so--he didn't in this interview. (Though, seriously, do your research--everyone knows the Billy Wilder story was when Sondheim was thinking of doing Sunset Blvd, not Passion...)

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-21 23:07:24

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I had the same reaction, Eric.

So many people inadvertently betray their own insecurities when they encounter someone else making a mistake--there's a kind of glee in they way they pounce on the opportunity to show what they know. At this point, surely, Mr. Sondheim knows that WE know that he's a smart dude, and there's such equanimity and assurance about the way he engages in these conversations. I love hearing him talk about his work and his process and his themes, etc., and when someone gets it wrong he corrects them because they are wrong--not because he needs to be right.

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-23 00:07:21

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Saw it tonight.

While I can't say that I feel that Giorgio's emotional progression is, ultimately, convincing, I certainly think that Silverman is doing an incredible job of almost making it work. By that I mean that he is doing wonderful things with flawed material. In the scene where he is confronted by the Commander I--quite unexpectedly--had tears in my eyes. I may not be convinced about the path he traveled, but he was absolutely briliant at depicting every step on that path.

I found Melissa Errico's voice delightful and full of an appropriate amount of strength and color.

Kuhn was, I thought, wonderful. Yes--there was some laughter at the sight of her with a suitcase in her hand, but the laughter was fleeting, and the scene that follows--on the train--was a high point for me in her performance. I cannot join those who so easily condemn Fosca as evil. She is manipulative and selfish, and frightened and lonely, and unrealistic. But she comes by all of those traits honestly, and I was surprised at how Kuhn opened my heart to Fosca's plight.

For those who still have yet to buy tickets, there is no bad seat in the house, although I agree with those who pointed out the advantages of stage right--you have a view of the orchestra loft as well as the actors' exits.

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Posted by After Eight 2013-02-23 06:54:18

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"I cannot join those who so easily condemn Fosca as evil. She is manipulative and selfish, and frightened and lonely, and unrealistic. But she comes by all of those traits honestly, "

She comes by them "honestly?"

Hey, three cheers for Fosca! She comes by her manipulative, selfish predation "honestly." Because if she had come by them "dishonestly," oh, well then, and only then, would her behavior have been worthy of condemnation. But not here.

The lengths to which people will go here to condone/champion vile conduct is astounding.

Oh, and three cheers too for Sondheim for correcting an interviewer's mistake. Now that's surely to be singled out for praise!

As for the poster who reproached the interviewer for not having done his research---it happens all the time on BWW, including by that selfsame poster.

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-23 08:24:19

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In my book, the character in 'Passion' who truly deserves to be called 'evil' is Clara.

Who is Fosca endangering with her behavior? Principally, of course, herself. She is putting Giorgio at some risk, but he's a captain in the army and, in theory, can take care of himself.

Clara is betraying her husband and endangering the stability of her family, including her little son. She is a married woman with a child--she has NO business running around the city's parks, picking up soldiers like an army camp whore.

But nobody ever talks about Clara as evil; she's a pretty girl. A flower.

It's Fosca, the ugly one, who must be condemned. Further evidence of Sondheim's subtle genius, I'd say.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-23 08:32:02

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"Kuhn was, I thought, wonderful. Yes--there was some laughter at the sight of her with a suitcase in her hand, but the laughter was fleeting, and the scene that follows--on the train--was a high point for me in her performance."

Perhaps others have pointed this out, but there was definitely laughter during that scene in the original Broadway production. And no wonder there would be. It's a moment of uncomfortable excess. That's what it's supposed to be, and nervous, embarrassed laughter is a genuine, understandable response.

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Posted by WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel 2013-02-23 08:37:39

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Addison- You have beautifully described why Kuhn and Silverman are so effective in this production. You also give great insight as to why the viewer is able to feel compassion and perhaps even admiration for Fosca, despite some of her actions.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-23 08:46:18

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After Eight, what the hell does condoning anyone's conduct have to do with how one feels about Passion?

And with your apparent insistence on virtue, I'm curious.

How do you feel about Macbeth, Carmen, Threepenny Opera, Sweeney Todd and Don Giovanni?

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-23 09:02:47

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At the end of the day, I am just not willing to condemn someone--real or fictional--for behavior that I know that I have exhibited in my own life.

Maniupulative? Selfish? Frightened? Lonely? Unrealistic?

Hell yes. Often all of the above. Before breakfast.

That is perhaps at the core of Sondheim's brilliance for me. The words are clever. The notes are perfect. But it is his willingness--his insistence--to go beyond black and white to the Gray, where real life actually happens, and explore the way we all live with those compromises and shifting definitions.

Witches can be right.

Giants can be good.

