Profile for merle57

Member Name: merle57
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Most Recent Message Board Posts

Re: A gay A Little Night Music - could it work?

Sep 18, 2026 — 8:11:01 PM

A major part of the plot revolves around Desiree's illegitimate daughter probably being Frederick's child, Does changing the genders serves the original intention of the authors and of its source material Smiles of a Summer Night? Will this deepen the show's themes or characters as Company's recent revival did, or might it harm the fabric of the show and its score. On a more realistic note:1) could a new production -- either as currently written or with a gender switch -- sell

Is there any interest in purchasing Fireside Theatre musical scripts?

Sep 7, 2026 — 12:58:59 PM

I have a collection of Fireside Theatre musical scripts form the 1950s and 1960s. Is there any market for them or an appropriate charity to donate them to? They include Camelot, Funny Girl, Paint Your Wagon, Of Thee I Sing, Fade Out Fade In, Company, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle.

Re: What Will Become of the Ed Sullivan Theater? There’s an opportunity, post-Colbert, for it to become a Broadway house once again.

Sep 3, 2026 — 8:35:08 PM

Ideally it would return to being a musical theatre house again, as it was when it was built as The Hammerstein. Sadly, Broadway does not have many good big musicals anymore, many shows open and close at losses, so many theaters are empty right now. Sadly, it will probably not become a legitimate theatre again.

Kentucky Schools Production of “Ragtime” Cancelled by School Board

Aug 27, 2026 — 12:21:58 PM

Shocking news -- racism should upset audiences, slavery, racism, prejudice against immigrants, and the wealthy people looking the other way is upsetting and should be.

TRUMP BOARD THREATENS DEMOLISHING KENNEDY CENTER ? NBC News report

Aug 25, 2026 — 3:31:42 PM

NBC News reports that Trump's Board at Kennedy Center has threatened to demolish Kennedy Center unless they are allowed to close the center for two years "restoration" but some online reports say they also demanded that Trump's name must be added to the Center. or they will demolish. Not clear if that latter demand is accurate. How sad to see this thriving arts center in such a crisis for no legitimate reason.

Re: Dolly Parton has passed away at age 80

Aug 25, 2026 — 2:49:25 PM

Her musical biography Dolly directed by Bartlett Sher will be a great tribute to her artistry as well as her life-giving music and lyrics. How blessed we are to have enjoyed her career, how blessed Broadway will be with her new show.

Trump Takeover of the country

Aug 13, 2026 — 2:51:58 PM

Once he and MAGA are out of office, the signage will have to change: "Destroyed by Donald J. Trump.

The Torch Resumes Construction at 740 Eighth Avenue in Times Square, Manhattan

Aug 12, 2026 — 4:19:18 PM

It is so ugly and out of character with the theatre district.

Re: Les Miz Coming Back to NYC in 2 Years?

Aug 3, 2026 — 9:11:29 PM

I agree with your longer list as well as many Off-Broadway shows and did not mean to suggest my list was exhaustive. . The big expensive revivals and mindless musicals that get on Broadway but fail to recoup discourage producers from backing the shows you listed and some of the wonderful off-Broadway shows another poster listed. I think I was reacting in horror to suggestions for an immersive Les Miz, or some other gimmick imposed on the show just to be trendy. Les Miz does not need gimmicks ...

Re: Les Miz Coming Back to NYC in 2 Years?

Aug 3, 2026 — 1:26:38 PM

LES MIS has never really left the American stage due to the multiple touring productions. Sadly, they no longer tour with the original set or staging, more a very cut down version of the original.How many of these "let's put the ensemble in abbreviated gym clothing or underwear" concert style productions do we have to endure? The gimmick has been overdone now. I fear this will be another $25 million concert production that will run well for 6 months, then have. no more audience and drop all $...

Re: WITW: How A Marriott Destroyed 5 Broadway Theaters

Jul 30, 2026 — 5:37:25 PM

The Bijou was not much of a theatre, not missed. The Morosco was home to some of the greatest classic plays in American theatre, a beautiful house with perfect natural acoustics. The Hayes was also a beautiful house of hits, and named for a great actress -- theatre torn down while Hayes was still alive. Shuberts wanted the money, the money, the money .... Just as the Nederlanders wanted the money, the money, the money and sold the Mark Hellinger Theatre to the church. Sad loss.

