Why, it's a photo a spying pal just sent me from the Nederlander. Guys & Dolls looks packed, huh? Even those ladies in the foreground look apprehensive, as they whisper "Is Nathan Lane still in this?"
Speaking of Suckwatch, A Tale of Two Cities was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award, for Outstanding New Broadway Musical! No wonder those critics are in the outer circle, they'll never get inside at this rate!
A few weeks ago, I got an invite to Guys & Dolls. Despite my having listed it on Suckwatch, the marketing team wanted to give this little blogger a chance to change her mind, and I thought it was a bold, cool move on their part to reach out after being dissed. So I accepted, and decided to lay off the gloating "I was right" posts (mostly, at least) until after I'd actually seen the show. I tried to attend during the last week of February, but was told that tickets were no longer available for the original dates offered. No problem, I would go during the first week of March - oops, no availability then either. Try again in two weeks, I was told.
Here's where things get a bit funny. Marketing is telling me they have no availability, but my spies at the theater tell me that the mezzanine has been virtually empty every night - so empty, in fact, that "they might as well close it down and only seat the orchestra."
So what's the deal? Is the show simply best viewed from the orchestra, or are the producers of Guys & Dolls trying to discourage further criticism from bloggers by pulling a ticket offer bait and switch?
Good afternoon, lads and lasses. Today I'm reporting from midtown, which will be renamed ghosttown in honor of today's blissfully blizzardy quiet.
I'm very excited at Friday's news of a Damn Yankees movie, starring Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured above, you're welcome) and Jim Carrey. Jake Gyllenhall is totes the movie star version of Cheyenne Jackson. Sorry Cheyenne. But who will play Lola? Penelope Cruz is already doing a musical. I'm betting they'll go with Anne Hathaway or Evan Rachel Wood. Oooh I wonder if my ladycrush Eva Green can sing?
A little update on the Suckwatch: Guys & Dolls front: the notices are in, and they're not pretty. In fact, Variety actually says "the production sucks the personality out of an American musical-theater classic." Seeing it on Thursday and will report back... I will admit, even these rancid reviews can't crush my excitement to hear "Fugue for Tinhorns."
It pains me to do this, but this new Broadway revival of Guys & Dolls looks just dreadful, doesn't it? Craig Bierko, meh. Kate Jennings Grant, double meh. Lauren Graham, really? And I'm sorry, but Oliver Platt is too old and just not funny enough to do justice to Nathan Lane Detroit. There's no way this group can hold a candle to the cast of the last revival. There are a lot of haters out there, but I actually enjoy Guys & Dolls, so I'd love to be proven wrong, but for now, Guys & Dolls, you're on SuckWatch.
My spies are there this weekend, will report back on the suckitude.
(photo above is of Nathan Lane and Faith Prince, ah, the good old days!)
Update: Spies say Guys & Dolls = sucky sleepytime. Too bad! But it's still so early in previews, perhaps there's hope?
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