A few questions on "Steel Pier"- Page 3

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 7:53pm

On My Favorite Broadway:The Leading Ladies, audiences went crazy with Everybody's Girl (judging from the DVD/CD), was it a number that just didn't work within the context of the show? Or it was staged differently for the one-night performance? I personally loved Debra Monk on this video, she milked the song very well.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 8:05pm

As I said earlier, every time I saw it the audience went nuts for her. I can only speak for the three performances I attended.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 8:07pm

Loved the show & score. An underappreciated show

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:02am

re: Everybody's Girl...

The song never actually stopped the show because in the 3rd verse (or encore) - not on the OCR - Shelby gets upstaged by one of the other dancers who manages to steal her thunder (and all the coins thrown to her.) So, after the main part of the song (the part on the OCR) there was great applause and she begins the encore which is cut off.

Still, in the show it was staged with Shelby at a radio mic doing a "performance" song for the radio listeners and the other dancers. There was nothing much more to the staging. And the song didn't have anything to do with the plot.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:46am

I remember falling in love with this score as a pre-teen, when I heard it aired on Richard Ouzinian's radio show "Say It With Music" here in Canada. While I know very little about it, I have always hoped that it was reworked and revived.

So my question to you is: Is there a playwright or librettist that you think could fix the book problems, or a director you would trust in keeping the show flowing and active on some level at all times? Any cast suggestions?

Because I have always wanted to see it, and I'm not so sure I'll ever get the chance.

Also can someone describe the sets (or if they have come across pictures thats even better!)

Akiva

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:04am

I totally agree with Rath here. Kristin was indeed someone the audiences took notice of. The performance I saw was certainly a show stopper. It stopped the show. She gets interrupted and then finishes the number I thought. At any rate the audience went wild the first chance they got. Mind you I did think the song had potential to be too long. But in the hands of Kristin, I could care less. I don't think it's a thankless role. If it is then it's even more of a credit to Kristin because the audience certainly appreciated her at curtain call. I'm not sure what you mean by she over sang the song.

Debra Monk def stopped the show I saw. There was a huge applause in between the song itself and the encore. There was applause for a good 30 sec. which is kinda long.

At any rate, I really felt bad for Karen Ziemba too. I thought she was phenominal in that show. Lvoinlife I don't know what you saw in her performance in Contact but she truly was a dancing actress. I thought she was great. Apparantly so did the Tony voters.
Updated On: 1/13/06 at 03:04 AM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:38am

So my question to you is: Is there a playwright or librettist that you think could fix the book problems, or a director you would trust in keeping the show flowing and active on some level at all times?

I know some here wil disagree, but (having seen the show) I never thought that direction or casting were major problems.
The biggest liability is the book, and it's not awful but (as mentined in several posts here) needed more work. Maybe STEEL PIER should have been workshopped and opened a year or two later. I am not sure who should revise it. Revising books is tricky and most attempts have failed badly. (Exhibit A: the 2003 FLOWER DRUM SONG!)

Producer Roger Berlind had his hands full with two troubled musicals starting previews and opening in March/April 1997. STEEL PIER was doing better at the box office (averaging 70-80%) while THE LIFE was struggling (40-60%). As summer approached neither show was racking up much in advance sales but THE LIFE had won 2 Tonys (Chuck Cooper, Lilias White) while STEEL PIER won none. Berlind had to put his effrts into one show over the other and (I'm guessing here)he chose THE LIFE because he could advertise those Tony wins.

Because I have always wanted to see it, and I'm not so sure I'll ever get the chance.

You will... there are a lot of regional/community stagings. Here in Toronto the students at Randolph Academy did it 3 summers ago, and several community groups here are considering it for future seasons.

Also can someone describe the sets (or if they have come across pictures thats even better!)

I still have the press kit that was sent to me with several nice b&w pics, plus there are a few colour pics in the booklet that comes with the CD. The most amzing piece was adream/fantasy sequence at the top of Act II where a stunt plane was assembled on a stage-wide elevator. Some f that is preserved on the Tony Telecast. (Did you see the "Everybody Dance" number on the Tonys?)

PM me for more info, Akiva.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:41pm

"Steel Pier" indeed has problems. Most of these problems lie in the show's book. The book is confusing as is the plot. The show's score is excellent and includes some great songs, among them:
Willing to Ride
Second Chance
Power is a Wonderful Thing (I think I got the title wrong)
Everybody's Girl
Running in Place (great dance spot)
First You Dream

Karen Ziemba gave a great performance. Gregory Harrison was chilling as her maniac of a husband.
I think the score is one of Kander and Ebb's best, ranking with "Chicago" and "The Rink."

[Jon]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:59pm

I particularly love the dance music arrangements, and the instrumental "Rita's Theme" - the love theme, if you will, is just gorgeous. It gives me chills.

Another musical moment that gives me chills is during the instrumental break in the middle of "Willing to Ride" - there's what is sometimes called a "pyramid" of horn notes that build up to the return of the main melody - on stage, the set was changing - the Steel Pier building exterior came in and on each of those horn notes, one of the big letters lit up - S-T-E-E-L P-I-E-R - in time to the music.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:42am

Exactly how is the plot of STEEL PIER confusing?

If anything there isn't enough of it, so the authors try (unsuccesfully) to interest us in the secondary characters.

But I agree it's a great collection of songs making a fine cast album.

I'm sorta surprised at how many people here have come to love the score through the cast album.