Encores! The Band Wagon Headed to Broadway? — Page 2

Can someone take a pic of the Playbill cover?

Fred Astaire was 23 years older than Cyd Charisse.

He had all these pretty young starlets around him but he stayed true to his possessive wife, so they say.

I thought there were some pleasures to be found in the second act (the "Triplets" number is a delight), but as a whole, it was a thoroughly joyless evening.

I enjoy the plays of Douglas Carter Beane, but I have disliked every book for a musical he has done (including Xanadu--I know--I'm sorry). While he slightly tones down the jokey one liners this time around, he hasn't filled their space with much other than chunks of exposition. There is one very affecting scene with Ullman and Mitchell, but the rest is a slog. There's no chemistry between the leads, no excitement of putting on a show, not even any old-timey charm.

The cast works their tails off to put it over. Ullman comes across best, in my opinion. I would love, love, love to see her in a better piece. Sheldon gives it his all, but I found his mugging to be too much. Osnes sings beautifully but has no character to play--not her fault at all. The immensely talented Mitchell, one of my favorite performers, seems totally miscast--there's nothing about him that reads like a washed up lothario, and while his talents are prodigious, dancing isn't his strong suit. McKean and Berresse sort of float along in thankless roles.

I also just don't love the score. There's some lovely stuff here, but none of it is particularly soaring or thrilling. It doesn't help that this seems to have one of the smallest Encores orchestras I remember seeing (11 players if I counted correctly).

Marshall's work is also rock solid, but when it comes down to it, I just don't think there is material here worth presenting. None of it is terrible (well, maybe the costumes), but it's all just kind of snoozy.

The size of the orchestra was really distressing, and the surest sign(I hope!!) that this was motivated by Barry Weissler looking for a possible move to Broadway, where small bands are the rule these days -- with the exception of On the Town. I sure hope the Encores! Orchestra for the three regular shows this year is its usual bountiful self.

So it's kind of anti-Encores? Since it's a new musical?

Oh, yes. In response to the subject of this thread, it looks like "Stokes is willing."

"Besides being a special event for Encores! there's rumors that like other musicals this series has 'resurrected,' (Chicago, Violet, Gypsy, Wonderful Town, Finian's Rainbow) The Band Wagon may join their ranks with a transfer to Broadway."

"Although he wouldn't confirm the rumor, Stokes did give Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, Nice Work if You Can Get It) a major endorsement to see The Band Wagon through wherever the show may go. 'This is the perfect Kathleen Marshall show. She has such respect and reverence for the musicals of that era, but she knows when to send them up and when to have fun with them, as well.' He continued, 'She comes at them with a fierce intelligence and a huge amount of knowledge and a gigantic choreographic and directorial palate to work from. She really is brilliant. I can't think of a better director, actually, to do this show.'"


Stokes ready for wagon ride to Broadway

I sat in the cheap seats at the back of the mezz on the side, just off the aisle and found the view to be ok.

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