I agree with your confusion. I was also confused by the idea that pre WWII Europe was anti-LGBT, which is not what I know of Germany, though I'm less knowledgeable about Paris. I did Google gay bars and restaurants in pre WWII Paris when they claimed that there were none and found that to be a lie. I also was confused with how the show seemed to combine socialist ideals with the nationalist Nazi party. While they called themselves National Socialists, the socialists and communists were a target of the Nazi party. The messaging of the first song that Lempicka was entitled to her wealth and power because of where and to whom she was born, and the people's revolution was bad because it took away what she was owed because ... (?). I didn't buy that either. I did more googling during intermission and found a Lempicka I wish they had written about. Amber Iman - Gorgeous and talented. By giving credence to people who think LGBTQIA2S civil liberties are new, and not recognizing the rise in rights for us in the 1920's that lead to WWII and lead to a rise in populist, nationalist leaders pushing back against people getting civil rights is a detriment to our movement.
Yeh, shows are never done. The clock just runs out and it gets frozen. I'm sure the creatives have lots of ideas for what they would change. Hopefully they will get another go at it with a tour or a regional production.
Could be. Sometimes knowing too much about a subject, makes it difficult to accept artistic liberties. I bet historians have a hard time watching fictionalized plays based on historical events.
@@MatthewHardyMusicalwhat a VERY interesting idea. That very well may be. I didn’t really know much about her, but I do know the basics around both world wars, and I thought it was presented in a very straightforward way. If anything, I think it’s biggest detriment was that at times it felt too much like a bootleg Cabaret.
@@SnowCoveredKK I know more about WW1 than WW2 having written a play about Ignacy Paderewski, who incidentally was friends with Lempicka's mother and grandparents. Poles living in Russian occupied Poland had very strong feelings about their national identity and I was wishing they would have delved into how Tadeusz and Tamara felt about being Polish and Jewish in that political climate. I wasn't sure if they were Polish patriots or Russian sympathizers and if that changed following the Russian revolution. I was confused by Tadeusz's desire to move to Warsaw AFTER Germany had invaded Poland. I wanted to know his reasoning for that desire because it didn't seem very prudent. I also wanted to see why Tadeusz was Tamara's great love. Their relationship is so turbulent that I had a hard time understanding why she considered him a great love. You'd think you'd be able to tell your great love what you did to save his life. The confusion was both historical and emotional. But I really enjoyed the play. It was like nothing else on Broadway and I'm sad I won't be able to go see it again.
They posted their closing notice for mid-May. Love Amber Iman; saw her in Goddess at Berkeley Rep; similar, it had a few out of town tryouts, but not sure it’s going anywhere. Lempicka had a few out of town tryouts where these issues should’ve been ironed out. Another reviewer actually said most of the story is made up! Which is a shocker for a bio-musical, but know they can take liberties, but apparently this one took a lot! Sad when a show’s been in development for so long, only to have a relatively short run at the end. Same went for Harmony; over 25 years of development and regional productions to only last a couple of months on Broadway.
Yeh. Apparently, the whole thesis that she had two great loves in her life is made up. Amber Iman’s character is an amalgamation of the many lovers that Lempicka had over the course of her life.
@@pazyamor2292 - For some reason the DC regional run of Goddess was suddenly canceled (my fear being it stopped there), and the cast ended up moving on quickly to other projects. Amber did the reading of Preacher’s Wife before Lempicka was announced to go to Bway. Philip Johnson Richardson is in The Wiz, and Rodrick Covington played Little Richard in the Rock ‘n Roll Man off Bway. Amber is a phenomenal star on the rise!
@@pazyamor2292 - The DC run was supposed to be last year around this time (how time flies!), so there likely wasn’t a conflict. I was more surprised she didn’t do Preacher’s Wife, which is gearing up for their Atlanta run, but I guess Broadway guaranteed vs. regional beginnings, and of course she got a Tony nom, so well worth it.
I really enjoy your reviews of the shows. You explain your point of view well, so I always enjoy hearing your opinions. I'd be curious what you think of The Outsiders. I haven't been to it yet, but I've been hearing a lot of mixed reactions.
Thank you! I haven’t seen outsiders yet. I have 8 shows that I need to see before I’ve seen the entire 2023/2024 Broadway season. Fortunately, I’ve seen all the shows in danger of closing.
