Everyone Loves It But You...Why?- Page 3

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 3:19pm

TEACH, it's pretty well known that the National Theatre adaptation of the MGM movie THE WIZARD OF OZ, complete with the Arlen songs (yes, the ones Judy Garland and company sang), is usually used for stage versions. It was adapted by John Kane, i believe. It's licensed by Sam French. It plays regionals all the time, had a fairly large regional tour this past summer, and was adapted by Madison Square Garden from a Paper Mill production a while back. The national tour of that version, starring Mickey Rooney as the Wizard, had such Witch stars as Roseanne and Eartha Kitt. There is a CD of that national tour production available for purchase.

Is that specific enough? That's the "WIZARD" and "OZ" i was referring to. It does make plenty of money, and did so in NYC as well.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 3:27pm

You are referring to teh Royal Skaespeare Company adaption by John Kane which was done in teh late 80s. It is handled by Tams-Witmark, NOT Samuel French

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 3:31pm

sorry, that is the one i mean. i apologize profusely for confusing the National with the RSC, and Tams for Sam French. It must have been my bedazzlement that someone was not aware of this stage version at all.

Updated On: 11/20/03 at 03:31 PM

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 3:34pm

How can you steal a Tony from someone when an academy votes? Just wondering...

[Elphie]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 5:00pm

Hmm you really cant steal a Tony from someone.
But the worst show I ever saw on Broadway was Saturday Night Fever- bleh, it was horrible. The music didnt even fit, with the exceptional of like some of the solo songs. Musicals like that aggrivate me.

[DofB5]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 6:16pm

Cats. Watching people lick themselfs and act like a cat was cute for about 10 - 15 minutes and then I started looking at my watch.

Yawn.

D

[mamamia sammy]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 6:20pm

I thought this was a thread about shows that everyone loved except yourself.

Cats?

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 7:28pm

ok, i'll just say it. Le Miz. Don't get it, don't care to see it ever again.

[DofB5]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 7:36pm

I don't recall anything saying it had to be a current play/musical.

D

[Dee]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 7:47pm

I have never seen Hairspray but from what I have seen from appearances and have heard of the OBCR it doesn't appeal that much to me. I can see how it can be enjoyable to lift spirits because it's filled with cheesy pop music that are very light but I don't understand people who find it to be the most incredible piece of theatre in a long time. It seems very plain and unoriginal to me. Fun once in a while but nothing special.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 8:00pm

Les Miz and Hairspray.

Les Miz is so depressing. I think the fact I saw my first professionally done show (POTO) 4 months before seeing Les Miz had it's effect, but still. The show, the scenery, the characters, the songs. It was all very depressing.

Hairspray. It's so campy. I can't stand it. The songs are cute, but I wouldn't say it's theater at it's best.

Posted: 11/20/03 at 9:07pm

In alpha order

CATS
HAIRSPRAY
LES MIZ
RAGTIME
RENT
URINETOWN

For starters.

Yours for a better Broadway!


Updated On: 11/20/03 at 09:07 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 11/20/03 at 9:28pm

The Lion King
The Producers

As much as I wanted to like both, I didn't. I even had both CDs and listened to them once.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 10:24am

TxtwoStep,

thank you so very much:))) I was having some brain fog. I do remember now, especially a stint I belive at Madison Square Garden a few years back that started with Roseanne as the wicked witch...

thanks much for the info:)

......

Do they only use songs from the film in this production? Are there songs from other sources added? thanks

Posted: 11/21/03 at 10:27am

You know...

I don't think there's ever been anything that I've outright hated. I guess I'm one of those people who always try to find the best in each show I see. Look at the good with the bad. The highschool I volunteer at is doing West Side Story this year. Actually, last night was show #2. I tried so hard to talk the director out of this one because I really did dislike it upon initial viewing, (we went to see another production). The more I worked with it, the more it grew on me. I'm going to be sad to see it be finished on Saturday night.

[tkts]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 11:37am

Rent--All I kept saying was "This is supposed to be good?"
Cats--The most boring night of theatre I ever spent.
Godspell--Yuck. Now you see why Schwartz has not had a hit in 30 years. Godspell was right place, right time, and Pippin was all Fosse. Doesn't exactly make me want to rush out for Wicked tickets.

Sweeney Todd was the best show I ever saw.

[Madame X]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 11:48am

Another one - Nine, the revival (or I guess the original too, but I never saw that). Chita! Antonio! It was supposed to be so great but my friend and I were sooo confused. I might've liked it better if I'd "studied" the plot before seeing it, but no one told me I was going to the opera.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 12:36pm

Madame X,

I found NINE dreadfully dull

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 12:39pm

Can I use this thread to announce that I find Roger Bart less than thrilling? And the recent "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" to be the work of the Devil?

[RobbO]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 1:05pm

I would have to say:

Phantom of the Opera - ugh, one of my least favorites

and

Nine - it just did nothing for me

[MaxHolmes]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 3:45am

I'm thinking of shows that made me just look about me trying to catch the eye of someone --ANYONE -- who was as appalled as I. Where I was just dizzy with bewilderment that people were even looking at the stage...

Phantom of the Opera.
Rent.
Cats.
All three were perplexing monstrosities.

[JakeB]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 4:02am

The current London production of ANYTHING GOES.

The critics went wild for it.

The box office sales are excellent.

I thought it was dated, too long and not in the least bit funny. Even Sally Ann Triplett, who is supposed to be a Goddess here, got on my nerves.. her voice was way too piercing for my liking.

The next day I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie, which the critics did not go wild for, and I loved it 100 times more than Anything Goes.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 10:37am

TEACHER, most productions of WIZARD on stage add "Jitterbug" composed, shot, and cut from the film and some cut material from the other songs, mostly intros like for "Rainbow" and "If I Only's"...some fun stuff. There is sometimes a song added (i believe first for Phyllis Diller as the Witch) that the Witch sings, which is not from the film at all, and not Arlen. Sometimes the Witch sings the intro to "Jitterbug" as well, depending on the production. Here in Houston the last major remounting also added a new lyric to the little-known intro for "Rainbow" ("When all the world/is a hopeless jumble/and the rainclouds tumble/all around....etc"). The new lyric to the same melody was sung by Glinda just before Dorothy returned home. Very effective!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 11:19am

The Lion King. I just saw the show and was expecting to be blown away by the staging and "Circle of Life" at least. Nothing. I felt nothing. I looked at my watch the whole time. As I walked out of the theater and saw the Tony sitting there in the case, I was thinking I must have missed something.

Posted: 11/23/03 at 12:23pm

Jake, Let's match Nunn's production of GOES against his FAIR LADY. Two columns. What's excellent & why. What's poor & why.

Obviously the audience responded to both productions. Would be curious to know how much of that audience were the same individuals. Or were they different for some reason?

You know I enjoyed GOES, leaving TRDL in high sprirts. I left the same TRDL after LADY thoroughly dumbfounded and drepressed that the joy and fun and exhuberance was drained.

An interesting discussion could ensue as to why one man could do both productions and cause that type of extreme reactions in one theatre-goer.

By the way, Nunn will always be on a pedastal in my book for NICKLEBY.

Cheers! Bulldog.