| Author | Message: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: ChloeMiles
On: 1/4/1999 at 11:05:21 AM GMT
Message #: 513
See headers | In a message dated 1/4/99 4:52:02 AM Pacific Standard Time,
wutheringheights00@y... writes:
<< I'm in Tennessee and there's no way I'll ever get to see this show. I
live through cast albums and that's sad. -eric
>>
Okay, I'll be thankful if you all don't throw me off the list once you hear my
thoughts on Annie Get Your Gun, but here goes.... (and btw, I've re-read this
and there is good stuff in here).
If you only listen to the cast album, you will LOVE the show! Everyone sings
wonderfully, especially Bernadette. The score sounds like it was written for
her and it is thrilling to hear. I've never heard her sounding better and she
looks like a million bucks. Tom Wopat is fabulous as well. In fact, I was
fairly amazed at how good he was. He sang great and his acting was perfect.
In many ways, he became the sympathetic character. Everything he did came
from a very honest place - even his arrogance and conceit were somehow very
charming.
I wish I could say the same for Bernadette. I felt that she made character
choices that were not based in truth, but rather from a place outside herself.
You can't imagine how surprised I was by this, because the thing that has
always made me adore her is her honesty and willingness to open herself for
all to see.
You need to fall in love with Annie the second you see her, which you do, but
as soon as Bernadette opens her mouth you realize that she is just a speech
pattern and a slow, thick drawl - not a real person. She has some very funny
schtick which she executes brilliantly, (if not a little over-the-top), but it
was more like a finely tuned machine than a living person with any sense of
vulnerability. By the time you get to the end of the first act your heart
should be breaking for her. Everything Annie does she does to make Frank love
her, but she loses him anyway and she really doesn't understand why.
Bernadette plays this final scene wonderfully, but by the time it comes
around, you just don't care enough. She fairs a little better in the second
act, but I think it's because she gets to be a little more "herself" (if that
means anything to anyone).
This was my overall sense of her performance. Don't get me wrong. I
actually enjoyed the show as a whole very much. There are many times when you
can forgive the things you don't care for when you're watching someone you
idolize (my friend who went with me didn't feel that way, but I did).
Moonshine Lullaby was easily my favorite number. It's everything you expect
from Bernadette - beautiful and heartfelt. Same with Lost in His Arms (except
for the accent, which still drove me a little crazy). There were times when I
wondered if Graziella Danielle hadn't said "Hey, you're Bernadette Peters. Do
what you want!" Sometimes that's great - sometimes it's a disservice to your
star. In fact, I wasn't sure that "Old Fashioned Wedding" was staged at all.
It was like Graziella Danielle just hadn't gotten to that number yet and told
them to improvise. It was really fun and really cute, but not really right
for the show. I felt that way about some of the choreography, too. It was
amazing!!! Very creative and stylized, brilliantly danced - but not quite
appropriate for Annie Get Your Gun. Admittedly, that is a biased statement.
I happen to like the "old-fashioned" Annie Get Your Gun and didn't think that
many of the changes were necessary. I didn't hate them - in fact, I loved the
idea of a story within a story. It worked very well and helped with the scene
change logistics. I did hate "Sun in the Morning." It should be a number
where Annie shows these hoity-toity people that money isn't all that important
- that having the "Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night" is enough.
Instead, it was a Las Vegas type of country line dance that had very little
meaning to it at all and did nothing to further the plot. I missed the Indian
number, too. I never thought it was offensive. (It doesn't mock Native
Americans - if it mocks anyone, it mocks Annie.) There were still plenty of
Indian jokes, as well as some new sexual innuendo that was thrown in for the
90s audience. It wasn't offensive - just not necessary. (Annie had a couple
of extra "hells" in there, too.) They replaced the motorcycle trick with a
trapeze trick - I couldn't figure out why they did that - hell, I could swing
upside from a trapeze!!! (It's not really Bernadette, by the way)
The subplot that was put back in the show was great - those kids could sing
and dance like crazy! Dolly Tate was spectacularly funny!
Well, I suppose I've gone on long enough - I hope I haven't made any enemies
or offended anyone in the cast/crew, etc. that might frequent this list. Of
course, they're still in tryouts. When I'm first in front of an audience, I'm
often just praying I can get my lines out right and keep on my blocking. I'm
certain that the show will undergo changes before it gets to Broadway, so
hopefully all of my problems with the show will either (a) be fixed or (b) not
bother anyone else. I would love to see my favorite girl in a successful
smash hit and win another Tony. Nothing would make me happier! I'll check it
out again once it hits NYC!
| | Author | Message: Re: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: Yfandes1
On: 1/4/1999 at 5:30:35 PM GMT
Message #: 517
See headers | I absolutely agree with your evaluation!! I nearly fell out of my seat when
BP came on... it was WONDERFUL... and then she opened her mouth and it was
like someone had slapped me on the side of the head. I could handle
everything except the way that she said "THAR", it really drove me crazy...
Some of the numbers were very good. "Doin What Comes Natur'lly" was nice.
The dancing in "Sun in the Morning" was a little strange, but it's a very
nice song.
My biggest problem was "They Say It's Wonderful" when BP ended up singing
into Franks armpit as far as I could tell... of course I was very far away ;0)
Anyway, I'm going to see it AGAIN in 16 days (so how terrible could it have
been, right??) so I'll let you know if it's any better...
Marie
| | Author | Message: Re: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: Yfandes1
On: 1/4/1999 at 5:31:56 PM GMT
Message #: 518
See headers | In a message dated 01/04/99 11:05:54 AM Eastern Standard Time,
ChloeMiles@a... writes:
<< The subplot that was put back in the show was great - those kids could sing
and dance like crazy! Dolly Tate was spectacularly funny! >>
Oh yeah... THAT WAS GREAT!!! I left singing "Who do you love, I hope. Who
would you kiss. I hope... Who do you want it to be? I hope I hope I hope
it's me..." Still can't get it out of my head... Very nice song. Also a nice
addition to the plot!
Marie
| | Author | Message: Re: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: bernadotp
On: 1/4/1999 at 5:43:21 PM GMT
Message #: 519
See headers | So when does the AGYG cast album come out! I am so jealous that I
probably won't get to see her (I live in east Alabama)!! Hopefully I'll
get to go to New York in March or over the summer. I just realized
yesterday that I could have gone to D.C. over the holidays to see it.
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| | Author | Message: Re: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: KELBEL519
On: 1/4/1999 at 8:40:57 PM GMT
Message #: 520
See headers | Like you said, they're still in previews, so I wouldn't worry. I've heard
Patti Lupone sing SUN IN THE MORNING on her CD. She does great, but I like
Bernadette's BEING ALIVE better than Patti's, so who knows? I might like
Bernadette's version of the SUN song better too. Just thought I'd share!
-Kelli
| | Author | Message: Re: AGYG - my rather long review | Posted by: WitchBern
On: 1/4/1999 at 9:20:17 PM GMT
Message #: 521
See headers | The cast album is due out in Feburary when the show comes to Broadway.
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