City Center's 24-25 Season: Ragtime, Urinetown, LaChiusa's Wild Party, Love Life- Page 13

[willep]

Posted: 11/10/24 at 10:15pm

Skip23 said: "
You can't beat that original cast. They brought such conviction to the roles and their voices were all stellar. Not so in this cast. And the Encores!bug-a-boo showed its ugly head again...that sound designer/tech should be shot.
"

Let’s maybe not use this rhetoric?

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/10/24 at 10:58pm

TheatreMonkey said: "CoffeeBreak said: "...
It wasn't on par with the original Broadway cast, direction or production by any means - but a basic serviceable staged concert with a (mostly) strong cast."

You do realize that"staged concerts" are what Encores! does, right? Of course it won't have the same production values as a full-fledged show -- and the cast hasn't had the same amount of time to truly dig into their roles (yet). Though not surprised you didn't like deBessonet's direction..."

Yes, I know that Encores does concerts / staged concerts.  We've been going for over 15 years.  (eye roll)   The cast and orchestra were the best parts of Ragtime.  It would be great to see a lot of this cast in a full production with better direction.  That would elevate it to a necessary, and unforgettable revival.  
 

Updated On: 11/10/24 at 10:58 PM

[Dan6]

Posted: 11/10/24 at 11:05pm

I saw the 1997 original (though in the pre-Broadway LA run with LaChanze and John Rubinstein instead of Audra and Peter Friedman) and the 2009 Broadway revival, and Ragtime is one of my personal all-time top 5 musicals. Came from LA to see the closing performance tonight and am very glad I did. Sure, there are things that can’t be fully realized in a concert staging, and there were moments when I missed some of the choices from the prior productions, but just hearing that score performed by a full orchestra and some magnificent voices is enough of a treat…and there’s no denying the timeliness of the material. Three mid-show standing ovations tonight (Wheels of a Dream, Back to Before, and Make Them Hear You). Hoping for a transfer!

[Popular]

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

Dan6 said: "I saw the 1997 original (though in the pre-Broadway LA run with LaChanze and John Rubinstein instead of Audra and Peter Friedman) and the 2009 Broadway revival, and Ragtime is one of my personal all-time top 5 musicals. Came from LA to see the closing performance tonight and am very glad I did. Sure, there are things that can’t be fully realizedin a concert staging, and there were moments when I missed some of the choices from the prior productions, but just hearing that score performed by a full orchestra and some magnificent voices is enough of a treat…and there’s no denying the timeliness of the material. Three mid-show standing ovations tonight (Wheels of a Dream, Back to Before, and Make Them Hear You). Hoping for a transfer!"

 

Saw the same production as you in LA (miss the Schubert in Century City!) and came to NY to see this production as well. 3 mid show ovations last night as well in the same places - loved it!!  I could’ve basically cut and copied your thoughts and hoping for a transfer too.

 

[Huss417]

Posted: 11/11/24 at 12:33am

Tonight was a great night. The one thing I noticed tonight was the license plate numbers on the car was the date of the show opening on Broadway 011898NY

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 11/11/24 at 12:40am

Can confirm fundraising is happening for a potential transfer. They want the Palace. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 11/11/24 at 6:29am

Hope it happens. I know a couple of people who didn’t make it to City Center but would love to see it. And I’d go again.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:11pm

Just got an email saying “Wild Party” cancelled and “Wonderful Town” is taking its place. Seats are being automatically switched over which is nice, at least. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:12pm

Fingers crossed they get Donna back.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:17pm

Wonderful Town? Talk about a downgrade.

I’m never going to get to see LaChiusa’s Wild Party live, am I?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:17pm

Damn it!  I've never had a chance to see EITHER Wild Party!   Grr.  

 

Jordan - I haven't rec'd an email yet - are they also offering refunds?  (I don't know that I care to see WT.  (I've never bgeen exposed to it.)

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:18pm

The director of Cats: The Jellicle Ball is at the helm of this one, so I have no idea what it's going to look like. Love the music to begin with, but we'll see what he does with it. Color me intrigued.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:18pm

I've never heard of a show having a scheduling conflict...? Stars, yes. But shows?

[Kad]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:19pm

Wonderful Town is solidly a "I guess?" choice for me, particularly as a replacement for an extremely rarely seen show.

Updated On: 11/13/24 at 12:19 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:22pm

dramamama611 said: "Jordan - I haven't rec'd an email yet - are they also offering refunds? (I don't know that I care to see WT. (I've never bgeen exposed to it.)"

Yeah there’s a link in there to request a refund 

[Tenor8674]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:23pm

Again? Meanwhile, I've been waiting too long to see another show from that same year, ME & JULIET. Ugh!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:25pm

Tenor8674 said: "Again? Meanwhile,I've been waiting too long to see another show from that same year, ME & JULIET. Ugh!"

That’s my number one request for Encores fo FINALLY do. I’ve been asking for it for so many years. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:25pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "I've never heard of a show having a scheduling conflict...? Stars, yes. But shows?"

The show didn't have a scheduling conflict- the creatives involved with the show did.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 12:29pm

FWIW they did say they're still planning on doing Wild Party in 2026. 

From what I've heard it sounded like Jack Viertel had a personal vendetta against Me and Juliet? 

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 1:18pm

Seems like it was a director conflict, and they elected to reschedule the show rather than replace the director. A shame, but Wonderful town is a lovely score. 

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 1:27pm

Will Linda Mugleston take over the role of Ruth again?

[Tenor8674]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 2:33pm

chrishuyen said: "FWIW they did say they're still planning on doing Wild Party in 2026.

From what I've heard it sounded like Jack Viertel had a personal vendetta against Me and Juliet?"

When I asked him, he didn't seem that enthusiastic. Ted Chapin from R&H would just say "We'll see."

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 3:31pm

Tenor8674 said: "chrishuyen said: "FWIW they did say they're still planning on doing Wild Party in 2026.

From what I've heard it sounded like Jack Viertel had a personal vendetta against Me and Juliet?"

When I asked him, he didn't seem that enthusiastic. Ted Chapin from R&H would just say "We'll see.""

I was at a Zoom discussion with Chapin where he full out said that it was because Viertel was against doing Me and Juliet (he did point out that the original reviews felt the star of the show was Jo Mielziner's complex, mechanized scenery--groundbreaking in many ways--which of course couldn't be replicated for Encores.  But that score needs a better recording.)

So considering the director do we imagine this Wonderful Town will be... not traditional?  I mean we already have the crazy Toulon opera version on DVD.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU7dOTbi5aU&t=1s

 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 4:18pm

They have already done Wonderful Town. They couldn’t come up with something else?

[Tenor8674]

Posted: 11/13/24 at 4:23pm

EricMontreal22 said: "Tenor8674 said: "chrishuyen said: "FWIW they did say they're still planning on doing Wild Party in 2026.

From what I've heard it sounded like Jack Viertel had a personal vendetta against Me and Juliet?"

When I asked him, he didn't seem that enthusiastic. Ted Chapin from R&H would just say "We'll see.""

I was at a Zoom discussion with Chapin where he full out said that it was because Viertel was against doing Me and Juliet (he did point out that the original reviews felt the star of the show was Jo Mielziner's complex, mechanized scenery--groundbreaking in many ways--which of course couldn't be replicated for Encores. But that score needs a better recording.)

So considering the director do we imagine this Wonderful Town will be... not traditional? I mean we already have the crazy Toulon opera version on DVD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU7dOTbi5aU&t=1s
 

And yet didn't the Mufti just use a ladder and very little else? I didn't get to see it. 

Updated On: 11/13/24 at 04:23 PM