<p>Wow, the fourth show to close this week. :(</p>
<p>darn I wanted to see that show</p>
<p>what else is closing?</p>
<p>Festen, Barefoot in the Park, and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial all closed this past weekend, all early.</p>
<p>Dang, I wanted to see Lestat too. I was just in New York this past weekend and saw Beauty and the Beast and Phantom. Also really want to see the Odd Couple</p>
<p>I am so devastated by this news...I literally cried when I heard. I'm friends with one of the cast members and he kept saying to me that he was dreading going into work every Tuesday and seeing that notice. I told him to be more postitive, but I was wrong. I just can't believe it. </p>
<p>To anyone that has the opportunity try to go check the show out this week. This cast is absolutely stunning and in my opinion the best group of people assembled in any show on Broadway right now. It's just a shame really. :(</p>
<p>It must be very sad for the cast, not to mention the producers, etc. But as sad as this is, it can't come as a huge surprise. I read at least a half dozen reviews after opening night, and most were nothing short of devastating. (Ben Brantley of the NYT seemed to pride himself on cleverly stating that a new sleeping drug had entered the market. Others used a play on words, saying that the show "sucked.") Very sad for the performers, who I am sure gave a million percent each show.</p>
<p>Honestly, I loved the show! I often wonder if I was seeing a completely different show than a lot of the critics. Is it everyone's cup of tea? No. Is it a "feel good", "happy", makes you think of "Broadway's Golden Age" musical? No. But I think that's what I loved about it, it was different, it was dark, it was sexy. And lets face it, post-9/11, entertainment has changed and people want more of an escape nowadays. They want the "family" entertainment shows, they want the huge special effects...and Lestat is not that type of a show. I'm starting to wonder if it would have had more success as a smaller production Off-Broadway first, before it went straight to Broadway.</p>
<p>It's always sad when a show closes. I feel so badly for the cast, crew, and theatre employees. Sadly, this show looked like it had huge problems in the pre-Broadway San Francisco run. Some changes were made but not enough to save it. The cast is fabulously talented but the book and the score are not strong. Maybe it's got something to do with vampires, this is the third 'vampire' musical to flop on Broadway.</p>
<p>Never would have been suited to off-Broadway. It has a large cast and Elton and Bernie don't write for off-Broadway shows.</p>
<p>Most of the critics (FWIW) did not fault the performers as much as the material they had to work with. Certainly the story line was/could have been compelling. (I highly recommend the novel "Interview with a Vampire," on which at least some of the show was based.) Critics faulted the writing, both of the book and the music. Whether it is fair or not, critics yield a lot of power, and when people keep reading negative review after negative review, they are bound to decide not to drop a substantial wad of cash to go see something.
Again, it's always sad when a show closes.</p>
<p>My son and I saw Lestat while in NYC for a college open house on May 13. We both thought that it was great. It was quite different from most musicals but the singing and acting were wonderful. When I spoke with a MT student from NYC and told her we had seen it she said "OH you have my sympathy." I told her that we loved it and asked when she saw it. She had seen a preview. I am not sure if the show improved or if it is a matter of taste. My son really loved it and would rather see Lestat again than Phantom (which he also loved).</p>
<p>I saw it in San Francisco. It had some awesome numbers and the performers were all great (especially Carollee Carmello), but most of it was a little bland and uninspired. And too many songs. A LOT of filler numbers, very inefficient in getting its point across musically. Granted I saw what was only their third public performance, but I expected them to modify it heavily before going to NY...not heavily enough, I guess.</p>
<p>I ended up seeing it last night by chance when my friend and I could not get into anything else. I'm really happy I saw it! I personally loved it and felt there were some amazingly strong points. However, the bad parts were horrible. I feel like if it had continued to be worked on then it could have been amazing. The cast was amazing, I was at first really upset the Hugh Panero wasn't on but his understudy blew me away. The entire cast, ensemble included, came to the stagedoor afterwards. They were all so sweet. It really seemed like a family.</p>
<p>Yeah Hugh Panaro was sick, so Drew Sarich (who usually plays Armand) took over. On Friday he had to go on in the second Act cause Hugh couldn't continue. I've seen the show a total of 14 times and saw both of Drew's performances as Lestat. And he is about 1 million times better than Hugh in the role. I honestly don't think that the show would have been closing if he would have been cast as Lestat in the first place. The audience's reaction was amazing and the most postitive I had ever seen it that Saturday. And believe me, not all of the hardcore Lestat fans were there, the audience was mostly comprised of those who were going into the show for the first time. It was sad because it seemed like it was a look at what could have been.</p>
<p>(FYI Drew is a BoCo alumni!)</p>
<p>Also, Jim Stanek who plays Louis went to Carnegie Mellon!</p>
<p>I noticed I number of cmu alums. Jim Stanek was also out when I saw it. The cast told us that it was a great audience, which surprised me a little, especially since the theatre was so empty. I was in the balcony and moved down to mezzanine for the second act, I probably could have moved down to orchestra. My friend and I saw one group of hardcore lestat fans, maybe it was you breakintosong lol.</p>
<p>Yeah Jim Stanek's wife was in labor that day, they had their third boy!</p>
<p>Might have been me, though I didn't have any Lestat shirts on or anything. But if you saw a redhead in a Nestle Quik shirt, then that was me! ^_^</p>