LOL. I was confused why they were telling us the name of a street in Paris as if it meant something to us as an American audience. And then I wasn't sure where they were. In a club? On the sidewalk? Was she singing to an audience in a club? Was she singing to strangers walking down the street?
@@MatthewHardyMusical The Rue de Faubourg in the 1920's was like the old 14th Street in DC in the 80's, or Times Square in the '70's-pre-Disney. Racy, raucous, etc. It might have started in a bar and bled into the street, like New Orleans. Don't be confused. Just take it as it comes and savor the moment and the song. You don't need to have such concrete expectations of time and place to enjoy the music.
Agree so much - liking what was creative and ambitious about it while wishing it could have been better. I saw it in La Jolla and had the same thought about the two great loves - that her schmuck of a husband couldn't have been one of them. Ultimately he became more sympathetic, but if they had made him sympathetic from the beginning, I would have been more invested in their relationship. Instead I was like, when do we get to the two great loves? Still, the performances, sets, choreography, and several if not all of the songs were great. I hope it finds life after Broadway.
Thankfully, the Cast Recording comes out on May 29---so we have that to look forward to and fondly remember "the show that was Lempicka". I've pre-ordered on Amazon!
I agree that the show had problems but so much beautiful work went into it and it's so sad that it's closing. I'm really glad I had a chance to see it. While Lempicka's iconic work has always been familiar to me, now I really want to learn more about her life.
I really wanted to like this show. But I just didn't. By the second number I was beyond confused. I was bored. I knew that it was trying something new, artsy...and I appreciated that. the Performances were great but I just couldn't wait for it to be over. Glad I saw it.....
Pretty good review. I liked it but didn't love it. I heard people calling it amazing when I walked out of the theatre and I was...WTF?? It was OK, it wasn't amazing. And you forgot to point out that Lempicka gave birth to "Lisa Simpson"...who is 10 years old through the entire show even though 20 years go by...LOL I was TOTALLY confused by that.
@@MatthewHardyMusical LOL....or that. It was very very strange and confusing. The show has issues but it's fascinating. Need more work. I totally agree the opening number needs to be thrown out.
In the first preview, the daughter arrived at the end of the show when Lempicka is on the park bench (again), dressed in much more adult clothing. But also, remember, Lempicka didn't really 'want' a daughter--that's why she called her 'Cherie' in the show---to hide the fact that she was a mother.
@@JosephNYC66 The opening number we have now, "Unseen," was NOT in the first preview that I saw--it opened with Lempicka dressed in the wedding gown, painting, while Tadeusz is having an argument with his father (played by Nathaniel Stampley, who later plays the Baron Kuffner), about how 'she's the wrong woman for you." When I went back after the opening and saw "Unseen," I realized that it does set us up for a character development through flashbacks, which is basically the entire show. She never leaves the park bench, because the show begins and ends there. But the world around her (and us) changes.
Wow I was so disappointed in this show. It's why I traveled to NYC. But damn. While I thought it was beautifully designed and staged, the book was atrocious and the score was completely unmemorable. It felt like it was trying to be Evita×Sunday in the park×Cabaret but couldn't match that level. I saw it the first week and Eden Espinosa was out and I think that really made a difference. From what I can deduce, Eden was really the engine of the show and without her it was extremely lacking. The fact that she was out a lot the first two weeks and the middling reviews probably contributed to the lackluster word of mouth and it's early demise.
I saw the show twice with Eden and her understudy Mariand Torres. Mariand was excellent and I didn’t think the show suffered on account of Eden’s absence.
There was no reason to be disappointed. It was the most perfect story about what it means to be an artist. You better check your comprehensiveness because the story was GORGINE!!
@@billyanderson5943 it was pretty far from perfect. The book was really prosaic and derivative and the score was forgettable. I walked into the Long Acre wanting to love it and while I do think it was beautiful to look at, it's bones simply weren't strong enough.
"I don't like these people!" That's how I feel about "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf/' I've gotten through the whole thing once. Tour-de-force performances, but I don't like the characters, situation, or "plot.' (nothing to do with Lempicka, I know, but that statement reminded me of my feelings about Albee's overrated play).
