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Post by Mark on Mar 31, 2024 15:28:34 GMT
This is the show I feel like I’ve been waiting for. I was captivated from the get go - the score is really great, and has some absolutely banging numbers - “Don’t Bet Your Heart”, “I Will Paint Her”, “Woman Is”, “Women” - I can’t wait for a cast album.
The whole cast are great but the night belongs to the Women. Eden Espinosa is triumphant and sounds great, Amber Iman has stage presence for days, Natalie Joy Johnson is hilarious in a part that seems written just for her, and Beth Leavel is great if unfortunately underused.
Staging all feels very fresh and exciting, really that’s the word for it - exciting. I think the word of mouth on this one will be really strong and I’m hopeful it will turn into a huge hit.
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Post by westendcub on Mar 31, 2024 23:41:27 GMT
Absolutely loved it too, now I do think Act 1 needs tightening up and they to tone down the ‘villain’ character but I adored it too, it’s got an incredible score..’Chess’ meets ‘Evita’
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2024 16:12:09 GMT
I liked it and appreciated it. The only big issue was Eden's singing. And the only complaint I heard from other theatregoers. But sadly I feel its days are already numbered. Bold and interesting effort but it doesn't quite land everything and marketing it sounds like a challenge in this seemingly crowded period. I couldn't help but wonder if this kind of show would've been better to try out in the West End first. Hopefully it finds its audience!
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Post by Mark on May 2, 2024 22:40:54 GMT
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Post by viserys on May 3, 2024 14:18:36 GMT
It did get three nominations.
I don't think the Tonys are to blame here. I've rarely seen so many divided opinions on the new shows that arrived this spring but virtually everyone agreed that Lempicka suffers from a terrible book. And the average person on the street has no idea who or what Lempicka even means, no wonder they spend their dollars on something with at least some familiarity of which there is ALOT to choose from - Gatsby as a household name (selling well despite bad WOM from Paper Mill and almost complete Tony snub, btw), The Outsiders and The Notebook as very popular novels and movies, and not quite so well-known Water for Elephants and so on.
I would have loved to see Lempicka and it has some great songs, but this is not on the Tonys. They shouldn't have tried to push a totally unknown IP into such an overstuffed spring and with such a terrible book. Much like with Harmony, which failed almost as badly in autumn, perhaps at some point creatives need to realize after several years of work that some things just aren't meant to be.
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Post by blamerobots on May 3, 2024 15:55:28 GMT
Funny you mention how unknown the figure of Lempicka is; I heard someone compare this to Evita in terms of it covering a less than known figure in the West.
The difference with Evita is that it was the work of a duo who'd just made the BIGGEST thing to hit the theatres in the early 70's, and Evita was an ALBUM beforehand, which promoted the show prior.
Lempicka, from the outside, I feel hasn't done a great job in telling me what it is, what it is about in any of its marketing, in any external reading I've done. Three songs on an EP and mixed reviews with all conflicting takes only give the impression of a vague, confused show, in a packed season where you have to be feeling like you're getting your money's worth.
I can totally understand why critics and audiences probably aren't jumping to see this. I wish I could've seen it to get to the heart of it, but it's a shame when shows close early. Always.
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Post by mattnyc on May 3, 2024 15:57:53 GMT
Even a Best Musical nomination wouldn’t have saved this mess of a show.