‘Cats’ Closing: Is It Curtains for Broadway Musicals?

Jul 22, 2026 — 2:34:26 PM

Several good points are mentioned in these comments. First, Jellicle Ball may not be the best example to make a case for the end of Broadway since the concept might have been a limited niche market, certainly not for the family crowd the original Cats appealed to. Second, the show was hot over a year ago off-Broadway, so it should have transferred then, not waited for a full year. Third, the Cats movie proved the show itself is no longer a hot property -- in fact, the movie was a disaster at ...

Oh Mary Tour

Jul 20, 2026 — 5:41:03 PM

Surprised that Oh Mary will play San Francisco's smallest Broadway house, the Curran, and all main floor and loge seats are completely gone for the run -- no orchestra or handicapped seats remain for any performances, only some back rows in the first balcony and the last six rows of the 2nd balcony.Why they did not pick a larger house or extend for a 4th week is a mystery since this show was bound to sell well in San Francisco.

Re: Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara with the San Francisco Symphony

Jul 20, 2026 — 4:56:36 PM

They received a negative review in the SF Chronicle -- about how they squandered their talents and the symphony orchestra on material that the audience did not particularly come to hear or enjoy, even though they enjoyed the talents of these two ladies. That’s why Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara’s appearance at Davies Symphony Hall was such a disappointing missed opportunity.Yet there’s an impossibly vast canon of musical theater transcendence out there. Why sing novelty numbers your music dir...

Re: Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara with the San Francisco Symphony

Jul 20, 2026 — 2:20:55 PM

Saw them Saturday night, both in great voice. The first half was more traditional musical theatre music that the majority of the older audience came for. The second half, more the Carol and Julie theme, was more 1990s pop music which showed their voices and versatility off well, but did not make good use of the full symphony orchestra on stage. It was a good evening, but more of the Broadway catalogue was needed for this audience, mostly past 60 years old.

An Open Letter To Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber

Jul 19, 2026 — 8:05:04 PM

With the major revival losses on Sunset Blvd and Jellice Ball Cats, I wonder if the Andrew Lloyd Webber brand no longer has the "golden touch" it once did when his early shows were a sung-thru novelty. People forget that Starlight Express lost tons of money in its original production, as did many other shows - Bad Cinderella, Love Never Dies, Aspects of Love, and surprise surprise the original Sunset Blvd which dumped a ton of money. His only really big hits have been JC Superstar, Evita, Pha...

Next for the Broadhurst

Jul 16, 2026 — 6:31:06 PM

I have never read anything about Oscar Hammerstein being abusive to actors in his productions. If you are going to make accusations like that, please document the proof.

Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 7/13/26

Jul 14, 2026 — 9:03:43 PM

I was actually referring to the quality of the scripts being produced in those two revivals. Similarly, the season proved great for wonderful, adventuresome new plays. So many great scripts, so many great casts, so many great evenings of exciting and challenging theatre. That is theatre at its Broadway Best.I was bothered by the last minute "cash in" on a Tony weak season (e.g. Beaches), or moving a perfect thriving off-Broadway musical into bigger houses just to capitalize on a weak season a...

Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 7/13/26

Jul 14, 2026 — 2:58:19 PM

Thank God for quality productions like Salesman and Ragtime. Thank God for Lincoln Center and Scott Rudin for producing quality. Those are Broadway quality shows, not off-Broadway shows being produced on the main stem where they do not belong.

Rumor: CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL to close in August?

Jul 13, 2026 — 7:07:24 PM

Cats is an English musical, not a traditional Broadway musical, and this Cats is a very, very specialized production that was, never targeted to a mass audience as the original Cats was, so it was bound to have a limited appeal compared to the original Cats run. That said, Broadway is having a very difficult time at the box office right now because too many of the shows appeal to specialized subset markets. The problem is what is being produced is just not appealing to a large enough audience...

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