Crazy Concepts of Classic Shows- Page 3

[PattiLover]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 5:52pm

A black man in Picnic would be interesting but the concept would be structurally difficult. Hal was in a fraternity with another major character (can't remember the name)...and being 1950's Kansas, the material would have been a little heavier if it was a "racial" play...

It's a crazy concept and I'd buy a ticket to see it though!

This thread is making me realize that's it's fun to pretend, but most of the time it's better to just leave things alone.

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 7:15pm

First, RENT's Awakening, is the second photo from a production of 'The Light in the Piazza'?

And jagfkb, It's not that I don't think your idea is creative, but I don't really feel reinterpreting 'Sweeney Todd' in a WWII setting is a good decision. I don't think we really need to relive WWII from a serial killer's point of view, and especially not from the character of Sweeney Todd. Also, the whole Nazi subplot would be distracting and distasteful, don't you think?

Updated On: 3/10/09 at 07:15 PM

[RENT's_Awakening]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 10:38am

Yeah, my school did Light in the Piazza this year.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 10:43am

It's not a great book but a good Director will be able to truly find the "meat"... especially with something like THE WIZ.

It bothers me when there's no reason behind the concepts. When there's no significance.

He just thought it'd be fun as a rock concert? Why even do the show in the first place, then?

[RENT's_Awakening]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 10:48am

While I agree...it's still a high school. Keep that in mind, High Schools are for the experience, not for professional quality. The students had fun and it was universally received well by the audiences, plus it sold out every night...so he did SOMETHING right.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 11:51am

Our theatre did PICNIC with a Hispanic actor as Hal. It made perfect sense - the character is from Texas, and he went to college on a football scholarship.

We also did 110 in the Shade with a black Starbuck. It added quite a lot. It wasn't a planned gimmick - we lost the actor we had originally cast, and needed someone on very short notice who was dependable, a quick study, and could sing the role. He just happened to be African-American.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 12:03pm

well, Roundabout did 110 with a black Lizzy, so I don't think that's really a problem. =P

[timesquare01]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 5:32pm

I Kindof hve this uncompleted notion of setting INTO THE WOODS in a modern day city. Not any particular one, maybe a "Gotham City" type thing. Hear me out.

All of the Main characters live in the "middle class" part of the city. The "Woods" refers to a neighborhood deeper in the city, the ghetto, the projects, etc. It's a seedy part of town where even the police don't venture.

In this world, though it's modern, all the "fairy tale" aspects still exist quite normally. There are still giants, people still have cows, tree's still drop clothing on young girls, etc. lol.

Cinderella works all day and night at her father's motel, which was once a hot spot in the city. Her father married the Step-Mother and she is slowly spending all his money on her daughters, he is of course oblivious.

Jack is the closeted son of a drug dealer. When his mother sends him out to sell the cow, in the "woods" where he doesn't usually sell, he stumbles across a gay club called "the Sky".

The Baker and His Wife run a small bakery on the bottom floor. They live in an apartment above the bakery, and a crazy old gypsy woman lives in the flat above the. She has lived there since the Baker's father ran the Bakery, and is, for whatever reason, un-evict-able.

Rapunzel lives in a boarded up "vacant building". The Witch climbs her fire escape to her.

Little Red is a 14 year old girl who was molested at age 8 and has been molested several times since then. The constant use of her body for sex has unintentionally caused her to act in a provocative manner, which draws "the Wolf", a registered pedophile who lives around the block from her granny, to her.

The Princes are two heirs to a ritzy hotel. Their father has not decided which of them is going to inherit the "kingdom", sparking their rivalry. Cinderella's father is an old buisness contact of The King and Cinderella's father milks his old connections to get five tickets to the King's Festival.

The Giant is the only part i havn't solved yet.


I know there's holes. But it's my "crazy concept".

[timesquare01]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 5:42pm

OH!! and i forgot to mention. the "old witch woman" up stairs is a cross dresser and after the transformation turns out to be a man.

okay. lol. i know, its 'crazy' concept, remember?

[delucad15]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 7:21pm

wow timessquare01 I seriously love that. Brilliant Ideas

[timesquare01]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 7:45pm

thank you, deluca :)

and, i also LOVE schmeg's concept for cats. it would make the story real. idk, something about that just sounds amazing to me.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 8:06pm

Why, thank you! Your "Into The Woods" idea is pretty interesting, too!

