Ghost The Musical in Hollywood

[jackhammer91406]

I went to see this show with a bit of trepidation. I had really enjoyed the film many years ago and frankly didn’t want to ruin that memory just because someone thought they could make a musical out of a beloved film.

 

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. Oh no it’s not some fine classic musical for the ages, but it works as a musical and the technical effects are dazzling.

 

The book for the musical is written by the Bruce Joel Rubin who won an Oscar for his original screenplay for the film, so the story is lovingly faithful.

 

Many hands are involved and credited with the scenic, sound, music, lighting, and magical illusions (and yes they somehow are able to make a spirit rise up out of a dead body). Most of the backstage artists were involved in the original Broadway production including the Director Matthew Warchus. Some of the songs and lyrics are by Dave Stewart (½ of the Eurythmics). Hugh Vanstone and Jon Driscol both won Tony nominations for their Lighting Design and Video and Projection design respectively. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Paul Kieve who designed the illusions. They are a show in themselves.

 

Steven Grant Douglas who plays Sam Wheat and Katie Postotnik who plays Molly are fine, but it is Carla R. Stewart’s performance as Oda Mae Brown that steals the show with her acting chops and her two wonderfully funny songs.

 

As I said at the top, I was pleasantly surprised and glad of it. It is an entertaining evening.

 

Playing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood through July 13. The tour then moves to Costa Mesa July 29- Aug 10. And then on to Las Vegas Aug 12-17.

 

[video=youtube;Xf3gj8AbUwM]

[MrMiniver]

I must admit I think the movie is absolute garbage, laughable in almost every respect. About as romantic as making out with an eggplant. Could the show be any worse? The pottery scene could be interesting if the male lead were hot. It would be interesting if they made it two men, instead of hetero. What do they do with the cartoon character that was Whoopi Goldberg? It still flabbergasts me that she won an Oscar for playing a character from a Hanna Barbera production.

[jackhammer91406]

cuppa cheer?

 

Must have been awful holding that inside all of these years. Glad you could get that out of your system. Happy to be of service.

[Epigonos]

Damn Jackhammer it's hard to believe that Ghost premiered 24 years ago the 13th of this month. I like you loved the film but then I've always been a sucker for the type of film that some call chick flixs. Patrick Swayze was terrific in them. I also loved Dirty Dancing and believe it or not Roadhouse. Too bad he died so young.

Now with your recommendation I will definitely try to see it during its Orange County boondocks run. Thanks for the review

[+ Gar1eth]

I went to see this show with a bit of trepidation. I had really enjoyed the film many years ago and frankly didn’t want to ruin that memory just because someone thought they could make a musical out of a beloved film.

 

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. Oh no it’s not some fine classic musical for the ages, but it works as a musical and the technical effects are dazzling.

 

The book for the musical is written by the Bruce Joel Rubin who won an Oscar for his original screenplay for the film, so the story is lovingly faithful.

 

Many hands are involved and credited with the scenic, sound, music, lighting, and magical illusions (and yes they somehow are able to make a spirit rise up out of a dead body). Most of the backstage artists were involved in the original Broadway production including the Director Matthew Warchus. Some of the songs and lyrics are by Dave Stewart (½ of the Eurythmics). Hugh Vanstone and Jon Driscol both won Tony nominations for their Lighting Design and Video and Projection design respectively. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Paul Kieve who designed the illusions. They are a show in themselves.

 

Steven Grant Douglas who plays Sam Wheat and Katie Postotnik who plays Molly are fine, but it is Carla R. Stewart’s performance as Oda Mae Brown that steals the show with her acting chops and her two wonderfully funny songs.

 

As I said at the top, I was pleasantly surprised and glad of it. It is an entertaining evening.

 

Playing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood through July 13. The tour then moves to Costa Mesa July 29- Aug 10. And then on to Las Vegas Aug 12-17.

 

[video=youtube;Xf3gj8AbUwM]

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You make me wish I could see it. Another wish would be that they (all shows- not just this one) could figure out how to mike the actors more unobtrusively. Obvious microphones hinder my suspension of disbelief.

 

Gman

[foxy]

A few years ago I took a pottery class because I always thought it would be interesting and the idea of playing with wet clay on a wheel seemed sort of erotic. Besides it's fun sometimes to get your hands dirty. One afternoon during studio time I overheard two young male instructors talking about a new pretty female student they both had their eye on. The one said to the other "I'd really like to pull a Swayze on her". I thought that was funny.

