Mayer-helmed GALILEO musical and more part of Berkeley Rep season

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 5:06pm

Next, Berkeley Rep will present the dazzling world premiere musical, GALILEO (May/June 2024), helmed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (American Idiot, Swept Away, Spring Awakening), written by two-time Emmy winner Danny Strong (Dopesick, Empire, The Butler), and choreographed by David Neumann (Swept Away, Hadestown). When maverick scientist Galileo Galilei makes celestial observations that challenge humanity's understanding of its place in the universe, he's summoned to Rome to defend his discoveries before the most powerful religious institution in the world, which is facing a rebellion of its own. With an original rock score and lyrics by Michael Weiner (Broadway's First Date) and Zoe Sarnak (Jonathan Larson Award winner), Galileois an explosive collision of science and faith, truth and power.Galileo will likely join the constellation of world premieres that traveled from Berkeley Rep to Broadway. Galileo is presented by special arrangement with Jordan Roth and Key to the City Productions. Performances of Galileo will take place at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Michael-Mayer-Helmed-GALILEO-World-Premiere-More-Set-for-Berkeley-Repertory-Theatre-202324-Season-20230412

[sm33]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 7:01pm

Looks like I'm road tripping to Berkley next summer! That creative team is absolutely stacked. After I saw (and became a little obsessed with) The Lonely Few, I was poking around trying to see what else Zoe Sarnak was working on, and this looked promising. I'm only sad we have to wait a year! 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 12/6/23 at 3:24pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Ral-Esparza-to-Star-in-the-World-Premiere-Musical-GALILEO-at-Berkeley-Repertory-Theatre-20231206

[Kitsune]

Posted: 12/6/23 at 3:29pm

After the week I've had, this is definitely the good news I've needed.

My first exposure to Raul was listening to cast recordings of tick, tick, Boom and Rocky Horror Show, and I'm excited to be able to see him in person.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/21/24 at 2:55pm

Javier Muñoz, Jeremy Kushnier & More Join GALILEO: A ROCK MUSICAL at Berkeley Rep (broadwayworld.com)

[bear88]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 1:36am

I have tickets to this on the Sunday after it opens next month. The musical has been bouncing around for a decade. There was a reported reading in 2014 and another apparently in 2019. Michael Weiner has been involved in the musical from the start. Zoe Sarnak, his co-composer and lyricist, wasn’t involved in earlier versions of the show, from what I can tell. I have never seen Raul Esparza live before, so that will be interesting.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 2:44am

Updated On: 5/16/24 at 02:44 AM

[marksalmon]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:11pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Next, Berkeley Rep will present the dazzling world premiere musical, GALILEO (May/June 2024), helmed by Tony Award winnerMichael Mayer(American Idiot, Swept Away, Spring Awakening), written by two-time Emmy winnerDanny Strong(Dopesick, Empire, The Butler), and choreographed byDavid Neumann(Swept Away, Hadestown). When maverick scientist Galileo Galilei makes celestial observations that challenge humanity's understanding of its place in the universe, he's summoned to Rome to defend his discoveries before the most powerful religious institution in the world, which is facing a rebellion of its own. With an original rock score and lyrics byMichael Weiner(Broadway's First Date) andZoe Sarnak(Jonathan Larson uno online Award winner), Galileois an explosive collision of science and faith, truth and power.Galileo will likely join the constellation of world premieres that traveled from Berkeley Rep to Broadway. Galileo is presented by special arrangement withJordan Rothand Key to the City Productions. Performances of Galileo will take place at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Michael-Mayer-Helmed-GALILEO-World-Premiere-More-Set-for-Berkeley-Repertory-Theatre-202324-Season-20230412"

Hello, I have a question. What other world premieres have been produced by Berkeley Rep that went on to Broadway?

[veronicamae]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:18pm

marksalmon said: "Hello, I have a question.What other world premieres have been produced by Berkeley Rep that went on to Broadway?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Repertory_Theatre#Premieres

Passing Strange, American Idiot, In the Next Room, Amelie, Latin History for Morons, Ain't Too Proud, Paradise Square

 

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 11:18 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:32pm

Prelude to a Kiss also was presented at Berkeley Rep with Mary Louise Parker and Sydney Walker in fall 1988 - I think it may have been a joint production with South Coast Rep who premiered it in January 1988. The Rep's version was later in 1988 and may have been the revised version that went to Broadway.  Parker was Rita at Berkeley Rep and then on Broadway. Sydney Walker played the Old Man in the film version.  

Not sure if this count, but The Virgin Molly had its world premiere at Berkeley Rep in its "alternative season" and later went to Off-Broadway for many months. 

We will see if Swept Away actually makes it to a Broadway theatre. 

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 11:32 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 11:50pm

CoffeeBreak said: "I hope the writers listen to Mayer.  The reading we saw was NOT good.  It's good he has a "name" - because the material was not great then."

Did you see the 2019 reading, which was directed by Mayer and starred Esparza and Solea Pfeiffer? Or the earlier one from 2014? The same bookwriter and composers were involved by 2019.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 8:01am

Performances started yesterday, any reports?

[kbrainz]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 12:59pm

I was at the first preview last night! Got to talk with Michael Weiner pre-show - he said last night's performance would be just the 2nd time the show would be run through in full. Never would have guessed - it was SO GOOD. 

Saw Zoe Sarnak and Danny Strong on the way out of the theater. I was so amped that I told them the show was '****ing awesome!'. They clapped and said they loved the energy.

