Jarethan said: " His point: people were more inclined to assume it was more dated than other great hits from the past, which we both agree is not the case."
Indeed, I think this is exactly the point. I think musicals such as Hello, Dolly, Gypsy, Wonderful Town, to name a few, sadly are referred to as 'old' and 'out-dated.' Needless to say, one can argue that they are the foundation of the American musical, and those 'new' musicals out today or in the last 20 years will never come close to their stature. These are the classics that are simply based on the brighter side of things life can offer - unlike today's musicals where laughter is derived from ridicule and offense, blatantly making fun of an idea/belief/way of life that should or shouldn't be. Call it a different kind of entertainment, I guess, that may not be funny to all. That's how I come to see it sometimes and it just turns me off.
As far as the 'star' actors' perceptive, it my be just that bringing in every 'star' actor/actress one after the other for the same production produce a negative comparison of each, and maybe an ego blow as well.. For example, in the end actor A brought in more revenue than D, or actor B was the lowest paid of them all, etc. I'm sure these comparisons will not be welcomed by anyone, regardless of it being a 'dream role.' For instance, I was sad to see Gypsy with Bernadette Peters close, without even any talk of her replacement. Then when it was revived at City Center with LuPone, I believe it lasted under a year as well. Why? Maybe one can argue these two points here as well.