Encore's God Bless You Mr Rosewater- Page 5

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/30/16 at 9:00pm

JayG 2 said: "Is there any chance they will record this one? "

According to someone further up in the thread, they heard directly from Jeanine Tesori that the intent was to have this Encores! performance recorded.

[mpkie]

Posted: 7/31/16 at 1:20am

So pleased with this production. Didn't know what to expect and certainly didn't think it was going to be so funny. I thought it'd be highly dramatic and serious. I felt the music served the story well, and many of the numbers were memorable, even if not the most sophisticated. I thought it was so adorable they used "Kilgore Trout" novels (and some non-Trout "books"... like "The Conservative Art"!) as the script books. I'd love one as a souvenir!

Santino Fontana is amazing and I just need more of him. So glad I didn't miss this.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/31/16 at 1:46am

Cesare2 said: "Any further word on whether this is going to be recorded?  Maybe the Rosewater Foundation can fund it.

 

"

Ms. Tesori  made some mention of a recording during her speech at the dress but as I recall she said something like we would like to make a recording. 

Most of us on here know the origins of Encores, the dusting off of older works that were not necessarily big hits, the short rehearsal periods and how the presentations moved from actors standing downstage with binders to fully staged productions: all maintaining the visual presence of a live orchestra. Newcomers are often confused with the script holding and some of the show selections. But it does seem that as of late the script holding has become more of a wink to the program's origins and we have become accustomed to that. But It is rather odd that in this particular piece some actors seemed to be clinging on to the script for dear life for all 6 performances.          .           

 

   

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 7/31/16 at 5:20am

Not sure how the attendance was the rest of the week but when i went Thursday almost the entire Balcony was empty, which was crazy for an Encore show. 

[macnyc]

Posted: 7/31/16 at 6:01am

The balcony was not sold for this production. That's not unusual for the summer Off-Center Encores, as I recall.

But I agree with you that this show didn't seem to be as well sold as previous productions. I attended the Saturday matinee.

Updated On: 7/31/16 at 06:01 AM

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 7/31/16 at 2:36pm

I was also at the Saturday matinee and was surprised by the rows of empty seats in the back of the orchestra. I recall much fuller houses at last summer's A New Brain and The Wild Party. 

As for the show itself, I found it to be completely charming especially in the hands of Santino. What a star. I also really enjoyed Rebecca Naomi Jones and Brynn O'Malley. Contrary to how earlier posters might have felt about the cheese nips song, I thought O'Malley's delivery of it was hysterical. Rebecca Naomi Jones had a great moment with her line about the Rosewater file having gone missing; the campiness of her delivery was just what the piece needed, and I think the production itself would have played even better had more moments like that been found.

I also want to comment on the use of the scripts. I understand the abbreviated rehearsal process doesn't always allow enough time to commit lines to memory, but I was off-put by how badly certain actors were still stumbling despite having their faces buried in their scripts. It's one thing to be noticeably reading off of the page but to be constantly tripping over your words is another. And for what it's worth, I'm not referring to James Earl Jones. I hardly noticed him referencing his script. All in all, though, it was still an enjoyable afternoon. Add me to the camp that's hoping for a recording of this cast.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 12:54pm

The house seemed pretty full Saturday night. I was in the mezz and there were some empty seats, but it was much more full than Runaways was.

Anyway, I loved the show. Pleasant surprise, and Santino was phenomenal.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 6:28pm

Don't think you can really compare A New Brain and The Wild Party because those are like cult shows to musical theater kids. Plus Groff and Foster are "names" to the theater crowd. Santino was great, but he's not quite at that level yet. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 7:24pm

Much preferred the artwork for the original production to Encores poster. As I recall, the original production had Rosewater standing wearing a firemans hat.

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 8:10pm

Mr Roxy said: "Much preferred the artwork for the original production to Encores poster. As I recall, the original production had Rosewater standing wearing a firemans hat."

Somebody posted it earlier in the thread if you want to take a look back!

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 8:13pm

RippedMan said: "Don't think you can really compare A New Brain and The Wild Party because those are like cult shows to musical theater kids. Plus Groff and Foster are "names" to the theater crowd. Santino was great, but he's not quite at that level yet."

Good points. Last summer was my first exposure to the Off-Center series, and I had assumed it was always that well sold. 

 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/1/16 at 9:33pm

I want a recording announcement *now*

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/2/16 at 1:19am

I think this summer did not sell as well because the selections were not very well known and they did not have the Star Power. Groff had a huge following as does Foster and Little Shop with Jake sold like hotcakes thus adding 2 performances. Little Shop was like a must see event. The Jamboree was sold out this year but then again it was only 1 night. Many of the regular Spring Encores do not sell that well in the balcony.

 The NY Times review for Rosewater was quite solid giving Fontana his due. I heard some people in the audience echo the notion that the musical seemed to intersect with the current political moment.

In listening to Tesori speak over the course of the summer she seemed as though she had a concept for the 201l6 lcsummer series as a whole. I think she was not too concerned with commercial viability and looked at the experience as a summer workshop that nurtured artists with varying degrees of experience as well as diverse ages, sexuality and race. She also wanted the shows to appeal to a diverse audience including the hearing impaired. I think her show selections were very personal and had played a big part in her own growth as artist.  I also think she felt the messaging (especially with Runaways) was important.

 

[Steve C.]

Posted: 8/5/16 at 5:13am

"...Mr Rosewater" please, this has to be recorded. It was such an Encores limited run and we couldn't get to NY. This show needs to be preserved as part of Howard Ashman's legacy and body of work. There are songs and video popping up on Playbill and YouTube but man!, I hope the whole show will be released. I also keep reading and hearing about how great Santino Fontana is as Mr. Rosewater.

They even have a clip of the "original" Mr. Rosewater (Fred Coffin) singing two songs at Howard Ashman's memorial service, accompanied by Alan Mencken on piano.  

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/5/16 at 11:21am

I legitimately get sad whenever this thread falls off the front page because all I want is more news about it.

[macnyc]

Posted: 8/5/16 at 11:42am

It is definitely a lovely score, and there are a lot of Menken/Ashman fans out there. But the show is definitely an odd duck, and I don't know how commercial a recording would be.

 

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/5/16 at 12:30pm

Probably it's biggest commercial impact would be on licensing for the show regionally (which is the actual reason for a lot of cast albums).  However, Encores isn't in the position of a lot of producers/investors of Broadway shows in getting part of that licensing profit for a period of time, which is the reason for a lot of cast albums' existence.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 1:20pm

Good news y'all

https://twitter.com/skylarastin/status/798951453272350721

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 3:05pm

Yay!!! So excited!

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 5:59pm

DAMN

Very exciting!

[Taryn]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 6:44pm

I literally gasped.  I am so thrilled and I really didn't think it would pan out.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 7:26pm

As Dave Chapelle said introducing A Tribe Called Quest on Saturday....

 

AT LONG LAST. 

 

I am so gotdang happy. 

Updated On: 11/16/16 at 07:26 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 8:55pm

YES! i'm so excited for this.

[BroadwayKiwi]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 11:52pm

Thrilled as well. From a friend involved (also the one who gave me the info about their hope to have an album made), they'll be in the studio in December

[TFMH18]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 12:58am

This thrills me for one reason: it implies hope for a recording of the recent Sunday in the Park with George (a thesp can dream)