Meet Me in St. Louis Broadway (1989) — Page 2

In any case, Judy Garland isn't coming back and the original ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is available on videocassette. So what's the mission of the stage replica at the Gershwin Theater? To spread the good will earned by the overture, I guess. And that task, if not a lot else, is accomplished by this lavish show despite such obstacles as insipid acting, an inane book and a complete lack of originality. While it's not high praise to say so, ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is superior to the other latter-day Broadway adaptations of M-G-M musicals, ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' and ''Singin' in the Rain.'' Unlike its predecessors, this show respects its source and knows its audience. It also benefits from the fact that the original material - Sally Benson's stories of domestic bliss and teen-age romance on the eve of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition - is too Kensington Avenue-bound to insist upon cinematic chatrandom sweep.

FilembarEliJeevan said: "In any case, Judy Garland isn't coming back and the original ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is available on videocassette.

You're gonna be floored when you learn what streaming is.

FilembarEliJeevan said: "In any case, Judy Garland isn't coming back and the original ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is available on videocassette.

''You're gonna be floored when you learn what streaming is.''

So should any musical that's been filmed (or available for streaming) never be done on stage again? Not everyone, especially younger generations, KNOWS ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' or has seen the 1944 MGM classic. Should it be relegated to the dustbin of film archives? Look, I'm not claiming the stage version of ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' was Broadway perfection. (And the revised version that AEA AGMA SM cites sounds like there's a better show there.) But ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is Americana, worthy of being remembered, and not just in December when folks sing ''Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.'' Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote great tunes, like ''The Trolley Song'' and ''The Boy Next Door,'' that deserve to be rediscovered and sung by young people, not to mention the legacy of Judy Garland. And though it's a nostalgic period piece, ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' is a timeless musical celebration of family and finding happiness ''right in our own hometown.''

Updated On: 2/20/22 at 04:13 PM

Dollypop said: "pmensky said: "I saw the tour of this with Debby Boone as well. I wasn’t expecting to like it as I love the movie so much, but I thought the show was wonderful. I remember the girl who played Tootie was particularly charming and much more likable than Margaret O’Brien."

Melania Trump is more likeable than Margaret O'Brien who is still alive and making people nervous in Hollywood."

Having met O’Brien numerous times, this made me LOL Dollypop!

I will say that the cast recording for the Broadway production is wonderful. I checked it out of my local library several times and loved the orchestrations and vocal performances. It wasn’t until I got my hands on two different videos of the production that I realized it didn’t add up to what I was hoping - however I am biased, being a massive Judy Garland fan and watch MMISL at least two times a year.

Music Theatre of Southern California did MMISL in May of 1995, and I was Clinton Badger. Our script changed quite a bit during rehearsals, as it was parts of different versions of the show. Our Lon was Craig Meyer, who was in the original Broadway cast.

Updated On: 2/23/22 at 11:22 AM

As I was walking down the beach with Jason Workman and another friend in 1984, girls were shouting to him, "You are gorgeous! You are gorgeous!!" No surprise he winds up on Broadway in this production a few years later. And Donna Kane has a marvelous set of pipes -- love her!

It was a treat to see "The Trolley Song" on YouTube just a year or so ago.

(My own tenuous connection to this show I thought I'd share.)