It's official. Here they come...
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99743.html
AHH SO EXCITED.
Edited for mistake in the title. I was so excited that I couldn't write a proper sentence.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/12/05
Great news! I can't wait.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Can't wait. Raul's going to be great. I hope I get a chance to see it next summer.
I'm excited.
I can't wait for more people to be able see Raúl do this. And, you know, to drool over the reviews.
And to see it more times than you saw Chitty?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
"Doyle reset the action of the work in 2006 with characters dressed in very upscale, very urban black costumes."
So he modernized the show? How can this work be put in 2006 without acknowledging such things as the internet, HIV/AIDS, no smoking in bars (Joanne), etc.
I'm really surprised they're bringing in all those Ohio actors. I know Raul was supposed to be great and Walsh, a mixed bag, but what of the rest of the cast? How were they?
TT
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/04
I'm very excited to see this!
They don't reference a year; everything is very minimalized in an elegant, chic sort of way -- it's very clearly updated and taken out of the 70's, but it's not clear if it's just "updated" or "contemporary." There are a few things that are a bit awkward with regards to the book, like all of the pot-smoking and a few dated word references, but other than that, it's not an issue, really, because they've made it sort of timeless, whereas keeping it in the 70's would probably call complaints that it was dated. I don't think it's an issue that they don't acknowledge the internet, and other such things. You don't need it.
The cast is... they're wonderful, and the majority of them are New Yorkers, not Ohio natives. I thought Walsh, actually, was one of the only two that were expendable, the other being the actress who played April. Walsh was... less-than-perfect, and she and Raul didn't do anything for me in their scenes together. With regards to the other actress, whose name I'm blanking on right now, she just didn't have chemistry with him; I don't know who's to blame, or whatever, but it was just kind of blah. The rest of them are positively perfect, especially the women. I was on the fence about whether or not I agreed with one critic's assessment that this was the best performance of Raúl's career, because I had something else in mind, but he may be right. Genius.
How has it been reorchestrated? Sweeney was obviously redone, but it seems that Company relies so much on percussion and guitar/bass that it would be difficult to pull off without them. I'm really interested to hear/see it.
Way less trippy, not-so 70's, but not small or weak by any means. I like the new orchestrations better than the originals, for what it's worth -- though I've never heard the '95 revival recording -- and they're really beautiful.
Oo so exciting!
Broadway Star Joined: 1/20/06
I was hoping for a more exciting choice for Joanne, I haven't seen Walsh but she has never appealed to me in her previous roles. I am just excited to see Raul Esparza returning to Broadway in such a great role, and perhaps we'll get a new cast recording of Company that's not as dismissable as the 1995 one.
If this doesn't get recorded... *shakes fist*
What might dictate that, though? The producers are the same as the ones for Sweeney; might that be indicative of whether or not there'll be a CD?
Ahh, Raul back on broadway where he belongs.
I would hope as long as the drive and electricity of the original score is still intact that it will be fine. The revival lost all the spark of the original with it's reorchestration. It was really unfortunate.
So excited! Raul Esparza singing Being Alive... phenomenal.
Regarding the question about them being regional actors. To reinforce Em's statement, many of these performers have Broadway and off broadway credits.
Of course there is Raul, and Barbara Walsh, who was in Falsettos/Hairspray/Big/Blood Brothers. Others include:
-Fred Rose was in Cabaret and Phantom of the Opera.
-Keith Buterbaugh, also in Phantom and two off broadway shows
-Heather Laws, covered the Judy/Liza roles in Boy from Oz
-Leenya Rideout, ensemble of Cabaret.
I'm so looking forward to this! I also wouldn't mind them bringing the theater with them as well. Comfy seats and spacious.
s.w.e.e.t.
i'm SO excited!!!
I'm so excited!!!
To add to Harpo's post, Heather Laws is also a Cabaret alum; for obvious reasons, there are several in the cast.
Swing Joined: 3/21/06
There are four Cabaret alum in the show.
Oh, the excitement!
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
Was there speculation that they would recast? Why ruin the perfect cast? To quote Doyle, how many people can play the French Horn and sing Getting Married Today?
It has imperfections, at least according to a lot of opinions, anyway. I think there was speculation they'd make a few changes, even though most of the indication -- especially in the past weeks when the press releases said offers went out to all -- was that they'd all stay.
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