How About a Revival of OLIVER! — Page 2

What I meant was that for Broadway insiders, we know the names. Nancy is the type of role where it gives an unknown a chance to be discovered.

I was at a meeting a few months ago for a new New York production. The leading name was secured and they were discussing featured roles. It literally went "we can get Kristin or Audra for this role and Karen or Bebe or Charlotte for that role." Nothing wrong with using these talents, but I hate how they don't even open up the roles for unknowns (for the record, they did of course hold EPAs for the roles but still ended up casting who they wanted. This business truly IS who you know.)

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Nancy is 17... and I want to see a revival that shows the true nature of the piece... to show the dark and terrible side of crime in London. No kitch please... thanks.

other than that...

YES PLEASE.

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I think Alice Ripley would be superb as well as Ruthie Henshall. How about Anika Noni Rose if you want to go for a younger-looking Nancy?

And apparently the show does need names attached to it, the last revival starring Patti LuPone as Nancy was a BIG flop so the name OLIVER! alone won't sell. I saw the Cameron Mackintosh tour a couple of years ago and it was quite good, was anyone well-known in that tour?

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I remember the last revival from the 80s which was a quick two-week flop despite starring Patti LuPone (fresh off her triumph in EVITA) and Ron Moody (the Oscar-nominated Fagin from the movie) and being produced by Cameron Mackintosh (one of his only flops). I don't recall exactly why it failed so miserably, but it's a very expensive show to run with a huge ensemble. There has been talk over the years of another revival, but producers here seem to be very gun-shy because of the risks involved.

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I'm all for Amy Spanger

JulianHookbucks: You would like to see a dark edged version of OLIVER! which would make it have more similarity to the 1948 British non musical film which is very dark(and in black & white); even the scenes with Bill Sykes's dog are frightening. I'm not sure if that would work with a score that has so many upbeat songs, even when dealing with potentially serious subjects ("Food, Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "It's a Fine Life", and "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two"). Such a darker approach worked with Hyntner's 1993 CAROUSEL at the Vivian Beaumont, but OLIVER! is another matter, I think.

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Updated On: 4/21/07 at 03:48 PM

Nancy may be written as old (gah! I meant young!), but on stage I really don't think the actress has to be young. I mean, Georgia Brown was at least thirty years old when she did it on Broadway and Sally Dexter was 34 when she did it in the Mackintosh London revival. Even though she would be past 40 I love Broadway audiences to see Dexter's interpretation of Sally, but that is unrealistic. The one person I want to see do it is Daphne Rubin-Vega, but after the press she got from Les Miserables it will never happen. I never thought about Audra before and BobbyBubby, I absolutely love the idea! If not her then Marin Mazzie (who reads younger on stage) would be the ideal, American, Nancy.

P.S. BobbyBubby- Even though it is not Broadway we will get to have Ruthie Henshall back on stage for the last Encore show (Stairway To Paradise).

Updated On: 4/22/07 at 06:43 PM

In response to Nancy's age: Shani Wallis was an incredible Nancy in the movie, my personal favorite, and she was in her early 30's when she did the role. Nancy doesn't have to be the actual 17 years old as written in the novel, we can look at any actress under 35 as far as I'm concerned.

I absolutely adore the movie (one of my all time favorites) but the show, not so much. Literally every five seconds there's a song that's usually not needed. I hate "I Shall Scream", "That's Your Funeral", "My Name" and the incredibly long "It's a Fine Life Reprise" and thought that the movie was smart for not including them. As far as I'm concerned, the show is slowed down because of those songs and "Oom Pah Pah", though a great number, was far less, well, random in the movie than it was on stage.

I guess this means I would rather the revival be more faithful to the film than to the original show. But I have no problem with that belief. As I've stated, the movie's better than the show anyway.

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I've never been a fan of the show...but I'd rather have this than a Spider-Man musical...or would I? Hmmmm....

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Well, no one "needs" a revival of anything but I would love to see a first-rate production of ANNIE or OLIVER! on Broadway than a terribly mediocre production in Hackensack, NJ.

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I think that the character of Oliver is very well developed, both in the script and in his songs, starting with "Oliver", continuing with the haunting "Where is Love?", "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two" and "Who Will Buy?"

What production of OLIVER! did you see, Wicked? I'm talking about the OBC of 1963 and a London production that I saw in the 1980's.

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Updated On: 4/22/07 at 03:11 PM

Well, no one "needs" a revival of anything but I would love to see a first-rate production of ANNIE or OLIVER! on Broadway than a terribly mediocre production in Hackensack, NJ.

Couldn't agree more with you, Munk, particularly when you consider the casting choices and production values that a Broadway production can afford.

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Wickedfan- have you heard the 1994 London Revival recording? I promise you My Name will send chills down your spine. That recording is really worth a listen.