Posted: 6/11/26 at 4:40pm
I hope Ariana stays in the production. If she drops out, though, I wonder who a good replacement for Arianna might be.
Posted: 6/11/26 at 5:10pm
Jarethan said: "Passionis a dirge, devoid of humor, and not a melodious song in the scoreIMO"
It's funny how I've had the opposite reaction to the score since I first heard the Broadway cast recording. I think it's filled to the brim with absolutely gorgeous melodies and harmonies, and that's why it's one of my favorite musicals despite the fact that it doesn't truly cohere as an effective union of story and song.
Full disclosure: the OBCR wasn't the first time I heard the score. I had seen a late preview of the original production and I didn't care for it. So obviously I respect your opinion, since I shared it for a few months in 1994. 
Posted: 6/11/26 at 5:31pm
When I saw the footage of Ms Peter's talking about the Passion internet rumors, I was reminded about when my 60-something co-worker showed me his Facebook and the AI deepfake ads he was getting with what was supposed to be the Canadian Prime Minister touting investment opportunities. I had to explain that it was a scam.
Posted: 6/11/26 at 5:54pm
Jarethan said: "Kad said: "And yet Groff starred in Merrily We Roll Along, one of the floppiest flops to ever flop.
I'm not a fan of Passion but if it's being revived with stars like Erivo and Groff, it will do well."
Merrily was not exactly Passion. In the intervening years since it originally flopped, a number of songs became well known, there had been a successful production in London that had been successful in Boston as well, the same director was mounting it again, it had humor. Franklin Shepherdwas the lead and a plum role.that was perfect for Groff.
Passionis a dirge, devoid of humor, and not a melodious song in the scoreIMO . It verges on 'atonal Sondheim'. When I originally saw it, about 50 people in the 2/3 filled orchestra had walked out before the performance was over; it clearly has limited appeal.It is essentially a vehicle for Fosca, which is why I could see Erivo wanting to be in it. But as a followup to Merrily and JIT, it makes no sense to me, unless it is a limited engagement by a son-profit subscription company, e.g., Rounabout or MTG or Lincoln Center in the Newhouse."
Listen...you can have whatever feelings you want about Passion. But do you have any idea how delicious it feels to sing the role of Giorgio? It is a friggin' feast for the chords. Especially in comparison to Franklin Shepherd. Is Fosca the showboat role? Yes. But Girogio has an astonishing arc for an actor...particularly an actor who has become known for lighter musical comedy work as of late but who possesses a pretty wide range (see Mindhunter). It makes all the sense in the world to me.
Posted: 6/11/26 at 6:19pm
When I saw the original production of Passion I hated it--at that time I was primarily a Company man--actually leaving the theater pissed off at Sondheim for not deigning to write a single melody, much less a song. And yet, in the years since, every time I've had a chance to see Passion, I have. And every time I have, I've loved it more and more until now it ranks as one of my favorite Sondheim scores with melodies -- yes, melodies -- that take my breath away. I suspect there are legions of musical theater lovers who have traveled that same journey.
Posted: 6/11/26 at 6:55pm
This is melodious enough for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3DEjxuoBaQ
Posted: 6/11/26 at 8:55pm
Cynthia singing “I read.” Yes please
Posted: 6/11/26 at 9:26pm
ACL2006 said: "Paddington likely becomes official once Moulin Rouge closes."
It will likely become official well before that, probably by the end of this month
Posted: 6/12/26 at 2:35am
I’d love to see a lavish production of Sunday in the Park with George starring Jonathan Groff and Jessie Mueller. Let’s celebrate our Broadway greats.
Posted: 6/11/26 at 11:19pm
It really surprises me how much people are devaluing the role of Giorgio in Passion. To me he forms the core of the story and the entire show succeeds or fails depending on the actor for Giorgio. Yes, Fosca is the central role that the story is about and it's a layered character that's incredibly nuanced, but the actual arc of the story and the largest development lies with Giorgio. I was surprised in reading the Hat book that Sondheim didn't seem to realize that either until Jamie Lloyd's production at the Donmar, so perhaps the original Broadway version was misguided in this way.
All that to say that while I'm dubious about this particular rumor, I do think Groff would excel as a Giorgio-type character but I also think he's a bit too old for it now.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 5:43am
chrishuyen said: "It really surprises me how much people are devaluing the role of Giorgio in Passion. To me he forms the core of the story and the entire show succeeds or fails depending on the actor for Giorgio."
