Shows HURT by later revisions

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 6:48pm

Discussion of They're Playing Our Song made me think of this question: what shows were hurt by revisions made to them after they were first premiered or licensed?
Don't post shows that were IMPROVED- there's a separate post for those.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 7:51pm

Obviously this is going to be up for debate, but I did not care for the changes made to Sunset Boulevard between London and L.A., and subsequently Broadway. I hate "Every Movie's a Circus" and didn't like the changes to much of the Joe/Betty scenes, especially their initial meeting at Schwab's.

I'll also say that I go back and forth on The Secret Garden in terms of the changes made for the London production. Part of me likes the paring back of the importance of the Dreamers/Ghosts, but there are times when I miss them as well. Though, to the best of my knowledge, the London script has never been licensed to perform anywhere else since that production.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 8:06pm

I personally think Evita was hurt when "You Must Love Me" was included in the stage production. I actually kind of like the song, but I don't think it belongs in the show.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 8:09pm

I haven't seen a production that includes it yet. I assume they put it in the same general place as it is in the movie?

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:23pm

In reading various theatre books down through the years, I've noticed several people involved in various proiductions who said that shows in their out of town tryouts were better than after the revisions changed them for Broadway. A few that come to mind are "Three Wishes for Jamie," "Kean," and "Mack and Mabel."

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:39pm

Casting aside, I think that Into the Woods needed some changes, but the revival did hurt it a bit. I felt it was really muddled at points (having others come and sing with Cinderella during On the Steps of the Palace...adding the pigs...etc.)

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:40pm

Yeah, I've heard that same argument made more recently about Shrek and Addams Family being better in their out-of-town versions, though Addams is highly debatable.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:44pm

I've NEVER heard anyone say Shrek and The Addams Family were better out of town. Where did you hear that?

Totally agree on Into the Woods.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:46pm

FOLLIES
FOLLIES
FOLLIES
FOLLIES
FOLLIES

That revised Roundabout ending is enough to ruin the entire show.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:48pm

I've heard a lot more support for at least the out-of-town opening number Clandango over its replacement, When You're An Addams, and a few of the other numbers vs. their later replacements/incarnations.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:49pm

Oh, wow. Never heard that.

And oh plop, I forgot (and I'll second ljay)-

FOLLIES!!!

[jagfkb]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 11:21pm

For shrek, Donkey Pot Pie was night and day better in Seattle.

And really... noon'es going to say it? Alright, i guess it's up to me...

Mary Poppins...

I'm sorry, the current broadway version is horribly dummed down from the brilliant london staging.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 11:33pm

Lennon.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 12:16am

Jekyl & Hyde. For me, all they needed to do was beef up the sets for Broadway. Maybe tweak a few things but I didn't like the Broadway production. Loved the pre-Broadway production. JMO

[bwaymizfit2]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 12:53am

I'll second Jekyll and Hyde and contribute The Scarlet Pimpernel. By Version 4.0, the show was unrecognizable from what it had been originally, and not in a good way.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 1:00am

^^ Jekyll & HYDE it's up to the specific director (which is why people claim the show is"ever-changing" and never done).

I ironically put in the Shows BETTERED or whatever thread about The Scarlet Pimpernel. Pimpernel 1.0 made people weep in agony of boredom at the theatre... General audiences still didn't LOVE the tour (minus those who saw Sills), but it moved much faster and was more entertaining... Curious as to why you think Pimpernel got worse. Obviously it's reputation was slaughtered in the process...

[EvanK]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 1:47am

I know 9 to 5 had issues.. but It was a HIT in LA.... Maybe some of the changes hindered the Broadway Show?

[LegallyBroadway2]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 2:07am

ADDAMS FAMILY like omigod.

And I wish 9 to 5 kept some of the LA songs in, instead of the ones heard on Broadway.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 2:21am

Candide, although some of the revisions were very good, the others were horrible.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 2:22am

That many people liked The Addams Family out of town?

I think Clandango set up more of a story-ish than When You're An Addams (as well as much more original choreography...) I don't see why they didn't try to fit it in somewhere else. So much to work with, but I don't know..

"Clandango, Clandango
Mystery, Family
Clandango, Clandango
Dance in the joy of our family tree (<< over & over)

Dance Dance Dance
Dance Dance Dance
Clandango, Clandango
Mystery, Family
Clandango, Clandango
Dance
Clandago, Clandango
Clandago!"

.. so creative.

Or what about songs like "Second Banana" or "At Seven," among others. I think some of the ideas were better in Chicago but they never materialized there anyway; or what about the slowly orchestrated "Crazier tHan You" or the legitimately random "One Normal Night"? The show was messy...

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 2:31am

With non-musicals, we find this problem occurring among some of our greatest writers. Tennessee Williams's "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" opened to mixed reviews in 1962, and closed after two months. (I love this play, myself) The next year, he revised it entirely; it reopened to worse reviews and closed after a week. Williams also revised his wonderful play, "Summer and Smoke," and renamed it "The Eccentricities of a Nightingale." It was not a hit on Broadway, and personally, I prefer "Summer and Smoke."

William Inge was forced by director Joshua Logan to change the ending of his play "Picnic" out of town. Inge hated having had to do this, though "Picnic" proved to be a great hit. Later on, Inge returned to the script he had wanted, renamed it "Summer Brave," and it quickly flopped on Broadway. I liked it, myself, but I feel that "Picnic" was better.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 10:17am

Candide might have had a richer score (with some better lyrics- although I do like Sondheim's additions such as "Life is Happiness Indeed") in its 1956 incarnation, the book was hard to follow. 1974's Hal Prince version made it easier to follow, less heavy handed and more fun.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 10:43am

Jekyll and Hyde - 1st pre-Broadway tour was pretty much ready for Broadway and poised to be a mega-hit. What ended up on Broadway was simply baffling. I've always felt bad for the people who never got to see how good it once was.
The Scarlet Pimpernel - I adored the first version and was mostly bored by every successive revision, especially with the score changes.
Big I thought it was a fun show on Broadway, but the tour was a hideous mess. There was pretty much nothing left to like.
Seussical - Broadway had its problems, but the tour appeared as if it wanted to amplify the problems rather than fix them. What they did to the opening number looked like a conceptual experiment for a community college directing class.

[justafan2]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 10:49am

This opinion is not a revision of a show from out-of-town runs, but a change in a revival. I feel that the revival of Les Miz was cut-- musically,(much smaller orchestra), etc. that it didn't (couldn't) stand up to the original.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 10/4/10 at 10:58am

Follies. I can't think of a single revision in the West End production that improved on anything from the original Broadway production. I'm not a fan of the Roundabout version, but I can find one or two redeeming qualities if I really look hard.