John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the Park- Page 2
John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the Park
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Joined: 12/31/69
#25John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 12:32pmMuch as I hate to sound like an old prig, I have to agree with Newintown- I'm glad you enjoyed those productions but each of them was such a diminished version of a powerful classic.
#26John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 2:33pm
I don't know, guys. Sondheim certainly feels differently about that production of Company, as is quite clear in his book. I also don't understand how it's a shtick. It's not like he set Company in feudal Japan or on Mars or something. If anything, he made it less of a gimmicky period piece. How is having actors play instruments more of a shtick than having them sing, which characters certainly don't do in everyday situations? I just thought it worked spectacularly well for that production.
You could make a little more of an argument against his Sweeney Todd, I think, but I still was thrilled by it and it was my introduction to Sondheim's work, for which I am hugely grateful.
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#27John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 2:46pm
I thought the Sweeney was ghastly- I am glad you were able to follow it but I found it confusing beyond words and I have the piece pretty much memorized. The instruments weren't as distracting as the staging and direction. He seemed to work very hard to obscure the intent and meaning. (I am still baffled by the coffin.)
Company was better, I agree, but still easily the least effective staging of the piece I've ever seen. It seemed oddly dispassionate to me. Maybe because I think the piece requires a "realistic" performance style and Doyle seems to like to have his actors "declaim" their lines.
Again, I'm glad you enjoyed. He is really not my cup of tea.
#28John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 2:56pm
Any directorial "concept" applied to a piece and not found in its book or score is "schtick." Sometimes it's interesting, sometimes it's foolish. But I always have more respect for a piece done straight and well than for one that's more about the director's reaction to the piece.
Still, I'm always more interested in new work than revivals anyway.
#29John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 2:58pmOne more point, too - in no place does Sondheim say that Doyle's production was superior to the original. In fact, he states without equivocation that his favorite performances of his songs are the original ones, because they best reflect what they were created to be.
#30John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 3:23pmI didn't say he called it superior, but he clearly holds it in pretty high esteem and has a lot of things to say about it. I believe he also calls it the first time the audience was ever truly able to emotionally invest in Bobby. Updated On: 3/7/11 at 03:23 PM
#31John Doyle confirmed to direct MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG for Cincinatti in the
Posted: 3/7/11 at 5:00pmGood or bad, I'm just glad this will be in Cincy next year. I've never seen Merrily before, plus this will be great for the local theatre scene.
9/18 - Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cincy Pop's
9/28 - Death Of A Salesman, Wright State
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