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Posted by After Eight 2013-02-23 09:17:20

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"After Eight, what the hell does condoning anyone's conduct have to do with how when feels about Passion? "

Everything.

It begins and ends right there.

Too bad you and those of your ilk can't understand that. But since you can't, you'll just have to take my word for it, which in the (acknowledgedly fruitless) spirit of largesse, I hereby grant you.

And Addison,

Your assertions are chilling.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-23 09:35:59

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Oh, ok. I guess we are just in different ilks.

Speaking for my ilk, the question about a character's theatrical appeal is not a moral one. It is one of whether the character interests me. I am interested in Fosca because of her honesty, guts and lack of illusions about life. (btw the show doesn't quite work for me, or at least it didn't when I saw the original prod., but for very different reasons).

Apart from all that, I don't find Fosca to be morally deficient. But perhaps that's also a function of my ilk.

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-23 09:39:50

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Yep--that's me: Ice, ice, baby.

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Posted by After Eight 2013-02-23 10:08:18

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"I guess we are just in different ilks."

I'm the ilk of human kindness.

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Posted by Brick 2013-02-23 11:11:16

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Addison, yes. Hell yes.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 19:28:15

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Henrik said: "Perhaps others have pointed this out, but there was definitely laughter during that scene in the original Broadway production. And no wonder there would be. It's a moment of uncomfortable excess. That's what it's supposed to be, and nervous, embarrassed laughter is a genuine, understandable response"

In the video linked above, Sondheim specifically brings this up. He claims (and having only seen the DVD filmed without an audience, I can not vouch for this, though I do have an audio of a preview that does have a lot of tittering) that that got a huge reaction in previews, so they very carefully timed it that the moment wasn't telegraphed in the final frozen version of the show, and that it worked. The implication he makes it that in previews she came on with the suitcases as soon as the scene opened which made the audience, rightly, see her as a stalker (to which Sondheim says Fosca isn't--she's obsessed which he says is different--your mileage may vary.)

Addison, despite your despicably cold heart, I really appreciated your review. Makes me wish it all the more--and I think, at least in theory, I agree completely with you. (We'll leave it to God, and AfterEight, to judge what that means of me.) OK, maybe not completely, I don't see Clara as evil either--running away with Giorgio in 19th Century Italy (even more so than, say, 19th Century England) would be pretty much the kiss of death, and mean never seeing her family again. Giorgio isn't shown to be a particularly rich man, and it doesn't seem like it would lead to much of a life at all. But, while I don't think we should overly sympathize with Fosca--and I don't think we're meant to--I actually think anyone who sees Fosca as evil is the one who should be worried about their moral judgement.

That said, I think many who have a problem with the show (and by this I mean more the average theatre goer than anyone on here), do so because they have a visceral reaction that Sondheim is telling us that the only true or worthy love is the kind Fosca shows to Giorgio. Which I don't think is the message at all. Sondheim often says that it's not so much that he wants his audience to like or dislike a show, but what he cares about is that they understand it, and maybe in this case that simply never fully happened for everyone.

(It should be pointed that in the movie Passione D'Amore, Fosca is shown much more to be almost a horror movie creature. The movie is much more extreme--with moments of weird humour, either the grotesque stuff, including a dwarf, or the slapstick stuff with Giorgio's valet. The original book--which I haven't read since it came out in English--is much more in tone with the show. One correction to Sondheim's interview in that video I can't help making is he says something about how the novel, Fosca, is a "doorstopper" like most 19th Century novels which makes it sound like a Tolstoy piece, or at the least Dickens. Unless the translation made huge edits, it's actually very short by 19th C standards--I don't remember it being over 200 pages.)

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 19:31:19

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"As for the poster who reproached the interviewer for not having done his research---it happens all the time on BWW, including by that selfsame poster. "

I don't mind you using my name, unless you meant someone else? I was making a joke about the Wilder story, but I guess it flopped. Either way--absolutely, although I hope if I was hosting an interview with Sondheim I would try to make sure everything I mentioned was based in fact, but as Addison said, the way Sondheim corrects someone, I wouldn't take any offence by it. The same isn't true when other people correct people on here. But I certainly appreciate that you take the time to do so, so since you're giving three cheers for Sondheim making corrections, I pass on those three cheers to you too! regular peas in a pod you two are!

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 19:33:40

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"I'm the ilk of human kindness."

Can you please make this your signature A8? It would help some of us to be reminded of it after reading your posts.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-23 19:41:55

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Eric, actually, now that I recall, I did see the show in preview.

