Actor-Musician shows

[timote316]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 8:36pm

I was reading the article about the new Evita production (linked below), and it mentions that John Doyle (who directed Sweeney) is doing a new production of "Mack and Mabel" with the same concept: actor-musicians. I've never seen M&M, so I can't judge, but what other shows could this concept work for?

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 8:40pm

Well there have already been a few that were originally conceived that way:

Pump Boys & Dinettes
Oil City Symphony


They both come to mind and were intended to be that way.

[stage_door76]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 8:52pm

In a sense Cabaret.

But I presume you already thought of that

[roquat]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:32pm

I'd like to see SWINGTIME CANTEEN, which is about an all-female swing band during WWII, but it is very hard to cast.

Ditto RADIO GALS. Has ANYONE else heard of this show, which is about an illegal radio station being run out of a music teachers' home in the 1920s? The actors sing, dance, and play their own instruments (one woman has to play six). It has one of the thinnest plots ever (even for musical comedy) but the songs are some of the most appealingly silly flights of fancy I ever heard, and watching the actors' teamwork is exhilarating.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:36pm

Can't you all see June and Louise and Herbie playing a 3-person brass section during Rose's Turn? That would actually add a greater depth to the song.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 11/13/05 at 10:09pm

I just thought of one that would be amazing:

Ragtime

I'm sorry, but I am very proud of this thought. I think since the music is such a big part of the show and a metaphor for the changing times, and social classes, it would add that much more depth to it. I have a feeling we will see this soon enough.

Akiva

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 5:49pm

Bump, just because I'd love to hear some other suggestions...

Akiva

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 6:00pm

Sunday in The Park With George would be amazing like this. There are so many interspersed characters. Also, Nine would be a good show to have the cast play musical instruments.

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 6:02pm

I HAVE SEEN RADIO GALS!!!! I loved the show and thought it would be a success someday. The plot was week, but, with tweeking it could have been a major stage piece.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 6:34pm

I still just don't see this as adding something other than a "stunt" to the part. And this is coming from someone who played the cello as Henrik in "A Little Night Music!" The role actually called for it. It was written into the script.

If the role doesn't call for it, leave it alone. Let's try to come up with other ways to keep it fresh, or let's write NEW shows to wake things up if we're tired of looking at the old ones the same way for the 40th time.

It's almost as silly and baffling as having the actors BAKE something on stage while they're acting.

"I see Harold Hill stirring a big pot of spaghetti sauce, whereas Marion is more of a meatloaf girl, traditional you know, and little Winthrop can help Mrs. Paroo with making cute little chocolate chip cookies."

Ugh. It's not interesting. It's not character-developing. It's distracting and irritating. I don't need to see them do card tricks or spin plates either. It isn't the Ed Sullivan Show.

Updated On: 11/20/05 at 06:34 PM

[Horton]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 7:46pm

At a community theater I once saw Joseph being done that way,it really worked. I can also invision Candide in that same fasion

[IssaMe]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 7:43am

Buddy and Ring of Fire.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 9:38am

Atta girl, best!

I keep hearing as to how this aspect of performance deepens a show. I'm completely flummoxed by that. Sure, it's fun to watch...and a tour de force for people who can really do it, but if you need to make your actors play instruments to find depth in SWEENEY TODD or RAGTIME, then ya don't have good actors.

[jasobres]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 10:04am

So does Hairspray.

I think Barnum might work as an actor-musician musical.

Updated On: 11/21/05 at 10:04 AM

[nickatnight]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 11:19am

The best I've seen in recent years has to be "Hank Williams Lost Highway"....that band of his was tight, and they are all actually primarily actors (like Myk Watford from "Take Me Out" and Steven Anthony)with huge acting roles in the show.