When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
"Ellen Greene, who created the role of the lovably ditzy Audrey both on stage and screen, will reprise that performance under the direction of Dick Scanlan."
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
That's cool, I just read the Times articles that stated "The third Encores! production will be a one-night run, July 1, of the cult favorite “Little Shop of Horrors,” featuring the original cast member Ellen Greene."
This is one time I'm glad La Chiusa's Wild Party opened on Broadway, so it can't be eligible for this series. Thank you, providence! Of course, if had it been eligible, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would have been the first one shoved down our throats.
I guess they had to settle for second best and put on Lippa's instead. What a shame. Not that that one was any good, either!
As for the other two, Little Shop has been done to death, and A New Brain was absolutely abominable --- worse even than both Wild Parties. No mean feat, that! The most grueling feat of all was sitting through it!
Of course, heaven forbid they should ever choose to put on a fun show with beautiful music, such as Little Mary Sunshine ---- something an audience could actually enjoy! But then, I guess that would just show up the crap that we endure regularly for exactly what it us.
After Eight, you know that these shows are for people who have never seen them, or those who have seen them and enjoyed them, right? There are plenty of people who like all three of those shows, and it is very easy to not go see those shows. I agree with you about A New Brain and Lippa's Wild Party (though not Little Shop), and I would much rather they do Little Mary Sunshine, or something like The Nervous Set, but these shows aren't being forced down peoples' throats, they're just being presented by a theatre company, and there's no harm in that.
I don't think LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is being done because no one's seen it. It's being done because Ellen Greene as Audrey for one night would be a very "special event" of a performance. Frankly, After Death, you have a good point. I'd much rather see more obscure pieces, too. Although I think A NEW BRAIN is far from abominable.