I saw Robin and the 7 Hoods last night in San Diego.
Here's what worked -- the actors are all top-notch; the songs are killer; the staging is tight; the dancing is fantastic.
There's only one thing that didn't work -- the book has no "heart" or "emotion" -- unlike Mamma Mia, which weaves a good story between its songs, the book in this musical doesn't really work for me. It simply serves to get us from one song to the next, without really caring about the fate of the characters.
Bottom line: fix the book and the rest will work perfectly.
rmusic11322, cccording to the ad, it's a pre-Broadway run.
"I love acting. It is so much more real than life." Oscar Wilde "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley
Hueys Pop pretty much summed it up. There is a problem for the book writer inherent in all the musicals using old songs. The transition from the dialogue to the song creates problems with mood and emotion. ( spoiler). Early in the second act with Robbo in jail, he and Marion are engaged in a conversation with a couple a of cute exchanges. Then she breaks out in the song All the Way. All the Way is a heart wrenching song. She performed it wondefully. It fit the musical but it didn't fit the cute catchy dialogue leading up to it. This type of thing drives me nuts. Momma Mia negotiated this problem by keeping everything light. Jersey Boys by placing the songs in a different context ( and by having a great book). But here placing very serious songs in what is primarily a light hearted story is much more difficult. I think Rupert Holmes did a credible job but still the book is the weak link.
Saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I didn't have as much problem with the book as some, but I agree a few of the songs didn't match the tone of the scene where they were placed.
A good strong cast, but Eric Schneider, while very good, seems a bit young to play this Frank Sinatra-esque part. Will Chase and Amy Spanger were the stand outs for me in large supporting roles. Also, I really enjoyed Adam Heller, in a fun role.
The choreography and direction are top notch.
All in all a really good time for me.
Here's the song list as of last night:
My Kind of Town (Chicago Is) Come Dance with Me You Can't Love 'Em All Call Me Irresponsible My Kind of Town (Chicago Is) (reprise) What Makes It Happen I Like to Lead When I Dance I Like to Lead When I Dance (reprise) Life is for Livin' Walkin' Happy More Than Likely Same Old Song and Dance Ain't That a Kick in the Head
(Love Is) The Tender Trap All the Way Come Fly with Me Come on Strong High Hopes Love is a Bore Come Blow Your Horn All the Way (reprise) Life is for Livin' (reprise) Ring-a-Ding Ding
i heard they are re-working the first 20 minutes or so, but i'm not sure if that's still in rehearsal or not.
"Sometimes on the strip, the dreams you come in with, ain't the dreams you leave with" ~Rock of Ages
"I'm a butterfly, trivial and small, and in the greater scheme of things, I don't mean much at all." ~The Story of My Life
"Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss." ~Rent
Mr Roxy - Looks like almost all of the music from the movie is gone
New article from the LA Times linked below. On page 2, there's a paragraph addressing your observation, but I'm sure they wanted to use more well-known songs to draw audiences. Besides, once they dropped the movie's storyline, those songs may not have fit.
I'm hoping the reviews on Friday are great and that this one has legs that will carry it to Broadway!
I saw the show yesterday and enjoyed it very much, despite the groan-inducing cheesy book and clunky opening. The Cahn-Vean Heusen jukebox score is fun but has too many ballads. The cast is superb but the sets and lighting are dark, ugly and uninspired.
I don't see the show making it to Broadway. Like almost every other jukebox musical, it feels "manufactured" and it has no big names. The show feels like another "Never Gonna Dance" flop in the making - another old-fashioned jukebox musical that the NY critics would love to hate. And for the record, I really enjoyed "Never Gonna Dance" but again, a show needs something "extra" to make it on Broadway.
"It does what a musical is supposed to do; it takes you to another world. And it gives you a little tune to carry in your head. Something to take you away from the dreary horrors of the real world. A little something for when you're feeling blue. You know?"
Found this one by Welton Jones. Sounds like the leads need to be replaced, which would probably be a good thing if they plan to transfer the show. Review of Robin and the 7 Hoods
I've said this before. Jersey Boys has set the bar very high for subsequent jukebox musicals. JB works because the book is terrific. Robin has far better music, far better choreography, and a cast of established performers. Yet the story and the pace does not immediately grab you. It needs work in that area. I don't think that any amount of star power would make the difference between this being a huge hit or just a nice try.
Another fairly decent review from James Herbert of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
BTW I disgree about the reason the JB is so successful. It's the music, just like Mamma Mia. People adore it and can't get enough of it. The JB book IMO is only slightly more aubstantial than MM's frothy storyline. San Diego Union Tribune Review