HIGH BUTTON SHOES — Page 2

raddersons said: "I think the only real qualification is that the score needs to be written by an American composer."

Not entirely true: I believe they need to have been done on Broadway. After all, IRMA LA DOUCE had a French composer and British adspter.

SmoothLover said: "They really should try to pick at least one show a season that creates a buzz and people can get excited about. Sometimes I feel like they are picking shows for their own amusement."

I agree, if it weren't for the cast I would completely skip this show. Honestly I think the trick with Encores shows is that they are meant to be shows that were overlooked -- which means by default, they're all going to be a little flawed. I think there is something to be said for seeing a show just for the sake of seeing it, to gain a little knowledge... but sometimes they're pretty painful.

FWIW, I believe HIGH BUTTON SHOES was selected to cap-off the 75th Season due, in part, to it being a way to observe Jerome Robbins' centennial.

Plus, n a theater nerd perspective, this was Jule Styne's first Broadway score. The show, from what I gather, is the launching pad for the "musical comedy" - breaking from vaudeville and finding our book musical with belly laughs.

I am intrigued, tbh. From the casting alone. Will be there this weekend.

Updated On: 5/9/19 at 11:00 AM

HBS has been a show that I’ve wanted to see since I saw Jerome Robbins’ Broadway in high school, so I was thrilled that Encores had it in their season. I’m glad that I went and I still love the score, but this was VERY miscast. A few thoughts.

1. The show can only be as good as the performance by the actor playing Floy...Michael Urie could not carry the show. He used that same Snagglepuss accent that annoyed me in TORCH SONG and he just isn’t a singer. I wanted to like him, but it just didn’t work for me.

2. It really did look cheap as someone else mentioned. Like, dirt cheap.

3. I think it is time for Encores! to change casting directors. I find it hard to believe that these were the most appropriate performers that they could find. Larger than life characters are essential to a show like this, and what we got was same old same old and bland. Jennifer Allen played her role very large and although it fell super flat, at least she tried. Which brings me to my next point...

4. I don’t think Broadway performers in general understand vaudeville anymore. Perhaps it is just a dead form of stage performance which is sad to me.

5. A specific observation. I find it dubious that football players in 1914 would chest bump. That annoyed me every time that they did it.

My opinions only of course. Take it as you will.

undercoveractor said: "I don’t think Broadway performers in general understand vaudeville anymore. Perhaps it is just a dead form of stage performance which is sad to me."


I think it's a combination of factors: casting and direction, writing that doesn't hold up, and audiences whose sensibilities have changed. Vaudeville humor in a book musical doesn't translate in the way it did in the 40s/50s, especially if the book is as creaky as this. Modern audiences expect shows to be grounded in reality. There were similar complaints about Encores' Little Me (with Christian Borle), another show tailor-made for a specific star.

Some younger performers do understand vaudeville (Alex Brightman, Annaleigh Ashford) and of course the old pros mentioned above, but this type of humor plays differently now than it did then. Even SNL and other sketch-comedy shows are less schtick-driven and more situation-driven.

Brantley's not a fan. No Critics Picks this season for Encores.

"Then for the main season Encores could put their money into shows with better scripts that were closer to being hits than failures."



All three of the shows presented at Encores this year had been hits.

No reason all three couldn't have worked had they been cast and performed properly.

And I thought that I Married an Angel, despite some less than ideal performances, was wonderful just the same.

And what's more, all three shows had scores a million times better than what we have to endure in theatres today.

So if Encores gives us shows with scores like these, that's more than fine by me.

This show is just a bunch of jokes between songs. The songs are definitely of their time but sounded just fine to me.

Urie was trying but he tried to be Phil Silvers and he's not. After it was a hit on Broadway many Actors played it successfully in Stock without trying to be Silvers.

Whoever cast Betsy Wolfe should be drowned in the Atlantic City Seashore, one of the worst performances I've seen at ENCORES. She just didn't fit.

And could they not afford a real (or semi-real) Model T,?

StageStruckLad said: "I actually liked Betsy Wolfe, but I thought the actor playing her husband had zero personality. She had to carry I Still Get Jealous all by herself.”



I actually enjoyed the show and like you I thought Betsy was wonderful as Mama Longstreet. It was nice to see her dance the duet with charm. I saw the last show (Sunday eve) and there was a stage mishap during the meeting of Ladies Walking Society. When Betsy calls the meeting into order, she pounds the gavel on the back of the wooden chair, a piece of the back rest comes flying off and lands downstage. There was a slight pause and you could hear the audience suddenly laugh and could tell the cast was trying to hold it together. Then Betsy ad libs “It’s a good thing this is the last meeting.” The whole audience completely looses it (with whoops and cheers) and it took a while quiet down for the cast to continue. The maid picks up the wooden piece. It was a fun night.