Controversial musicals
Nov 9
2015, 08:37:09 AM
Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" and "Assassins" are two that come to mind regarding being controversial in subject matter. Though considered a classic now, I recall that when Todd opened in 1979 there was a fair amount of press decrying its subject matter as being inappropriate for a musical. There were many walkouts during previews and some critics dismissed it on those grounds. As recently as last year I attended a production of "Assassins" in B
|
What are Your Favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein Lesser Known Songs?
Nov 9
2015, 08:27:12 AM
"Like a God" from Flower Drum Song "Stepsisters' Lament" from Cinderella "When the Children are Asleep" from Carousel "The Loneliness of Evening" cut from South Pacific and later added to Cinderella
|
York Theatre to Honor ANGELA LANSBURY!
Jul 11
2015, 10:35:42 AM
She's so deserving.
|
Jan Maxwell/Follies
Dec 18
2011, 01:55:55 AM
I haven't seen the show but I've heard the NCR several times, which I think is wonderful. What struck me most on first hearing and remains my chief reaction is how strongly Jan Maxwell resonates in the role of Phyllis. I was not familiar with her previous work and had no expectations, but I thought she was terrific in her two big solos and all of her line readings were spot on. She made Phyllis come across as strong, resilient, world-weary, determined and yet vulnerable (not to mention VERY f
|
Who Would You Like to See Play Elphaba/Galinda
Jan 6
2010, 09:03:55 AM
Galinda: Gavin Creel
Elphaba: Will Swenson
...and they'll lead the cast members up the aisles in the theater burning draft cards during "Defying Gravity".
|
re: Does Chicago need to close?
Dec 17
2009, 12:30:17 PM
The only time a show "needs" to close is when it stops making money. The original poster thought the show was tired and poorly performed. I saw it in 1999 and thought it was terrific. But I also saw the original "Chorus Line" in 1980 (5 years into the run) and thought most of the cast was lifeless. By that point, I think they'd run through just about every "dancer-who-can-sing-and-act" in NY, so many of the parts were undersung and poorly acted. Yet, it ran another 10 years. Long runs ebb
|
re: Aaron Tveit leaving Next to normal?
Dec 9
2009, 11:23:24 PM
I didn't like him at first...another perfectly-coifed pretty boy sans shirt who poses and preens. But he sings the crap out of his songs on N2N with passion and precision and he deserved a Tony nod. I stand corrected.
|
re: Catherine Zeta-Jones in the FOLLIES film?
Dec 9
2009, 07:51:56 PM
Zeta-Jones is not a big enough B.O. draw to warrant the casting. IF "Follies" is made (and that's a big IF), its only hope for success is to have top stars or enough "sort-of" stars who've won awards (NINE) to get the needed attention. I don't think they'd risk it on CZJ alone.
|
re: PiraguaGuy2's Best Broadway Revivals of the Decade
Dec 9
2009, 06:44:01 PM
In chronological order:
42nd Street (2001)
Flower Drum Song (2002)
Nine (2003)
Gypsy (2003 - Bernadette Peters)
Wonderful Town (2003)
Assassins (2004)
Pacific Overtures (2004)
A Chorus Line (2006)
South Pacific (200
West Side Story (2009)
|
re: Finian's Rainbow scandal!
Dec 9
2009, 05:57:23 PM
If this means Sweeney Todd is really a vegetarian or that Alice Ripley is not bipolar I'm outta here.
|
re: Short term future of Broadway?
Dec 3
2009, 11:41:26 AM
BW has always had shows that closed quickly (the book NOT SINCE CARRIE is filled with examples). However, economics have permanently changed NY theater. I saw the original SWEENEY TODD in 1979 and paid $15 for a great orchestra seat. That would probably cost $120 today. Since so much of the audience has been priced out of attendance, producers lean on revivals of the tried-and-true and (mostly) safe, middle-of-the-road material.
