July 12, 2005
In San Francisco, Lennon ran for only five weeks. But in those few days, people came to see the play multiple times, and groups of "Lennonites" were formed. Some of them have found their way to this website through Google (how the hell did y'all do that? I haven't been able to) and have kept up with the show's status through this blog. Others have actually made it to new York to catch it here and compare the different versions, and no doubt they'll catch it again by the time it's frozen.
The purpose of previews is to shape the script, experiment with it and try out those changes before an audience to see how they play. So each preview will be slightly different than the one before it. When the creators have reached a point where they have a definitive script, they will freeze the show, locking all changes in place, and that will become the show that runs every night from then on. The remaining previews will be used to run the definitive show and get it playing perfectly by Opening Night, when the critics come.
Some of the San Fran Lennonites have expressed concern that the New York show might be unrecognizable compared with the one they've come to know and love. I assure you that's not the case. While some moments you may have liked (or disliked) are no longer there, it's still basically the same show with an improved storyline and character development. For the benefit of those keeping score, I'll give you a rundown of what's no longer in the show, and a brief glimpse of what's been added. As always, it is subject to change at any time.
Deleted Songs: Working Class Hero, Cold Turkey, Real Love, Crippled Inside (cut in SF), and New York City.
Added Songs: Look At Me (replacing Working Class Hero), Oh My Love, Mind Games (replacing Real Love), Real Life (John's earlier version of Real Love, very different), How Do You Sleep, and Watching The Wheels.
Given more attention this time around are Brian Epstein and Stu Sutcliffe, who were only mentioned briefly in the previous run and are now both brought to life by Terrence. Paul McCartney, who had only one or two lines in the old script, now has considerably more substance and takes center stage in a new scene covering the disintegration of the Beatles. Reporter Maureen Cleave (who did the "bigger than Jesus" interview) was in a recent draft, but didn't make it past rehearsal. But Ed Sullivan, played masterfully by Chuck, has made a big splash and he ain't going anywhere.
The vast majority of these changes take place in the first act, which has always been a more difficult story to tell than the second. Some material has been taken out of act one and placed in act two, and it all seems to fit nicely. The ultimate goal is to make both acts not only equal in length, but also in impact. And each day we get a little bit closer.