At intermission, there were several folks (including me) singing what we had just heard and dancing a bit. Some real bangers in the song list.

Liked the staging. I thought the use of projections complimented the set and story. The lighting was well done, too. The scrim was beautiful. I saw in the program that there was a design on the stage floor. I was front orchestra, so couldn't see it.

I've wanted to see Raul perform live for SO long. His voice - my goodness. He sings with his whole body. I was transfixed. He was very kind post show.

Jeremy Kushnier was fantastic. Madalynn Matthews, too. At curtain call the emotion in the cast was palpable.

I've already got a ticket to go again next month. Can't wait! Will be interesting to see what changes get made between now and then.

Updated On: 5/6/24 at 12:59 PM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 1:18pm

Mira Nair's stage musical of her 2001 movie ''Monsoon Wedding'' also started at Berkeley Rep in 2017. Margo Lion was a producer, and it was popular enough that it extended a couple of times. ''Monsoon' finally made it to New York last year, playing at St. Ann's Warehouse. Even though it never made it to Broadway, the show's talented then-leading man, Michael Maliakel, did, and he's been starring for some time in the title role of ''Aladdin'' on the Great White Way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcDLQanekPk

Updated On: 5/6/24 at 01:18 PM

[BillO4]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 1:40am

Broadway Flash said: "Performances started yesterday, any reports?"

Saw it Tuesday night May 7 and was blown away.  Strong performances all around.  Raul Esparza is funny and moving as Galileo (on stage almost all of the time), and is a great rocker!   Also very strong performances from Jeremy Kushnier as Barberini, who almost steals the show; and Madalynn Mathew’s as Galileo’s daughter, Virginia.  The scenic, lighting and production design are stunning.  I’m sure there will be tweaks, especially perhaps at the beginning of Act 1, but I think this show will have legs. If you are in the Bay Area, it is definitely worth a trip. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 5:29pm

What’s the score like? A rock parallel? Chess-ish.

[Hest88]

Posted: 5/15/24 at 8:31pm

Thanks for the reports thus far. Seeing it this weekend and then again a few weeks later. Ticket sales have seemed to be good enough that the production has already extended another week.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/16/24 at 8:00am

There's a fairly detailed discussion of previews on Reddit (posted below), if anyone wants to check out early reactions. The comments are split between enthusiasm and ennui, the score coming under some fire for repetition/lack of variety. The biggest structural criticism seems to be that the foundational science vs faith theme lacks urgency, sufficient emotional suspense for a full evening, i.e., the dialectic between a scientist and a skeptical, threatened church doesn't have a dramatic enough outcome to keep us engaged for 2.5 hours. Others disagree. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1cna302/galileo_thoughts/ 

Updated On: 5/16/24 at 08:00 AM

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 5/16/24 at 7:40pm

Here's Lily Janiak's review:

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/berkeley-rep-galileo-review-19423758

We are planning to see this on Saturday.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 10:48am

The Chronicle pan - performances aside - is rather startling. No effort was made to see the glass half full, or to in any way acknowledge the value of a story with thematic parallels; on the contrary, she finds the effort to find relevance strained. Having not seen the show, I'm in no position to dispute her take, but must cavil anyway on one point: the incidentals in this slice of history are not as well known as she opines. Most theatergoers will arrive with a rudimentary recall of the defining battle between faith and scientific inquiry. Still, the creators can't be having a good a.m. Perhaps more critics will weigh in with more nuanced reservations (as the critic for this site has). 

Updated On: 5/17/24 at 10:48 AM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 6:56pm

SFist review: World Premiere Musical 'Galileo' Turns Famed Astromer Into Rock Balladeer

https://sfist.com/2024/05/16/world-premiere-musical-galileo-turns-the-famed-astronomer-into-a-rock-balladeer/

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 6:58pm

San Jose Mercury review: Raul Esparza is brilliant in 'Galileo'; the rest of the show can't keep up

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/17/review-raul-esparza-is-brilliant-in-galileo-the-rest-of-the-show-cant-keep-up/

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 12:22pm

Feels like kind of a shotgun marriage of authors/creative team, which perhaps is contributing to some of the problems that these reviews point out (haven't seen, can't judge).

Jordan Roth is the commercial producer behind it. Perhaps it goes out of town again before hitting the main stem.

[BJR]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 1:08pm

Auggie27 said: "The Chronicle pan - performances aside - is rather startling. No effort was made to see the glass half full, or to in any way acknowledge the value of a story with thematic parallels; on the contrary, she finds the effort to find relevance strained. Havingnot seen the show, I'm in no position todisputeher take, but must cavil anyway on one point: the incidentals in this slice of history are not as well known as she opines. Most theatergoers will arrive with a rudimentary recall of the defining battle between faith and scientific inquiry. Still, the creators can't be having a good a.m. Perhaps more critics will weigh in with more nuanced reservations (as the critic for this site has)."

Had the same thought about this review. Most people don't know the story and does it take longer to lay out than Brecht did? Doubt that. Fair to say you'd like a little more here or there but be specific. Strange review.

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 1:18pm

Here are a couple of other reviews:

"Spellbinding yet problematic"

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13958082/galileo-review-theater-berkeley-rep

"But the Galileo creators are certainly a talented bunch who created a gorgeous production"

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2024/05/17/does-berkeley-reps-world-premiere-of-galileo-live-up-to-the-hype