Profile for merle57

This is a strange season, and except for new plays, a disappointing season.  All four best play nominees are excellent works.  Acting categories for plays also feature many excellent performances, as do the musical acting categories. But the musical season has been dismal except for revival where Ragtime and Cats  are, for different reasons,  equally deserving. Not sure this year's Tony broadcast will be that interesting. 

Glad it is at the Hayes, that is at least a reasonable house size to maintain the show's intimacy. Is this the revised for a same sex couple version?  

I love The Fantasticks, but I do not see it as a Broadway musical. It is too delicate, too intimate, too romantic, too spiritual. The original direction is essential to the theme of the parable -- the illusions of romance versus the reality of mature love. Decorating the show may tear apart the fabric of Schmidt and Jones' creation. 

The tradition in past years used to be the dim the house lights for a play 7 minutes after the scheduled time to allow for latecomers, for musicals 5 minutes to the downbeat of the orchestra which still allowed for late seating. Maybe they have gone back to that old custom/tradition. 

Broadway musical audiences have devolved into rock concert audiences in terms of behavior -- cell phones, eating snacks with wrappers, talking loudly, singing along, bouncing around to the beat. We live in different times where listening and concentrating are no longer valued skills except at plays like Salesman, or Good Night Good Luck or Othello .... movie audiences are no better. 

Mame with Lansbury and Bea and Jane was wonderful. I fear the show is now too dated in the references which are almost 100 years old. That Bohemian lifestyle has been overtaken by billionaire conservatives showing off. The score is still fun, but I think it is better as a memory of a classy musical from a classic period. 

WHY?   

This move effectively kills the Kennedy Center Honors.  The Kennedy family should demand their name be removed.  Lincoln Center should institute its own Arts Honors Award and restore a classy and respected honor to its rightful place.  

I wish he would restore CY Lee's original story line about the three women in Ta's life, especially the Helen Chao story. The rewrite he did trivialized the generational story of immigrants and their second generation American born children and how difficult it is to maintain traditions and culture. 

Who will reimburse those touring companies for the lost bookings?  Does this break the contract with whoever runs the subscription series? 

Will Trump remove Kennedy Name in the process?  Tragic. 

I agree -- it is not a good subject for a musical. What about these women needs to sing?  It is an action story, not a good stage story. 

Roman Holiday had good sets, nice cast, just had no reason for being a musical since it really has no plot, just incidents. It had no energy on stage, and the cast was trying very hard. Not offensive, just no life. 

I hope Actors Equity and IATSE and the opera, symphony, and ballet company refuse to perform there any more. The Kennedy Center had class.  Renaming it after himself destroys any cultural class this place had. Beyond desecration. 

I doubt Producers would do that well at the box office these days. The original only made $$ with Lane and Broderick. The tour did very poorly around the country. Also, not sure in the age of MAGA that the NAZI stuff would play as funny.