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Post by catdishy on Oct 17, 2007 22:37:57 GMT
Hope you enjoy your show on Friday, uke. I'll be eagerly awaiting your posting about it.
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Post by dreamer on Oct 17, 2007 22:42:53 GMT
... and to Rufus how do you use to say "Break a leg!"? Oh, lucky, lucky you who can say that to Roof in person! I'm so excited for you!  |
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Post by rufluvr on Oct 18, 2007 0:50:00 GMT
Have fun everybody! May your trips be smooth, the weather fine, and the show fabulous. At least we know the last one's a sure thing!! Best of luck to Rufus and the rest of the cast. Break a leg!  |
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Post by quoll on Oct 18, 2007 21:54:36 GMT
Hey! It's the 19th here already. Break a leg!
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Post by ukelelehip on Oct 18, 2007 22:04:05 GMT
Hey! It's the 19th here already. Break a leg! Ha ha, crazy! We're all going to sleep on it if you don't mind. I have to find something to wear though. Must look my 'theatre best'...  |
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Post by catdishy on Oct 19, 2007 4:47:02 GMT
Let us know what you wear. And where the best door is to catch Rufus coming and going.Break a leg , as they say, uke.
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Post by maxx02 on Oct 19, 2007 11:53:44 GMT
Walked by the Jacbobs last night on our way back from seeing The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama do The Wolves in the Walls, which was wonderful by the way. The theatre was all lit up like the grande dame it is with it's big Rock 'n' Roll sign. Talked to a few people yesterday about the show. Every one seems to know what it is. But they always mention Stoppard since they seem still to be reeling from Coast of Utopia. No one mentions the cast. That will likely change fairly rapidly. Wonder how Rufus is feeling this morning-- I started thinking about him before I had my first cup of coffee...  |
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Post by ukelelehip on Oct 19, 2007 14:17:47 GMT
Wonder how Rufus is feeling this morning-- I started thinking about him before I had my first cup of coffee... As giddy and excited as me hopefully!! Any signs of a dress rehearsal yesterday? |
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Post by ukelelehip on Oct 19, 2007 15:30:38 GMT
Let us know what you wear. I've decided to go for 'theatre casual'... I'm keeping my best outfit for the Opening Night after-party...  I don't intend to stage dooring unless Maxx joins me. Safety in numbers and all that...  |
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Post by rufluvr on Oct 19, 2007 19:00:44 GMT
Have fun at the show and in NYC gals! Maxx thought about how Rufus was feeling this morning, and I was wondering last night how well he sleeps before an opening night. Said a little prayer for the dude. A Broadway opening is a big deal. Especially when you are in a play of the very hot at the moment Tom Stoppard! I can only imagine how excited all of you are! I'm not going, but am waiting with baited breath for all the glorious details!
Break a leg, Rufus!!!
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Post by GreenEyesToo on Oct 19, 2007 23:57:37 GMT
Oooh, they're just about to go on!! I'm soooooo excited, and I'm not even there!!  |
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Post by rai on Oct 20, 2007 1:51:43 GMT
from Variety - I wonder what the "Broadwaying" of the play is - can't wait for our personal reviewers' reports!
Rai
Stoppard's on a Broadway 'Roll'
Producers hope 'Rock' will 'Coast' like others
By GORDON COXIs there such a thing as Stoppard fatigue?
Just last season, Gotham playgoers spent nine hours with the famously literate Tom Stoppard's three-play cycle about 19th century Russian intellectuals, "The Coast of Utopia." Now hot on its heels comes "Rock 'n' Roll," a similarly erudite show that originated at London's Royal Court and began Broadway previews at the Jacobs Theater Oct. 19.
But lead producers Sonia Friedman and Bob Boyett, encouraged by a strong advance of about $3 million, see the attention directed at the Tony-sweeping "Coast" as a help rather than a hindrance.
"Stoppard is aligned with the planets, certainly in the last two years," says Boyett.
Like "Utopia," "Rock 'n' Roll" also focuses on historically dense, potentially intimidating subject matter: the history of Czechoslovakian communism, as reflected through 30 years in the lives of a Czech dissident and a British scholar clinging to his country's Communist Party. Plus, there are the obscure classic-rock references.
And whereas "Utopia" was produced under the somewhat more forgiving nonprofit auspices of Lincoln Center Theater, "Rock" is a commercial production capitalized, according to Boyett, at around $2.7 million. (LCT, however, is involved as an associate presenter.)
So it's not a risk-free proposition. But there's no denying Stoppard's on a roll on both sides of the Atlantic.
Last season, "Utopia" was the play to beat -- and no show did, as the epic took home seven Tonys. "Utopia" snowballed into an intelligentsia must-see, while press coverage over the production's seven-month run ranged from rapturous reviews to suggested reading lists to devil's-advocate testimonies of boredom with the whole shebang.
Simultaneously, "Rock 'n' Roll" was winning raves from the successful West End transfer of the original 2006 Court production. Friedman notes that the team behind the Brit incarnation of "Rock" was so certain the limited run at the Court couldn't match demand that the commercial transfer was in the works, with Friedman attached, even before the Court engagement opened.