IMO, the character of Giorgio is tasked with a lot of heavy lifting. During the original run, I recall that there were audience members who absolutely hated the character of Fosca in spite of what I thought was a very good performance by Donna Murphy. They found the character to be unacceptably cloying and obsessive.
Here's what AI returned when I queried, "reasons audience members hated Fosca in Passion" (AI cited exeuntnyc.com and natasciadiaz.com as its sources):
"Audience members often found Fosca in Passion to be unappealing due to her physical appearance and obsessive behavior, which many characters in the musical also criticize. Additionally, her intense and desperate pursuit of love can be perceived as uncomfortable or off-putting, leading to mixed reactions from viewers."
In order for the story to work (believably), the actor playing Giorgio has to somehow make the audience understand why he:
Even Sondheim said (re: his viewing of the original 1981 Scola film, Passione d'Amore):
"I realized that the story was not about how she is going to fall in love with him, but about how he is going to fall in love with her . . . at the same time thinking, 'They're never going to convince me of that, they're never going to pull that off.'"
IMO, there just isn't enough time for the book to convey that transformation. Sondheim's score and lyrics bear the brunt of that task, but they also have their time limits within a show that's longer than a musical's usual running time: 100 minutes (without an intermission).
Major kudos for the brevity of "Loving You" - still packing so much emotion. "Loving you is not a choice". As a Gay man who endured much discussion about, "being Gay is a choice" during that time, Sondheim's lyrics really packed a punch.
The actor playing Giorgio has to use their acting skills (and especially Sondheim's lyrics) to overcome that lack of time for exposition, and believably fill in the blanks for the audience so that:
So, yeah... I completely agree with you!
Updated On: 6/12/26 at 05:43 AM
Posted: 6/12/26 at 9:02am
I have a feeling that Jamie Lloyd is onto something. Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Groff with some clever direction might be exactly what the show needs.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 10:09am
Do we think Jamie is really going to have both Passion AND Evita in the same season as well as Much Ado? Nah that's not happening. I'd guess Passion is next season?
Posted: 6/12/26 at 11:42am
OhHiii said: "Do we think Jamie is really going to have both Passion AND Evita in the same season as well as Much Ado? Nah that's not happening. I'd guess Passion is next season?"
It's not unheard of. Michael Greif directed Days of Wine And Roses, The Notebook, and Hell's Kitchen all in one season. Scott Ellis did it with You Can't Take It With You, The Elephant Man, and On The Twentieth Century in one season.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 12:02pm
TheGingerBreadMan said: "OhHiii said: "Do we think Jamie is really going to have both Passion AND Evita in the same season as well as Much Ado? Nah that's not happening. I'd guess Passion is next season?"
It's not unheard of. Michael Greif directed Days of Wine And Roses, The Notebook, and Hell's Kitchen all in one season. Scott Ellis did it with You Can't Take It With You, The Elephant Man, and On The Twentieth Century in one season."
Not to mention, Evita and Much Ado just need to be remounted. No small task, of course, but they aren't starting from scratch. It's also possible that Passion starts in London.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 12:43pm
Groff doing RSC's As You Like It into a 2027 London Passion before making a NYC bow sounds possible.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 5:27pm
Jamie Lloyd is obsessed with Broadway. I think everything he does at this point is geared toward getting his shows to Broadway for the fame and fortune.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 2:02pm
Neither of these tidbits are secrets nor terribly new. And one is all but officially confirmed, the other just a rumor. Might it be true? Sure.
As to Groff's interest. Who should have guessed that Just in Time would be Groff's fan base's interest? I really thought it might flop. I don't think he chooses his projects based on his fans at all. He chooses what interests him.
Posted: 6/12/26 at 2:42pm
TotallyEffed said: "It's not unheard of. Michael Greif directed Days of Wine And Roses, The Notebook, and Hell's Kitchen all in one season. Scott Ellis did it with You Can't Take It With You, The Elephant Man, and On The Twentieth Century in one season."
Not to mention, Evita and Much Ado just need to be remounted. No small task, of course, but they aren't starting from scratch. It's also possible that Passion starts in London."
Michael Greif and Scott Ellis don't strike me as so conscious of self-competition as a Jamie Lloyd. Particularly when it comes to pitting two revivals and two leading ladies against each other in the same season. I could be wrong! But it would surprise me.
