2014 ENCORES! Announced - LITTLE ME with Christian Borle, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA with Shuler Henlsey & IRMA LA DOUCE- Page 2

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 5:15pm

I guess this is the year I become a subscriber!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 5:58pm

ray, I think Jerry Herman doesn't want his shows done at Encores. Because they should also do Dear World.

[mamarosesturn]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 6:06pm

I love the songs in LITTLE ME, so I'm so happy to see it's coming to ENCORES! I particularly love the spirit of the title song; besides, I'm five foot one...

Updated On: 5/24/13 at 06:06 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 6:40pm

Very excited about Most Happy Fella. One of my favorite Broadway scores ever, and Shuller Hensley is an excellent choice. His acting and singing will be first rate.

I think Kelli O'Hara, Erin Dilly or Erin Davie would all be great choices for Rozabella.

I'd like to see Cheyenne Jackson as Joey and Victoria Clark as Marie.

And either Megan Hilty or Jessie Mueller as Cleo.

Dream cast, I know.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 10:25pm

How about Judy Kaye as Marie?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 11:12pm

The trick will be finding the right IRMA and an amazing choreographer for LA DOUCE.
I'd like to see Chase Brock get a chance with this.
A lot of his work (outside of SPIDEY)shows the right enthusiasm for this dance heavy show.
Chris Siebert would be wonderful as the Male Lead.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 11:24pm

Speaking of DEAR WORLD, before I found out about this lineup last month, I was praying that Betty Buckley's DEAR WORLD might somehow make an Encores appearance.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 11:26pm

"ray, I think Jerry Herman doesn't want his shows done at Encores. Because they should also do Dear World."

You're probably right as Jerry Herman has been working with Musical Theatre West in Long Beach to revive "Mack and Mabel". Last night the first step in doing so was done, a reading of "Mack and Mabel" in concert with a great cast was held and I had the pleasure of seeing it.

John McDaniel was the musical director and the overture brought the house down. It was followed by "Movies Were Movies" with Davis Gaines as Mack. Another thunderous and well-deserved ovation. Gaines was a perfect Mack!

Mabel was well-played by Vicki Lewis with Darcie Roberts playing Lottie. "Tap Your Troubles Away" led by Roberts in the 2nd act was fantastic and many audience members including myself stood up when it was done. Darcie was amazing keeping up with the younger ensemble members four of which I had just seen as brides and/or brothers in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at La Mirada Theatre.

Frank, short for Frank Capra was played by David Burnham and he blew the house down with his rendition of "When Mabel Comes In The Room". He looked so delicious wearing those suspender pants complete with a bowtie.

Others in the cast were Robert Hoyt as Fatty Arbuckle; Andy Umberger as Kessler; James Campbell as Bauman and my favorite, Chuck Saculla as William Desmond Taylor!

It was a really good concert and the seeds are there for a revival or perhaps just being seen in other theatrical venues which the Executive Director of MTW, Paul Garmin said before the reading was one of Herman's wishes and theirs for a future season.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 5/22/13 at 9:16am

Billy Wilder's film version of IRMA didn't throw out all the music. I distinctly remember hearing as underscoring, "Dis-Donc" and "Our Language of Love."

But I've always wanted to see this on stage. Can Krysta Rodriguez dance? She'd make a good Irma, I think. If not, there's always Sutton Foster, who did a silly faux-French accent at Encores! ANYONE CAN WHISTLE.

I'm anxious to see Christian Borle in LITTLE ME. I wonder if he'll go the Sid Caesar route or will the role be split, as it was for Victor Garber and James Coco in the '80s revival?

I think Shuler Hensley will be thrilling in THE MOST HAPPY FELLA.

In short, this is an Encores! series I'm avidly looking forward to!

[newintown]

Posted: 5/22/13 at 11:34am

I hope Binder is a bit more aggressive in his casting next year; settling for merely adequate performers like Danny Rutigliano and Shonn Wiley this year sunk both Fiorello and On Your Toes for me.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 5/22/13 at 9:37pm

I think Danny R did a fine job as Fiorello. Shon Wiley was in and out and a not very well written role.
The rest of On Your Toes was fantastic.

No matter what they do (with the exception of Pipe Dream) i seen to have a better time at Encores than at Broadway Shows.

Updated On: 5/22/13 at 09:37 PM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 2:16am

Irma La Douce has music by Margurite Monnot, who composed many songs for Edith Piaf including one big hit in America, "The Poor People of Paris." The score is stunning and the orchestrations are amazing. It's about nine players, if memory serves me (I directed a production in the 70s) and I could just listen to that music for hours. It's also a great cast, all those guys and one woman.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-C8byo0ZQs

Updated On: 5/23/13 at 02:16 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 9:08am

"Shon Wiley was in and out and a not very well written role."

Perhaps you wrote that in haste - not that we actually saw the real book for On Your Toes at Encores, but the role launched Ray Bolger into a new level of stardom, and had the town talking about him non-stop.

The material may not appeal to mass current tastes, but to dismiss it as "not very well written" ignores the fact that it has been very successfully done for decades, and a great performer (as opposed to a merely OK one like Wiley) could have made it a real star turn.

The problem is that Binder isn't working hard enough to find star talent for every show, often settling for capable journeymen.

Updated On: 5/23/13 at 09:08 AM