dogfight

[SomeoneInThisDress]

Anyone seen it yet? I'm thinking of going on the 4th...$30tix!!

[Blockhead24]

It hasn't started previews yet

[themysteriousgrowl]

First preview is tomorrow night. Anyone going?

[JMPlayer6]

I am going July 7.

[wdwfreak]

I'll be there tomorrow, and absolutely cannot wait!

[JohnyBroadway]

From Twittter, all I've heard is good things from Cast members and friends of the creative team.

[Katurian2]

I'm there tomorrow night as well! It's great to have this to bring some excitement of new work into the summer season.

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

I'm going on Thursday, but how have the cast and crew been tweeting? Aren't they in tech!!

[whatever2]

> From Twittter, all I've heard is good things from Cast members and friends of the creative team.

that's not exactly surprising, now, is it?

:)

[broadwayguy20012]

I will be there tomorrow night as well and working the intermission kiosk...stop by and say "hi"

[voteforsaraberry]

I'm going on Thursday. I've been really excited for the show since the cast was announced!

[MKunkel]

I am going tonight and I shall report back!

[mybigsplash]

It's based on a movie, so it at least has to be as good as ONCE. :)

[Bwaydide92]

I might actually go see this. I don't know much about it but I found out that Lindsay Mendez is from my town and her dad was highly involved at my school. Maybe I'll get some special treatment haha

[jagfkb]

On bus home, really really enjoyed it. Lindsay is finally given the star role she deserves and really shines, along with a great score. Definately go see it.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Omg please can we have more details than that?

[Katurian2]

Just got back from it-- I'll try to keep it relatively vague, since I don't want to spoil too much and keep people from going into it fresh. I will disclaim that I've never seen the original film this is based on...


I do have to say that it has the strongest book of a musical I can think of since maybe Next to Normal, and I might even say it's stronger and more complicated than that. I was amazed at such a simple story mining such complicated issues like the barbarity of soldiers, PTSD, the heritary nature of war and the shifting cultural tone of the 60's pre and post war. Also, bless the book for not including anything on the Kennedy assassination, since that's become the #1 dreaded cliche of dramas of that era.

If I had to compare it to anything out there right now, I'd say it has whiffs of Newsies but exists in an intimacy of Once. Since it shares a choreographer with Newsies, a few of the soldier numbers really share that lineage, but not in an overbearing way. The characterization through the movements really are quite distinctive and clever.

Lindsay Mendez is really giving a major performance, and I can see a lot of critical praise coming her way. She has an incredible solo number in Act II that has to rank as one of the more beautiful songs I've heard in the past season. The score was very musical theatre-veined, but it was diverse enough with some a capella bits and a few folk influences that it didn't blend together into a bland dirge. And even though I don't have any background in vocal work, it did seem very difficult to sing, with some very high pitches for the guys at points.

Ultimately, I think I enjoyed it more than anything else musical-wise I've seen on Broadway in the past couple months. It was intimate, but also sweeping and adult in its deep themes. Joe Mantello's direction was really glowing, and even though the set used a turntable (which I loathe in the world along with jean shorts and public pools), there were some neat moments from it, like mirroring a walking conversation twice over between the two lead characters. My most goosebump-y moment of the show was (SPOILER SPOILER) the bedroom scene in Act II, which was probably the most intimate feeling love scene I can remember onstage. It felt so exploratory, and you really recognized the discovery the two were making in themselves. (END SPOILER)

The show has a few weak aspects, like the title song in Act I being very dissonant and harsh without any real memorability, but really there's nothing major that brings it down. I thought it was really incredible, and even though I'm all for the childhood simplicity of stuff like Newsies (if it's high quality), it was really refreshing to have a very adult-oriented and themed musical to discover.

[ricecrispietreat]

I thought it was really enjoyable, quite obviously a first preview but it has potential.

Lindsey was adorable and loveable and it was very easy to get attached to her character. All the boys played their parts just fine, but their characters in the show are just so unlikeable i couldn't really find a reason to care about what they were doing–this was one of the show's biggest downfalls. you only see the boys being a**holes and really arent given a redeeming feature until the very end, if that. there were several times the show slowed down, but picked its self back up again. imo: there could probably but a lot taken out of the book and some reprises cut but of course that would leave the show much too short, maybe some readjustments on the direction. speaking of direction, this didn't feel very joe mantello to me (again just my opinion), but thats not to say it wasn't excellently done. one part i feel like people will either love or hate is the scene where they are at war–i dont want to give much away but it was loud and hectic and in your face– i thought it was the BEST scene of the show but i can see people thinking its a bit too much. annaleigh ashford was hi-larious but had a very small role, which made me sad because she was one of the highlights of the whole night! the music wasn't groundbreaking but it was very entertaining and will probably be quite well received, however some of the lyrics could to be revised. there were some phrases/rhymes that just did not work. overall it was great, fresh and i had a fun time. i hate to be this judgey after a first preview so forgive me, im sure it will be totally different in a couple weeks. definitely go see it :)

[Katurian2]

I really thought the war scene was well done too. Or maybe not the scene itself particularly, but the transition between that and the scene following was so stark and dramatic that you began to grasp what he was meant to be going through. It did go on for a while, but I think it was necessary in what it was trying to convey afterward.

[Born in a Ditch]

I really enjoyed it. I think it's in a really solid place for a first preview. Lindsay Mendez was wonderful. Such a great performance, and the stand out of the whole cast if you ask me. The whole cast really did a wonderful job, I can't think of anybody that seemed to lag behind the rest. I thought the score was really well done but the book reigns supreme here. I completely agree with everything Katurian2 said regarding the book. There is some tweaking to be done but I think it's heading in a really great direction.

[After Eight]

Not exactly a savory tale. It's competently done, but the air goes steadily out of the balloon after intermission. The acting was good, the production smooth. The score is unmemorable.

The marines are not exactly portrayed in a flattering light here. I felt sorry for the women so sorely used by them.

[Katurian2]

That's so odd that you say that, After Eight, because I thought the show got infinitely better in the 2nd Act, and actually found that the 1st half dragged along a bit. I guess I like seeing requited love better than unrequited twat-age. X)

Sidenote: I watched the movie last night, and have to say that the show seems more negative in Marine portrayal than the film. But maybe that's because it's River Phoenix in the film, and he could portrayal any jerk up to maybe Hitler himself, and I'd still forgive him and find him sexy. Although, I don't think that it's an entirely unfair portrayal of Marines. In fact, it's maybe refreshing to see an un-fantasized version of them that's not all gentlemen and nobility, because that is closer to real life.

[kadu335]

I'm really curious to see this, I love the movie.
Lindsey is playing Lili Taylor's role, right? Who's playing River`s role? (I can't remember the character's names)

[dreaming]

Did anyone get a rush ticket? I was wondering if they were available.

[Katurian2]

Eddie Birdlace was River's role and it's being played by Derek Klena--- who is quite good, despite having the disadvantage of playing a guy who is basically an enormous dick.

dreaming- I didn't rush, but did $30 under 30. The show looked sold out last night though, so I wouldn't be overly optimistic about rush prospects.

[dreaming]

Ok, thanks.

I still may try.