Any rumors for Next Years ENCORES?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:24pm

I know they were looking at some interesting titles like JUNO, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and the always mentioned THE GOLDEN APPLE.

Any insider buzz?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:26pm

Whatever it is, they had better pull together something good because they are starting to see erosion in their subscriber base.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:30pm

Would love it to be TWO GENTLEMEN.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:30pm

Yikes -- decline in subscription probably means we'll be seeing more and more familiar titles creeping into the line up....

But then, ENCORES has already done a healthy handful of the worthy musicals that are available to them. I wonder if they will ever consider opening up their criteria to include musicals that closed out of town like 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE or LOLITA MY LOVE...
Updated On: 5/18/05 at 02:30 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:35pm

Encores is really running into the same trouble that Broadway is running into. The original purpose was to listen to the music of forgotten shows. However, at $90 a ticket, the audience wants to be entertained on the same level as Broadway and that is more than Encores can deliver. And when audiences see how badly shows like "Purlie" were messed up, they don't want to bother.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:44pm

CHICAGO was the best and the worst thing that ever happend to ENCORES! I remember the first couple of seasons were basically straight concerts. The casts wore their own evening wear.

But in the last several seasons, ENCORES seems to have been operating under the guise of finding it's next hit Broadway transfer.

Adding sets and costumes has in my opinion been a mistake. It raises ticket prices and gives the audience a false expectation that they are seeing a Broadway production rather then a one week rehearsed reading.

I really wish they'd simplify...

Posted: 5/18/05 at 2:44pm

Is is it too soon for them to do Good Vibrations? Then they could record a cast album. Every show deserves a cast recording, expecially Good Vibrations!

[sparky310]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 3:03pm

really and how do you know that..are you a staff member there.trying to create bad press?hmmmmmmm

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 3:06pm

Sparky -- have no idea what your post means or who its directed to...

[sparky310]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 3:15pm

bummer

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 3:46pm

I would love to see IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE...IT'S SUPERMAN; NEW GIRL IN TOWN; and either DEAR WORLD or MACK AND MABEL. That would be my dream season.

[decotodd]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 3:53pm

I noticed that Reprise! next year is doing ON THE TOWN, CITY OF ANGELS and ZORBA. Excited to see the first two and curious about the third, of which I know very little except that it's Kander & Ebb.

Reprise is also doing interesting work on the Monday in between the two-week runs of their shows (when the main attraction is "dark). In January they did NEW BRAIN w/ Malcolm Gets; this week they presented SAM - Sam Harris' show. Would love to see SIDESHOW for one of these one-off type nights.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 4:26pm

I doubt that the Bernstein estate will let them do 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They have since turned it into "The White House Cantata" and doubt they'd let it out any other way.
I was part of an attempt to revive that show back in 1992 and after our performances at the Kennedy Center, they did one more workshop in NYC and then killed the project and made it a cantata.
There is a pretty nice recording (though it lacks theatrical flair) on Deutsche Grammaphone that captures most of the score.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 4:59pm

There are apparantly a lot of shows that haven't been done because of estate issues. IRMA LA DOUCE, LOVE LIFE, PIPE DREAM being just a few.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 5:05pm

I'd like to see them do THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM. I think Marc Kudisch and Alice Ripley would be great for that vehicle.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 5:14pm

MichaelBennett,

I don't know if this has been asked before, and I am too lazy to do a search right now. Do you happen to know what the criteria is for Encores to select a piece? Does it have to be a certain age or a certain number of years since it's been performed?

I've only seen vague explanations of how the shows are chosen, and it sounds to me like it really up to the discretion of the artistic director.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 5:26pm

"I don't know if this has been asked before, and I am too lazy to do a search right now. Do you happen to know what the criteria is for Encores to select a piece? Does it have to be a certain age or a certain number of years since it's been performed? I've only seen vague explanations of how the shows are chosen, and it sounds to me like it really up to the discretion of the artistic director."

It's really a decision between Jack Viertel, the artistic director, and the musical dirctor. One or two years, they passed out surveys to the audience, but I think they were just used as indicators.

The original intent was to pick shows that would not be produced anytime soon on Broadway and also some that didn't have a cast recording available and give them a first class "listen". As Michael Bennett stated above, they sort of abandoned that idea with Chicago (and subsequently Hair and Wonderful Town, all of which had Broadway potential).

It's my personal feeling that once Judith Daykin left, Encores began falling apart. With Rob Fisher leaving, and taking a good majority of the orchestra, it will continue to crumble.

Updated On: 5/18/05 at 05:26 PM

[justme2]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 5:32pm

Thanks Gothampc!

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 5:33pm

Reprise will not do Side Show because it had gotten an extended production a couple of years ago in LA. They are also doing an outdoors summer "Best of Broadway" concert at the Ford theatre this summer.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 6:05pm

Thanks for the info Michael...I always wondered why "Love Life" was never done and it's always been on the top of my list. I can't help wondering when I hear problems with "estate issues" what the issues truly are in respect to this show. Is it basically the estate not being happy with the product (similar to the Gershwin estate barring the film re-release of "Porgy and Bess") or is it of a financial nature? Whatever, it's a shame we're ultimately denied the exposure to the music. I'd love to hear more of the sixties' flops being done such as "Joyful Noise", "Gantry", yes "Lolita, My Love"(ok 1971), "Here's Where I Belong", "Hot September" and "Hot Spot". I have many of these on those Blue Pear live recording issues but the sound is so bad it truly is hard to judge the show. What I fear in many cases is the shows may just be so god awful that there might not be any entertainment value in even considering them. Yet all said, I'd still rather see an old flop I've only heard/read about rather than a "City of Angels" or the recently revived "On the Town". As for your post Sparky, I don't get it either. Care to elaborate?

Posted: 5/18/05 at 6:24pm

There will be a concert staging of "The White House Cantata" in Chicago this summer. Apparently that's as close as I'll ever come to seeing 1600 Pennsylvania Avenues!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 6:53pm

Demitri -- You are the only person I've ever heard mention LOLITA MY LOVE on this board besides me! I truly think its brilliant.

Though I don't think there is any one clear answer regarding why estates prevent shows from being presented, I think it tends to be over artistic issues more then money. The Steinbeck estate, for example, apparently won't let PIPE DREAM be done because they were unhappy with the adaptation. The Breffert estate has pulled all American rights to IRMA LA DOUCE because they don't like the translation.Michael Gore won't let CARRIE be done professionally again, because he views the entire experience as a painful memory.

And then of course you have some estates or writers that don't want Encores to revive their works, like Jerry Herman, because he still thinks MACK AND MABEL is going to get a first class Broadway revival independently before he dies.




Updated On: 5/18/05 at 06:53 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 6:59pm

I think it's the same with "Goldilocks". The artists weren't happy with the show.

Also, Bertolt Brecht's son was always very protective of his father's work.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/18/05 at 7:15pm

My wish list would be:

DEAR WORLD

HALLELUJAH, BABY!

ME AND JULIET

[sparky310]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 11:00am

i'd be protective of goldilocks ..what an awful show