110 In The Shade

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 3:49pm

i saw 110 in the shade last night at the hobby center in houston, tx...its starting a tour here and will open a rivival cast on broadway next season.

i wasnt really impressed. the invdividuals were talented, but as an ensemble, no one really connected. i would say the play, the rain maker, is by far a better show.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 3:58pm

Um, the production you saw has nothing whatsoever to do with the Broadway production that Roundabout is mounting for Studio 54 in the Spring. That one will star Audra McDonald and will be directed by Lonny Price. The Houston production is completely unaffiliated with the Broadway one.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 4:03pm

I would love to hear Audra sing those songs ... what a great match of role and voice.

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 4:09pm

oh, i know...i was just saying the actually show '110 in the shade' didnt impress me any. theres no doubt the broadway cast will be amazing, i was just referring the show as a whole.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 4:21pm

I've heard several longtime Broadway critics and theatregoers (including I believe Ken Mandelbaum) call Inga Swenson's performance in the original one of the greatest in the history of the musical theater. It'll be great to see McDonald take a crack at it.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:27pm

I really want to see this production.

do they offer student tickets? (to the Hobby Center one)

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:29pm

At least from the cast recording, Swenson is simply stunning. I'm slowly starting to see Audra as Lizzie, though there are few other performers who would be better suited.

[Zachary Goldfarb]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:44pm

Margo, are you Ken Mandelbaum?

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:48pm

Either Ken Mandelbaum or Ethan Mordden?

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:50pm

I did the show once and it is really, really awful. The songs are just plunked in, no one in the ensemble really has any reason to be there and the whole romantic plot is terribly unbalanced and we never do learn a thing about the poor sheriff who's supposed to be the third equal part to the whole mess. Throw in some music more old-fashioned than Rodgers and Hammerstein and it's really a painfully bland night at the theater. I can't fathom it playing to modern audiences at all.

[Zachary Goldfarb]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 7:51pm

lol that's funny about ethan mordden
who directed the houston production? is it a new physical production or did it look like another regional rental extravaganza?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 9:45pm

I love this show! I saw it for the first (and only) time at the Pasadena Playhouse and was pleasantly surprised.

Can you tell from my handle?

Popa, I agree with you about the ensemble -- they really only get one song and I think it's basically to make the understudies happy when they're not on.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/12/06 at 10:07pm

Roy Hamlin has directed the Houston production....

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 1:15am

apparently the houston cast is taking it on tour, which is really hard to believe, becasue the set and ensemble were very poorly put together.

i would love to see this show with a better cast and setting.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 1:27am

You haven't seen Michael Cervaris play the sheriff.
He was pure stiffled sexiness in the Roundabout reading with mcDonald!

[Marquise]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 4:17am

is this the same inga swenson who was on the television sit-com benson with robert guillame?

i had no idea she sang.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 4:21am

Indeed, that is her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inga_Swenson

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 6:52am

110 IN THE SHADE is a pretty good show. There's some ravishing music in it. However, the book is very heavy and takes over much of Act Two. It's sad that the composers didn't musicalize some of the dialogue between Lizzy's father and brothers.

Swenson dropped out of the original production when she injured herself in the onstage rainfall, didn'r she?

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 7:28am

They even probably did, Dollypop. According to the composers, they've written more than 100 songs for the show with most of them getting cut (a few preserved on the Lost in Boston series). I guess there must have been a few dealing with these scenes.
I'm sure it'll be a marvellous event with Audra. The score is one of my favorite scores of the 60s, especially this maginficent Rain Song.

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 10:55am

well since its be revived back to braodway, tom jones, composer and lyricist, added 4 new songs onto the score.

i saw the version with the new songs added

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 10:57am

Looking forward to seeing it. Heard about 6 of the cut songs & they were quite good

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 11:03am

They should have used Marin & Jason from the Pasadena Playhouse production for the revivial.

[Zachary Goldfarb]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 11:21am

where did you hear about this tour business? are they talking an actual TOUR, or just a joint production with a few other regionals (i.e. the show goes to atlanta and seattle after houston and they call it a "tour")?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 12:56pm

So true, 12bars, so true!

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/13/06 at 1:00pm

i doubt they are taking it on tour, since a lot of the ensemble are Humphrey School TUTS students