Also, audience expectations are different. Many peopl
|
re: Question Regarding Liza's Grammy Nomination
Dec 3
2009, 11:22:54 AM
That would put her on the list. If the album wins the artist wins as well. Some lists already include her due to the special Grammy she received, some don't.
|
re: Best Musical Show Album Grammy Nominees
Dec 3
2009, 11:10:40 AM
That list is an embarassment. SHREK and 9 TO 5 are dreadful, HAIR is an overrated camp-fest, and while I personally like the WSS recording it's not held in high regard. The lackluster past season on BW can be blamed for this and N2N, which I found terribly boring, is no less deserving of a nomination than any of the other disasters. The Grammy awards are irrelevant anyway.
|
re: A new cast recording out today
Nov 11
2009, 02:18:05 PM
I want to add that until the huge CD explosion of the late 80s/early 90s, many Golden Age cast recordings had been out-of-print for decades. Because CDs were less cumbersome and lengthier than LPs, old recordings of every category of music came back into print by the thousands. However, those days are over. I live just outside of Boston and in the past decade almost all music stores have closed. Only the chains are left and they seem to carry only what's new. The music sections of both Bord
|
re: Bernadette Peters as Sally in FOLLIES??
Nov 10
2009, 11:57:13 PM
Bernadette Peters would be perfect for Sally. Forget her age: she doesn't look it, sound it or act it. Besides, she's already played Sally before and did a smashing job of it. She did it as Dot in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE in 1984. Dot is really a young version of the hard-bitten, lost Sally and Peters nailed that role. She'd be wonderful in the role of Sally and would make "Losing My Mind" an unforgettable experience.
|
re: Denzel Washington to Star In August Wilson's FENCES On Broadway
Nov 10
2009, 11:41:54 PM
As a "type" I think Washington is right for the role. He has certainly played everyday characters before (most recently in the awful PELHAM 1-2-3). He's older now, not the young matinee guy of years ago, so he should be able to fit the character. And his presence would definitely boost the box office, just as it did in JUILIUS CAESAR a few years back. Here's the thing: I saw that performance and he was vacant on the stage, unable to sustain characterization over the evening and completely de
|
re: Stephen Schwartz is one of the most influential people in American hist
Nov 2
2009, 09:04:51 AM
Like...OMG!!! I mean, like, I was gonna say Thomas Jefferson or Martin Luther King but, like, picking Stephen Schwartz is so totally awesome!! Was he a member of the first continental congress?
|
re: Performers apparently 'sick' while recording cast albums/shows
Oct 31
2009, 11:22:43 AM
Bernadette Peters missed several performances early in the run of GYPSY, so it's possible that her voice wasn't completely recovered when the OBCR was done. I never heard that Len Cariou was sick when SWEENEY was recorded, but in her biography Angela Lansbury is quoted as saying that he lost his voice during the run because the vocal demands of the role were so extreme.
Jean Stapleton (Edith in ALL IN THE FAMILY) has said that she can't listen to the OBCR of FUNNY GIRL because she had
|
re: PORGY & BESS 1959 Movie Version
Oct 30
2009, 10:11:00 AM
I've only seen this film once, on local NY television in 1970. Supposedly, producer Sam Goldwyn only had the rights to P&B for 15 years and once they reverted back the Gershwin estate refused to grant permission for the film to be shown.
Nobody but Sammy Davis wanted to do this film and most black performers decried the racial stereotyping. Poitier only did it because he was afraid he'd lose "The Defiant Ones" if he backed out. Also, the set burned to the ground under suspicious circ
|
re: PORGY & BESS 1959 Movie Version
Oct 30
2009, 09:09:13 AM
I've only seen this film once, on local NY television in 1970. Supposedly, producer Sam Goldwyn only had the rights to P&B for 15 years and once they reverted back the Gershwin estate refused to grant permission for the film to be shown.
Nobody but Sammy Davis wanted to do this film and most black performers decried the racial stereotyping. Poitier only did it because he was afraid he'd lose "The Defiant Ones" if he backed out. Also, the set burned to the ground under suspicious circ
|
