Best Revival ever? — Page 2

#26

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/9/06 at 10:37pm

I've gotta go with KISS ME, KATE.


I am in love with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie in that....not to mention that's how I fell in love with Amy Spanger...


I constantly find myself listening to the revival cast recording 10 times more often than I do the original...

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"Cages or wings, which do you prefer?"-- Tick, Tick...BOOM!

#27

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/9/06 at 10:58pm

I believe the best revival of a musical that I've seen is the 1996 revival of The King & I as well as the revival of Wonderful Town both headlining Donna Murphy. Also, of course the Chicago revival earns my vote but only for the first years of the production, I remember the electric performances of Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Ruthie Henshall, Karen Ziemba, Frances Ruffelle and Ute Lemper, they simply cannot be compared to some of the less-than-stellar performances I've observed in the past couple of years.

#28

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/9/06 at 11:26pm

There haven't been too many remarkable revivals. I think it's hard to choose a best, as there are too many things to take into consideration - but here are certainly some that would enter into the running:

THE THREEPENNY OPERA (1977)
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (1981)
ANYTHING GOES (198
CAROUSEL (1994)
THE KING AND I (1996)
CHICAGO
CABARET
KISS ME, KATE
NINE
BIG RIVER
THE PAJAMA GAME
SWEENEY TODD

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"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#29

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/9/06 at 11:31pm

Well, if we're gonna go all the way back I am pretty sure that most people who were around at the time would argue that the most important and best revival to grace the stage is the 1971 No, No, Nanette revival.

#30

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/9/06 at 11:39pm

42nd street in 2000
gypsy in 2003

#31

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 12:28am

Revivals that topped the original productions? Well CABARET (199 for sure (although I DO miss "Meeskite.")

The 1971 NO NO NANETTE was sparkling and ran nearly 3 times as long as the original.

But my choicve would be Merman in the Lincoln Centre revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1966) about which she said "We only intended to do that for 5 weeks, but it was such a good production we took it on the road, then brought it back to New York to the Broadway theatre."

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Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#32

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 9:29am

I would also mention the Lincoln Center production of Carousel. That one production made me really like the show, and took it to a higher plane than did the movie (I did not see the original production from the 50s). The priduction values (sets, costumes, lighting, orchestra) were mesmerizing.

I also liked the Trevor Nunn production of OKLAHOMA! that I saw in London. Hugh Jackman added a sexiness to the role of Curly, and Jud Fry was a sociopath. Loved it. Fortuantely this production exists on DVD

#33

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 10:21am

I really liked the Threepenny Opera.....but certainly not the best. Some may kill me.... but i loved the Revival of You're a good man charlie brown. The cast was amazing although it didn't last long. I really do miss it

#34

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 3:24pm

Cabaret
Chicago
Carousel
Showboat

#35

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 3:43pm

Sweeney Todd! The staging was amazing and the difference from the original was definitely a welcome original. As much as I loved Kiss Me Kate, I still have to go with Sweeney Todd.

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Dancing through life... For the next ten minutes

#36

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 4:08pm

i guess you mean musical revival, yes?
i saw the wonderful PACIFIC OVERTURES at the donmar in '03. i loved the Tyne GYPSY which was in 1991 (?)
while i enjoyed many aspects of the LCT CAROUSEL, i thought the male lead left much to be desired.
also the theater for the deaf BIG RIVER was something special.

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"You can't just leave a meringue once you start it!"

#37

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 4:15pm

The two best musical revivals I have ever seen are without a doubt Sam Mendes' extraordinary Cabaret, and John Doyle's visionary Sweeney Todd.

Honorary mention to the afromentioned Kiss Me, Kate.

#38

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 4:38pm

'94 CAROUSEL

The beauty was overwhelming. I started crying in the first five minutes. The theatre was saturated with deep feeling - a rare and extraordinary experience.

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Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart; and you'll never walk alone.

#39

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 4:44pm

Angela Lansbury in Gypsy back in the 70s I'm only sixteen, so obviously I did not see it, but i have the cast album. She was so good in the role. Angela really makes up for nat having the ideal singing voice with ACTING!

#40

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 5:35pm

For me, it's a tie between Cabaret and Kiss Me, Kate. Both utterly fabulous and perfect productions.

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"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.

#41

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 5:37pm

My vote goes to Sweeney Todd. Doyle practically re-invented the show.

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"Everybody has a different idea of love. One girl I know said, 'I knew he loved me when he didn't come in my mouth.'" ~ Andy Warhol

#42

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 5:48pm

The Hal Prince Show Boat. AMAZING.

#43

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 5:51pm

Pajama game running a close second to Kiss Me Kate.

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"It does what a musical is supposed to do; it takes you to another world. And it gives you a little tune to carry in your head. Something to take you away from the dreary horrors of the real world. A little something for when you're feeling blue. You know?"

#44

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/10/06 at 6:25pm

Cabaret 1998
Sweeney Todd 2005

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A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

#45

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 10:45am

The King and I with Donna Murphy.

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"The only way we live beyond our lives is to connect and carve ourselves into the souls of those we love." -Little Fish

#46

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 11:49am

Cabaret
Sweeney Todd
Kiss Me Kate
Wonderful Town

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There wouldn't be lights bright enough!

#47

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 11:57am

BROADWAYBOY-

That's the original in London. Not a revival.

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#48

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 12:09pm

The King & I (Donna Murphy & Lou Diamond Phillips) was a brilliant revival. Probably the best one I've seen. It was a phenomenal recreation of the original production while also being true to the times and switching a few things up a bit instead of making the entire experience overly nastolgic. It was entertaining, sumptuous, and featured some first-rate performances.

#49

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 12:26pm

Chicago
Oklahoma (Trevor Nunn version)

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Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you. --Cartman: South Park ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."

#50

re: Best Revival ever?

Posted: 11/11/06 at 12:29pm

Sweeney... it was so original, and Patti's re-invention of Mrs. Lovett was brilliant...

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What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!