City of Angels - 1990

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 9:06pm

So, I was watching old Tony Award broadcasts on line, and came across City of Angels, which won Best Musical of 1990.  I had not seen or even heard of the show, but I was enchanted by what little I saw.

 

Did anyone see the original production from back then?  Any memories?  Was the show successful at the time? (I know that winning Best Musical does not guarantee a smash success.)

 

Most importantly, why hasn't this show been revived at all?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 9:39pm

Instead of reviving Fiddler for the gazillionth time, why not revive this as it has never ever been revived?

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 9:42pm

I saw it later in its run and remember enjoying it, but other than that I have no recollection whatsoever. 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 10:15pm

I saw it on Broadway and it became one of my favorite musicals.

What you need to appreciate is that in 1990, people were getting tired of the British imported mega-musicals.  Loud music blaring, women scream-singing, sets that jump all over the stage.

Into that environment came City of Angels.  It was a breath of fresh air. It had a great jazzy score, people who sang instead of screamed and a gimmick that was full of imagination.

The story is about a movie writer who is trying to write a mystery crime drama.  The action shifts back and forth between his real life and the movie life.  The great gimmick in the show is that the movie scenes were done in black and white (costumes, set, etc) while his real life scenes were in color.

I highly recommend that anyone who doesn't have the original Broadway cast album to get it because it's a real treat.

Why hasn't it been revived?  I don't know.  It's a fun musical.  The only difficult thing is that in some of the musical numbers, there has to be very tight jazz harmony.  Not everyone can sing that.  But I think Broadway could find enough talented people and it should be revived immediately!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 10:19pm

you could venture to Boston

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 10:34pm

Shut UP!  I worked with that Oolie/Donna a number of years ago and she's magnificent!  I should head on up now that the snow is maybe melting!

City of Angels will always be a favorite.  The staging and design were astonishing, the original cast was ideal (though I saw Jacqui Maltby on for Randy Graff...she was sensational), and I've had a gay-boy crush on Kay McClelland since her Florinda.  It's, to this day, the wittiest musical I've ever seen and the score is dazzling.  I imagine it's an expensive show to produce considering that whole switching back and forth between black & white and technicolor.

 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 11:21pm

Ah, Leigh Barrett.  She's something of a treasure.  She was the only Fosca I've seen live on stage, and she knows how to break a heart.  I've heard good things about this City of Angels production (Lyric has been doing really well with musicals in the past several years, the last thing I saw of theirs was a terrific Into the Woods).  The theater is located one block from the Back Bay Amtrak station, which is a secret every smart traveller should know.

Updated On: 4/7/15 at 11:21 PM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/7/15 at 11:36pm

Memories of the original 1990 show-- The concept was genius, the music was gorgeous, and though others have called David Zippel's lyrics brilliant, my dissenting opinion was that they were simply too dense with internal rhymes to be understood on a first listen in the theater. I've learned to love them since, but that first exposure live onstage is what matters. Once I couldn't get the song ideas clearly enough, I started to tune out on the show in general. It was certainly original and clever, but so damn proud of its own smartness that it left me feeling unsatisfied by the finale.

That season I was frankly a much bigger fan of both GRAND HOTEL and ASPECTS OF LOVE.

[Emma MK]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 2:41am

I saw City of Angels in London a few months ago and completely fell in love with it! Tam Mutu was incredible as Stone, which is one of the main reasons why im coming to NY to see him as Doctor Zhivago next month. Its currently up for 5 Olivier Awards this coming weekend (Best director, lighting, costume, set design and musical revival) and i really hope it wins at least one as it really deserves it!

 

If youve not already heard the cast recordings, i really suggest listening to them as the songs are really fantastic. Nothing Without You is probably my favourite as the staging for it was just fantastic.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 6:56am

Loved the score and this show!! When I saw it, Tom Wopat had replaced James Naughton and I was pleasantly surprised how good he was in the role.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:09am

I saw the original production, and found it disappointing. It was dry and fairly tedious.

The lyrics were clever, but Cy Coleman's music struck me as far below his best.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:24am

"Instead of reviving Fiddler for the gazillionth time, why not revive this as it has never ever been revived?"

Good point. Shows like "Gypsy", "Guys and Dolls", "Les Miserables" and "Fiddler" have been done more than once so why not something that has not been revived in over 20 yrs.

 

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:26am

City of Angels is one of my top choices to be adapted as a film, especially given its cinematic theme. Great show. Very funny too.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:38am

Easily in my top ten shows.

The score is brilliant.

The technical aspects are also particularly worth mentioning. When they would do the movie scenes it appeared as if they were actually in black and white.

Coleman was a jazz musician and this offered him the opportunity to really explore writing for a musical in that genre. It's a towering piece of work matched by Zippel's intricate and period perfect lyrics.

All in all it's a gem. It really should be revived.

 

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:41am

... and Larry Gelbart's book is great, too.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 7:45am

Ah yes! Thanks Besty.

Gelbart's book also brilliant.

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 8:03am

There are quite a few musicals from the early 90s I would like to be revived, with City of Angels and Secret Garden near the top of my list. (I know Garden is getting that concert next year, but not quite the same.)

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 8:04am

Even back in 1989/90, I thought it would make a great movie.  A good filmmaker would have a blast making it, and we'd have one watching. 

A fun, fun show.   

[flossie2]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 8:42am

I saw the original and loved it.  It was fascinating to see it switch from black and white to color. I also remember being amused at Stone having to walk and speak backwards when there is a "rewind" at the beginning. Great sets, costumes and music. It was done a few years ago at Goodspeed in a great production. I wondered why it has never been back on Broadway. There were some audience members complaining that they could not follow the story. Perhaps it is too complicated in today's world where people don't seem to want to think or pay attention.

 

[lotiloti]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 8:43am

Although I loved the score, I didn't care for the original production. But the recent production at the Donmar in London, was a something special. Really captured the era. Hoped it might transfer, but seems unlikely.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 8:57am

I saw it early on in its Broadway run, although Carolee Carmello had already left to play Florence in the National Tour of Chess (which I happened to see as well).

I didn't particularly care for City of Angels. I definitely remember Rachel York.  I can't remember anything about Randy Graff's performance, especially "You Can Always Count On Me" (which I really like).  The one thing that annoyed me to no end, was the quartet (especially the blonde actress).

The evening left me feeling underwhelmed.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 9:20am

An incredibly witty, smart, dazzling musical that always seems to be underrated and under-appreciated. While it's not a popular choice for professional regional companies, many high schools and colleges produce it. Try to find a production of it playing near you and go see it. If executed well, this show can be a great experience. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 9:26am

It's a rather technically demanding show, just in terms of scope of design- a production really has to nail the film noir side of the story. 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 9:59am

'The theater is located one block from the Back Bay Amtrak station, which is a secret every smart traveller should know.'

Oh you lovable c*nt.

The moment I'll never forget was during You Can Always Count on Me when Oolie went to bed and black and white and, after a very quick blackout, Donna woke up in color.  It was simple, and it was breathtaking!  

[Esther]

Posted: 4/8/15 at 10:03am

It's one of my all-time favorite shows. I saw it four times back then. three with Naughton as Stone & once with Wopat. 

 

Great jazzy score by Coleman with such clever lyrics by then-newcomer David Zippel & a uniformly good original cast, especially Naughton & Graff.  I love film noir as a genre & I thought they did an outstanding job translating those aspects to the stage.  The B&W segments, even from the 3rd row, were breathtaking, IMO