MERRILY....

Do a search. There is already a discussion going on abou this.

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I'll see it, but I'm not particularly excited, having seen 4 full productions in my life already. I think Keenan-Bolger will be good, and the two men merely OK at best. I'm disappointed that they aren't doing the original version, since that's the one I've seen least, but I gather that George Furth was so scarred by the experience, he won't let anyone do that version.

Encores began with a mission to bring underheard scores to light; Merrily, a show that's done as much as Oklahoma it sometimes seems (that's hyperbole, to the literal-minded), hardly has anything in common with that mission.

It's also a musical (like most Sondheim shows) that suffers when the score is treated as something separable from the book, which is what Encores generally does, abridging or totally re-writing the books so that they only vaguely resemble what was originally written.

Fortunately for them, very few theatre-goers pay much attention to words at all (book or lyrics), as long as they find the singers attractive or sassy, and sufficiently loud.

ljay889, to answer your actual question, I have a feeling they're not going to have scripts in their hands, along the lines of the Summer Stars shows we've seen in the past. They have a twelve day rehearsal period for MERRILY, which is significantly longer than typical Encores! shows.

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I thought there were union rules about these things, and that they have to hold the scripts (even if they don't refer to them).

NewInTown I've heard that unlike with Goldman's widow and Follies, the people who look over Furth's work have far less issue with what version is used. In the case of Merrily it very much seems that Sondheim himself is the one who insists on the revised version. While I think the revised version overall works better, I prefer a lot of the original and since this is a semi staged version it would have been an interesting chance to go back to that (particularly since, as you say, the point of Encores is to do little seen works and the revised Merrily is pretty easy to find decent regional productions of...)

Speaking of--I do find it a bit annoying that year after year Encores seems to get further away from their original concept to stage rare works. I know the shows with names people know sell bigger tickets and perhaps make for more enjoyable evenings, but some of their choices have been fairly ridiculous. I'm pleased to see they're finally getting around to Pipe Dream, which IMHO *does* fit the bill, this year though.

"Fortunately for them, very few theatre-goers pay much attention to words at all (book or lyrics), as long as they find the singers attractive or sassy, and sufficiently loud."

Ha! Though I wouldn't be surprised if quite a bit of the libretto was included in this Merrily...

Is it just me or does it seems as though Lin-Manuel Miranda is doing a Lonny Price impersonation in that clip?

Wow! They are doing the full 1981 version of OLD FRIENDS. The Kennedy Center production used this one too. But it's not used on the London and Off-Broadway cast recordings.

"NewInTown I've heard that unlike with Goldman's widow and Follies, the people who look over Furth's work have far less issue with what version is used. In the case of Merrily it very much seems that Sondheim himself is the one who insists on the revised version."

Eric, George Furth --- who was very much alive and well during the time of the La Jolla production --- clearly approved (and worked on) any changes made to the show by Sondheim and Lapine at that time. I am sure he, like everyone else, also had problems with the original production.

you all realize this was video footage of a rehearsal right? i love how people seem to know this yet it is still somehow judged as a performance. give them a break. personally, i am inclined to doubt some of their capability as actors in these extremely challenging roles more than i am their vocal quality. it's sondheim. not american idol. In REHEARSAL.