Review: Earnest 'Little House' can't overcome its many shortcom...

Kara Lindsay and Jenn Gambatese contribute strong voices to the world premiere musical "Little House on the Prairie" at the Guthrie.

[Barney]

This guy NEVER has anything good to say. NEVER! I don't believe a word he says.

[East Burb]

Barney wrote:

This guy NEVER has anything good to say. NEVER! I don't believe a word he says.

I've generally found his assessments to be fairly accurate when I've gone to see plays that he has reviewed.

And he does have good things to say. But not everything is good, unlike the most of the reviews in the Star Tribune where nothing is bad.

[Hmmmmmmm]

The TRIBUNE review is a bit more moderate - if you call a comparison to WAITING FOR GUFFMAN moderate - but it is surely not glowing.

[Half Pint]

I saw last Saturday's matinee preview and thought it was fantastic! Call me sappy and easily pleased but the terrific ensemble completely took me away from the strife of modern life. Too bad these critics couldn't sit back and enjoy the happy fluff. Go see this show - if you can even get tickets! It's fantastically fun and moving!(Bring the kids - if they're not too jaded yet, they'll love it!)

[Whole Quart]

Maybe if the Guthrie asked Dominic's boss to sit on their board of directors, his reviews would be more like the Strib's.
I happen to enjoy his honesty. And frankly, from the shows I've seen so far, the cavernous Ikea on the River needs to think about adding a log ride or maybe a ferris wheel. Because what they're producing sure as hell ain't theatre.

[Suze]

Those who love the Little House books and Laura Ingalls Wilder's story will appreciate and enjoy the show. I went to Saturday's evening preview and the theater was packed and there was not a dry eye in the house at the end; including Melissa Gilbert's. Audience appreciation will determine the success of the musical, not Dominic's hack job.

[Stillwater Supporter]

Where was this critic last night? Surely he wasn't at the same performance I attended! The performance was spectacular! I saw a preview about ten days ago and it was excellent but last night's performance was even more powerful and strong. The way Mary's blindness was portrayed last night was great and the changes that Zambello made were astounding. Everyone with whom I spoke afterwards agreed that the performance was wonderful! Dominic, go get a real job for which you need to be qualified!

[A Theater Board Member]

Eleven years ago I witnessed musical theater history with the first ever performance of the Tony Award winning musical The Lion King. I can proudly say the same thing for Little house on the Prairie. I believe it will follow in The Lion Kings pawprints to Broadway. Yes it's sentimental but that's what this world needs right now. I never take a critic's word on anything. The audience, the PAYING audience is the true critic. I was at the packed preview performance on the 9th of Septemeber and it was WONDERFUL! My only regret is that the performances are all sold out and I can't see it again! If you aren't touched by Melissa Gilbert (Ma) singing Wild Child you haven't a heart in your body!

[Wilder Fan]

While the Little House books and TV show are near to my heart, I completely agree with this critic's review. Despite the valiant efforts of the cast, it was awful. There were many empty seats after intermission. We considered leaving also, but stuck it out hoping it would get better. It didn't. Made me sad to see all the kids there, squirming in their seats through perhaps their first theatre experience, not realizing that going to the theatre can be a much better experience than this. With such amazing musical theatre out there, don't waste your money on this one. Wish I had read this review before plunking down over $100 for this show.

[Sandy]

Papatola was right on the money. The show wasn't completely horrible, but the music was -- the lyrics were banal and the melodies unmemorable. The ensemble was great -- too bad the director didn't see fit to make more use of their talent. The choreography also stinks -- foot stomping does not dancing make.

The comparison to "Waiting for Guffman" is not apt. The show in "Waiting for Guffman" was much much funnier. Really, the talented cast in this production bears no resemblance to Guffman, but that hardly matters when the rest of the production (except the backdrops and lighting) is lacking in so many fundamentals.

The only comment I really disagree with is the one about Melissa Gilbert being wooden. She wasn't the night I saw it. She's an obvious easy target and the temptation to criticize her is there, but really, for a non-singer, never in a musical before, she performed credibly.

I wouldn't say, "Don't see it," but I would say, "Don't expect Oklahoma."

