Crazy Concepts of Classic Shows

Although I think it's already been done, I'd love to see a production of OUR TOWN where the Stage Manager is played by a child in their early teens and George and Emily are played by older actors in their 70s.

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Pirag- I really like both of your ideas. I would definately see both of them.

FAR FAR away from Classic, but I would love to see them do something with The Scarlet Pimpernel that we necessarily do not know that Percy, Grappin & the Scarlet Pimpernel are all the same person -- more suspense perhaps? Even if it was one rescue in the beginning (such as during Madame Guillotine?). This wasn't really crazy, either, just a very different view of past Pimp-y stuff (film/book/musical(s))

I like Pirag's idea for Comapny as well!

MacBeth in space, complete with space pirates, a weather machine and a balcony scene between MacBeth and Lady MacBeth.

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PJ, how about Rip Taylor playing the title role in your namesake show?

Thanks PJ, I knew I read somewhere that a production with Bobby's suicide had already been done and Sondheim thought it was ridiculous but couldn't remember where. He used that line at his talk with Frank Rich, yes?

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My sister and I were talking about the Sweeney Todd revival, and we had a ridiculous idea for a production of "CATS" that is set in a mental hospital, and nobody wears cat costumes-- they are all mentally ill inmates. Old Deuteronomy is a senile old dude who believes that he (and everyone else there) is a cat, and he has managed to convince some of the other inmates so over the years. Other inmates go along for the ride because they're afraid of what Old Dude might do if they don't play along.

Munkunstrap is a nurse at the facility who the other characters believe is a cat as well. The audience is a panel of medical experts to whom Munkustrap is reporting this bizarre delusion that the inmates share, and he has to mingle with the inmates to get information from them.

Grizabella is a washed-up former star who suffers from dementia and has no short-term memory, only that of the past. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are kleptomaniacs. Jennyanydots is manic-depressive (she sits and sits and sits and then she's super active.)Skimbleshanks is obsessive-compulsive and obsessed with cleanliness and orderliness.

Victoria is a recovering anorexic ballet dancer and Bustopher Jones suffers from binge-eating disorder. Rum Tum Tugger is a sex addict rock star. Bombalurina is a former prostitute whose multiple STDs are affecting her mental functions.

Gus was never actually an actor. He just wishes he was and hallucinates that he was once famous. Mistoffelees is a poor insane man who thinks he has magical abilities. He is also a pyromaniac. Macavity is a murderous psychopath. Demeter is one of his former victims who is mentally scarred for life.

Uh... I can't remember any of the other cats.

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Updated On: 3/9/09 at 09:55 PM

I would pay to see that Cats. That could be fascinating.

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i'd like to see schmerg's CATS and Pirag's Sweeney.

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It was just a "crazy concept".

Schmerg, I would go see that production of CATS in a second. It might actually make the show non-ridiculous.

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I would love to see an updated , relavent, revival of west side story with the sharks (a la MS13) and the jets, african american thugs (a la crypts). It would need to be reorchastrated, which could be really great if someone like Stew got their hands on it. That would really build much more tension in Tony and Maria's relationship for the audience, and would bring enough controversy to bring in a new audience to the theatre...I was hoping Laurents' "updated" version would contain such relevance.

^ They did something similar with Spelling Bee in it's early days, too.

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