I Married an Angel @ Encores

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/20/19 at 10:38pm

Couldnt find a thread for this- it was a weird evening. Still Richard Rodgers, but the exact opposite of whats going on at The Circle in the Square. The problem here is that neither the show nor the score are all that strong. The female lead is a non-singing ballerina role, which provides some lovely dancing, but impedes the plot and musicalization of the story.

The most bizarre sequence comes in act two when one of the characters asks the others if they have been to The Roxy in NYC; the show takes place in Budapest complete with a Countess named Peggy.

Well, all the characters begin to imagine what their speciality numbers would be and it goes Loveland-style into these fantasies.

Overall definitely a lesser Encores offering, but perhaps interesting enough for diehards wanting to see a show they will unlikely ever see again at this level.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 3/20/19 at 10:59pm

I saw this too, and I guess i just don't understand why this had to be "revisited". Some things are better left forgotten, and this is definitely one of them.

The Encores orchestra is as gorgeous as always, but the material is just completely insane.

The plot is of the Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie variety. In this case, a guy marries an angel instead of a witch or a genie. Hilarity ensues. Or something. 

The set looks sort of like the Lawrence Welk Show, pastel color scheme and all.  

It's all very weird. The cast and orchestra give it their all for material that would best be left sitting in a vault. 

I know one of Encores' missions is to revive this type of thing (that would not normally ever see the light of day), but come on. There are so many other more worthy shows that would not bore the hell out of their audience. A lot of money was spent on this, and I cannot understand why. 

PS - They invite school kids to their final dress on Tuesday nights. This show is not the kind of thing that gets kids interested in theatre. If this was the first musical I ever saw, it might also have been my last. 

 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:51am

It seems the choices for this season are uninspired and the production values are not as professional as usual.The summer Encores looks more promising and should create a little more buzz.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 1:13am

I'm hopeful about High Button Shoes, but I'm gonna skip this one.

I can't remember the last time Encores had 3 solid productions in a season. Usually 1-2 are very good, with one clunker (and most of the time it's the material's fault). Occasionally you get the perfect match of material, creative team, and cast (Most Happy Fella, Gents Prefer Blondes, Superman, Anyone Can Whistle, Grand Hotel)...but then, part of the goal of Encores is to focus on the more problematic shows.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 3:12am

I don't doubt the story is ridiculous, but sitting here 3,000 miles away I was inspired by this reading to buy the one "studio recording" available on iTunes.

It's a minor score, maybe, but lovely enough when heard out of context.

Maybe if others expect less, thanks to the reviews above, they will discover the Rodgers & Hart score offers pleasures of its own.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 8:24am

I don’t take issue with Encores putting on problematic curiosities like this- I'd much rather this than Bye Bye Birdie or 1776, which are easily revivable. Preferably they would schedule an I Married an Angel type around two other very strong shows, but alas.

Why isn’t Encores giving us shows like Ben Franklin in Paris or Henry, Sweet Henry? Great scores tied to books that will never allow for a commercial revival. Considering their significant resources, I would also love to see them reconstruct some forgotten and lost flops, the way The York just resurrected Lolita My Love. I don’t know what audience for shows like that would be, Lolita My Love is certainly an ambitious and fascinating flop that deserves to be heard and recorded with a full orchestra.

I’m glad I was able to fill in a gap in my Rodgers (and Hart) knowledge, but after their disappointing Call Me Madam, this wasn’t enough to turn the season around. No pressure, High Button Shoes!

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 10:04am

I think the restoration productions depend largely on money -- like they did with The New Yorkers, Lady Be Good, Paint Your Wagon, etc.

I wonder if Ben Franklin in Paris is another one of those untouchable shows because of Jerry Herman's contributions to the score?

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:15pm

Can anyone tell me what time it let out? I assume around 10pm, but hoping it's a bit shorter.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:33pm

I'm still bummed The New Yorkers didn't get a cast album! Maybe this one will? Or High Button Shoes?

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 1:38pm

The running time was around 2 hours and 15 minutes with intermission.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 2:35pm

It seems likes it's REALLY time for new leadership at Encores.  Jack Viertel has clearly run out of ideas, and has been scraping the bottom of the barrel (or just repeating past shows) for years now.  Maybe some new blood is in order?

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 3:14pm

Jesse Green (NY Times) didn't care much for it!

"But Mr. Bergasse, who choreographed the eloquent 2014 revival of “On The Town,” has neither the troops for spectacle (Encores! has a cast of 29) nor the directing chops to keep the evening from separating like mayonnaise. For each impressive musical number, including Phillip Attmore and Hayley Podschun in some rousing tap specialties, there are two dull ones. The book scenes are too busily staged — as if they, too, were choreographed — and the spoken performances are generally subpar."

NY Times Review: In ‘I Married an Angel,’ a 1930s Musical Falls to Earth

[Peter2]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 4:18pm

I like Jesse Green a lot, but sometimes I think he takes things too seriously. One of the charms of the Encores series is that occasionally, for a few days, with minimal preparation, they let us see what it’s like to watch a one-time hit show from another era that could never play Broadway again, a light whimsical piece meant for pre-television audience merely wanting a diverting couple of hours of tunes, jokes, and dancing after a long day at the office. Where else can you have that experience? Some great masterpiece it is not, but I enjoyed myself very much.

