4th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?- Page 2
4th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?
#254th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?
Posted: 7/7/20 at 12:25am
I love 1776; just watched the director's cut on Blu-ray the other night. I wanted to put SHENANDOAH into the mix, too.
DigificWriter
Leading Actor Joined: 1/23/12
#264th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?
Posted: 7/7/20 at 2:26am
My answer is Come From Away.
#274th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?
Posted: 7/7/20 at 6:38am
I was re-listening to the OBC of Ragtime with the libretto recently and I thought it was so beautiful and timely on so many levels. Sadly, I never saw this live because the revival closed just before I got to town. In theory, the show seems like it might bite off more than it can chew in terms of themes but I thought it really did a great job in exploring femenism, how conservative attitudes can change over time and how people can learn, people from different backgrounds interacting, the way systemic racism can drive people to get in unfortunate situations, and kill innocent people, the negative AND positive aspects of capitalism. All of this wrapped up with some brilliant, brilliant heartbreaking and technically brilliant performances from Brian Stokes Mitchell & Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald et al. it feels like the show is needed more than ever. I decided to go back and look at the NYTimes review and I was shocked at how dismissive it is.
"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
Updated On: 7/7/20 at 06:38 AM
KevinKlawitter
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/21/20
#284th of July poll: Favorite American History Theater That's NOT Hamilton?
Posted: 7/7/20 at 11:00am
Sidney Kingsley's play "The Patriots" is one I like, and in the wake of "Hamilton" it has an interesting place as a dramatization of how Hamilton was previously seen... elitist and largely contemptuous of democracy, but still enough of a believer in America that he was willing to compromise with Jefferson to keep Aaron Burr out of the White House.
Sidney Kingsley's work in general has been unfairly overlooked, I think, because of how influential it was. Half of the shows on TV these days can probably be traced back to either "Men in White" or "Detective Story".
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