PASSION Off-Broadway Preview Thread

[dreaming]

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?)

[SonofRobbieJ]

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.

[Dangerous Jade]

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.

[BwayLover]

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!!

[ZiggyCringe]

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?

[wonderfulwizard11]

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.

[EricMontreal22]

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

[EricMontreal22]

(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).

[ZiggyCringe]

"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.

[After Eight]

"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.

[Kad]

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

[Wee Thomas2]

"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.

[ccostumova]

"...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.

[EricMontreal22]

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.

[doodlenyc]

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.

[SonofRobbieJ]

"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.

[doodlenyc]

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.

[SonofRobbieJ]

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.

[doodlenyc]

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

[SonofRobbieJ]

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

[henrikegerman]

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.

[EricMontreal22]

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).


Passion in the Afternoon

[Addison D.]

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..."

[hen88]

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

[EricMontreal22]

"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...)

[Addison D.]

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.