[AMS]

I haven't seen the production so perhaps shouldn't comment, but I wonder after reading the reviews in both the Strib and the SPPP whether the Strib reviewer pulled his punches. The Strib is clearly besotted with the Guthrie and the critic may have felt subtle pressure to give this production the benefit of the doubt. After all, it's been the talk of the town for months, garnered a feature on MPR's All Things Considered, and has been mooted as a possible transfer to Broadway. Who wants to be the skunk at the picnic?

[Sandy]

By the way, what IS the story with the Strib's reviewer? He took a little shot at the play with the "Guffman" allusion (probably his young companion didn't say it, by the way, and it is too cute by half anyway). I'm thinking that this was his droll little thought but he is somehow prevented from straight-on criticism of the Guthrie. His reviews are always fairly pandering. Is he really on the G-board? Isn't that a big conflict for a critic? Sheesh.

[TheGreatestObser ver]

It's a wonderful, original musical. It's not Harold Pinter, Arthur Miller, or Shakespeare, but so what? "Oklahoma" is corny (frankly, "the corn is as high as an elephant's eye!"), and for Pete's sake "Cats" played for decades on Broadway. And how life-changing is "Phantom of the Opera" or anything done by Andrew Lloyd Weber? How deep and memorable are a few of the plays the Guthrie has had in the past 40 years?

Dominic, if you want to be snarky, let's also consider the deep and memorable stories we've seen in the two Twin Cities "newspapers" in the last few years - those reprints of the Washington spew, the Iraq War spin they peddled in 2003, John Edward's hair-cuts, Rev. Wright, and Paris Hilton. "Newspapers" that have gone from journalism into "providing content".

Anyway, in regards to the play, go see it - it's great.

[Hmmmmmmm]

"I liked it" isn't the same as "It was good." The review is correct... and the reviewer is doing what reviewers ought to do: give a critical eye to productions rather than simply beeing their cheerleaders.

[Never Right]

From this review, here's what I can tell:

1. Mr. Papatola is not a midwestern girl.
2. His expectations for the show might have been different than that of 90% of the audience.

Theater that fails to stir the intellectual juices of a middle-aged man still has a value. Criticism that focuses on the mechanical elements that don't resonate with the critic, but fails to judge whether or not the intent of the creative team was met, lacks integrity.

From my perspective, a Dad whose daughters not only enjoyed the show, but who were also stimulated by it's themes...it was an unqualified success.

[Walker]

I LOVE D.Papatola's columns and reviews... even when I don't agree with his opinion.

[Rebecca]

I attended the Opening Night for Little House on the Prairie and highly recommend seeing this production. The cast’s performances are absolutely fantastic and make it worth every cent. Rarely can you get performances of this caliber outside of Broadway and the Historic West End. I do agree it needs a bit of polishing on some elements. From what I have heard they froze the material three days before Opening Night, so I expect it to be fully refined when I see it again next month.

The critic has some merit to the quality of Melissa Gilbert’s performance, but to me her role in this production was for mere nostalgia. The voices of the other lead performers make up for her shortcomings.

It would be a shame to miss this production while it is in the Twin Cities. You will get to see the original cast. I saw Michael Crawford and Sara Brightman in London when Phantom of the Opera premiered and will remember this for the rest of my life. Critics have a way of tearing everything apart, so don’t let this special moment pass you by.

[Cheryl]

Provincial show for a provincial audience. When are Guthrie audiences going to get over standing ovations for mediocre theatre? Way to go Dominic! Finally - an honest review.

[TheGreatestObser ver]

Cheryl, how was the 2300th performance of "Cats"?

LOL

[KathyB]

Earnest review of 'Little House' can't overcome blatant pretentiousness.
You could make easy jokes about the author’s obvious need to garner attention with his bombastic, verbose and at times, spiteful remarks, but those would imply that the review was worthy of our attention. It simply isn’t.
The show is an honest and enthusiastic telling of the beloved Little House books and television series. Were there rough spots? Absolutely. Was it worth our time, attention and support? Most definitely.
The cast is talented, the staging innovative and the story is fast-paced and enjoyable. Fans of the books and show will enjoy it.