I actually love Who’s afraid of Virginia Wolf” because we’re slowly uncovering this awful couples co-dependent relationship. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. And the power shift at the eve is fascinating. BUT if they made a musical of Virginia Wolfe I’m sure it would be terrible.
Ok so I hated the show! I really enjoyed her general story like I’d be 100% here for a movie of her life that’s NOT a musical but, the music was a MESS the book and lyrics were superficial and contrived! The costumes neither impressed or disappointed me they were just there. The set was a great concept for a pop concert but for this show it 100% took me out of the time period we were supposed to be in. The lesbian bar owner friend couldn’t have been more 2 dimensional there wasn’t a word that came out of her mouth that wasn’t “how do I tell the audience that I’m an overly aggressive under sexed lesbian with out having to say I’m an overly aggressive under sexed lesbian” and the bitter art teacher his act 2 opener was literally “somebody that I used to know” with new BAD lyrics! Loved Eden, loved Beth, and the actress who played the prostitute(forgot her name) but other than that I spent the entire show just annoyed at the whole thing the sounds the lighting the color pallet it was all just an awful night for me in the theatre. Didn’t read a single review before seeing it, saw it, read the reviews… and honestly they were kind! This show exists and it’s closing and that’s just fine! It’s sad the company will be out of work but ehhhh we need better talent in creative across broadway and this is just another example of that fact!
Amber went to my college a few years before i did! shes amazingggg
I absolutely loved everything about this show.
I love hearing that! There's a lid for every pot and a fan for every flop!
In the mid 80's Madonna referenced her in several videos , Vogue, Open Your Heart, etc. she was not irrelevant during that time f Art Deco revival.
Thanks for educating the children!
It was great musical.
I agree with your confusion. I was also confused by the idea that pre WWII Europe was anti-LGBT, which is not what I know of Germany, though I'm less knowledgeable about Paris. I did Google gay bars and restaurants in pre WWII Paris when they claimed that there were none and found that to be a lie. I also was confused with how the show seemed to combine socialist ideals with the nationalist Nazi party. While they called themselves National Socialists, the socialists and communists were a target of the Nazi party. The messaging of the first song that Lempicka was entitled to her wealth and power because of where and to whom she was born, and the people's revolution was bad because it took away what she was owed because ... (?). I didn't buy that either. I did more googling during intermission and found a Lempicka I wish they had written about. Amber Iman - Gorgeous and talented. By giving credence to people who think LGBTQIA2S civil liberties are new, and not recognizing the rise in rights for us in the 1920's that lead to WWII and lead to a rise in populist, nationalist leaders pushing back against people getting civil rights is a detriment to our movement.
It's great that this show all has us googling Lempicka!
This show just needed several more stops out of town because someone needed to edit for continuity and all the other things that people edit for.
Yeh, shows are never done. The clock just runs out and it gets frozen. I'm sure the creatives have lots of ideas for what they would change. Hopefully they will get another go at it with a tour or a regional production.
I’m not sure what was confusing about this show. Saw it. Completely and fully understood it. Maybe it’s an education issue.
Could be. Sometimes knowing too much about a subject, makes it difficult to accept artistic liberties. I bet historians have a hard time watching fictionalized plays based on historical events.
@@MatthewHardyMusicalwhat a VERY interesting idea. That very well may be. I didn’t really know much about her, but I do know the basics around both world wars, and I thought it was presented in a very straightforward way. If anything, I think it’s biggest detriment was that at times it felt too much like a bootleg Cabaret.
@@SnowCoveredKK I know more about WW1 than WW2 having written a play about Ignacy Paderewski, who incidentally was friends with Lempicka's mother and grandparents. Poles living in Russian occupied Poland had very strong feelings about their national identity and I was wishing they would have delved into how Tadeusz and Tamara felt about being Polish and Jewish in that political climate. I wasn't sure if they were Polish patriots or Russian sympathizers and if that changed following the Russian revolution. I was confused by Tadeusz's desire to move to Warsaw AFTER Germany had invaded Poland. I wanted to know his reasoning for that desire because it didn't seem very prudent. I also wanted to see why Tadeusz was Tamara's great love. Their relationship is so turbulent that I had a hard time understanding why she considered him a great love. You'd think you'd be able to tell your great love what you did to save his life. The confusion was both historical and emotional. But I really enjoyed the play. It was like nothing else on Broadway and I'm sad I won't be able to go see it again.
