THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews- Page 2
THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
yyys
Broadway Star Joined: 6/29/14
#25THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/20/24 at 8:54pm
I think her delivery was quite irritating....
Dolly80 said: " also agree that Donnellys last act character is just awful. It feels like her partner just wanted to write some parts that she could ACT and show range."
chrishuyen
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/12/14
#26THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/20/24 at 11:35pm
Really enjoyed this tonight, which I was surprised by considering how Ferryman didn't leave much of an impression on me (though to be fair I was having a tough time following along with the accents and excess of characters), and I especially found this much more accessible. I loved how deceptively simple it was but just thinking about the different feelings and motivations of the characters will probably carry me for a while--I think it would be really interesting to read because I know there's parts I missed or things that would just carry a larger resonance a second time around.
The second act was by far my favorite, for both the "present" and past scenes. I'm surprised reading that people found Veronica one note as I thought she had a tremendous amount of spirit and I really admired her for juggling all the different parts of her life and trying to balance her ambition (and that of her daughters) with empathy (and manipulation), which was also similar in tone to one of Joan's monologues in the third act. The main thing is I was a little puzzled at her inaction at the end of the second act, but I think Laura Donnelly sold her internal conflict quite well so it's hard for me to tell if that's a flaw on the part of the play or if that's an intentional ambiguity.
I'd heard a lot of negatives about the third act (especially in London), which I understand to be rewritten, though I'm not sure if they're still making changes. I think it was less "neat" (especially with the male characters, though I kind of understand why they're there), but it wasn't as big of a drop off as I was expecting. Laura Donnelly definitely shows a lot of range and had I not known beforehand that she was doubling parts, I would never have expected that to be her just based on her demeanor and voice. It still feels a little messy--Ruby has a part near the end that seems to come on a bit inexplicably and I don't think was established enough ahead of time to make sense of it, and Jill ends up coming off as a bit of a contradiction in her attitude towards Joan (also probably more naive than she should be). But I think the sisterhood between the four, or what remains of it, as well as the themes that pervade through the entire piece still make this something that's fascinating to watch
#27THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/21/24 at 4:46pm
Eh. I caught The Hills of California this afternoon and I didn't find much to like. Sure, there are some great performances, but The Ferryman this is not. Unlike Jez Butterworth's last Broadway outing, this one is a long and slow burn with absolutely zero payoff at the end. I kept waiting for that "aha" moment where everything comes together, but it never really arrived despite the play's almost 3 hour run time.
The whole affair was pretty "ho-hum". This is one of those shows I probably won't even remember seeing in a few months.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
theatergoer3
Featured Actor Joined: 4/13/13
#28THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/21/24 at 4:57pm
chrishuyen said: "Really enjoyed this tonight, which I was surprised by considering how Ferryman didn't leave much of an impression on me (though to be fair I was having a tough time following along with the accents and excess of characters), and I especially found this much more accessible. I loved how deceptively simple it was but just thinking about the different feelings and motivations of the characters will probably carry me for a while--I think it would be really interesting to read because I know there's parts I missed or things that would just carry a larger resonance a second time around.
The second act was by far my favorite, for both the "present" and past scenes. I'm surprised reading that people found Veronica one note as I thought she had a tremendous amount of spirit and I really admired her for juggling all the different parts of her life and trying to balance her ambition (and that of her daughters) with empathy (and manipulation), which was also similar in tone to one of Joan's monologues in the third act. The main thing is I was a little puzzled at her inaction at the end of the second act, but I think Laura Donnelly sold her internal conflict quite well so it's hard for me to tell if that's a flaw on the part of the play or if that's an intentional ambiguity.
I'd heard a lot of negatives about the third act (especially in London), which I understand to be rewritten, though I'm not sure if they're still making changes. I think it was less "neat" (especially with the male characters, though I kind of understand why they're there), but it wasn't as big of a drop off as I was expecting. Laura Donnelly definitely shows a lot of range and had I not known beforehand that she was doubling parts, I would never have expected that to be her just based on her demeanor and voice. It still feels a little messy--Ruby has a part near the end that seems to come on a bit inexplicably and I don't think was established enough ahead of time to make sense of it, and Jill ends up coming off as a bit of a contradiction in her attitude towards Joan (also probably more naive than she should be). But I think the sisterhood between the four, or what remains of it, as well as the themes that pervade through the entire piecestill make this something that's fascinating to watch"
I have the script from London and saw it on Broadway this week.
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
Joan's arc in act 3 has changed. In the London script, she's married with a kid who she leaves with Jill and has been traveling around with The Rolling Stones.
No pizza delivery, no Andrews sisters story (true or not). She still leaves as they sing Dream A Little Dream.
For Broadway, they also cut one of the Dennis seeing Joan on the pier.
Ruby also calls for him and her kid during the panic attack.
I really enjoyed it. Haven't seen Ferryman on stage.
Updated On: 9/21/24 at 04:57 PM
BETTY22
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/29/13
#29THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/21/24 at 5:07pm
WOW. Everything about this production is wonderful.
The writing, direction and cast are as good as broadway gets. RUN AND SEE THIS
#30THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/22/24 at 4:50pm
His Three Daughters was just released on Netflix. Carrie Coon is giving some performance. I couldn't help but think about the similarities and differences between the sisters in this and The Hills of California. I enjoyed both so much.
Jumpin_J
Understudy Joined: 12/5/07
#31THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/24/24 at 9:10pmPiparoo said: "It’s a bummer that the herbal cigs are irritating for folks. We should all be able to breathe comfortably in the theatre. I disagree that it’s unnecessary. Cigarette smoking, specifically the mother’s disdain of it, the moments she permits it and its significance for the kids’ rebellion, is kind of a running theme throughout the show."
Thanks for the heads up. I'm finding harder to sit through shows with excessive herbal cigarette smoke and haze. It's a shame that now when I look for tickets I might suspect have these things that I have to ask how far from the stage I need to sit.
FunathonGroff
Swing Joined: 8/29/24
#32THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/25/24 at 12:15am
Looks like there are still MTC 30 Under 35 tickets available for the next few weeks.
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#33THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA Previews
Posted: 9/25/24 at 3:24am
Jumpin_J said: "Piparoo said: "It’s a bummer that the herbal cigs are irritating for folks. We should all be able to breathe comfortably in the theatre. I disagree that it’s unnecessary. Cigarette smoking, specifically the mother’s disdain of it, the moments she permits it and its significance for the kids’ rebellion, is kind of a running theme throughout the show."
Thanks for the heads up. I'm finding harder to sit through shows with excessive herbal cigarette smoke and haze. It's a shame that now when I look for tickets I might suspect have these things that I have to ask how far from the stage I need to sit. "
Haze is water-based. Practically a humidifier.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
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