Has anyone seen SCANDALOUS lately...?

[Movidude742]

So true. Thursday, I was the only person stage dooring and not waiting for friends. The few that I do know even a little bit almost seemed to want to apologize, or at least point out how they had almost 3 more weeks of previews and changes are being made every day, then give a hopeful smile.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

So does anyone else have an opinion about this show, or is this thread just going to continue to be broadwayguy2's moment in the sun of snarkiness?

[egghumor]

Mr. Baritone,

Too bad you can't distinguish snarky from sparkling wit. OK here's the first SCANDALOUS preview thread with oodles of opinionsL

http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1052101&dt=119

Happy now?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Yes, that will do, thanks.

[tazber]

Oh gods of musical theater, please let there be a cast recording. KLG can finance it.

This needs to me immortalized.

[Auggie27]

Still baffled by the process here, all of the workshopping and out of town vis a vis what's on view in October 2012. The last production in Seattle created a sea of indifferent press, all available to read, much posted here and elsewhere, yet managed to engage serious producers' interests and financing. Even considering their subjective religious investment, who expected big financial returns on this property in 2012? The show's absence of a point of view is the most telling. There's no Che character to EVITA-ize, and if it's a neutral, history channel take, with narrative omnicience and a journalistic objectivity, why bother? Docudrama with power ballads? This is a strange project about a great subject, made stranger by its journey, the track record of its creative team, and finally the pile-on of backers and its absence of a star above the title to pull in a wide demographic of audience members, which the gifted Carmello cannot do.

[quizking101]

Oh. My. God.

This was just atrocious. This falls to the bottom of my 46-show list alongside Baby It's You. The subject has such potential to be made into a great musical and instead we get a show that is almost three hours long, with mediocre music and lyrics (pompous piety/religiosity....enough said).

The cast seems game, but they are all saddled playing very cliched roles. (I was waiting for Candy Buckley to shout "AND EVE WAS WEAK")

That being said, Carolee Carmello deserves a Tony (or at least a nomination) because, even with the material given, she was golden. She could act any age (her "teenage Aimee" was an amazing coup de theatre) and belt any song. And how she has the stamina to push through this piece of Crap for eight shows a week is astounding.

[bjh2114]

She could act any age (her "teenage Aimee" was an amazing coup de theatre)

LIES. SUCH LIES. That whole scene was terrible. Carolee was acting like she was 9 years old, NOT 17. When she was walking the edge of the stage like a balance beam, she looked like a little kid. Also, she was talking as though she were an adolescent, not a teenager. I don't think she really gets what 17 year olds are supposed to sound and act like.

[quizking101]

She was a farm girl in the 1900s at that age. That innocence/naivete would seem more accurate to me than any modern characterization of a teenager.

Also, apparently the whole David Hutton storyline as portrayed in the musical is an anachronism. McPherson didn't marry David Hutton until 5 years after her trial.

[bjh2114]

It has nothing to do with modern characterization. I'm talking about the pitch of her voice. She was talking as though she were a small child. She was moping like a 5 year old not getting her favorite toy. Watch Little House on the Prairie. Just because it was in the early 1900s doesn't mean that 17 year olds sounded like children.

[quizking101]

I see your point.

[Wilmingtom]

"George Hearn just gets trotted around with this look on his face that screams "Yes, I have to say this".

He also looks either like someone who has to pay alimony (which I don't believe he does) or someone who needs enough weeks to get his insurance (which he probably does). Well, a man's got to make a living. And for this he moved down from VT?

[broadwayguy2]

Baritone,
just WOW.

I have to agree on Carmello as the teenaged Aimee. There is nothing remotely teenaged about the portrayal. She plays a petulant child. It's a grave, grave mistep on her part.

Wilmington,
I've been saying that for DAYS. Insurance weeks!

[SNAFU]

In the early 1900's woman's life spans weren't that long. Many died in childbirth. A 17 year old would be quite grown up. An extended childhood is a rather recent developement.

[RippedMan]

Please see my thread for my review, but reading all of this, it seems like they've changed a lot. There is no "car" sequence now.

And I still think the KKK bit needs to go. Or at least be staged in a way that's not so glaring. It's more than a little bit awkward.

[Movidude742]

The KKK bit would work better if it was in any way referenced again later. There is no repercussion from the public in the show for accepting their money, nor any from them for not using it the way they want.

I can't remember if they even mention that they kidnapped her or if that is from Gifford talking about it outside the show

[Mr Roxy]

You have to feel for her. Her last show was "Lestat " Sounds like Dorothy Loudon Redux

[little_sally]

This was the first show in all of my years of theatre-going that put me to sleep. I tried to fight it but at some point during the second act, I nodded off.

The show itself is quite an embarrassment. Like others have said, it is not fun or campy, and you can't even mock it. It's just a boring disaster. I can't even say that Carolee is giving a great performance because there's only so much you can do with such poor material. And why does she have to belt her head off during EVERY song she is given to sing? Were they expecting every number to be a showstopper? It's not even worth mentioning the rest of the cast, other than to say that there's so many talented people being wasted right now at the Neil Simon.

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

Mr Roxy-

Her last show was not Lestat. It was The Addams Family (on Broadway at least).

[little_sally]

Also, I forgot to mention that someone was calling for a doctor in the audience during Roz Ryan's big number in the brothel during act 1 and there was a bit of a commotion but they didn't stop the show!

[egghumor]

Sally, It was probably one of the major investor's crying out for a show doctor. Roz Ryan has learned to ignore the constant pleas for help. Perhaps Julie Taymor can be enticed...

[jbm2]

the story has such potential- they need to make the KKK part more of the story and cut out a WHOLE LOT of the rest of it (please dont make it any longer!!!) Aimee was actually kidnapped by the KKK twice in her life- why was this never mentioned?
I still am not sure WHY she was on trial- did I miss that??
I saw it the 2nd week of previews- please tell me there have been some major changes since then.

[ACL2006]

why does it feel like this show's been in previews for months?? can they just open already(and close).

[little_sally]

jbm2, there were a few numbers in act 2 listed in the playbill that were cut last night, so I guess they are making changes. I'm not sure the cuts made the show better but at least it made it mercifully shorter.

[defyingravity11]

I saw it for the third time last night. Sorry to see them de-camp it, but it's still ridiculous!

[WhatIWasBorn2Do]