Who thinks it's time for a Sunday in the Park Revival?- Page 3

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 2:46am

One of these days I *WILL* hear Raúl sing this score. It is one of my absolute favorite Sondheim musicals, and he of couse is one of my all time favorite actors.

But, like I said before, I would love for Michael to do this production on Broadway too. I'd be happy with either one!

And in my opinion, Audra would make the best Dot.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:00am

I've never heard McDonald singing this role but I am not too crazy about her doing it either. Not that I have anything against her, I think she is a superb performer but I have her more in a category of more bleak roles, more tragic, larger-than-life heroines, like I can see her more as Fosca-a lot more than Patti LuPone-or as...Mimi in Rent, okay that was a joke. But who knows? Murphy surprised everyone when she showed her great comic skills in Wonderful Town.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 8:11am

I would imagine this show is difficult to revive due to the fact that it really can't be reconceptualized. The first act basically HAS to look exactly the same, what with costumes, blocking, etc. And the second act is really a downer in comparisson with the first, so the show is essentially unbalanced. The DVD captures some great performances of a near perfect, flawed show. I wouldnt think there'd be much new to bring to a revival.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 1:11pm

Sunday in the Park With George is such a deep and complex work with so many intricate and compelling points in it that it is almost inconceivable that there isn't a director out there with a new vision for the show. The right one just hasn't come around just yet.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 1:12pm

There are always new things to bring to every show, that's kind of a silly thing to say.

This is one of my favorite shows, and yes, it needs to be revived. Unfortunately, general audiences are too stupid for Sondheim, so his shows will never succeed on Broadway financially.

As far as casting, there's something I just don't like about Melissa Errico. I find her very inaccesible on stage. Her voice is pretty, but lacks depth - atleast in my opinion. She was terrible in DRACULA and seriously lacking in FINIAN'S RAINBOW. And I love Raul, but I would like to see someone (like Cerveris) do the part and actually do the score justice - Raul's vocal talents are very limited, and he usually resorts to screaming.

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:36pm

"I hate all the great women I like for this role are too old to play it: Donna Murphy, Ruthie Henshall, Maria Friedman, and of course I'd pay whatever to see Bernadette Peters live as Dot/Marie."

I don't think Ruthie is too old at all. I would kill to see her and Raul do this show together. It would be ... wow. Amazing.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 3:46pm

all of the revivals you mentioned were critical and commercial failures.............Sondheim shows (with rare exception) do not run........Consequently, the revivals of Sondheim shows do not run....SITWG will surely be revived, but it will be a financial failure, unless their are no profit expectations....SITWG is also great to see in the theater as a sleep indusive. It is dreadful and boring.....SITWG, plays much, much better on video and on cd than it does in the theater............I suspect if you are anxious for a revival you could not have actually seen this show in a theater.......Do not mistake the love of a show from its video or its cd for the fact that you will love the show in the theater...........I suspect the new Sweeney Todd revival starring Lupone will not last very long on Broadway......Word of mouth kills faster than anything......Reality is, most folks, especially "theater civilians" find Sondheim shows, live and in person,,,,,,,,terribly, terribly complex and boring. Of course, those of us who invest the time and get to know his works well are rewarded with great riches. His works are extraordinary.......Just not best appreciated or absorbed upon seeing in the theater. A fascinating uniqueness and quagmire for who is likely the greatest composer in theater history.

[orchajaws]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:00pm

Actually, Chenoweth would be a great Dot.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:03pm

While the new Sweeny still may fail it is getting great buzz from the people seeing it. Both times I have been there the audience has been abuzz at the end, and really excited about what they saw. (Not just the 'theatre snobs' like me, but the tourists and older couples as well. Yes some people still left, but this show has great potential to last for awhile.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:15pm

TONY, we generally get along but come on. You come up from NOWHERE to badmouth several shows. Just because YOU find SITPWG intolerable to sit through doesn't mean that everyone feels the same way.

And what on EARTH are you talking about? Word of mouth killing SWEENEY? Of the hundreds of people I know that have seen SWEENEY so far, only ONE disliked it and a handful questioned it. You honestly have no idea what you're talking about in this case.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:37pm

I have the opposite opinion about Sunday on CD/DVD vs. seeing it in the theatre. I was completely thrilled and emotionally devastated by Sunday on Broadway - in particular, the much maligned Act Two. There's much to enjoy about the CD, but I never thought it was a particularly great sounding album. The sonics and dynamics of it always seemed a little muted to me, and I think the score suffers a bit because of it. (I remember that there was talk at the time that they had sacrificed some dynamic range in recording the score in order to fit it onto one LP. The first CD issue of the recording was barely better than the LP. I have hopes that the remaster will juice it up a little bit). And I find the video to be the least effective of all of the Sondheim tapings in conveying how wonderful that show was in the theatre. I'm glad it exists, but the production onstage was vastly superior, and more beautiful than the murky-looking video (though it looks a little better on the DVD).

