Irma La Douce @ Encores — Page 2

"I think it's a fool's errand to discuss audience response as proof of anything..."

Thank you for that. There seems to be a large number of people who express an opinion on a show, then follow it up with something like "and the rest of the audience felt the same." They ignore two facts:

1) Our own reaction will color our perception of others' - that is, if we love a show, we want to see that everyone else loves it, and thus that's what we see; and

2) Assuming that because you are in the majority, that makes your opinion extra valid is a fallacy. Your opinion alone really is all you can (and need) express.

I saw the original tour of IRMA LA DOUCE(Taina Elg and Denis Quilley) when I was about sixteen and remember it fondly and quite well. I assume that the tour was pretty much the same staging and concept as the Broadway production. It was a light, charming, funny confection; and I loved it. I can't help but think that the Encores failed to achieve the right tone and atmosphere. I didn't see it, but it sounds like casting was an issue as well. Agree that awkward cuts might have hurt the book; but even if the book is bad, isn't that what Encores was originally about--shows with good scores and problematic books?

"thankfully found myself very charmed with an Act 2 number with guy dancers as penguins. "

Yes, that was very charming, and the best number in the show.

I saw the original Irma La Douce. It opened in September of 60--the critics loved it and loved Elizabeth Seal.
I heard the OBC and could not wait to see it. It was a hot ticket, but during my intercession weekend in January 1961, it snowed on a Saturday, and my brother and I were able to get to the box office and luckily grab two center orchestra tickets. I had high expectations. However, I found much of the musical simplistic, and though Seal was good, it was Keith Michell who really excelled, I felt it was odd that the climax of Act I was his "scene" with himself, the one in which Nestor "kills" Oscar. He did it brilliantly, but where was Irma? Also, despite the large cast, really only Seal, Michell, and Clive Revill seemed to be involved. I remember leaving feeling let down.
Interesting sidelight---Fred Gwynne played one of the "mecs" , I was amazed to find in the chorus, a younger dancer who looked like a Jewish version of Fred Gwynne. I watched him, assuming that he was Gwynne's understudy (he was) and took note of his name.....Elliott Gould.

Isherwood was not impressed. Or entertained.
"By intermission, I was ready to give myself my own cute nickname: Charles-Le-Bored-Senseless."

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Updated On: 5/9/14 at 05:07 PM

If memory serves, other original cast members were Stuart Damon and everybody's favorite (certainly mine), George S. Irving.

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Just saw it.
When the Penquin Dance is the highlight, they are in trouble.
The 2 leads lacked everything needed for the show.
She should be a spark and cracker-jack dancer/singer.
She is not.
He should be a handsome, velvet voiced leading man with good comic chops.

The whole thing lacked tempo, timming and fun.

The musicians and chorus singers were fine. But McClure was out of his element and his voice was weak.
I did enjoy hearing the score but not from the leads.
I feel let-down, I think with a great set of leads and more energetic direction it could have been a lot better.

Updated On: 5/10/14 at 06:32 PM

Saw it last night..flaccid staging & lackluster leads but what a beautiful score. "From a Prion Cell" gave me chills and that fulfilled Encore's mission for me..

This one was painful. A tragic evening all 'round, sadly.

This production was every bit as bad as the one I was in about 30 years ago.

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Dolly were you one of the penguins?

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I have no idea how much of the "real" book we saw at Encores this weekend, but (to me) much of it made little-to-no sense. It either needed to be directed/performed in a different style than the flat, naturalistic one used, or Doyle made incomprehensible re-writes.

It was a lifeless, colorless experience.

To learn the changes between the Paris, London, U.S. versions of the show, here's a link.

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=2209599