By the way, the level of singing is high, and Sara Mearns, one of the great ballerinas of today, proves to be pretty good at delivering lines.

[BroadwayFan9]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 5:49pm

By the way, the level of singing is high, and Sara Mearns, one of the great ballerinas of today, proves to be pretty good at delivering lines.

Wow.  I thought she was the weakest link in the acting department.  Great dancer she is.  Actress?  No way.   The cast with a few exceptions were all miscast. A very disappointing Encores. 

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 9:07pm

Made it through the first act, but my friend and I bolted almost as soon as the lights came up. A stinker if there ever was one. Sexist and mysoginistic without the humor or charm to make us forget we’re watching something so blatantly distasteful. And the less said about the score, the better.

Honestly can’t believe someone thought this was worth seeing the light of day. By far the worst Encores offering I’ve seen by a very wide margin.

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 09:07 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 1:39am

Doesn't anyone have connections at Encores?

We really need a staged reading of Lerner & Weill's LOVE LIFE, with a commercial recording to follow. We really, really do!

[Ludlow29]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 8:03pm

And the less said about the score, the better.
 

I haven't yet seen this incarnation, but was involved in two past versions of I MARRIED AN ANGEL.  I also saw an enchanting version—beautifully cast with Marin Mazzie, Victoria Clarke, Kim Criswell, and Jason Graae—which got across-the-board raves.

It takes someone with little historic tolerance—or appreciation of classic musical theatre—to write off a score that includes "Spring Is Here," "I'll Tell the Man In the Street," the title song, and "At the Roxy Music Hall" (with its references that were VERY timely and funny when the show opened). It's also very subjective for anyone to prefer the scores of HENRY SWEET HENRY (which did have a funny libretto, but a spotty score) and BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS.

- Michael Colby (researcher for Dorothy Hart's "Thou Swell, Thou Witty: The Life and Lyrics of Lorenz Hart" )

Updated On: 3/22/19 at 08:03 PM

[EdEval]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 9:14pm

Encores staff must read our postings if they are real fans of vintage  Broadway Musicals  Many of us have posted wonderful suggestions of shows for Encore revivals, but they haven't listened.  

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 9:41pm

EdEval said: "Encores staff must read our postings if they are real fans of vintage Broadway Musicals Many of us have posted wonderful suggestions of shows for Encore revivals, but they haven't listened."

When they had suggestion cards in the Playbills, I wrote Finian’s Rainbow several times and they actually did it (and better than I could have hoped). Maybe we just need to ask nicely.

 

[jv92]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 10:35pm

Isn't it a shame that a musical written in 1938 isn't "woke" 81 years later? Jeez. 

I'm going tomorrow. I'm excited. They don't write charts like Hans Spialek used to, and any chance to restore his work is good enough excuse for a major restoration for me. Spring is here, I hear... 

 

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 10:50pm

If the score of I Married an Angel is a hill theatre historians are willing to die on, I’m happy being “historically intolerant.” And a musical from the 30s needn’t be “woke” to be enjoyable, but it should at least be fun. Fun this production ain’t.

It may very well be an enjoyable enough evening under perfect circumstances, but there are so many better shows out there to mount that don’t require quite so much heavy lifting.

Updated On: 3/22/19 at 10:50 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 11:18pm

I went tonight and thought it was a perfectly lovely evening. It's an old fashioned musical. Does it deserve a Broadway revival? No. But is it worth hearing? Yes. And for those who are huge dance fans (as I am) it is interesting to think about the parallels between the storyline of I Married An Angel and George Balanchine's life, as he married or loved "angels" his whole life until he found out they were women.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 11:53pm

I'm on the most beautiful cloud this evening.

I just saw
I Married an Angel.
This heavenly night will be
Always dear to me.

Spring is here.

Thank you, Rodgers and Hart.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 3/23/19 at 12:51am

I am kind of in shock that After Eight enjoyed the production.

[Ludlow29]

Posted: 3/23/19 at 8:31am

People forget that the mission of Encores! is to revive musicals of the past that wouldn't necessarily be done today.  I'd rather have the chance to revisit the work of giants like Rodgers, Hart, and Joshua Logan than see another staging of Hair or Bye Bye Birdie. Hearing the "lost" orchestrations of Hans Spialek (a genius in his field) is worth the price of admission for me. My favorite Encores! presentation ever was Pardon My English, an "un-revivable" Gershwin flop that proved to be delightful—in spite of notorious flopdom and a completely insane plot.   If that's not "your thing," don't go.  I myself avoid Broadway's Jukebox Musicals, because I know they won't meet my preferences of what a musical should be. 

For years, aficionados for clamoring for Encores! to do The Golden Apple, then many chat board regulars trashed it.  You just can't win.

I Married an Angel is in the tradition of screwball musicals like the films of Lubitsch, Mamoulian, and Rene Clair.  Many were not what would be called politically correct today.  It's like analyzing the plots of Fred & Ginger films, picking apart their storylines, and not appreciating songs that were very popular in their time.
- Michael Colby

Updated On: 3/23/19 at 08:31 AM