Over the years, I've heard numerous tidbits of one particular story, where there was an account where Dickens basically said, "My intention was to simply tell the story of a man killed by his uncle...", or something along those lines, lol.
So, so thrilled to hear so many people are loving Andy Karl's performance in this. I've seen the show twice and he's already added so many little touches and funny bits in the past two weeks. I find myself watching him whenever he's in a scene.
I'm partial to Jessie Mueller and find she and Andy have a good rapport, but I simply think the Neville role has more meat to it. I would LOVE to hear Helena's confession, though. Next time...
Did Dickens think that he could somehow make the obvious culprit being the perpetrator its own hiding-in-plain-sight surprise? Was he trying to be the Anti-Poe?
Saw it tonight Thought it was a great production of a show I just don' love. The cast looked like they were having a great time. It must be great fun to be in this show competing to be the music hall murderer.. The music hall concept is a great conceipt; it just gets a bit old after a half hour. And no one really gives a fig who killed Edwin Drood although picking the ending is really nifty. Really enjoyed Peter Benson, Jessie Mueller, Andy Karl, Stephanie Block who really nailed their roles. Jim Norton did fine but I can't help but remember how fantastic George Rose was in the role. The sets and costumes were stunning and the show well directed and paced. My only disappointment was Chita who doesn't do much with this role and can't really do the accent well. I said I would pay to have Chita sing the phone book. She may have done a better job with that. The first Chita performance I didn't love.
Interesting- because I really enjoyed chita's performance and would actually go back to see the show just for her (her stage presence alone makes up for accent inconsistencies)- and did not enjoy SJB's performance as much...SJB has a beautiful voice but lacks the stage presence & edge Chita has. for each his own as they say...
Chita is and always will be a star, but it's a bit sad to see her at this age so limited in almost every way - flubbing lyrics and lines, barely dancing, and not able to hit the higher notes of her songs. I was surprised that they didn't transpose her two numbers down even further, seeing the difficulty she was having in "Wages of Sin," but perhaps she doesn't have notes that low either.
disagree 100% with you newintown- there is nothing sad about seeing her perform. i found her strong of both voice and carriage...she can still certainly dance- she doesn't very little choreography on this show-and she sings in her usual unique chita style.. as far a flubbing lines- didn't notice... don't know the book that well. im sure other cast members might still be flubbing during previews. i saw her in the visit benefit/reading-less than a year ago and she was the only person in the cast that wasn't carrying a book to remind her of her lines or lyrics. and she dance and kicked as she does when the show called for it...she is a joy to watch...
As a fan of both Chita and Drood, I was really excited to see this show, and her. However I must agree that she was a bit disappointing in the accent department, and vocally. I suspect "Puffer's Revelation" was severely altered or cut due to Ms. Rivera's vocal limitations. I just dd not like the keys and tempos all of ER songs were in. Besides that, she still looks amazing, and is funny as hell! She is still a delight, and an extreme asset to this production. Just my 2 cents.
i don't the songs are that fragile that they break when a high note is not hit by chita - she compensates in many other more interesting ways.. SJB hits high notes and but her performance is boring and uninteresting. for high notes i go to the opera...
I do not think for a second anyone is second guessing (or denying) Chita's considerable star quality or presence on the stage. However, it has to be said that this is the first time I've actually felt nervous for a performer of her calibre on the stage. I think the dodgy cockney accent might actually be the root of her unease in the role - it constantly pulls her in and out of character and doesn't allow her to connect with the audience in the way we know she can.
It looks like things have only tightened up going off of the new preview video. It's nice to hear they added some of the heralding trumpets back into the opening of 'There You Are' - though I do wish Norton had an more exciting (applause inducing) entrance in the number like George Rose did. The orchestrations at the top of the number still seem a little low key/thin as compared to the original. Very tiny (obsessive!) gripes I know but I think it would just amp things all the more.
I think its simply lovely that you don't care if a performer can sing the notes of a song. You'll have a much better time watching anything in which the performer can't execute the material that way.
Of course there are ways to knock a song out of the park even with vocal limitations - heck, Stritch has been doing it for 60 years. Sadly, though, Chita once had a great voice, and you can tell watching her that she wants to get through her songs as quickly as possible, without lingering on vocal limitations. The high notes in "Wages of Sin" (which, again, aren't high at all) are written to be indulged in, lingered over, schmaltzed up. Poor Chita (who isn't bad, by the way - I never said that, but get the feeling you think that's what I'm saying) rushes past them as though they were obstacles to avoid.
Have to agree with you again newintown. To your point, The Wages of Sin is really a number to ham up and revel in as Laine did so brilliantly. The comedic vocal indulgences Laine and Morrow added were not necessarily pretty (as far as notes were concerned...even though both ladies were brilliant singers) but they made the number the rousing music hall anthem it was meant to be. Poor Chita really speeds through it and as a result, undercuts not only her numbers but the character as well. It's too bad as she's excellent in the voting section in Act Two (particularly when she's selected as a lover) .
I wonder if Rupert and Co. have thought about making her an American transplant at the Music Hall Royale. A primitive Sophie Tucker type making her English debut? I don't think it'd hurt the show and at the very least, it'd take the accent off the table -- thus leaving Rivera to let loose and do her thing. All it would require would be a small change to the Chairman's remarks - everything else could remain the same.
i'm more interested in the performance. of course, they should be able to sing and get the song across. but i'm more interested in the balance between performance and song. a perfectly rendered song without the performance doesn't work for me in the theater. and again, chita can compensate and very well...that's my point. i haven't seen struggling-and if she has on certain performances. I'm sure that she won't by opening night. And yes, agreed Elaine is a fantastic example.
Saw the show last night and had a BLAST. What a well put-together little treasure this production is, I would recommend it to anyone. I thought the cast was absolutely stellar. The only person who was underwhelming for me was Will Chase. I didn't think he was as outrageous as the rest of the cast and with so many scene-stealing performances from hugely talented performers, he got a little lost to me. For me, the standouts were the lovely Betsy Wolfe as Rosa Bud, I think Broadway has found a great new leading lady in her and her voice is just lovely to listen to, and the comedic duo of Jessie Mueller and Andy Karl. They both had the crowd in stitches last night and no one got louder applause except possibly Chita.
Our ending was Bazzard as Datchery, Helena as the Murderer, and Neville and Puffer as the Lovers, and I have to say, it was full-on hilarious. Seeing Andy Karl and Chita Rivera in their little seduction scene was one of my favorite moments from this season so far. They both couldn't stop cracking up and improvising after Chita missed a lyric. A friend of mine in the show told me they'd only rehearsed that ending once or twice in rehearsal, since no one really expected it to happen often or at all, and the cast themselves were barely able to contain their laughter once Chita and Karl locked lips. Too funny.
Overall, a well-sung, well-performed raucous and fun night at the theatre. IMO this show is not one to miss.
So now that this is open and gotten (much deserved) GREAT reviews, are there any whisperings about an extension?!?! I hope so. This amazing cast deserves to be seen for as long as possible and definitely be remembered come Tony time!!!
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joined:6/21/06
Posted: 11/2/12 at 09:52pm