Posted: 5/27/19 at 10:50pm
Many of New York Public Theater summer Shakespeare in the Park shows. Over the years, there have been many brilliant "high-concept" productions.
Posted: 5/27/19 at 11:05pm
I think the current Oklahoma! revival would be a good example of this.
Posted: 5/28/19 at 1:13am
I will forever gush about the New York Philharmonic's 2014 production of Sweeney Todd with Bryn Terfel as Todd and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett. The New York Philharmonic did something similar for a 2000 production of making it half a concert, half a stage show, but man the opening number for 2014 was killer. I would highly suggest anyone to watch the PBS broadcast of either, but specifically 2014. I want to say more, but it's best to just go and watch it.
Posted: 5/28/19 at 1:28am
I worked at the NYSF for much of the 90s, and my picks for the top/bottom 'high-concept' Shakespeares I did were:
1990 "The Taming of the Shrew" (Tracey Ullman/Morgan Freeman) set in the Wild West- the setting really worked for the plot, characters, and a western twang fit the verse very well.
1995 "Troilus And Cressida" which had such an excess of multi-era concepts that I made friends come see it because they would not believe it was on a public stage. I'd describe it, but it wouldn't do it justice, and would spoil your shock. Ok: one thing... Two couples realistically simulating sex while Stephen Spinella sang a sonnet in falsetto wearing a bejeweled strap-on that inflated to an erection and shot liquid into the audience. And that wasn't even the weirdest scene.
Updated On: 5/29/19 at 01:28 AM
