"Harvey" Heading for Broadway

[Alvin and My Sheepdog Rex]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 1:23am

An article in Playbill says that Harvey will be heading for Broadway this Fall, sounds like September. It will star Charles Durning and also Joyce and Dick Van Patton. I just loved the movie with Jimmy Stewart so much, I can't help but be excited about this revival of everyones favorite rabbit, Harvey. The original Broadway run went from 1944-49, 1775 performances.

Since I'm on the Left Coast, I will definitely try and take in the pre-Broadway engagement at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach starting July 8th.

Does anyone else think we have potential here?


Harvey Heads Straight for Broadway

[Alvin and My Sheepdog Rex]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 6:50pm

Oh well, while Harvey isn't generating much interest on the Board, this Play does sound like a good time to us. So this summer, Rex and I will grab our towels, our SPF15, and Rex's water wings and head to Laguna Beach for some fun in the sun during the day and take in the Harvey Preview in the evening at the Laguna Playhouse. And when it does hits Broadway this Fall, Rex and I will be the "Tan" duo sitting down front on opening night on Broadway!

[Deannaizme]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 8:33pm

That was such a wonderful movie. But can they really do it as well as Jimmy Stewart did?

~D

[Alvin and My Sheepdog Rex]

Posted: 5/23/03 at 9:21pm

Admittedly, the shadow cast by the memory of Jimmy Stewart in this role will be very long. But perhaps part of the joy of seeing it anew will come from the smile one can't help but have when you think of Jimmy talking with Harvey. Plus, the tale of Harvey is a great story it and of itself.

Keep in mind Charles Durning can be a very funny actor. Who can forget his role as Governer "Pass the Biscuits" Pappy O'Daniel in a film classic, Oh Brother Where Art Thou!

Regarding courting the electorate Pappy said:

"We ain't a one-at-a-timing-it here, we're mass communicating."

[DofB5]

Posted: 5/26/03 at 5:32pm

I think another "Harvey" would be GREAT! Somebunny has to see him. I'm sure he misses Jimmy Steward.

Seriously, I loved the movie and I would go see the play if it’s there when I make the trip to see Chitty.

I wouldn't mind seeing "Arsenic and Old Lace" either. Another oldie but goodie. :)
D

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/27/03 at 6:14pm

Please note that Dollypop doesn't go to the movies. Therefore he hasn't seen the Jimmy Stewart film of HARVEY. However, when he was directing plays he read the HARVEY script and found it quite dated and lifeless. Perhaps the right cast could make it charming, but it seemed rather limp on the page.

[DofB5]

Posted: 5/27/03 at 7:38pm

I'm sure someone could jazz it up a touch. I just would hope they wouldn't ruin it. I hate the way everything is so graphic now days.

Part of the charm of plays/movies like Harvey was that it was done without all the special effects of today but by the time you left the theater, you thought you saw a huge rabbit.

Don't you think that something that makes people use their mind and imagination has merit?

D

[orion59]

Posted: 5/28/03 at 11:53am

This show does have a lot of potential and could be fun if updated a bit, reworekd properly and with teh right talent starring in it. I can see Charles Durning doing that role very well. He is a great comedic actor. The one thing i would be afraid of, and this has been mentioned already, is the temptation to use special effects so that some giant mechanical rabbit steal the show thus taking it's place in theater history with the cahndelier, the staircase, helicopter and of course, the ship that wouldn't sink when it was supposed to.