2017-2018 Roundabout Season

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 10:15am

They announced for plays:  "The Last Match," "Amy and the Orphans," "Skintight," and "Too Heavy for Your Pocket."  They all sound interesting.  After seeing Significant Other, I'm probably most excited for Harmon's new one.  They normally do six a season, right?  I'm assuming there will be a musical in there somewhere.  

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 11:05am

Hopefully, we'll soon learn their 2017-18 Broadway season.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/18/17 at 12:10pm

Well they already announced those four, so we're only waiting on one or two others, right?

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:48am

Does anyone have any info on their Broadway season yet? 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 1:15pm

They've announced Time and the Conways. The rest is still TBD.

http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Time-and-the-Conways.aspx

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 4:14pm

I'm really hoping that the Maria Friedman Merrily We Roll Along will transfer.... Boston in the Fall and NYC in Winter/ Early Spring?? 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 4:19pm

hpeabody930 said: "I'm really hoping that the Maria Friedman Merrily We Roll Along will transfer.... Boston in the Fall and NYC in Winter/ Early Spring?? 

Eh.  I didn't care for that production.  I'd rather see a new production of Merrily.

 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 2:06pm

So their Off-Broadway shows are available for pre-sale, but still no word on the Broadway season?  Anyone have any info?

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 2:24pm

One of the musicals that Roundabout is doing is not a revival, it will be this shows first time on Broadway.  

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 2:32pm

Ooh! Any hints or news as to what it may be? An Off-Broadway transfer, a world premiere musical having never played anywhere else, previously out-of-town on its way to Broadway?

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 2:40pm

Hints or at least info on when they'll be announcing it?  

[JVJ93]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 2:53pm

If it's Chasing Rainbows I'll actually vomit. Horrid show 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 3:04pm

Maybe I'll be surprised, but aside from Too Heavy For Your Pocket, it doesn't sound like there's going to be very diverse casting for the Roundabout plays this season.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 4:47pm

GeorgeandDot said: "hpeabody930 said: "I'm really hoping that the Maria Friedman Merrily We Roll Along will transfer.... Boston in the Fall and NYC in Winter/ Early Spring?? 

Eh.  I didn't care for that production.  I'd rather see a new production of Merrily.

 I would be very interested to hear why you didn't like it.  I was one of the people who saw and hated this when it originally opened and ended Sondheim and Prince's amazing working relationship; but eventually, I also came to love most of the score.  

i purchased tickets for the Huntington engagement after seeing the reviews of the London production that was being imported.  (I thought it would be a quick sell-out, given its notoriety and the London reviews, but there still seem to be plenty of tickets available). Then I recently saw some excerpts on You Tube or somewhere, and really didn't like them at all.  I was also surprised to be hearing snippets of some new songs that did not make a positive first impression.  

One of the issues the show is always going to have is that a number of the characters are not likable and IMO party scenes almost never work on stage, and -- at least as I remember of the production 30 or so years ago -- there were several party scenes that played up how vapid the people at the party were.  What I saw the most in the recent snippets were the party scenes, and the people looked even more unlikeable than the first time around.  So I am a little scared. 

Why scared...I also talked 4 other people into buying tickets, based on London.  

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 5:04pm

I'm not sure what changes have been made for the transfer over the pond, but I saw the original production (it was a mess, but I loved it) and I missed the youthful energy that the OBC had.  Behind a dreadful production was a lovely show and a great cast (for the most part) and this new production went with older actors and one of the ugliest sets that I have ever seen, plus quite a few horrible American accents.  Jenna Russel was the only thing about it that I particularly loved, but I don't think she's transfering with the show.  Don't worry too much since it's still a chance to see a rare Sondheim show, even if it is a merely serviceable production.

I've said it before, but they should cast the show younger (Maybe Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and maybe Jonathan Groff) to appeal to a younger crowd who will probably find the show more relatable.  It loses some of it's charm with an older cast.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 5:48pm

GeorgeandDot said: "I'm not sure what changes have been made for the transfer over the pond, but I saw the original production (it was a mess, but I loved it) and I missed the youthful energy that the OBC had.  Behind a dreadful production was a lovely show and a great cast (for the most part) and this new production went with older actors and one of the ugliest sets that I have ever seen, plus quite a few horrible American accents.  Jenna Russel was the only thing about it that I particularly loved, but I don't think she's transfering with the show.  Don't worry too much since it's still a chance to see a rare Sondheim show, even if it is a merely serviceable production.

I've said it before, but they should cast the show younger (Maybe Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and maybe Jonathan Groff) to appeal to a younger crowd who will probably find the show more relatable.  It loses some of it's charm with an o9i

I am probably telling you something you already know, but that has been a creative issue with the show since it originally opened.  Trying to figure out why it was such a failure, more than a few critics of the original production criticized the decision to use younger actors, citing AS I RECALL lack of 'weight' in the heavy scenes.  Get the three that you mentioned and that would probably not be an issue.  (I assume Groff would be Franklin in our imagination).

Note: I also seem to remember Prince struggling to determine whether to use more mature actors or the young ones he ultimately chose.  I don't remember where I heard / read that.  I have to admit that -- knowing that the younger performers could not pull it off originally -- I am looking forward to seeing older performers, but am also hesitant, since the backward story telling means that they will become more challenged as the show progresses.  At least with younger performers, they become more age appropriate as the show progresses, i.e., you get further away from the casting problem, not closer.

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 5:53pm

Yeah, I think the original production was too young while the new production is too old.

I wish Prince had cast older actors.  I can't help, but imagine what the show would've been like with Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin, and Chip Zien in those roles.  It probably would have sold the show better and made it less confusing for the audience since the actors would be recognizable.  That whole production was such a hot mess.