Bounce/Road Show

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 12:37pm

Here we go again. I guess at this point ANYTHING new by Sondheim is cause for jubilation. But, playing the Devil's Advocate -- When Bounce/Road Show was still going under the name of Wise Guys with Nathan Lane and Victor Garber, it never got off the ground. Although I did not see that production, a close friend (and Sondheim addict) did and said that the subject matter seemed to defy musicalization. It would seem to me that, after the better part of ten years tinkering and reworking, the problem just may be with the subject matter. The recording of Bounce isn't all that great (okay, go ahead and shoot) and the fact that the material has defeated some of our best performers says that something is wrong. I'm reminded of Gloria Swanson's comment re: Queen Kelly, the aborted movie directed by Von Stroheim. Swanson's stated that, "Some films just weren't meant to be born." An intersting failure, yes. But a failure by any other name is still a failure. I have thrilled to some of Sondheim's work in the past and I'm sure the Sondheim aficianados will be out there en masse. But I have a hunch that this will go the route of Merrily -- some stuff that is good, even great, but something fundamentally very wrong. Just my opinion. Don't be too rough on me.

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 12:37 PM