John Doyle to direct Amadeus- Page 2

[alwy15]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 12:10am

when i read that all the actors will play amadeus, it reminded me of the funny girl concert..... perhaps we can even bring on whoopi goldberg for the opening and closing!!

[Cenoern]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 12:18am

I loved Sweeney Todd, but I think that this actor-musician "gimmick" does have its limitation, and only works in certain situations.

I really do love what he's done with Sweeney Todd, and I'm curious to see how it works for Company, but I don't want him to overdo it or stretch it too far. We'll have to wait and see.

[rflpfl2]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 12:22am

This sounds amazing, I saw Sweeney and can't wait for Company, because his staging totally blows me away. It's clear this is more than a gimmick- it's become a style and technique that he seems to be expanding and developing. To call something being done three times "overdone" is sort of ridiculous. I will say that if someone else was staging something like this- then it could be a "gimmick"- but this is his thing- and it's a great aesthetic, and I'm glad he keeps exploring it.

[benjamingullett]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 9:05am

Personally, I kind of found the instruments to be occasionally distracting during "Sweeney." However, when I saw "Company" I barely realized they were even there. It was almost a cross between "Company" and "Peter & The Wolf," not only did the actors fit the characters, but the instruments fit the characters as well. IMHO, "Company" is a superior production to "Sweeney," and I love me some "Sweeney."

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 9:11am

I think, as a technique, it's quite revealing, but as an audience member it's just going to get old after awhile.
Minimalism can be enlightening and can certainly bring new things to a tired old warhorse (not sure, really, that we could call Sweeney, Company or even Amadeus tired old warhorses just yet; Oklahoma! they are not) but there does come a point where an audience is just going to view it all as the same. The line will really blur here.
Personally, one of the great things about Sweeney Todd is the great original orchestrations. That was hard for me to let go when I saw this Sweeney but it worked for me. This time. I can't say that I'll always be willing to watch people sit down and play an instrument while they sing.
That, I'm afraid, is a concert.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 9:18am

BLAIR: George. Chromolume number 7?

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 10:02am

But as Margo pointed out, how will this concept work in a play? That doesn't have music to be played by the actors?

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 10:17am

I'm interested to see COMPANY because, being a non-linear piece, I think it could work pretty well.

The problems I had w/ SWEENEY were rarely about the actor-musician concept (though I think they could have made some small changes to enhance and justify the conceit). The problem I had was with the staging itself. It's not anything many of us have worked on for years doing experimental works. And it wasn't as sophisticated and nuanced as some shows I've seen downtown. But slap it on Broadway with a Sondheim score and it's THE NEW THING.

Please.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 10:35am

Exactly, robbiej.

I don't know about the rest of you, be we were doing this same "experimental" stuff in college. There was a whole branch of the theatre department dedicated to exploring established works in fresh, innovative ways. Some were successful as theatre, and some were not.

But these are more useful as intriguing exercises for actors and directors than they are entertaining pieces of theatre for audiences. To me it's frustrating and self-indulgent, because it doesn't ultimately serve the intention of the piece.

I'm glad it "felt great" as a member of the acting company to be a part of something like this, but that amounts to nothing more than artistic masturbation if you're not working ultimately for the benefit of the audiences.

Save it for the colleges and classrooms.

Updated On: 5/18/06 at 10:35 AM

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 10:57am

Well, b12b, I'm not going to deny anyone's positive reactions to this piece. And that reaction is coming from people new to these types of staging techniques and from those who know quite a bit about experimental theatre. So, truly, to each his own.

The thing about the debate on this SWEENEY is that those who love tend to lump those who didn't in the 'you didn't get it/you don't appreciate this type of theatre' crowd. Which, for me, personally, couldn't be farther from the truth. When you remove all suspense because all the killings are telegraphed way before because of the blood-slattered lab coats, that suspense needs to be replaced with something else. And I never felt it was. I saw some interesting ideas explored, but never deeply enough to invest me in the show.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 11:08am

I guess I just saw too much of it in college to have it mean anything more to me than (possibly) a fascinating exercise.

I was talking more in general about this kind of "visionary" concept/conceit, not specifically about the current Sweeney revival.

And no, I'm not saying others are "wrong" in their high opinion of that show! We all bring our own history and our own perceptions to the theatre. I have a history of seeing and being involved in experimental theatre. As you say, "been there, done that." For others, it will be new and revolutionary (perhaps). And that's fine.

Updated On: 5/18/06 at 11:08 AM

[broadwaybaby692]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 11:12am

Besides "Sweeney" and "Company" what other shows has Doyle done his actor/musician trick on?

I think it will be much more difficult to find actors who can play Mozart than actors/singers who can play Sondheim.

Salieri should play the violin. Mozart the piano. Constance should play the flute or french horn. Mozart's father should play the bassoon.

And I would be much more interested in a stage "Amadeus" that used live music - I've only seen two productions, both with pre-recorded, canned, professional arrangements.
Updated On: 5/18/06 at 11:12 AM

[joshy]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 1:46pm

Is anyone else sick of people saying "how long can he keep this gimmick going, he's already used it on, like, three whole shows!" He has been using this technique for YEARS. It's nothing new, not a 'gimmick' he's just discovered. Sweeney was just the first show of his that really broke out.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 1:55pm

BLAIR: George. Chromolume number 7?

HA!

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 2:01pm

Well, Joshy, if you want to mince it, then yes, he's been doing it for years, just not on Broadway, where shows capitalize for $12 million or more regularly these days and people expect something a bit different than experimental staging with detached characters playing their instruments and "exploring the text." As stated here far more eloquently than I possibly could, this kind of thing is enlightening, opening and luxurious as an actor and often enough to assault an entire theatregoing audience as if it's all the Ambien in the world.

[kristin3]

Posted: 5/26/06 at 7:50pm

Maybe you could just wait until you actually SEE Company and then decide if it 'services' the text or the show. I am positive that this director has nothing more in mind than 'telling the story'. Just remember that they don't all have to be done as 'crowd pleasers'. Some directors will require you to think a little bit. Company DOES actually work well in this style. Not all shows will. But Doyle has been developing this way to tell a story for more than a decade. He's done Candide, Peter Pan, Mack and Mable, Pirates, Sweeney, Company etc like this. He has also directed Operas, and plays WITHOUT using instrument playing actors. It all started because he was running a small company in the UK that didn't have the money to have both and orchestra and actors. So he found a way to combine the two. Then he realized that there were merits to having actors who "listened" differently due to their instrumental skills. Those actors are the ones he hires. I am sure he'd be the first to say he is amazed at his 'style' being so discussed. He is extremely modest.

Like him or hate him. He would love to know that it inspired discussion at any rate.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 5/26/06 at 8:10pm

As much as I love SWEENEY, the idea of the actors carrying their instruments around has caused me to NOT want to see this revival. I know it's creative etc, but I don't think that I I'd like the concept. Plus the the CD and the video previews make me want to go even less.

It's not everybody's cup of tea! I wish SWEENEY the best though.