U.K. press praise offers a major marketing asset for the U.S. incarnation, essentially the same production with Trevor Nunn directing five of the Brit version's original thesps, including Brian Cox, Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack.
"We have the advantage of the reaction from London," Boyett says. "That's been more of our emphasis in the advertising." Pre-approval from across the Pond also makes the U.S. incarnation a bit less reliant on Gotham critics, although New York scribes seem likely to echo their Blighty counterparts. (The New York Times chief theater critic has already chimed in with a rave from London.)
"Rock" also is more of a known quantity compared with "Utopia," which underwent fairly thorough revisions between its original 2002 production at the National and the LCT staging last season.
The play is only undergoing minor trims and edits, with a few potential changes being considered toward the end of the play, according to Boyett. The design of the show also remains consistent, although Friedman points out it's been "Broadwayed" to fit the larger New York venue.
"Rock" can additionally benefit from the large membership base of LCT, which produces in association with its commercial partners and has offered "Rock" tickets to members.
"We were very happy to do that," Boyett says. "They have such a loyal group." LCT members, for instance, gobbled up tickets to daylong "marathons" of the "Utopia" trilogy, when Lincoln Center expected ticket buyers to be more cautious.
"For many people, 'Coast of Utopia' was a more accessible play than they expected," Boyett says. "There are people who might have been intimidated by a Stoppard play who now think, 'Well, I saw "Utopia" and I understood it.' "
And while a "coast of utopia" might seem an abstract concept to most people, everyone instantly recognizes rock 'n' roll. "Just with that title, you win," Friedman says.
The music used throughout the play also heightens accessibility. Most theatergoers won't recognize Syd Barrett's "Golden Hair" or "The Universe Symphony and Melody" by dissident Czech band Plastic People of the Universe, but auds likely will be able to hum along to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" or U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
Still, even Stoppard understands it doesn't hurt to have a little help with the complicated history of the play. "Tom said we've got to do something to re-create our London program," Friedman says.
To that end, producers have bought extra pages in the Playbill in order to accommodate an eight-page section, compiled by Stoppard, that explains the context of the events of the play.
Due to Equity provisions involving actors from overseas, "Rock" can run for a maximum of 30 weeks, with an initial limited engagement planned for 22-26 weeks. Producers are marketing mainly to habitual playgoers, including the group of interested ticket buyers who have purchased tickets for Boyett's trans-Atlantic transfers of Royal National Theater shows such as "The History Boys" and "Jumpers."
While the "Rock 'n' Roll" team remains confident that interest in Stoppard is at a high right now, they do acknowledge there could potentially be too much of a good thing.
"There was a moment when we thought about coming in with 'Rock 'n' Roll' last season," Friedman says. "But when we saw what 'Coast of Utopia' was shaping into, we knew we had to give it some space."
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Post by uncorked on Oct 20, 2007 3:32:52 GMT
OMG---Its 11:34 and I'm just wondering .......Where is UKE?  ? she should be rushing right back to give us a full report !!! We are all waiting......... |
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Post by maxx02 on Oct 20, 2007 4:57:18 GMT
uke was out having a cocktail-- be nice... I have some great swag to contest away and some interesting minutea. I've also got a few other things to share. Uke should be along in a bit to provide an update. Rufus was a darling as ever... and yes virgina there are pictures... ;D |
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Post by ukelelehip on Oct 20, 2007 5:52:24 GMT
Back! You'll find in me the least capable theatre critic you'll ever encounter but I had fun and I thought the show and the cast were in remarkable shape for a first preview. It took me about 30 minutes to snap out of my ' f*cking h*ll, I'm actually watching Rock 'n' Roll!! Look, there's Jan! There's Max!' mode but after that it was all good and I was swept up in the proceedings. The 'trinity' were fabulous imo and so were Alice and Nicole. I liked the guy who played Stephen even though his accent visited various parts of the UK and Ireland but he was very likable. Stephen Kunken who plays Ferda is (so I hear) a fresh addition to the cast so we'll give him some time to practice but his accent was even dodgier than mine! The set I think looked more or less the same (the same spinning platform) with a few 'Broadway' touches like a 3D skyline of Cambridge and an actual garden gate. There were some minor changes here and there, some extra lines, a Cure song instead of Guns 'n' Roses and I was sad to find that they cut the "Lenka: she's brushing her teeth. Jan: *smiles*" scene near the end where's he waiting for Esme to come with him to Prague and also the story about the Rolling Stones being locked out of the castle's balcony in Prague. Oh, I am a purist!! Maxx and I saw Rufus at the stage door. Maxx did most of the talking as I've developed a bit of stagedoor shyness but he was lovely as always. Maxx can probably tell you more. The others (of the cast) were off before we were done talking to him and he kindly stuck around for us telling them that he would find them after. Top bloke! Now I'm thinking what I can do with the rest of my weekend that can possibly top this. Oh, I have a hard life... |
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? she should be rushing right back to give us a full report !!! We are all waiting.........