#151
Posted: 5/8/08 at 6:54am
I agree that the show and the writers should have received much better guidance. What continues to mystify me is why little to know work was done to overhaul the show after the Signature production. Virtually every critic and numerous (supposedly) trusted Signature theater goers, who were asked for their list of criticisms of the show, told Eric Shaeffer about the glaringly obvious book problems with this production. They were all completely ignored.
When Eric Shaeffer started Signature, he was hailed as some sort of wunderkind. The theater had some early successes and continues to live off of its reputation, but the quality of the shows has been diminished over the years, although some DC theater patrons continue to buy in to the Signature and Shaeffer hype.
Now that Eric is in the big leagues, and the Artistic Director of a multi-million dollar theater, he had better start showing good artistic judgment or I fear that there will be more of these incidents. A very reliable source inside Signature, who is just sick about this fiasco, sent me an email last evening, saying that the Signature management is not concerned about the flop, and that it will "be forgotten immediately" because of the new show opening there with Chita Rivera and George Hearn (the Visit). If this is accurate, it shows that they have not a clue about the ramifications of producing a show and shepherding it to Broadway, only to have it flop. The whole thing is sad. I continue to feel bad for the writers.
When Eric Shaeffer started Signature, he was hailed as some sort of wunderkind. The theater had some early successes and continues to live off of its reputation, but the quality of the shows has been diminished over the years, although some DC theater patrons continue to buy in to the Signature and Shaeffer hype.
Now that Eric is in the big leagues, and the Artistic Director of a multi-million dollar theater, he had better start showing good artistic judgment or I fear that there will be more of these incidents. A very reliable source inside Signature, who is just sick about this fiasco, sent me an email last evening, saying that the Signature management is not concerned about the flop, and that it will "be forgotten immediately" because of the new show opening there with Chita Rivera and George Hearn (the Visit). If this is accurate, it shows that they have not a clue about the ramifications of producing a show and shepherding it to Broadway, only to have it flop. The whole thing is sad. I continue to feel bad for the writers.