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Posted by Addison D. 2013-02-23 20:11:01

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Given my depraved moral relatvism, it probably comes as no surprise that I don't **actually** feel the need to identify ANY of the principals as 'Evil'. My point was simply that, ultimately, Clara's actions are likely to cause damage to a greater number of innocent bystanders than Fosca's, which might be seen as a relative gauge of Evil-ness. (Evil-ocity?)

And, to your point, Eric--it isn't her refusal to run away with Giorgio which I "judge". (Does anyone think that he made that offer sincerely? Wasn't he in a relationship with a married woman precisely because of the inherent limits such a liason places on commitment?)

The die was cast long before that--her 'bad act' was when she chose to step out of her marriage in the first place--placing her own wicked desires (as God and After8 might say) above the needs of her husband and, more importantly, her child.

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 20:14:29

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And of course making any audience that gets any enjoyment from watching said action performed on stage, therefor implicit.

Actually, after I typed that, I kinda realized that you didn't mean what I thought--but thanks for clearing it up.

I do think that Giorgio suddenly wanting "more" from Clara is meant to parallel what's happening with him and Fosca (not sure if that really means it's bcause he sees he could have "more" or what, but...)

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 21:15:21

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"Eric, actually, now that I recall, I did see the show in preview."

Thanks for clearing it up--which leads some truth to what Sondheim says, although I suspect the scene often gets a reaction, regardless.

Did you see it early enough in previews that Loving You hadn't been written yet, out of curiousity?

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-02-23 21:42:26

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And, since I have no edit key, kindly replace my use of the word "implicit", two posts above, with "complicit." Thank you.

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Posted by henrikegerman 2013-02-24 10:35:43

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You're welcome, Eric. "Loving You" was in the show when I saw it.

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Posted by Wayman_Wong 2013-03-03 00:18:09

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Gee, it's hard to believe that no one else has seen 'Passion' and posted in this thread in nearly a week, especially in a week in which it just opened. But I've really found the reactions fun and fascinating to read, and many of them are so insightful, notably (for me) the comments by Addison D., WhizzerMarvin and lemiz3001.

For those who might be interested in some of Ryan Silverman's thoughts on 'Passion,' here's a recent interview we did with him ...

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Posted by jayinchelsea 2013-03-04 08:30:01

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I admit that I dragged my feet on buying a ticket for PASSION, it being one of my least favorite Sondheim shows (although the Patti/Audra/Michael PBS version turned me around quite a bit), but based on the Times review, I bought premium seats (most of what was left was way over on the sides). But what about the other reviews? Is everyone so Sondheim-ed out that it was not important enough? People couldn't wait to breathlessly post the CINDERELLA reviews (really?) but not a word about PASSION. Did I miss something?

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Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-03-04 12:31:01

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I think it's just that Cinderella is a big "new" Broadway show--Passion is a very small scale off-Broadway revival.

This thread though has links to a good half dozen reviews: http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1057105&id=4382691

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Owen22 2013-03-04 14:27:44

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Dear After Eight.

"Too bad you and those of your ilk can't understand that. But since you can't, you'll just have to take my word for it, which in the (acknowledgedly fruitless) spirit of largesse, I hereby grant you.
And Addison,
Your assertions are chilling."

I sometimes think the things you write are satirical.

If not, can you really be this heinous of a human being?? Do you go disguised by day, away from your Bway World avatar and pretend NOT to be evil? Do people see through this in your everyday life? Sometimes the nastiness we feel inside comes through only in our talk-back internet post writings, but that doesn't forgive it. Its what's really inside of you. And what's inside of you must be dark and black and pitiable. Why are you like you are?

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-03-04 15:07:37

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But, he's of a "happy ilk!" You must just be misreading him!

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-03-04 15:18:53

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I'm starting to think it's performance art.

I hope he pours Hershey's syrup on his Pussy at the midnight show.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-03-04 15:20:54

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You could be onto something. The fact that he seems to see every major Broadway production (and many off,) and yet I can't remember a positive review from him for any new work, ever, makes me think that's a part of his performance art. To go to every opening night or preview and comment on how bad it was.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by SonofRobbieJ 2013-03-04 15:23:40

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He's like the Stadler AND Waldorf of BWW.

I wonder whose hand is up his ass.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-03-04 15:34:55

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Ha! That really is the perfect comparison. Although it does seem a little sad when you have a Stadler or a Waldorf without the other one to at least play off of and enjoy being a bitch with.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by Wilmingtom 2013-03-04 22:33:42

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...and he gets exactly what he wants: everyone talking about him.

PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread
Posted by EricMontreal22 2013-03-04 23:19:03

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Yes, I'd rather discuss Passion--I enjoyed the three minute clip posted here, though the filming doesn't exactly give you much detail.