BABY at Papermill

[andyf]

Posted: 10/9/04 at 12:05am

OK, first of all this is a LONG one, so brace yourself.

Did anybody else see this? It was brilliant.

I'd really like to see this reworked version come back. I HATE how the original ends, but, as I said in the other post, Maltby and Shire themselves even said in the BroadwayBeat interview that they had wanted to take these risks with the original production, but couldn't because it would have been "too dark" for Broadway.

SO....

They completely changed the story of the older couple and added a new song called "End of Summer". Basically in Act 2, I THINK just as Alan finishes "Easier to Love" Arlene screams his name cutting right through the moment.

I think right from there they went to a scene on a street where Lizzie runs into Pam on the street and asks Pam where she's been all summer, etc. and when Lizzie asks how Arlene is doing, Pam tells her that Arlene lost the baby. Cut to Lizzie visiting Arlene in the hospital - REALLY emotional. Liz feels HORRIBLE but Arlene is strong and it's really amazing. The end of that scene is underscored with the "I Want It All" piano cues and then this leads into the added song "End of Summer," a trio between the three women, lead by Pam. It's about how she needs to stop hiding and get out and face the world again. It's really a beautiful song and moment. The underscore basically works like "It Sucks To Be Me"/"For Now" how you can sing one in between the breaks in the other. So you hear the "I Want It All" notes and then Pam sings "blah blah blah blah cuz it's the end of summer..." ["I want it all"] "blah blah blah blah cuz it's the end of summer..." ["I want it all"].

Anyway the cast was unbelievable Chad Kimbal - Danny, Moeisha McGill - Lizzie, Norm Lewis - Nick, LaChanze - Pam, Michael Rupert - Alan, Arlene - Carolee Carmello.

The set was incredibly minimalistic, but it worked SO well, especially with the direction, which I heard was a big problem in the original production.

"Story Goes On" was honestly THE most powerful performance I have ever seen. Granted I wasn't around for the days of Ethel and whatnot, but just be happy I didn't say "Defying Gravity". Not only did Ms. McGill sing the sh*t out of the song, but the staging made it INCREDIBLE. As she made her way from the end of the second-to-last verse to the final verse the bed (which moved about the stage the whole show) was slowly pulled all the back and the lights got dimmer and dimmer until it was essentially just a spot on Moeisha. Then as she continued little LED's light up the ENTIRE stage like stars. Rigs of "stars" even came down from the fly so they seriously filled the ENTIRE space, side to side, front to back...it was GORGEOUS.

Anyway in the end, Arlene can't bare to go back to the house and her relationship with Alan quickly deteriorates, so she goes to stay with her mother. There's a phone call scene between the two of them right before the finale, where each of them is placed on a different leg of the stage, but I really didn't feel like focus was ever split. Alan basically tries to ask Arlene on a date and to try to start things over, but they're not even sure what "a date" means anymore...it's really cute.

So, in the finale we just have Lizzie giving birth and as they sing the reprise of "Story Goes On" Pam and Nick are making their way in to see Lizzie and Danny, and then Arlene and Alan walk on, reuniting, and go in to see everybody.

It was amazing, anybody else there?