Brighton Beach Closes

[+ Lucky]

Sunday will see the last performance of Brighton Beach memoirs- only one week after it opened. The director talks of the decision:

 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/director-of-brighton-beach-memoirs-on-the-shows-sudden-closing/?hp

[Guest greatness]

well

 

As I have told you before you can write your own play. You really like to write and you are very witty so I think whatever you write will be a success. I always wanted to write a love story but I am not a good writer.

 

 

Working Title: Love and Hatred...

 

Sunday will see the last performance of Brighton Beach memoirs- only one week after it opened. The director talks of the decision:

 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/director-of-brighton-beach-memoirs-on-the-shows-sudden-closing/?hp

[operalover21]

I saw it last week. It was so boring compared to the original production. And Laurie Metcalf was seriously miscast.

 

Also say Bye Bye Birdie. Surprised it hasn't closed. It's just as bad as the critics said, if not worse. Not a single person in the show could actually sing.

[+ Lucky]

You may love opera, but your posts so far show that you don't like much of anything else!

[+ Lucky]

More on the closing from the NY Times:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/theater/02simon.html?_r=1&hpw

[operalover21]

Lucky: I like a lot of things, I just don't like a lot of bad things. Brighton Beach and Bye Bye Birdie were awful. I loved Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking, but so far this theater season has opened fairly weekly.

 

And I thought that Finian's Rainbow was terrific and everyone can actually sing!

 

Look before you leap, Lucky!

[+ Lucky]

Lucky's been looking at your posts and finds that you have some pretty harsh opinions. But I am glad to hear that you do like some shows. Friends liked Wishful Drinking although others think the show is padded with fluff.

Finian's Rainbow got great reviews, especially for the singing and music.

Sadly, I'll probably see neither show since my dance card is full next week.

[Guest greatness]

well

 

Please do not take Lucky's comments personally. He is just being playful and witty. I think it is his way of showing friendliness. He is so charming. Oh

maybe his next level should be "Prince Charming"

 

Lucky: I like a lot of things, I just don't like a lot of bad things. Brighton Beach and Bye Bye Birdie were awful. I loved Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking, but so far this theater season has opened fairly weekly.

 

And I thought that Finian's Rainbow was terrific and everyone can actually sing!

 

Look before you leap, Lucky!

[operalover21]

Lucky's been looking at your posts and finds that you have some pretty harsh opinions. But I am glad to hear that you do like some shows. Friends liked Wishful Drinking although others think the show is padded with fluff.

Finian's Rainbow got great reviews, especially for the singing and music.

Sadly, I'll probably see neither show since my dance card is full next week.

 

I agree that Carrie's show is padded with fluff but she really is funny. Finian's Rainbow is the best thing around right now. I also liked Jude Law in Hamlet (But though much of the supporting cast was weak) but A Steady Rain was a really bad play that not even Jackman and Craig (with their shirts on, alas) couldn't redeem.

 

As I said, I think the theater season has started off pretty weakly but hope springs eternal!

[edjames]

Brighton Beach Memoirs was a terrifc show! Many in the Broadway community are puzzled and angry by it's lack of success. Laurie Metcalf, despite some opinion here, was NOT miscast and is a wonderful actress. Young actor, Noah Robbins, was wonderful in his role as the young Jerome, his scenes with Santino Fontana, who played his older brother, Stanley, were hysterically funny and very moving. I throughly enjoyed every moment of this show.

 

ED

[GoodFella69]

Too bad about Brighton...

 

Man, that's too bad about "Brighton Beach" closing so soon. I was looking forward to seeing it on an upcoming trip to NYC. I'm also eager to see Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" with Liev Schreiber at the Cort Theatre (previews begin next month)

[operalover21]

Brighton Beach Memoirs was a terrifc show! Many in the Broadway community are puzzled and angry by it's lack of success. Laurie Metcalf, despite some opinion here, was NOT miscast and is a wonderful actress. Young actor, Noah Robbins, was wonderful in his role as the young Jerome, his scenes with Santino Fontana, who played his older brother, Stanley, were hysterically funny and very moving. I throughly enjoyed every moment of this show.

 

ED

 

It's just a matter of opinion. I saw the original productions and I thought Metcalf was awful. I don't think anyone is puzzled at all. They couldn't sell tickets. Period. So it closed. I think Neil Simon has dated, badly.

[Lankypeters]

Bbm

 

Two-and-a-half hours of whining and self-pity.

[+ g56whiz]

I think Neil Simon has dated, badly.

 

I tend to agree OL but your stating it brings to mind a fantasy of mine. We've got Peter Gelb and George Steele running our chief opera organizations in New York and they're both keen on bringing new fans to opera in unique ways. One has been to commission new operas. But what comes out of most of our current composers are bleak: Dead Man Walking, A View from the Bridge, Esther (now at NYO) etc. Id like to see one of these guys commission a new opera based on Terrance MacNally's The Ritz or any of the play of Neil Simon. There's SRO signs everywhere for one of these.

[+ Gar1eth]

Lucky: I like a lot of things, I just don't like a lot of bad things. Brighton Beach and Bye Bye Birdie were awful. I loved Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking, but so far this theater season has opened fairly weekly.

 

And I thought that Finian's Rainbow was terrific and everyone can actually sing!

 

Look before you leap, Lucky!

 

Whenever I hear Carrrie Fisher on the radio--her speech sounds a bit slurred to me. I wonder if it is a side effect of the ECT. I am not against ECT--I think it can most likely be a g-dsend in cases of non medication responding depresssion--but no treatment is perfect and there can always be sequelae. Any mental health practitioners out there want to comment?

 

Gman

[+ purplekow]

Might it be that she is just drunk again?