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Post by viserys on May 3, 2024 17:28:46 GMT
Funny you mention how unknown the figure of Lempicka is; I heard someone compare this to Evita in terms of it covering a less than known figure in the West. The difference with Evita is that it was the work of a duo who'd just made the BIGGEST thing to hit the theatres in the early 70's, and Evita was an ALBUM beforehand, which promoted the show prior. And not just that; "Don't cry for me Argentina" was an absolute smash in the regular charts, beloved by countless people who didn't even know it was from a musical and who were then ready to see the show just to hear that song live on stage. Same thing happened a few years later with "Memory". Would Evita have been a success today, when musicals barely exist in the public perception and without a mega hit? I doubt it. I also can't remember the last time a new musical had an album/concept cast recording out that had already become a big hit on its own and was making people itch to see it live on stage. Given how endlessly fractured the music scene is these days I don't think it will ever happen again. I even doubt we'll see jukebox musicals with music by artists popular after the 90s because so many people are lost in their own little niches these days. Except for the inevitable Taylor Swift musical where we'll follow some young lost female around her relationships and affairs and moans about them all later (yawn). Anyway, much much harder these days to establish a musical not based on a book/movie/existing music, although shows like Hadestown prove it can still be done. |
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Post by blamerobots on May 3, 2024 19:07:28 GMT
Funny you mention how unknown the figure of Lempicka is; I heard someone compare this to Evita in terms of it covering a less than known figure in the West. The difference with Evita is that it was the work of a duo who'd just made the BIGGEST thing to hit the theatres in the early 70's, and Evita was an ALBUM beforehand, which promoted the show prior. I also can't remember the last time a new musical had an album/concept cast recording out that had already become a big hit on its own and was making people itch to see it live on stage. Hadestown was a concept album originally which was received with critical acclaim and was what most people knew the work for before it was adapted into a stage show (albeit, that album was made after a limited community theatre staging... but that version was so different it's negligible.) It's hard times for musicals that don't adapt for sure, though. |
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Post by viserys on May 3, 2024 19:42:19 GMT
True, it's crazy how I keep forgetting that about my favourite show  When it was announced for London (back then at the National Theatre), it was an American friend who told me I should go and see it and check out the existing recording (not the very first one, the NYTW one that was still fairly new at the time). I listened to it, fell in love and the rest is history, as they say. So, yea, you may be right, Hadestown DID have that starting advantage (and tickets in NY have been selling like hot cakes since Ani DiFranco joined as Persephone) that may well helped them a little on Broadway. Though I don't think it's comparable to just how HUGE "Don't cry for me Argentina" had been back then. |
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Post by blamerobots on May 3, 2024 21:03:53 GMT
True, it's crazy how I keep forgetting that about my favourite show When it was announced for London (back then at the National Theatre), it was an American friend who told me I should go and see it and check out the existing recording (not the very first one, the NYTW one that was still fairly new at the time). I listened to it, fell in love and the rest is history, as they say. So, yea, you may be right, Hadestown DID have that starting advantage (and tickets in NY have been selling like hot cakes since Ani DiFranco joined as Persephone) that may well helped them a little on Broadway. Though I don't think it's comparable to just how HUGE "Don't cry for me Argentina" had been back then. Haha! Sorry if I came off condescending in that post before...
I treasure my vinyl copy of the Hadestown concept album and the Evita white concept album like they were my own children. I wish I had the time to sit in the dark and listen to them like I used to...
I wish I could go over and see Ani DiFranco as Persephone.
I suppose that's the other thing, isn't this right across from Hadestown? Two Rachel Chavkin shows competing opposite each other when one is Hadestown and the other is. New. would've never gone down well.
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Post by viserys on May 4, 2024 5:36:55 GMT
Oh no worries, not condescending at all... just a "duh" moment for me especially since the three different Hadestown albums are such a nice way to chart the development of the show (along with Anais Mitchell's book). And yea, right now Hadestown and Lempicka are across from each other, they even named that stretch of 48th Street Rachel Chavkin Way, though not sure if it's permanent or just a marketing gag for the time being. She does have more pressure now to deliver on the A.R.T. Gatsby in Boston. |
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Post by Mark on May 12, 2024 12:07:37 GMT
Saw this again yesterday and it really stood up to the second viewing. The score… I just absolutely love it. And whilst very much fictional I don’t see anything not working with the Book.
I think this will become one of those musicals that will gain appreciation as time goes by. I still think it’s the best new musical on Broadway this season.
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Post by khiar on Jun 14, 2024 13:15:48 GMT
The Broadway Cast Recording is out now - looking forward to having a listen to form my own opinion on this apparently very polarising show!
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When it was announced for London (back then at the National Theatre), it was an American friend who told me I should go and see it and check out the existing recording (not the very first one, the NYTW one that was still fairly new at the time). I listened to it, fell in love and the rest is history, as they say. 