Encores! 2023: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with Ruthie Ann Miles, DEAR WORLD with Donna Murphy, and OLIVER! — Page 9

RippedMan said: "Is the guy playing the lover Italian? He reads as a white guy from Kansas. I know Morrison was kind of controversial in the original for not being Italian. Just curious."

He’s from Arizona, which I guess is the US state equivalent to Italy. No idea of James D. Gish’s ancestry, but Gish seems to be a common German name.

Rob Houchen is similarly pale skin and played fabrizio in the recent concert production starring Renee Fleming, he was totally believable as an Italian. As long as he get the accent down, who cares.

I'm getting pretty excited for the Piazza cast. And the rehearsal footage for Oliver looks great, what a fantastic season for Encores!

Enough! We must take a stand!

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "They offered the part of Fabrizio to Fabio but his quote was too high."

I am embarrassed that this caused me to immediately think of the next iteration of Broadway sponsorships and promotions: the part of "Febrezio" ... sponsored by Febreze.

Updated On: 4/29/23 at 06:01 AM

That second week of OLIVER! appears to be selling abysmally. I guess they're hoping for WOM to fill it? Or they had been hoping for a bigger star as Fagin?

RippedMan said: "Is the guy playing the lover Italian? He reads as a white guy from Kansas. I know Morrison was kind of controversial in the original for not being Italian. Just curious."

LOLOL

Matt Rogers said: "Did no one see the final dress of OLIVER last night?"

I did.


It’s a very fun and big production for Encores. Cast is uniformly excellent and it’s great to see Esparza onstage again.


It was my first time seeing Oliver onstage, somehow (though we were keenly reminded during the pre show speeches that there hasn’t been a NY production in almost four decades). I was kind of surprised at how dated the show felt compared to its contemporaries. It’s extremely episodic, takes forever to get Oliver in with Fagin, and feels overstuffed with musical numbers that, while tuneful, often don’t go anywhere. The plot really only has stakes well into the second act, and then wraps up so quickly. I’m used to the movie adaptation, which makes very wise cuts and better integrates songs into the action (see: “Oom-Pah-Pah&rdquo.


It was in very good shape for a final dress- and the production numbers are extremely polished, making this feel like a LORT production that blew its set budget on a full orchestra. The final sequence, however, definitely felt like it needed to be worked on (and I’m sure will be today). A lot happens in a short amount of time and it was just somewhat messy in its staging and lacked gravity and weight, and then it all feels anticlimactic.


Debessonet’s seemed to have been reined in a bit with her direction here, which serves the production well. There is a “community ensemble” element in “Consider Yourself,” but it actually works very well and turns the number into a big showstopper.


Benjamin Pajak is an adorable Oliver with a very strong singing voice. Lilli Cooper sounds fantastic as Nancy and has great rapport with the kids. Mary Testa and Brad Oscar wring every drop out of their comic relief roles. There is some excellent singing and dancing from the ensemble.


Esparza is a wonderfully smarmy, effete, weaselly Fagin who nevertheless oozes raggedy charm.

Jordan Catalano said: "Wasn’t NPH originally going to do it?"

As far as I’ve heard, it’s been Esparza for months prior to the casting announcement.

Kad said: "Matt Rogers said: "Did no one see the final dress of OLIVER last night?"

I did.


It’s a very fun and big production for Encores. Cast is uniformly excellent and it’s great to see Esparza onstage again.


It was my first time seeing Oliver onstage, somehow (though we were keenly reminded during the pre show speeches that there hasn’t been a NY production in almost four decades). I was kind of surprised at how dated the show felt compared to its contemporaries. It’s extremely episodic, takes forever to get Oliver in with Fagin, and feels overstuffed with musical numbers that, while tuneful, often don’t go anywhere. The plot really only has stakes well into the second act, and then wraps up so quickly. I’m used to the movie adaptation, which makes very wise cuts and better integrates songs into the action (see: “Oom-Pah-Pah&rdquo.


It was in very good shape for a final dress- and the production numbers are extremely polished, making this feel like a LORT production that blew its set budget on a full orchestra. The final sequence, however, definitely felt like it needed to be worked on (and I’m sure will be today). A lot happens in a short amount of time and it was just somewhat messy in its staging and lacked gravity and weight, and then it all feels anticlimactic.


Debessonet’s seemed to have been reined in a bit with her direction here, which serves the production well. There is a “community ensemble” element in “Consider Yourself,” but it actually works very well and turns the number into a big showstopper.


Benjamin Pajak is an adorable Oliver with a very strong singing voice. Lilli Cooper sounds fantastic as Nancy and has great rapport with the kids. Mary Testa and Brad Oscar wring every drop out of their comic relief roles. There is some excellent singing and dancing from the ensemble.


Esparza is a wonderfully smarmy, effete, weaselly Fagin who nevertheless oozes raggedy charm."

What was the running time?

I was also there last night, and I would add that Julian Lerner is giving a star making performance as Artful Dodger. Esparza seems to still be finding his way around -- and trying hard not to imitate Ron Moody's portrayal in the film. Lilli Cooper is in amazing voice (even though the best song in the show, "As Long As He Needs Me", doesn't play very well in our current times). As a period piece, it's great. Some of the staging (e.g. "I'd Do Anything" ) is lifted directly from the film -- but it still looks terrific.

This is definitely one of the better Encores productions in recent years.

Updated On: 5/3/23 at 02:08 PM

So happy to hear that the running time is 2 hours and twenty minutes. For some reason I thought it would be closer to three hours. As I recall the musical picks up when Fagin enters. I am seeing it tonight so I will report.

Did anyone else note the spelling mistake - it's Cameron Mackintosh! OUCH