[MrMiniver]

Damn Jackhammer it's hard to believe that Ghost premiered 24 years ago the 13th of this month. I like you loved the film but then I've always been a sucker for the type of film that some call chick flixs. Patrick Swayze was terrific in them. I also loved Dirty Dancing and believe it or not Roadhouse. Too bad he died so young.

Now with your recommendation I will definitely try to see it during its Orange County boondocks run. Thanks for the review

 

So-called "chick flicks" are great when done well with stars like Irene Dunne, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Lana Turner ... up until today if they could find female stars with the charisma to pull them off. But GHOST is a joke. Badly written, with "actors" who couldn't act if they were being held up at gunpoint. It's sad when you want to root for the Tony Goldwyn character -- the only guy in the film who seems to want to actually do something.

[MrMiniver]

Must have been awful holding that inside all of these years. Glad you could get that out of your system. Happy to be of service. [/color][/size][/font]

 

Nope, it was all spur of the moment in one stream ..... kinda like ... well, you know what I'm going to say, right?

[Epigonos]

You know MrMiniver I really don’t have a problem with you expressing VERY STRONG opinions about virtually everything. I too am highly opinionated but I try to quality what I say as being by opinion ONLY. I just wish you wouldn’t express your opinions as if they were obvious facts, which they aren’t, in a manner that makes you sound like a Pope speaking ex cathedra.

[jackhammer91406]

Nope, it was all spur of the moment in one stream ..... kinda like ... well, you know what I'm going to say, right?

Yup, I think I know exactly what to call the stream that comes out of your mouth.

[jackhammer91406]

Epigonos, at the time the movie came out I was in love for the first time. I cannot believe it has been 24 years . I met Patrick when I did a small part in Roadhouse. He was a charming man.

[+ purplekow]

Epigonos, at the time the movie came out I was in love for the first time. I cannot believe it has been 24 years . I met Patrick when I did a small part in Roadhouse. He was a charming man.

Jackhammer, was that you playing the part of the bar employee who gets fired for fucking in the storage room? Very believable performance in the brief on screen time. Breathing was appropriately rapid, gasping and subtly but convincingly conveyed the joy and pain of the sex act just prior to orgasm.

[Frankly Rich]

You know MrMiniver I really don’t have a problem with you expressing VERY STRONG opinions about virtually everything. I too am highly opinionated but I try to quality what I say as being by opinion ONLY. I just wish you wouldn’t express your opinions as if they were obvious facts, which they aren’t, in a manner that makes you sound like a Pope speaking ex cathedra.

 

+1

[MrMiniver]

Yup, I think I know exactly what to call the stream that comes out of your mouth.[/color][/size][/font]

 

Did you get that from Dorothy Parker?

[Steven_Draker]

... makes you sound like a Pope speaking ex cathedra.

 

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/benedict_xvi-769613.jpg

[MrMiniver]

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/benedict_xvi-769613.jpg

 

Picture the same thing with Obama or maybe Hillary Clinton and I'm guessing you wouldn't find it so funny. It's actually quite bigoted but i think we know that religious bigotry against certain religious figures is okay .... at least with some segments of the population.

[Frankly Rich]

I don't see it as bigoted. You might actually want to take the remarks to heart and perhaps change a thing or two.

[jimboivyo]

junk musical for a dumbed down audience. this tour was even worse than the broadway show, which lasted all of 130 performances

[Frankly Rich]

It was actually 136 performances, but, who's counting? Many people loved the movie, but that doesn't always translate into a mega musical. It's hard to create a successful musical under the best of circumstances.

[foxy]

Sometimes I wonder why live theater even survives. And I'm very thankful it does. Talk about a money pit. If backers put money into a show it's considered a hit if they break even. So if a show appeals to a broad audience and maybe artistically it isn't perfect or breaking new ground it doesn't make it bad for everyone. We all like to post our reviews on this site and I'm glad about that but to trash a show because we didn't like it and others do doesn't give us the right to be mean spirited.

[+ Gar1eth]

Sometimes I wonder why live theater even survives. And I'm very thankful it does. Talk about a money pit. If backers put money into a show it's considered a hit if they break even. So if a show appeals to a broad audience and maybe artistically it isn't perfect or breaking new ground it doesn't make it bad for everyone. We all like to post our reviews on this site and I'm glad about that but to trash a show because we didn't like it and others do doesn't give us the right to be mean spirited.

 

+ 10,000

 

Gman