Encores! CABIN IN THE SKY Official Thread

Still a week till it starts, but I thought it would be as good a time as ever to start a thread and get the excitement pumping!

It's a fabulous score by Vernon Duke, and it hasn't been heard with a full orchestra in over 75 years or at all in New York in over 50. I'm most excited at the prospect of a recording of the full score with the new orchestrations (by PS Classics of course given Mr. Krasker's love for Duke).

Rehearsal Clip:

Will this be recorded? I love LaChanze!!

I want to see this. Carly Hughes rocks my socks and Norm Lewis?!?! That's my dreamboat!

I'm not at all familiar with this show. Which is why I'm looking forward to it so much.

Long live Encores!

Here are some full song rehearsal clips:

Honey in the Honeycomb:

Cabin in the Sky:

The choral/vocal arrangements and performers sound amazing!!

Interviews:

I was very excited about this cast... until I listened to the score. Can anyone who knows the score/these actors voices better speak to how well you think they'll fit these parts? The glaring issues for me are that it seems too low for LaChanze and Norm Lewis.

Ethel Waters' delivery in the film is decidedly husky, though her earlier recordings of songs from the show (contemporaneous with the 1940 Broadway production) seem to be in a higher key. Like you said though, if they're rebuilding it from scratch why not adapt to the stars.

Very interesting stuff in that article, I especially love the production photo from the original production. I never knew Boris Aronson did the original set design.

Even Viertel admits the inclusion of "Joe" is a betrayal of Encores' endgame but pretty much says "F- it we can do whatever we want" which I find very amusing. My favorite of the added songs is "Ain't It The Truth" (although it was ultimately cut) but I suppose "Joe" fits more in line with the story than that one.

I also see that the "eat fried chicken every day" line is cut from the title song in the rehearsal clips. I assume it was the original lyric since it appears on both Ethel Waters' and Ella Fitzgerald's earlier recordings as well as the '64 revival recording, but it was changed to "all we'll do is sing and pray" for the film which is the version used here. I can definitely see how it's not very PC and agree that the line used here is more fitting but I find it an unusual trajectory. They got away with it on Broadway but not in the film and then it was restored in later productions before being cut in the concert reconstruction.

I have a ticket for Thursday night that I can no longer use! It is in the mezzanine Row D. I paid $37.50. Would love to get face value, but will take best offer at this point! Shoot me an PM if interested!

I can't wait to see this tomorrow night!

I saw it tonight and thought it was very well done. The singing was very strong and the choreography was outstanding, original, unpredictable, sexy and very smartly integrated into scene work. One of the best choreographed Encores productions I have seen.

LaChanze hit the ball out of the park. She very comfortably played to the back row of the balcony (which is rare) and her vocals and acting were spot on.

This production will only get better but it was a very strong showing for a preview.

If it were written today it probably would be trimmed a bit and the musical numbers would further the plot but the show did not by any means seem like an old dusty musical.

I think the actor playing the devil could rely less on the book holding so he can commit to the character physically and the cues could be picked up somewhat; but I think that will all happen naturally. I appreciated the professional control exhibited by the actors but I think there is a little more room for added humor and some of the blocking could be better motivated although that usually happens as the week progresses. But I am being picky.....

Highly recommended.

Mr. Nowack said: "I also see that the "eat fried chicken every day" line is cut from the title song in the rehearsal clips. I assume it was the original lyric since it appears on both Ethel Waters' and Ella Fitzgerald's earlier recordings as well as the '64 revival recording, but it was changed to "all we'll do is sing and pray" for the film which is the version used here. I can definitely see how it's not very PC and agree that the line used here is more fitting but I find it an unusual trajectory. They got away with it on Broadway but not in the film and then it was restored in later productions before being cut in the concert reconstruction."

I'm surprised that line was cut, since when I saw the discuss Jack Viertel had with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jeanine Tesori and Sheldon Harnick a few weeks ago, Santiago-Hudson said he was going to keep that line in.

I'm really excited about this production either way, though.

"Her acting was great, but her singing (particularly her low notes) was a real problem."

"LaChanze's pitch was so weird - I just have to write her voice off as not really right for standards (if that makes any sense?) She just didn't seem to occupy a tonal pocket that could have sent her songs up to that magical place."

Called it. That said, all the positive opinions of the choreography and chorus have me intrigued. How was Norm Lewis' singing?

Let's be clear - the show is great. And La Chanze is great, when she's not singing. Perhaps it was just nerves and she'll be better tonight. Either way, the show is definitely worth seeing.