Major Changes for Sondheim on Sondheim Coming- Page 2

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 6:11pm

I love Vanessa Williams, but she does not have the voice for Rose's Turn (or any of Rose's other big numbers, for that matter).
I would love to see Vanessa, Norm & Leslie do "Together Wherever, We Go".

Also, what are the chances of this show getting a CD being a new musical?

[BroadwayBrat]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 6:43pm

I'm hoping for a cast recording too!

Not sure if it will happen though.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 7:25pm

Excellent news! Arthur Laurents is going to fix it!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 8:38pm

Ha! Now THAT would be funny.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/28/10 at 9:01pm

I've said little about this becuase I (as others have stated) was moved from start to finish, Sondheim's music is so close and such a map of things that happened in my life.
But I will say that SMILE and AH BUT UNDERNEATH were the only low points (song choice wise).
What I would suggest is bringing in someone to stage some of the numbers, like OPENING DOORS, the actors sing a chorus run up the stairs back to their chairs and then back up again, I thought they would at least switch it up a bit, but they never did.
I am hoping that Leslie and Matthew get solos, as has been rumored. That could of course be a major change for Leslie.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 11:39am

Arthur Laurents? Yeah right!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:01pm

'Also, what are the chances of this show getting a CD being a new musical?'

Vanessa Williams always gets recordings, so I would think so. She has a recording for Carmen Jones, Into The Woods, Kiss and the other show she did I think at Encores!, so I have no doubts.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:04pm

Does Tom Wopat come into the lobby at intermission and hawk his solo CD at the merch booth like he did during Chicago?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 1:54pm

Fascinates me how many people want to turn this show into an Atlantic City review of Sondheim's greatest hits. Lapine clearly wants to create an entertainment that satisfies those who need to hear the well known, and those who want to move beyond SIDE BY SIDE BY... From reading comments, it seems there's no way this production will please everyone. Is there a "fix" that will make it a Branson-styled show? It's not so much known songs vs. obscure as it is a sensibililty and point of view.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 2:10pm

Does Tom Wopat come into the lobby at intermission and hawk his solo CD at the merch booth like he did during Chicago?

Unfortunately there isn't a merch booth yet, so he can't just yet. He also did this in Seattle during Catch Me If You Can. Although, there is was just pre-performance not at intermission.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 2:41pm

Vanessa should sing another song. Love her :)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 2:53pm

Thank you, Auggie.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 3:17pm

Besides a few moments that don't exactly seem to gel with the rest of the show, I think it's pretty much a perfect evening at the theater and I think (I hope) that true fans of Sondheim's will appreciate what we have here: A guided tour through some of the most important works in the history of the American Musical Theatre by the man who brought them to us. What worked, what didn't work (AND WHY) and what became and evolved. This is a beyond fascinating look at a career and a life and it really saddens me that people want to reduce it to a jukebox cabaret act of #1 hits.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 3:27pm

^Thanks for that. It's exactly how I feel after seeing it on March 20th. Loved it even if it was early on in previews.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 3:34pm

"It's not so much known songs vs. obscure as it is a sensibililty and point of view."

I think it's more a case of good songs vs. inferior ones. Why listen to inferior songs that don't land instead of good ones that might?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 3:36pm

"I think it's more a case of good songs vs. inferior ones. Why listen to inferior songs that don't land instead of good ones that might?"

That's a very fair question, After Eight. I think that a lot of it in this particular case has to do with the context in which they're presented. A few of the numbers don't really work when they are cut songs and not really presented as such and explained. Others when discussed and than performed become really interesting lessons on the evolution of that particular show.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 5:15pm

Rob Marshall is waiting in the wings with his scalpel.

What do you think the running time will be on Easter Sunday when we are seeing it? We need to make dinner reservations.

Wonder if I should bring my original Follies Playbill with me to get him to sign it.

Updated On: 3/29/10 at 05:15 PM

[amoni2]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 5:52pm

'I love Vanessa Williams, but she does not have the voice for Rose's Turn (or any of Rose's other big numbers, for that matter)."

Honey if Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly can sing "Rose's Turn", Vanessa Williams can sing "Rose's Turn".

[binau]

Posted: 3/29/10 at 6:01pm

Ethel Merman and Angela Lansbury are/were vocal powerhouses. I'm not sure why they are the precedent that a singer such as Williams "has the voice" to sing Rose's Turn.

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 1:53am

I found the casting odd and the performances subpar but neither is why I went so it's ok. I went to hear great Sondheim songs and see his story.

I don't know who knew who and who was owed
favors but i can't believe the 3 leads were the best they could
get? Were Mandy, Bernadette, Audra etc etc unavailable? I like Tom Wopat but not the strongest voice and he was the best male
lead they could find? I think Norm Lewis
would have been a better lead. Lust Vanessa, but
"popped up" too many of the songs. And Barbara was lovely and still sounds amazing for her age, but it seemed really odd, gross and awkward when
she was playing romantic scene with Wopat and Lewis. She is 25 years older
than the oldest guy in the cast! The ensemble was much stronger than
the leads. The videos were wonderful and as
far as I'm concerned worth the price
of admission. Great to see SS in his own world. From what I understand they took over 20 hours of video of him and I'd LOVE if they put that all on DVD

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 1:57am

"but it seemed really odd, gross and awkward when
she was playing romantic scene with Wopat and Lewis"

How is it gross? This is a revue. She isn't starring in an actual production of Passion.

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 2:21am

Yes but you can't suspend ALL reality. Barbara Cook can be Tom Wopats mother and probably Norm Lewis's grandmother. I found it distracting and better cast with someone like Bernadette Peters or
around that age

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 7:53am

If you were unable to look past Barbara Cook's age while she was singing "Loving You" from Passion--especially, as ljay pointed out, in a cabaret/revue setting in which you are asked to suspend very little disbelief and concentrate solely on the singer's rendition of the meaning of the song--if you are unable to look beyond that and experience the rare experience of a world-class singer interpreting one of the master's deepest songs, then I have nothing but pity for you.

Pity and disdain, verging on contempt.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 8:09am

You're also the creepy guy who went on and on about Nancy Anderson being too "old" for the female singer's role in Yank.

You got mother issues? See a therapist. BUT LEAVE OUR DIVAS ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!

Updated On: 3/30/10 at 08:09 AM

[Greatwhiteway3]

Posted: 3/30/10 at 9:06am

Please, you are an idiot