Karen Mason & James Barbour To Star With Sierra Boggess in REBECCA?- Page 2

[DeNada]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 1:03pm

They've got a new choreographer for this production haven't they? Weren't they talking to Graciela Daniele about it? They will presumably tone down the camp - I agree that it'll probably still flop and be trashy, but I wouldn't expect the exact same show from Europe.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 10:06pm

Seems to me that all it would take to sell this show is a picture of Sierra Boggess's face (tastefully shadowed, of course) on the marquee.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 10:25pm

Sierra Boggess isn't Rebecca, so it won't be just her face. Only one of the marketing campaigns used the cast in Europe. Occasionally they will use the flaming R with "I" (Sierra) and Maxim.

The show is getting some revamps in Stuttgart, where that is the rumored "version" to transfer.

There is a new song in Act 2, "Free Now," by Sierra Boggess, so I wouldn't be surprised if they re-did a lot of Act II, which has some largely sung through sequences.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/18/11 at 11:43pm

This could all be moot since there are no theatres available and Reidel doesn't even mention (in today's column) REBECCA in the race for one.

Who was the original choreographer?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:10am

The original choreographer was Denni L. Sayers.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:42am

CurtainPullDowner, Riedel didn't mention Rebecca in the race for theaters because they've had one booked for several months now.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 7:08am

Have these people learned nothing from SPIDER-MAN? When your main concern is how you're going to execute elaborate tech sequences and not the material itself, you've already dug your own grave.

It sounds like Michael Bennett described the show quite perfectly.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:02pm

The PRODUCERS are concerned about the design sequences... which have been cut and altered to be simpler.

Michael Kunze and Christopher Hampton (who was brought in to translate) have been hard at work. Since no one seems to have read my posts, the rumor is that the STUTTGART PRODUCTION this year is to be the basis of the Broadway production.

There have been a lot of cuts to the material, especially some of the "we need a song because its a musical" moments.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:38pm

Theatreguy, what theatre do they have booked and why don'y they announce it?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:43pm

Honestly, they can cut and add as much as they want, but unless its from a new writer, its all going to be the same quality that makes Frank Wildhorn look like Gershwin.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:51pm

Sylvester Levay has written a few haunting tunes, but I agree the score has some serious lacks. Don't base your judgment on the English demos, which was 3 years before a production even happened.

What doesn't help is that Levay writes his own orchestrations, which works in the Euro-style only. I'm surprised they haven't contacted Koen Schoots, who is an excellent orchestrator in Europe (he does Wildhorn's stuff over there actually).

[Rabekriegerin]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:53pm

I'm quite interested in the Stuttgart production, especially as Thomas Borchert is starring as Maxim. Looking forward to more information on that... and on some of the rumored cuts and changes.

I don't know that a comparison to Spidey is apt; Spidey was a new musical, whereas Rebecca has already been a wild overseas success.

Most of my nervousness lies in the translation process. Tanz der Vampire is a beautifully dark, amusing, rich bit of melodrama; Dance of the Vampires was a sheer cringefest. If the same thing happens to Rebecca, I will be one sad, sad panda.

I can only hope the musical does not get ruined in the name of "fixing" it. The cure can be worse than the disease. That being said, the Viennese version of Rebecca certainly could stand for certain choice improvements, so here's to waiting and hoping with great anticipation...

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 2:08am

Listening to it now on YouTube. I rather like it. It's exactly what I want right now. I miss those Euro-Trash Pop Operas of the 80s. The past couple of seasons have been all about the musical comedies, and while they're fun to watch they really aren't music I want to listen to while I'm doing other things. This is something I would def. have on my Ipod.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 9:55am

Most of my nervousness lies in the translation process. Tanz der Vampire is a beautifully dark, amusing, rich bit of melodrama; Dance of the Vampires was a sheer cringefest. If the same thing happens to Rebecca, I will be one sad, sad panda.

Well, while DOTV wasn't the best translation, I would not hesitate to add that as much as I am a fan of his work, Kunze's own English lyrics sound like they came from an ESL course. Don't believe me? Try on "The Power of a Woman in Love" for size (link below). What worries me is that since the announcement of Hampton being added to the team, I've heard he's mainly working on the book, while Kunze concentrates on the lyrics. Considering Hampton's musical theater credits are Sunset Boulevard and Dracula, I don't have high hopes for either party.
Gloria Gaynor: "The Power of a Woman in Love" (From the musical "Rebecca")

[Rabekriegerin]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 11:03pm

Yeah, I'm aware of the atrocious English lyrics from the demo. (Well; I like She's Invincible, but for the most part... ehh.) It's a pity, because Kunze is a master at turning a German phrase, and he has a fabulous grasp on how to plot out the line of action in a musical. I, too, am a fan of his works; it was stumbling into his line of German-language musicals that reminded me I live two hours from Broadway and really should visit it more often.

Is it that hard to conjure up a decent lyric translation? I mean - really? I love this musical, and I dread seeing the whole thing go up in flames, if you'll pardon the expression.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 2:53am

Well, it depends on who's doing the translation. For example, the problem with DOTV was that much of the original German material was either discarded or ignored when it came to translating the lyrics. There was some (in this case, obvious) disconnect between what Kunze wrote in German (as you said, he's a master of turning a German phrase, with a fabulous grasp on how to plot out the line of action in a musical), and what eventually crawled out of the bag.

For me, the talent of the person doing the translation is an obvious key, but the other one is to go back to the German and translate it directly into English, and start from that point, refining the lyrics until they convey the same idea but are "singable" (if you know what I mean). One should only make changes on the scale of Herbert Kretzmer to Les Mis if it becomes necessary to add or delete material for any reason (including character development, a refined plot, etc.), or if the original idea just does not translate to an English stage. (As Kunze himself said, he wouldn't have minded if DOTV changed a few things for regional sensibilities, a la Japan not depicting the madman in Elisabeth because it's a cultural taboo to show crazy people onstage, but instead they changed the whole show, and you know the rest.)

[Rabekriegerin]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 2:18pm

Absolutely agreed. A team of a good translator and a good English-language lyricist working together would preserve the sentiment of the German song, but produce far more refined English lyrics. Translation tends to simplify the language, sometimes dreadfully so, or with awkward turns of phrase that just... don't sing nicely. And that won't do; the beauty of the lyrics is so central to the power of the piece.

Altering the content of the songs is an entirely different level of horror, as you said!

The advantage of Kunze doing his own translation is... the original German won't be ignored, so we can skip that travesty. My hesitation lies in the second half of that equation: the beauty and "fit-ness" of the English result. That's where the English Demo runs into trouble.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 3:00pm

I'm just going to go on a limb and say this won't last very long.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 4:04pm

I don't see Daniele going anywhere near this.

Are fans of this show happy about Zambello's involvement?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/15/11 at 11:23am

Barbour is confirmed -

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/156581-James-Barbour-Will-Return-to-Broadway-in-Rebecca-Holiday-Concerts-Too

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 11/15/11 at 1:02pm

I would die of happiness if Judy Kuhn was cast as Mrs. Danvers!!!! She would be fantastic!!!!