Profile for James885

I saw this in LA at the Geffen Playhouse last year with Lee Wilkoff and Liz Larsen in the cast. Echo a lot of the sentiments here. Good performances, but the play felt unfocused and too long. But I thought the first act was stronger than the second. There was definitely potential but it felt like the playwright needed a stronger directorial hand to shape the material better.

From the video it looks like the set is different from the one at the Geffen.

Yeah he’s not planning on renovating the building, he’s planning on tearing it down. And of course the newly constructed building - if it even happens - will be stripped of Kennedy‘s name.

Congress needs to do its job, step up and stop this man from wrecking one of this country’s great cultural institutions.

I'll be seeing it in a couple weeks. 

Yeah Spider-Man was bad, but I still think her version was a lot more interesting and inventive than the version that eventually opened - warts and all. I also loved her take on Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Regardless of what she chooses to do next, she’s had the kind of enviable career that most directors can only dream of.

I think there’s always been a subset of super fans who enjoy obsessively making predictions, revealing ‘insider’ info, tracking rumors and gossip, etc. It’s just a lot more visible and prevalent with social media and the rise of influencer culture. Not just in theatre, but in a lot of pop culture fandoms - a great zeitgeist example right now is the Stranger Things fandom and all the ConfirmityGate drama.

 

Would love to hear the symphonic version of Death Note! It’s one of his best scores IMO.

I said this in another to thread, but I think it’s great that he’s carving out a niche for himself with these manga musical adaptations. Manga has been largely untouched by mainstream western theater creatives but it’s such a booming medium in western culture - especially among Gen Z - that it’s only a matter of time. 

Semi off - topic, but how does the licensing change for amateur / regional productions whenever there is a Broadway revival and / or tour? For instance, with the recent Music Man revival, did MTI restrict productions nationwide, or just in the New York region? Similarly, if The Music Man had toured, would they have pulled the licenses nationwide or just in the market where the tour plays for the duration of the tour stop?

Vile and repugnant. It’s of course illegal, but he knows Congress isn’t gonna stop him. 
 

He can well put his name in big letters over Kennedy’s and pretend all he wants that he ‘saved’ the center. I’m sure somewhere in the recesses of his mind he must know that his name will be ripped off the building probably within hours of the next President taking office.

Casting announced for Here Lies Love. Looking forward to seeing it here since it closed before my last NYC visit.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Reanne-Acasio-Joshua-Dela-Cruz-and-More-to-Star-in-HERE-LIES-LOVE-at-the-Mark-Taper-Forum-20251211

Agree, the success for this property comes from people’s affinity for the musical, the characters in it, and the songs. People didn’t turn out just because they love stories about Oz.

The Star Wars comparison is apt, as Disney has now completely diluted the brand of one of the biggest pop culture franchises of the last century. 

She sounds great, but can’t believe they’re remaking this when it’s barely been ten years. You would think they would’ve learned after Snow White.

At this rate in a few years they will have mined all their IP. They might actually be forced to make something new. 

I did undergrad in Baltimore and went to a lot of shows at the Hippodrome. It's a beautifully restored theater. Glad to hear that it's become a notable launching point for national tours. 

Between the Hippodrome, Center Stage and the Arena Players, Baltimore has a thriving theater scene that's flown under the radar for a while now.