Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind- Page 3
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind#50
Posted: 4/17/26 at 11:21am
John Adams, you hold your own, God bless ya, much like your namesake! No, you didn't give me that impression; I was just making that point for others who might develop that impression.
In order of clarification:
* Re: "the very idea": the very idea that he might be Jesus.
* Re: starting "The Vow" for the kids' sake: she sees how hopeful they are (well, at least one of them), she realizes that whether or not this man is Jesus, he needs help, she thinks she can manage it, and the snap decision she makes is to humor the belief.
* Re: line readings: in my interpretation, they're not always for the kids' benefit or intended to be read as such by the kids (emphasis mine). Sometimes, they're how she copes with the situation. To use one of your examples, in my head, I hear "I swiped it from my dad, but I know you'll forgive me" as something the kids can read as sincere, and she can intend as "heh, long as we're saying you're Jesus, right?"
(To digress for a second: This may be my own 'armchair quarterback' directorial interpretation, but I do not think that either the exclamation or the following confused muttering in pain is intended to be a deliberate deception. I think he first realizes who they think he is when she says, whether wholeheartedly or not, "Being the Son o' God, it can't be that difficult for you." I can see very clearly the mental gymnastics that follow in his face before deciding, in the absence of any other solution, to ride it out: "Son of God? What the hell is she... wait a minute... did I... wait, what?! Oh no! No, no, no, no, no... think, think..." I picture him being very confused by all the stuff the kids are saying that implies a Jesus connection until he realizes, in that horrible, vulnerable outburst of "I want my mother back!" and what follows, what she means.)
Back to that bullet point (which I only do with asterisks because the forum's bullet-pointing system, in my experience, bites the big one): When I talk about offering an "out," I see her in her dialogue frequently testing him in a way that devout belief, at least as experienced by fundamentalist Christians of the nature implied in her small town, doesn't allow for, and that doesn't strike me as merely an incredulous kid. "Steal the car? Break the seventh commandment?" You're supposed to be Jesus, do you realize what you're asking me to do?
On a somewhat but not strictly related point that technically falls here, I don't think any of what I say about "found family" implies a sophistication beyond her years. She doesn't have to consciously know that's what she means for it to be her intention, or for us to derive that interpretation of it.
* Re: "one more 'failed messiah'": To be specific, I'm referring to everything that has let her down that follows in that sentence as a "failed messiah"; I'm not using the phraseology in its most literal sense. For "failed messiah," in that context, substitute "every dream that didn't come true," or even "every person and event that did not meet or exceed her expectations," which is perhaps more on the mark.
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joined: 5/1/05
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Broadway Legend Joined: 4/1/13
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind#51
Posted: 4/17/26 at 4:48pm
@ g.d.e.l.g.i.:
Thanks so, so much for taking the time to respond so informatively!
I've really enjoyed the discussion in this thread, and I'm looking forward to returning to it after the Deaf West version opens later in the summer.
In the meantime, I'm exploring another musical about religion, god(s) and a dead mom: "The Lightening Thief".
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind#52
Posted: 4/18/26 at 6:30pm
TBFL said: "
Though the show has it's faults 'A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste' is 11.5mins of overwrought Jim Steinman and i love it. Easily the best number in the show, even if Swallow suddenly thinks she's a bad girl just because she's on the back of a motorbike....
Ha fully agreed there.
"
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind#53
Posted: 4/18/26 at 6:38pm
chernjam said: "Honestly reading all your responses has been a delight and underscores my belief that there's a fascinating story of faith, innocence and redemption here that's not ever been fully realized in the previous productions (least of all the Kenwright productions). I wonder if Hal Prince had more time if he would've been able to unlock it. Especially with Steinman's lyrics and Lloyd Webber's score - there's so much potential. The first time I saw the boot of the Act I finale of No Matter What (a song that I had already loved as one of ALW's finest in the pop-version released) I was legit in tears.
"
I wish Prince said more about it in his memoirs. Because, watching the boot of his production, I do wonder why he never seemed to latch onto or find an overarching theme/vision (which as we know is always so important for him when a musical works--when he doesn't find that, like with Merrily, the production falls apart.) A lot of these themes seem to be so right up his alley. And I can't believe he took on the project just because he really wanted to work with ALW again (it seems the main reason he did Bounce WAS to work with Sondheim--and Weidman--again despite having no grasp for the material.) Though maybe that was part of it--he had had success with Spider Woman and Show Boat but nothing like Phantom or even Evita, commercially speaking...
I still find it interesting that despite setting it in the South, the concept of also having a racial/racist angle wasn't brought to the material until Gale Edwards' revisions for the London version (including making it more sungthrough which I think suits the heightened themes.)
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/1/13
Deaf West Revival of Whistle Down the Wind#54
Posted: 4/18/26 at 7:46pm
EricMontreal22 said: "I still find it interesting that despite setting it in the South, the concept of also having a racial/racist angle wasn't brought to the material until Gale Edwards' revisions for the London version (including making it more sung through which I think suits the heightened themes.)"
For myself, I wish they'd eliminated the concept altogether rather than give it such cursory attention. I believe there's only one line that brings it to the audience's attention, and then is never mentioned again:
Edward Candy! There’s rules in this world and we gotta abide by them, even when we know they’re wrong… and bein’ seen out here in the bright light of day flirtin’ with a white boy is breakin’ one of those rules. So get back to where you belong.
Candy But Ed…
Edward You heed my words like your life depended on ‘em. Now get on home.
I can see how it might be perceived as insulting to show Candy and Amos' relationship, with no comment at all beyond the singular scolding from Edward. It seems insultingly perfunctory.
But... there are only so many minutes/hours in a show.* Better to just not address it, rather than toss in an unexplored "teaser".
I also think Candy & Amos' relationship deserves better attention within the writing. If there's anything that does seem obvious to me, in a semi-sexual context, it's that Amos wants to date Swallow.
I think Amos & Candy have a relationship primarily based on a mutual want to get out of their Podunk town to someplace more exciting (New Orleans).
Candy's primary goal throughout the show is to get Amos motivated enough to stop talking about it, and actually leave with her (to provide the transportation). She's got one foot out the door, but gets stood up by Amos who chooses instead to help Swallow get the gun (and consequently express his feelings for her).
The "bad girl" references w/Candy might be more in line with multi-racial fraternizing rather than physical romance.
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* This is why I prefer Sondheim to Lloyd-Webber shows. Sondheim would have written music that capsulized a lot of information into a single song. In "Whistle..." there are a lot of unused opportunities for story/character development in favor of songs that superficially touch on emotional metaphors. Like the song, "Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts". This is as deep as it gets:
TIRE TRACKS AND BROKEN HEARTS LETS GET AWAY FROM THE PAST SO MANY WAYS TO STAY HUNGRY BABY SO MANY WAYS TO GO FAST
TIRE TRACKS AND BROKEN HEARTS THAT’S ALL WE’RE LEAVING BEHIND IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT WE’RE LOSING IT ONLY MATTERS WHAT WE’RE GOING TO FIND
In regards to character needs, the whole song might be summed up by just the last line: "It doesn't matter what we're losing, It only matters what we're going to find." All those other references to things like "what we're missing most are the real good times", "I want 'em bad and I want 'em now, we were born going faster than the limits allow", and my favorite, "So many ways to stay hungry, baby. So many ways to go fast" all support that last singular "want" to get out in the world - which is a pretty singular goal. Only to get out - nothing ambitious beyond "out". That's a lot of unused song, IMO.
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