They posted their closing notice for mid-May. Love Amber Iman; saw her in Goddess at Berkeley Rep; similar, it had a few out of town tryouts, but not sure it’s going anywhere. Lempicka had a few out of town tryouts where these issues should’ve been ironed out. Another reviewer actually said most of the story is made up! Which is a shocker for a bio-musical, but know they can take liberties, but apparently this one took a lot! Sad when a show’s been in development for so long, only to have a relatively short run at the end. Same went for Harmony; over 25 years of development and regional productions to only last a couple of months on Broadway.
Yeh. Apparently, the whole thesis that she had two great loves in her life is made up. Amber Iman’s character is an amalgamation of the many lovers that Lempicka had over the course of her life.
Loved Amber in Goddess! Now they can develop that one more, and bill her as a Tony nominee.
@@pazyamor2292 - For some reason the DC regional run of Goddess was suddenly canceled (my fear being it stopped there), and the cast ended up moving on quickly to other projects. Amber did the reading of Preacher’s Wife before Lempicka was announced to go to Bway. Philip Johnson Richardson is in The Wiz, and Rodrick Covington played Little Richard in the Rock ‘n Roll Man off Bway. Amber is a phenomenal star on the rise!
@@hummersd Could it be Amber doing Lempicka kept her from Goddess, and they didn't want to do it without her?
@@pazyamor2292 - The DC run was supposed to be last year around this time (how time flies!), so there likely wasn’t a conflict. I was more surprised she didn’t do Preacher’s Wife, which is gearing up for their Atlanta run, but I guess Broadway guaranteed vs. regional beginnings, and of course she got a Tony nom, so well worth it.
I really enjoy your reviews of the shows. You explain your point of view well, so I always enjoy hearing your opinions. I'd be curious what you think of The Outsiders. I haven't been to it yet, but I've been hearing a lot of mixed reactions.
Thank you! I haven’t seen outsiders yet. I have 8 shows that I need to see before I’ve seen the entire 2023/2024 Broadway season. Fortunately, I’ve seen all the shows in danger of closing.
Tamara de Lempicka is not George Seurat.
What does that mean to you?
there were no street signs in Hamilton either. i'm confused by your confusion.
LOL. I was confused why they were telling us the name of a street in Paris as if it meant something to us as an American audience. And then I wasn't sure where they were. In a club? On the sidewalk? Was she singing to an audience in a club? Was she singing to strangers walking down the street?
@@MatthewHardyMusical The Rue de Faubourg in the 1920's was like the old 14th Street in DC in the 80's, or Times Square in the '70's-pre-Disney. Racy, raucous, etc. It might have started in a bar and bled into the street, like New Orleans. Don't be confused. Just take it as it comes and savor the moment and the song. You don't need to have such concrete expectations of time and place to enjoy the music.
Agree so much - liking what was creative and ambitious about it while wishing it could have been better. I saw it in La Jolla and had the same thought about the two great loves - that her schmuck of a husband couldn't have been one of them. Ultimately he became more sympathetic, but if they had made him sympathetic from the beginning, I would have been more invested in their relationship. Instead I was like, when do we get to the two great loves? Still, the performances, sets, choreography, and several if not all of the songs were great. I hope it finds life after Broadway.
WE MET THEM! The show was so beautiful!!! Why are you BLIND??
@@billyanderson5943 I liked the show. Why do you ask if I'm blind?
Thankfully, the Cast Recording comes out on May 29---so we have that to look forward to and fondly remember "the show that was Lempicka". I've pre-ordered on Amazon!
I agree that the show had problems but so much beautiful work went into it and it's so sad that it's closing. I'm really glad I had a chance to see it. While Lempicka's iconic work has always been familiar to me, now I really want to learn more about her life.
Update: Cast Recording will be available for streaming on June 12 now (in time for the Tony's, maybe?) and CDs in mid-July.
Hello, I'm enjoying your reviews! You should do one for Illinoise!
Coming soon!
He is a misogynistic pig as far as I can tell, so find a better reviewer
I really wanted to like this show. But I just didn't. By the second number I was beyond confused. I was bored. I knew that it was trying something new, artsy...and I appreciated that. the Performances were great but I just couldn't wait for it to be over. Glad I saw it.....
