Mostly glowing reviews for the revival which opened yesterday at Chichester helmed by Stroman and starting Charlie Stemp. Suspect they’ll try to move it to the West End, but would love to see it here in the city on day. I remember the original fondly. Great escapist entertainment!
Really thought the Tony Yazbeck led production would have happened by now. I guess this is the next possibility, but it would still be years away.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I saw this a few days ago and fell in love with it. I’d never seen a production of this show live before and there’s just something about a big old fashioned musical that makes me sad we don’t see more productions like this anymore. and Stemp is a genuine star.
Anxious to hear a bit more from Jordan as well. The set looks a little lacking, but the casting couldn’t be better. I’m guessing the Yazbeck iteration of this is no more. Hoping we get a lavish revival of this, with Stemp in tow.
I went to the second preview, and for those of you putting out other names - nobody can do this better than Charlie Stemp. He is electric in this role - finally able to see him in a starring role again and he delivers and then some. Really fabulous production.
So as I said before, I don't know if anything had been cut/added as I'd only ever seen this show on video and that was a long time ago. The song list for anyone interested, is -
Act One Overture K-ra-zy for You I Can't Be Bothered Now Bidin' My Time Things Are Looking Up Could You Use Me Shall We Dance? Entrance to Nevada Someone to Watch Over Me Slap That Bass Embraceable You Tonight's The Night I Got Rhythm
ACT TWO Entr'acte The Real American Folk Song is a Rag What Causes That? Naughty Baby Stiff Upper Lip They Can't Take That Away From Me But Not For Me Nice Work If You Can Get It Bidin' My Time (French reprise) Things Are Looking up (reprise) Finale
But again, as a whole I found this to be an almost perfect production. I never want to see anyone besides Stemp in this role and really, I just want him in everything. I love him so much and I think he's our next great Musical Theatre star. At least I hope he is.
That song list looks like nothing has been added or deleted from what I remember of the production I did (back in 2007 in St. Louis, so it's been a hot minute)
I’d like to see Charlie in the show because Tony was awfully good in that one 25th anniversary performance at Lincoln Center. I think he was more responsible than anyone for the really enthusiastic reception. Besides his singing and dancing talents he brought a certain goofiness to the role that just fit.
After that one night, Susan became determined to put on the revival and she workshopped the show with Tony and Laura in January, 2018. But no Broadway announcement was ever made. Although theater availability and problems in scheduling were brought up as reasons for the delay, I wonder if they just needed more investors. I thought that that’s what they were trying to do last August when they were to perform excerpts from it in front of a group of theater lovers in the Hamptons.
I have never heard back the story of what took place last August, but there must’ve been quite a blow up. Laura recently broke silence about the event on Instagram just enough to tell everyone that she hadn’t felt like singing or performing live since what happened last August. But I’m sure this is the last place that she would find much sympathy.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I’m guessing were a transfer ever to happen they’d try to bring Stemp and perhaps recast the other primary roles (Polly and Zangler). Thinking Danny Burstein might make a good Zangler.
For a matinee performance where the average age was 150, the reception in the theatre was electric. I’m not a betting man but if I were, I’d have to imagine they’re gonna make sure Charlie and this production finds a nice big home on the West End.
I should think the Guardian review alone would boost the odds of a transfer: “Infectious melodies, superb choreography, irresistible comedy and astonishing performances!”
On the surface, this is just another Nice Work, a silly story based on the real musical of that time and stuffed with a half dozen extra songs by the composer. Kelli O'Hara sings "Someone to Watch Over Me" while holding a shotgun.
OlBlueEyes said: "On the surface, this is just another Nice Work, a silly story based on the real musical of that time and stuffed with a half dozen extra songs by the composer. Kelli O'Hara sings "Someone to Watch Over Me" while holding a shotgun.
I wonder why this one works?"
IMO, Crazy for You is far superior to Nice Work. Better script, better characters, better Gershwin song selection & better use of the songs in the story.
Don't neglect My One and Only, one of the great out of town saves in theatre history. It had this very loose, anything goes quality that really resembled those anarchic 1920s Gershwin musical comedies. Great choreography, wild visuals, an oddball chemistry between Tommy Tune and Twiggy and sensational orchestrations. Probably my favorite of the three "new" Gershwin musicals.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.