Could a NO, NO NANETTE Revival be Successful?

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 1:33am

I've been thinking about NO, NO NANETTE lately and remembered there hasn't been a revival of the show on Broadway since the 70s and was wondering if a revival could ever be successful.

Sure, it has a couple of recognizable songs but could it draw a crowd on its own?

Would it require some big names to bring in the dough?

Would it be better done commercially or as a limited engagement through Rounabout or MTC?

Any thoughts?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 3:09am

Wasn't there talk of the recent Encores! production transferring right after it's run?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 3:09am

Wasn't there talk of the recent Encores! production transferring right after it's run?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 4:00am

The original revival had Ruby Keeler. She was the draw and there's a video on youknowheretube that shows exactly why. That old dear delivered, big time.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 7:09am

^^^^

Yes, indeed, she did!

But I think the 1971 revival also benefited greatly from a reaction in favor of traditional musical forms (particularly tap) and against rock musicals, serious "concept" musicals, and the like. Nowadays, with first-class revivals so common, we assume the musicals of yesteryear will always be with us.

If you revived it tomorrow, I think people would notice that it's basically ANYTHING GOES or 42nd STREET, but with inferior songs. To my ear, "Tea for Two" is fine, until you compare it to "You're the Top" or "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."

So I vote for limited run and only with the benefit of some star coming out of retirement to make the evening an "event." Mitzi Gaynor anyone?

[chatter]

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

The 1971 revival was a glorious production with incredible orchestrations. I don't know why this couldn't be a big a hit as Forty Second Street. I'd definitely see it.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 11:31am

The score and orchestration is absolutely first-rate. The actual SHOW is very hokey in plot and structure (like "The Boy Friend" and some of those other "oldies") so I doubt it would do well. Would have loved seeing the Encores version. But it's always a lot of fun, and who doesn't love a tap show?

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 11:34am

and yes - Like Follies, it requires names. The early 70s revival had Helen Gallagher, Ruby Keeler, Patsy Kelly, Jack Gilford, Bobby Vann, and Susan Watson.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 5:30pm

I remember back when "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" was on tour, it was here in Pittsburgh for two weeks. One of those weeks, our CLO did "No, No Nanette" and it cleaned Jerome's clock!

It might do pretty well.

And I believe that there was a thread on here about dream casting a revival.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 10/9/11 at 6:19pm

At the risk of offending musicians here, I think the quality of orchestrations matters, but isn't a primary factor in determining whether a show is a big hit.

42ND STREET ran for years because, in addition to Champion's staging and a score full of hit songs, its story--unknown goes on in an emergency and becomes a star--has been repeated in so many forms that even non-theater people know and share the fantasy.

I barely remember the plot of NANETTE, but I know I wasn't caught up in it. I was waiting for Ruby Keeler to come down those stairs and do her big tap number!

(This isn't to slight the rest of the cast, which was indeed excellent. I loved Helen Gallagher and found Patsy Kelly hysterical. But that's not the same as actually caring about the story as it unfolds.)