Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

#1

Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:01am

I'm curious how many musicals were heavily revised for their revival.

Revisions I'm counting
- book changes
- new songs/cut songs
- new orchestrations

I can think of

No, No, Nanette (1971)
Follies (1987) London
Anything Goes (1987)
Damn Yankees (1994)
Cabaret (1998 )
Kiss Me Kate (1999)
Annie Get Your Gun (1999)
Sweet Charity (2005)
The Threepenny Opera (2006) a new translation
The Pajama Game (2006) would this count???
Pal Joey (2008 ) *Upcoming revival
Brigadoon (2008-2009?) *Upcoming revival

I am glad Encores! present shows in their original format. Most of these shows don't need all these revisions.

What others?

Updated On: 7/11/08 at 01:01 AM

#2

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:03am

Flower Drum Song

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#3

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:10am

Anything Goes has gone through several changes. Many songs have been added and subtracted and the plot has changed drastically in its different revivals.

#4

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:12am

The only other one I can think of that underwent major changes was Grease for both the 1994 revival and the current revival.

#5

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:12am

Haha. I just added ANYTHING GOES as you posted that.

#6

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:14am

Oh, and Peter Pan.

#7

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:25am

Les Miz.

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#8

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:05am

I totally agree with PETER PAN. I have both the Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby versions, and man they are different!

#9

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:07am

What did they change in Les Miz? I thought it wasn't really a "Revival", and they just brought it back to Broadway in its original form?

#10

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 2:15am

From what I've heard, Side Show is very different this time around, which I'm not so happy about. I really hope they didn't cut We Share Everything...

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#11

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:03am

How about the 1997 Revival of Once Upon a Mattress? Along with the revised and broadened Spanish Panic, there were other changes of the book and song lyrics.

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#12

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 3:45am

It seems that nearly every time Candide gets revived it has a new book and includes different songs.

#13

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:07am

I thought of a few more. Both Company and Follies ended up having completely revised books for their revivals, Into the Woods incorperated a few book and lyric revisions and The Scarlet Pimpernel underwent some major book revisions, song cuts and song additions by the time it reopened at the Neil Simon Theatre. though I don't believe Pimpernel was considered a revival at the time. Or was it?

Updated On: 7/11/08 at 04:07 AM

#14

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:20am

CANDIDE definitely comes to mind, as well as CABARET, ANYTHING GOES, and the Garber/Neuwirth DAMN YANKEES.

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#15

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 4:34am

What did they change in Les Miz? I thought it wasn't really a "Revival", and they just brought it back to Broadway in its original form?

Not that much.
It wasn't "heavily" revised.

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"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#16

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 6:17am

Les Miz was pretty much just condensed as the producers felt that it needed a more intimate feel. So...

Altered Smaller Sets
Less focus on general design of show
Smaller Orchestrations...

ok...CRAP ORCHESTRATIONS - Most of the string, brass and woodwind section were replaced by synthesizers...

That's Chris Jahnke for you...MAKING US ORCHESTRATORS PROUD!

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A little known fact is that in the original screenplay, Pan's Labyrinth was Pan's FLAByrinth. Hmmmmmmm...glad they changed it.

#17

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 6:59am

i can't believe no one mentioned this but:

SHOW BOAT - the 1927 version is drastically different than the 1994 version Hal Prince did

#18

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 8:03am

I totally think the 2006 Pajama Game counts. It is very different. And I think some of those book revisions were needed. Although the basic story is the same, Sid is a different man in the revival, not quite the womanizing jerk the original paints him as.

#19

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 8:26am

I was going to say Grease as well.

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#20

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 8:52am

From what I've heard, Side Show is very different this time around, which I'm not so happy about. I really hope they didn't cut We Share Everything...

Slight threadjack - hate to break it to you, but I've seen a song list from the reading and...

#21

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 8:55am

Carousel?
Chicago?
Assassins?

#22

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 9:12am

onceamonth-
Carousel, Chicago and Assassins have barely changed. In fact, other than one song being added and a minor role assignment change, Assassins was the same as it was in 1991.

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#23

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 9:13am

Isn't the answer virtually every musical?

#24

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 9:13am

I believe 110 in the Shade had numerous script and musical arrangment changes.

#25

re: Musicals that were heavily revised for their revival?

Posted: 7/11/08 at 9:16am

Folky, I don't think a single version of Show Boat is the same as the next.