By the way, I think in my version of "Cats," the 'cat that would be reborn' would be the patient who would be discharged to the asylum. The giant tire represents the car taking the Grizabella character home.

[timesquare01]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 8:08pm

nice, i love the thought you put into it. it sounds like it would be a very clear and interesting production. a lot of great work would come out of it.

[jaybrrd]

Posted: 3/11/09 at 9:53pm

"The Giant is the only part i havn't solved yet."

Godzilla.

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 3/12/09 at 12:25pm

I've just saw a DVD of GUYS AND DOLLS from Barcelona,Spain.A theatre group from an Alcatraz prison kind,is rehearsing GUYS AND DOLLS.The concept is amazing.I guess many of the members of the board already saw it.There ara many NAKED actors during the show.The set is a high tower of cells with bars.You must see to believe.And...Is good.Very very good.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 3/12/09 at 7:02pm

I've always wanted to do a super-minimalist production of Into the Woods in which the set begins with a table (the Baker's), a chair (Cinderella's), and an archway/gable type thing (Jack's). As each character is introduced, a new piece is added to create, by the end of act one, a really fantastic, structurally modernist set, which would symbolize the fulfillment of their wishes and so on/so forth. As each of them is killed off during the second act, however, their respective pieces would be taken off as well, so by the end they're back to what they started with.

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 3/12/09 at 7:19pm

i dont know if it counts as a crazy concept - but the Magritte inspired "Into the Woods" in black, grey, and red at Stratford looked really cool - i think their witch was made of vegetables.

Updated On: 3/12/09 at 07:19 PM

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 3/12/09 at 7:35pm

not a "crazy" concept - but i worked at a small theater years ago and the director put a great, definite concept onto the musical revue "And the World Goes Round".

he placed the show in a bar after hours in the late 70s. each actor was a stereotype/character:
- young sailor on leave
- sexy black bar back (sang the sexiest version of "Sara Lee" I have ever heard)
- sultry torch singer (began the show with "World Goes Round")
- older woman who owned the bar (sang "Class" with torch singer)
- a prostitute (she was dressed like Jodie Foster from "Taxi Driver" but as she sang the song "My Coloring Book" she removed the big floppy hat, sunglasses, and blonde wig - it was chillingly effective)
- her pimp, also a drug dealer (sang "Kiss of the SpiderWoman" as he was shooting up)
- a rich socialite in a gorgeous Halston-esque dress (she sang the **** out of "How Lucky Can You Get" - that was the highlight of the show - the actress is Lisa Gabrielle-Greene and she is PHENOMENAL)

Posted: 3/12/09 at 11:26pm

I'm sure sooner or later someone will have the very "modern opera directors take" on Passion and stage it all in a madhouse with a now mad Giorgio remembering what led him there.

"i dont know if it counts as a crazy concept - but the Magritte inspired "Into the Woods" in black, grey, and red at Stratford looked really cool - i think their witch was made of vegetables. "

I posted a link to tons of pics form this a while back--it was GORGEOUS (even if it could be argued there were no woods to go into lol)

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 11:24am

The Ninjas Of Penzance.

[PattiLover]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:17pm

Eric, is there a link to those pics? Sounds really cool.

[Elphie3]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:24pm

Not sure how I feel about it, but apparently Fosse wanted the ending of "Sweet Charity" to be that, devistated by Oscar's abandonment, Charity throws herself back into the lake and drowns.

No, not kidding.

[Elphie3]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:24pm

Not sure how I feel about it, but apparently Fosse wanted the ending of "Sweet Charity" to be that, devistated by Oscar's abandonment, Charity throws herself back into the lake and drowns.

No, not kidding.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 3:20pm

Lol, darquegk!

Actually, my production of Pirates was originally going to be set in England-occupied South Africa (or somewhere else, but definitely Africa). Thankfully, the prod staff decided to do it traditionally after really thinking it through.

[Weez]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 3:33pm

Pirates of Penzance as done by the Mighty Boosh (aka Future Sailors of Penzance). Howard as Frederick, Vince as the Pirate King, Shamans as police, Old Gregg as Ruth, and it all works SUSPICIOUSLY WELL. Really, TOO DAMN WELL.