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Pretty good review. I liked it but didn't love it. I heard people calling it amazing when I walked out of the theatre and I was...WTF?? It was OK, it wasn't amazing.
And you forgot to point out that Lempicka gave birth to "Lisa Simpson"...who is 10 years old through the entire show even though 20 years go by...LOL I was TOTALLY confused by that.
LOL Lisa Simpson!! I just thought she had some disease that didn't allow her to grow.
@@MatthewHardyMusical LOL....or that. It was very very strange and confusing. The show has issues but it's fascinating. Need more work. I totally agree the opening number needs to be thrown out.
In the first preview, the daughter arrived at the end of the show when Lempicka is on the park bench (again), dressed in much more adult clothing. But also, remember, Lempicka didn't really 'want' a daughter--that's why she called her 'Cherie' in the show---to hide the fact that she was a mother.
@@JosephNYC66 The opening number we have now, "Unseen," was NOT in the first preview that I saw--it opened with Lempicka dressed in the wedding gown, painting, while Tadeusz is having an argument with his father (played by Nathaniel Stampley, who later plays the Baron Kuffner), about how 'she's the wrong woman for you." When I went back after the opening and saw "Unseen," I realized that it does set us up for a character development through flashbacks, which is basically the entire show. She never leaves the park bench, because the show begins and ends there. But the world around her (and us) changes.
Wow I was so disappointed in this show. It's why I traveled to NYC. But damn. While I thought it was beautifully designed and staged, the book was atrocious and the score was completely unmemorable. It felt like it was trying to be Evita×Sunday in the park×Cabaret but couldn't match that level. I saw it the first week and Eden Espinosa was out and I think that really made a difference. From what I can deduce, Eden was really the engine of the show and without her it was extremely lacking. The fact that she was out a lot the first two weeks and the middling reviews probably contributed to the lackluster word of mouth and it's early demise.
I saw the show with Eden Espinosa in it. It was stll lousy.
I saw the show twice with Eden and her understudy Mariand Torres. Mariand was excellent and I didn’t think the show suffered on account of Eden’s absence.
There was no reason to be disappointed. It was the most perfect story about what it means to be an artist. You better check your comprehensiveness because the story was GORGINE!!
@@njattyit was fuxking amazing so learn what true art is please!!
@@billyanderson5943 it was pretty far from perfect. The book was really prosaic and derivative and the score was forgettable. I walked into the Long Acre wanting to love it and while I do think it was beautiful to look at, it's bones simply weren't strong enough.
"I don't like these people!" That's how I feel about "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf/' I've gotten through the whole thing once. Tour-de-force performances, but I don't like the characters, situation, or "plot.' (nothing to do with Lempicka, I know, but that statement reminded me of my feelings about Albee's overrated play).
I actually love Who’s afraid of Virginia Wolf” because we’re slowly uncovering this awful couples co-dependent relationship. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. And the power shift at the eve is fascinating. BUT if they made a musical of Virginia Wolfe I’m sure it would be terrible.
Nothing about how flat Eden was? Cool.
Eden was clearly having some vocal issues the night I saw her. I was just appreciative that she soldiered through and didn't call out.
Ok so I hated the show! I really enjoyed her general story like I’d be 100% here for a movie of her life that’s NOT a musical but, the music was a MESS the book and lyrics were superficial and contrived! The costumes neither impressed or disappointed me they were just there. The set was a great concept for a pop concert but for this show it 100% took me out of the time period we were supposed to be in. The lesbian bar owner friend couldn’t have been more 2 dimensional there wasn’t a word that came out of her mouth that wasn’t “how do I tell the audience that I’m an overly aggressive under sexed lesbian with out having to say I’m an overly aggressive under sexed lesbian” and the bitter art teacher his act 2 opener was literally “somebody that I used to know” with new BAD lyrics! Loved Eden, loved Beth, and the actress who played the prostitute(forgot her name) but other than that I spent the entire show just annoyed at the whole thing the sounds the lighting the color pallet it was all just an awful night for me in the theatre. Didn’t read a single review before seeing it, saw it, read the reviews… and honestly they were kind! This show exists and it’s closing and that’s just fine! It’s sad the company will be out of work but ehhhh we need better talent in creative across broadway and this is just another example of that fact!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!