Damn Yankees — Page 3

hey CyberCrush VoiceAnth: I heartily agree, and not just because you're a hottie. Check out a similarly philosophical earlier post of mine on the "NINE or GYPSY?" thread. There is no reason to assume, just because we praise a particular performance (or potential one), that somehow we are taking away the glory of a previous one in the same or even similar role. There is so much room for appreciation of good work in the world, why quibble over someone getting some attention just because it doesn't happen to be your personal favorite performer?

The other half of the message, though, about the songs that were cut and/or replaced, does make sense to me. I think each time a show is revisited, all that has gone before should be considered, and what works for the new production re-evalutated freshly. I hated, for instance, the new songs added (and the song cuts made) to the film of CHORUS LINE. But handled correctly, they may have been effective, and who is to say that in the future whether or not they could be? I happen to prefer the new duet sung for the credits of CHICAGO THE MOVIE (also heard on the Oscars), and it would be interesting to see it inserted in the stage version, possibly instead of "My Own Best Friend" which in my opinion is a low point in the original show (but I never saw Gwen and Chita deliver it). Few would argue that the addition of "Mein Herr" and "Maybe This Time" for the film of CABARET improved the impact of Sally's character and arc. So in the Mendes revisal, I was happy to see both "Mein Herr" and "Don't Tell Mama" included and not chosen between. I love how the quartet of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" originally worked in the stage show, but also like the revisal version. I love the sharing and staging of the original duet "Married" included the German version; I think it enhances the arc of the older couple in the stage version. In other words, a case by case scenario and not a hard-and-fast rule.

All that being said, does any recordings exist of OVER AND OVER, the SKIN OF OUR TEETH musical? That and THE VISIT are some of the most exciting projects I've heard of in a while. Did everyone know that Sondheim at least started his own musicalization of SKIN OF OUR TEETH, along with one of SUNSET BOULEVARD? Good theatrical librettos like that spark wonderful interesting compositions. Vive la difference!

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Updated On: 6/26/03 at 10:46 AM

Sherie sings that song splendidly. I always imagined her in a red dress on top of a piano in a smokey bar singing that song into a mic.

Sherie may be 20 years too young to be Meg, but that's why God gave us makeup and costume.