Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?- Page 4
Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
#75re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 1:10am
Still can't believe I never knew there was a musical adaptation of The Opposite of Sex. I know it was pretty limited, but considering it had Kerry Butler, Karen Ziemba, and Jeff McCarthy is there at least a demo recording of it? Anything? From the little I was able to find out about this show, it sounds pretty interesting.
I really like the idea of Butler as DeeDee, even if the role was played to sublime perfection by Christina Ricci. I also like the idea of making her character talk to the theater audience and reference more theatrical conceits. The review on theatermania talks about a particular scene in which the ensemble makes a scene transition and DeeDee interrupts with, "No cheesy dancing - just stand there and sing." I love how it many of the lines and ideas of her narrating character can work well with film and the stage.
Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm glad you brought this up since I never knew it existed. I've always though the material would work well on as some sort of theater piece. Shamefully I actually used DeeDee's closing monologue for a final when I was back in high school. I think it's the closing one, which ends with "I never was the same again after that summer".
#76re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 2:23amJamaica. I really love the OBCR. The book is a mess. I've read multiple versions of the script. It was much stronger before they meddled with Harburg's original. I would love for Encores to get around to it some day.
#77re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 9:09am
The 1978 flop musical ANGEL starring Frances Sternhagen, Don Scardino and Fred Gwynne.
According to ibdb, it lasted 6 previews and 5 performances at the Minskoff.
A cast recording is available on LP. I wonder if this has ever been done since the OBC.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#78re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:12pm
WORKING was recently revised and revived (yet again) at Old Globe in San Diego. It has some new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Go to YouTube and search "Working Old Globe"
Updated On: 7/6/09 at 12:12 PM
#79re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:20pmZanna Don't?
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#80re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:36pm
ZANNA DON'T gets the occasional revival by small, enterprising theater companies.
GRIND
ZORBA
PROMISES, PROMISES
FIORELLO!
RUNAWAYS
ASPECTS OF LOVE
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
#81re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:37pmWhen I review past seasons, more often than not shows open on Broadway then are (rarely) ever seen again--just like with most movies. I think the more interesting question is which shows had big critical or popular success but then pretty much faded away. Which ones are you surprised were hits in their day but you've never heard of or were such big hits in their day that you thought they'd have a long life after their season?
#82re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 12:45pmDoes THE WILD PARTY (either or both) get produced a good deal?
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
#83re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 2:47pm
"Ah, yes. LESTAT and DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES."
The latter will never go on in the form seen on Broadway. Its source material, TANZ DER VAMPIRE, has on the other hand become a national monument of sorts in the European continent, particularly in German-speaking countries.
"There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from."
~ Charles M. Schulz
#84re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 3:58pm
Bajour
Kwamina
Skyscraper
Doonesbury
How Now Dow Jones
Do Re Mi
I Can Get It For You Wholesale
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 7/6/09 at 03:58 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#85re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 3:58pm
Flora the Red Menace
Grand Hotel
On the 20th Century
Ballroom
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Valentino
Mail
Swing
Mack and Mabel
I'm sure there are a thousand more
And maybe the most brilliant show that is hardly ever done (all though I did just direct a production of it in the Boston area) The Rink.
#86re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 4:12pmThe Woman in White.
#87re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 7/6/09 at 4:27pmThere was a pretty good production of Zanna Don't in San Diego a few months ago.
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#88re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 12:02pmDoes anyone know if there is a recording of "Merlin" available? I looked on Amazon, but I didn't really come up with anything. I saw "How Now Dow Jones" at the Fringe festival last night and I really enjoyed it, and I thought almost every song was great. I'm curious to know what the score for "Merlin" was like.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#89re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 12:34pm
At the Illinoiks Theatre Center (an Equity company outside Chicago), we've done such rarities as:
FLORA THE RED MENACE
THE RINK
70 GIRLS 70
TWO BY TWO
SOMETHING'S AFOOT
THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM
LUCKY STIFF
DEAR WORLD
FANNY
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN
THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT...
A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD/A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE
QUILTERS
BY JEEVES
TRIUMPH OF LOVE
RAGS
#90re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 12:49pm
Subways Are For Sleeping
Fade Out Fade In
Golden Rainbow
Henry Sweet Henry
#91re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 1:38pmJerome Robbins is said to have remarked that JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY would never be done again after its critically successful Broadway run because of its extremely long rehearsal period and the size of its huge cast of singer-dancers. Money is the reason. It was a magnificent event which I saw four times. The WEST SIDE STORY sequence was undoubtedly superior to the dancing in the current WSS.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
#92re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 4:51pmppc's post reminds me that I would LOVE to see Grand Hotel. maybe done at Encores?
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
#93re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 4:56pmsome theater/dance colleges have done Contact & Fosse.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
#94re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 5:11pm
Point Park University did CONTACT and THOU SHALT NOT here in Pittsburgh within the past few years. (Though one of Stromann's dancers lives here and directed both of them.) Much more interestingly they did a true out-and-out flop musical KING OF HEARTS too!
Pittsburgh's CLO did SWING this past season.
I was in a production of ASPECTS OF LOVE. There was so much pointless re-writing done on that show it isn't even funny. (Just like the supposed comedy song of the show.)
"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music
"Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70
"Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba
kimchi2
Swing Joined: 8/17/09
#95re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 8:14pmSignature Theater's The Rhythm Club?
BroomstickBoy
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/21/04
#96re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/24/09 at 9:50pm
Triumph of Love. Recently saw a dvd of the Performance Riverside 2001 production (really wish I could get my hands on an OBC dvd) with Eden Espinosa as Corine, and despite the sloppy staging, it looks like a lot of fun and I WISH some places around here in Georgia would do it.
I'd love to do Roar of the Greasepaint, just to sing "Who Can I Turn To?".
I don't WANT to live in what they call "a certain way." In the first place I'd be no good at it and besides that I don't want to be identified with any one class of people. I want to live every whichway, among all kinds---and know them---and understand them---and love them---THAT's what I want! - Philip Barry (Holiday)
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#97re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 8/31/09 at 11:24pmAnyone word on a Merlin recording?
#98re: Musicals that had little-to-no-life after their original production?
Posted: 9/1/09 at 5:34amDance of the Vampires would have worked if they did it the RIGHT way, and didn't screw around with the dialogue and etc..This is exactly why the german production is getting a revival over Wicked in Stuttgart and closing the show out, because they know how to do it right. ITs completely fascinating show
Shows:
Wicked 9.20.08; Wicked 3.14.09; Wicked 4.11.09; Cats 10.27.09; Legally Blonde 11.25.09; Chicago 11.27.09; Wicked 11.27.09; The Color Purple 12.1.09; Wicked 3.25.10; Wicked 3.26.10; Wicked 3.27.10; Wicked 3.28.10; Wicked 4.2.10; Wicked 4.3.10 (Evening and Matinee); Wicked 4.9.10; Wicked 4.10.10; Wicked 4.11.10; The Color Purple 4.24.10;
Videos