Anybody Know Anything About RING OF FIRE?

[ccpdramaking]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:23am

So I'm auditioning next week for the national tour of Ring Of Fire, a musical about Johnny Cash, but that's about all I know about it. So I was just wondering if maybe anybody had seen it or heard any reviews of it????

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:32am

I believe the Ring of Fire reviews as well as many opinions were posted on this board.

[ccpdramaking]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:47am

Where?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:49am

Ring of Fire is a hard show to categorize. There's no real plot....it's not actually about Johnny Cash, it's more or less a revue of his music. Very little dialogue, just the story of a weary musician's life told through Cash's music.

[ccpdramaking]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:52am

is there acting, or is it just songs?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:53am

It's not like 12 people on a stage just singing. It requires some kind of acting. Minimal, at best.

From what I recall, there are different characters, of course. I believe it's either three or four couples, all of whom end up playing husbands and wives, parents and children, etc.

One of the segments is about a family of farmers that is affected by a drought and then a flood.

The Broadway production made great use of virtual sets, I don't know if that's going to continue on tour. Updated On: 5/3/07 at 09:53 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:54am

The cast is six people plus musicians. The story loosely follows Johnny's life from boyhood to retirement. The three men allude to Johnny at different ages (young man, middle age, maturity) and the three women represent June at different ages. However, all six and the musicians are onstage for the entire show. The show covers the majority of his hits (although one of my favorites is missing--the song where he worked in the car factory and took home spare parts in his lunch box).

Updated On: 5/3/07 at 09:54 AM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:55am

The Reviews

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:56am

I don't recall any need for acting. All they do is sing. I can't believe they are touring this crapfest. Well, I guess at least the rest of the nation will get to suffer this putrid show too.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 9:57am

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97300.html

Here is an article about the creation of the show. And plot.

[ccpdramaking]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 10:14am

wow a lot of people hated this show...

[bk]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 12:29pm

The tour will be just as successful as the Broadway show - not.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 12:42pm

It's my understanding that this version is different than the Bway flop and that it's more along the lines of a bio-musical now...but that could be complete BS.

My guess it that most audiences will like it...esp if they play the rural routes.

[bk]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 3:09pm

And my guess is that most audiences won't give a flying Wallenda and that the producers will lose yet more money for their investors. The fact that they can even FIND more investors after to fast foldo on B'way is more astonishing than the fact it's going to tour.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 3:12pm

Sure. Act 1 was a flop. Couldn't tell you about Act 2, though, as I wasn't able to make it through without killing myself.

[lawyerman]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 4:09pm

Ring of Fire was probably the worst 2 hours i have ever spent in the theater. the fact that everyone around me was loving it and so into it only made it worse.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 4:49pm

It is not that Ring of Fire was bad per se, but to quote Alice B. Toklas on Oakland "there was no there there".

The show as done on Broadway had no real raison d'etre and all Johnny Cash's musical edges were smoothed out.

It was earnest and well-meant which are lofty ways of saying 'dull'.

Perhaps this revision will work better that the Broadway show or even just work less earnest-and-well-meant.