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 4:58pm

TONY: Remember the revival of Gypsy a few years back? That managed to hang in there for a little over a year, despite it had star power. Not sure if you guys consider it a Sondheim show, but I do. Besides, on entertainment-link.com, you see that the average critical rating was 3.8/5.0. That is very impressive. So, not ALL Sondheim revivals are failures. Gosh, I liked that show...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 5:01pm

I don't consider GYPSY when talking about Sondheim shows. GYPSY is a hell of a lot more accessable to tourists and regular theatregoers than something like PACIFIC OVERTURES.

I love the revival as well. I thought Mendes' direction was great.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 5:07pm

OK, Tony, I have not seen the show on stage, true. But from experience I know that when you love a taped version of a show, usually the love is completely magnified when you see it on stage unless it's an extremely different production that has nothing to do with the filmed version. If you call Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" a "sleep indusive" then you are one of those audiences that keep real art away from Broadway and that keep shows like "Phantom" running. If you think "Sunday" is boring, then you are missing so many points about it, this show is thought-provoking, it's challenging, the music is haunting, the Act I finale has to be one of the most perfect in Broadway history, full of harmony. I highly doubt this show will ever be a hit on Broadway, but it should be revived for the sake of its message and its comments on love, art, artists, and life itself.
And call me naive, but from what I've heard, the new Sweeney is actually going to be quite successful, most people that has gone to the previews seem to enjoy it, specially because I think it is being done like Sondheim first conceived it (correct me if I'm wrong about this last remark). I think if a new director-not Lapine-were reconceptualize "Sunday" and with two great actors in the lead (I still think Chenoweth is right for this role), this show could have a decent run at a non-for-profit theater.

[aegeusrocks]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 5:47pm

Alright, so this may not apply anymore, but I'll go right ahead and say it:

Audra was absolutely inspiring as Dot in the Ravinia concert. I felt like I was going to be knocked out of my chair by either her raw emotion or fantastic singing. And I don't remember who said this, but you can never typecast Audra as one specific role, she is able to meet almost any type of acting/singing, no matter how different from her usual.

Just had to say it.

Cerveris.....I'd have to say he had his moments, but overall he seemed more tentative about the role during the performance. If he was able to work on it longer, he would make an amazing George.

[show2n2]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 5:55pm

Me :)

[LostLeander]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:31pm

Ok, I do love my Chenoweth, but I don't think she is right for Dot.

Dot isn't necessarily cute in the same way that Bernadette Dot's was cute.. not seeing that her interpretation is the be all and end all of the role, but if Chenoweth's "Look at me, I'm cute" acting patterns (even in some of her more "dramatic" moments in Wicked were still cute" are still in place in this role, it totally takes away from the character.

I'm waiting for Chenoweth to surprise me. I love her so much, and she's awesome at what she does, but I do have to admit that it is rather limited.

And unless she changed the vocal nasality of her voice (not her Soprano, but her mixy-belt), I might not be able to stand her singing this score.

Audra all the way.
And Greg Edelman can be the Soldier, because I'm pretty sure that he IS Robert Westernberg. I am nearly positive that they are the one and same person, and he Robert just changed his name to Greg while doing Passion, and has contined on since.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 6:38pm

I said that I don't see Audra being great in the comedic scenes, because sometimes Dot is one of the characters that provide a comic relief in the show. But I might be completely wrong, I admire her very much and I believe she is a great performer. I think many people won't take Chenoweth very seriously because her two major roles as Sally and Glinda more or less show off her ability for comic roles, and Wicked never got sooo dramatic that she could actually show any sort of great dramatic acting. I still would like to see what she could do with this role. I thought Ruthie Henshall was too old for this role but someone else said she wasn't, so Henshall as Dot would be great!

[aegeusrocks]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 7:08pm

Well, IMHO, Audra handled the comedic bits very well, especially during the holding poses for George bits.

[angelic1]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 8:42pm

I was talking about this with a friend, and Sutton came up as Dot. I thought it was an interesting idea. But, I don't know. Anyone else?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/15/05 at 10:42pm

Never seen her in anything but while the other actresses I have mentioned are too old, isn't she too young? Can she handle the complexity of this role? I'm just asking for opinions, don't mean to put her down but Millie is not exactly the next Momma Rose. Remember it was Bernadette Peters who created this role so I believe that an equivalent to her would be more appropriate.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:10pm

Funny, I was watching that BROADWAY series on PBS the other night and they did a segment of SUNDAY and I thought "This needs to be revived"...and here it is a post...I agree, would love to see Melissa Errico in this!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:50pm

Some of you might have been too young to have seen it, but Audra McDonald was a very funny, very horny Carrie Pipperidge in Lincoln Center's Carousel. (In fact, she walked off with the reviews). She CAN do comedy, even if she's been playing mostly somber roles ever since.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 5:43pm

I've never seen Audra on stage but I have seen her in DVD's and of course I have the Ragtime Cast Recording and yes, I had her more as a serious, dramatic performer. Now that I think about it, didn't she play one of the Sherwood sisters on a concert version of a Wonderful Town? How was she? Wonderful Town is a musical comedy so if she could pull it off then she can probably provide that great mixture of comedy/drama so typical of Dot/Marie. Isn't she around the same age as Murphy and Henshall though?

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 8:33pm

Audra's 35. About 10 years Donna's Junior and only a few years younger than Ruthie. I think she can read late 20's though.