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Ghost of a chance

by | 1:36 pm | Apr 20, 2011

“First witches, now ghosts. But while Broadway’s Wicked proved golden for Stephen Schwartz, his Séance on a Wet Afternoon came up lifeless and damp Tuesday night at its City Opera premiere.” [New York Post] (Photo: Carol Rosegg)

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32 Comments

32 comments

  • Quanto Painy Fakor says:

    ho hum…

    on April 20, 2011 at 1:53 PM
    • mandryka says:

      I’ll say this for it: it was quite absorbing, mostly because of the cleverly constructed presentation of the unusual plot. It really kept you wanting to know what happened next. The singing/acting was very good. I got my money’s worth, and don’t regret spending 12 bucks for my 4th ring, row C seat. There was a lot of first rate talent in evidence.

      But the music just wasn’t very good. It was sort of like heavily watered down Rogers and Hammerstein. So now that I know the story, I’m not sure I’d especially want to see it again. It’s not awful (like, say, “Legs Diamond”) but it isn’t very good either. I felt much the same way about Lee Hoiby’s “Summer and Smoke” back in the 70s. (Is that ever done anymore? That one I might be ready to see again.)

      Note: Lauren Flanigan was interesting at every moment.

      on April 22, 2011 at 7:59 AM
  • CruzSF says:

    “even Puccini”? Hahahaha.

    on April 20, 2011 at 1:56 PM
  • phoenix says:

    [img]http://parterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/tumblr_liw5uxrucw1qald0jo1_500.jpg[/img]

    on April 20, 2011 at 1:59 PM
  • brooklynpunk says:

    Slightly OT..but NYCO-related..

    This year’s RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL has just been announced… with a scheduled excerpted showing of RW’s “Prima Donna” listed as one of the events.

    This Festival is one of the highlight’s of Summer in the City…!

    http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/river-to-river-festival-announces-lineup-2/?scp=3&sq=new%20york%20city%20opera&st=cse

    on April 20, 2011 at 2:02 PM
  • brooklynpunk says:

    I’m seeing it on Saturday.. but…watched this , to get myself in the mood….LOL.!

    on April 20, 2011 at 2:09 PM
    • armerjacquino says:

      Well, that’s one DVD I had to buy immediately. Thanks La Cieca.

      on April 20, 2011 at 2:51 PM
    • MontyNostry says:

      This diva looks like that diva: Claudette Colbert/Nelly Miricioiu.

      on April 20, 2011 at 3:12 PM
      • phoenix says:

        [img]http://parterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/””””’.JPG[/img]

        on April 20, 2011 at 3:41 PM
        • MontyNostry says:

          What happened there, Phoenix?

          on April 20, 2011 at 4:18 PM
        • CruzSF says:

          phoenix, your text is stimulating enough. Don’t overdo it.

          on April 20, 2011 at 4:39 PM
          • phoenix says:

            I had 2 or 3 in the works and then they all X’d out on me and then one of cursed tornadoes came up through the one of the valleys of the Endless Mountains to the south of here & hit the building and the power went out.
            – This first one below is the original one I tried to upload in re: this diva looks like that diva for Monty, but I think it is lacking sufficient transparency to come out anyways. But since the 2 Divas in question really do look alike, I will go back to drawingboard & try again if this doesn’t come out:

            [img]http://parterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/witchDivaisWitch.jpg[/img]

            on April 20, 2011 at 5:51 PM
          • MontyNostry says:

            Brilliant choice!

            on April 20, 2011 at 6:12 PM
          • phoenix says:

            Merci beaucoup!

            on April 20, 2011 at 6:14 PM
      • Nerva Nelli says:

        “Claudette Colbert”

        http://tinyurl.com/yznppet

        on April 21, 2011 at 2:22 AM
    • operaqueen says:

      I’ve always wondered if Lauren Bacall was really a man in drag. This confirmed it.

      on April 20, 2011 at 4:06 PM
      • Will says:

        Maybe the nose and the heavily shaped eyebrows — to me the chin and mouth are very different.

        on April 20, 2011 at 6:13 PM
        • phoenix says:

          I looked at so many fotos and actually I found their noses to be different enough to make it noticeable, but I found their jaw & mouth quite similar in most of the fotos. The problem is that Claudette was almost always in some kind of repose with relaxed facial features; Nelly, on the other hand, seemed to be always emoting, mugging, schmoozing in active motion. Claudette had beautiful eyes… unfortunately I can’t say the same for Nelly.

          on April 20, 2011 at 6:22 PM
  • Alto says:

    Actually, to my surprise, I quite liked “Séance.” At least it was entertaining (except, in my opinion, for a longeur about half an hour into the second act when the mother and father were a bit too prolix). But then I’m not a professional reviewer with a reputation to protect — hence the favorable reviews we saw of the gruesome, hideously tedious “Monodramas” and the righteous excoriations of this too conservative, too Broadway opera.

    on April 21, 2011 at 9:12 PM
    • armerjacquino says:

      Maybe the reviewers you mention enjoyed ‘Monodramas’ and disliked ‘Seance’?

      I’m so bored with being told that everyone has an agenda. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

      on April 21, 2011 at 9:15 PM
      • Alto says:

        Did you *see* those shows?

        Did you talk to four critics at intermission?

        I did.

        on April 21, 2011 at 9:33 PM
      • Bluessweet says:

        Non,no, no Aj. Agood cegat is a smoke!

        on April 21, 2011 at 9:57 PM
        • Bluessweet says:

          Let’s try again, slowly, kid.

          No, no, no. A good cegar is only a smoke.

          (I think that’s the way it goes.) Anyone want to help a poor kid just tryin’ to make a livin”?)

          on April 21, 2011 at 9:59 PM
    • brooklynpunk says:

      Alto:

      I really liked it , too…as did the Saturday matinee audience today, who were real enthusiastic in their responses.

      The only part that I found sub-par was the Aria for Kim Josephson, in the second Act… he was ok– but the number itself was very bland…..

      I was surprised at how well the Show worked, though… and Flanagan was great!…( so were the two kid singers!…)

      on April 23, 2011 at 6:44 PM