Deathtrap Revival?

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:18pm

One Of the most successful dramas in Broadway history 'Deathtrap' played 6 previews and 1793 regular performances between February 1978 and June 1982, which is coming up to 30 years since it closed.

Despite being one of the most successful shows on Broadway, it has never been revived, should commercial producers pick this up for a revival? Should it be done by a non profit company? Should it not be revived? Why?

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:25pm

Popular movie, so everyone knows the ending...and for a mystery...

It plays in quite often regionally.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:33pm

Seeing how old the film is, there is an entire generation of theater goers that likely don't know it at all. (I know I don't remember much of it -- but I remember loving it on b'way.) I was really hoping that the Jonathan Groff London revival would make it back here.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:34pm

I have to admit that whether I know the ending or not, DEATHTRAP is the type of play that just isn't worth Broadway prices to me any more.

I can see it or its cousin on TV for free.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:39pm

A revival without stars (MOVIE stars) or a gimmick (gender change) probably wouldn't elicit a yawn from theatergoers let alone producers.

The Shaeffer brothers (like Neil Simon) seem to be Broadway passé for producers.

And, I'm not a hater.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:51pm

I agree with Gaveston's take. However, I admit that until recently I didn't know the original stage version didn't have the film's infamous kiss (which I believe Reeve said lost them a huge chunk of change).

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:53pm

Playbilly--you're thinking of Sleuth (I suspect). While kinda derivative of it, Deathtrap was Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives, Sliver, etc).

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:56pm

Sidney Lumet knew the shot of Superman kissing a man would add to the audience disorientation of what was going on.

It worked.

This was a time when "mainstream gay" movies were causing an uproar. Making Love, Partners, Cruising...

Mainstream meaning studio releases

Updated On: 5/12/12 at 08:56 PM

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 8:59pm

I was thinking of Deathtrap, but yes, was Levin and not Shaefer. Thanks for the correction.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:03pm

For a long time I had it in my head that it was Shaeffer too, so the correction comes easy. Was the film a financial success? I remember seeing it on TV when I was 9 or so, and how thrilling I found the kiss....

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:09pm

The film did well enough, no blockbuster. The film business was very different then, so it stayed in theaters for a while. Let's just say that I must be older than you. :)

Critics were mixed. Pauline Kael said "Deathrap felt like one".

I always remembered that.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:28pm

I was born in 1980--so probably :P Sounds like a classic Kael review, I'll have to look up the review in the New Yorker archives.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:47pm

Now I know why I find you irritating.

There is a production playing now in LA and people are still jumping and screaming, so I don't think the fact that people 'Know how it ends' is a problem.


Because really, how many people are renting it?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:49pm

I saw a production of this at ASOLO Rep last year and found the play itself to still be quite engaging. Cast properly it should find an audience.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 9:53pm

Glad you now know why I'm irritating.

That mystery is solved.

At least I came up with a theory to the OP's question. And you.

Better to be an irritant with an opinion than just nut.

[Leadingplayer]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 10:25pm

The movie lacked a lot of the stage production's suspence.



{SPOILER}








I remember going to the original Bway production as a kid. The end of the first act when the guy comes in and scares the wife to death was so shocking. People were just screaming like it was a horror film or something. They milked the scene in the movie but on the stage Marian Seldes just went to close the drapes and a man jumped out and it was terrifying....(granted I was like 8 or so....)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 10:32pm

LOL Why do you find me annoying? It's strange because unlike some of the others on here who seem to hate my posts, I've never had any problem with yours--and didn't think you had with mine.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 10:36pm

I think it was me he finds irritating--but now not sure.

LeadingPlayer, I can see how that scene would play better on stage.

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 10:51pm

Let's not forget the '96 national tour that starred Elliott Gould and Mariette Hartley...

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 11:22pm

I'd love a revival of Deathtrap:

Sidney - Victor Garber
Clifford - Daniel Radcliffe
Myra - Tovah Feldshuh
Helga - Stockard Channing

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 5/12/12 at 11:41pm

"Let's not forget the '96 national tour that starred Elliott Gould and Mariette Hartley..."

I'd like to forget that tour. Oy! Douglas Wert was really good (and HOT) as Clifford, but Gould was dreadful. Several months into the tour and he still sounded like he was reciting his lines for the first time ever. Ugh!!! However, the show itself still drew gasps and screams in all the right places, so I believe with an actual top notch cast it could be really good.

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 5/13/12 at 10:35am

B'way Bob - he WAS hot! I just couldn't remember his name hehe. I think I might've even seen the production twice, and I don't remember much about it, but I do remember thinking Elliott Gould sounded and acted like a raging queen the whole time.. so there wasn't much of a surprise.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/13/12 at 10:39am

A key element of the plot involves the Clifford's manuscript and the discussion about it being the only copy of the play (or was it 1 of 2 copies?). In today's world of computers, external drives, thumb drives, and cloud drives having only 1 or 2 copies of the manuscript would be hard to believe so it would have to remain a period piece. And if it does remain a period piece would today's computer savvy audience be able to remember what it was like to only have 1 hard copy?

Kelsey Grammer would be a good Sidney.

[ooblogway]

Posted: 5/13/12 at 11:05am

Mary Louise Burke would make a terrific Helga! I love madbrian's other casting, though.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 5/13/12 at 12:44pm

The recent London production was fairly well-received if I remember the reviews.