Akin to Sondheim on Sondheim, Prince of Broadway, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, etc….
Who is a modern musical creator you think deserves a revue show built around their work?
Broadway Star Joined: 5/28/13
I could see one for Stephen Schwartz being entertaining
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/12/14
Tesori comes to mind, maybe Jason Robert Brown
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
Marc Shaiman, but make it focus less on his major stage musicals and more on his wide variety of specialty material. From SNL to South Park to radical reimagining of standards in movies, and the absolutely bonkers musical numbers from The Addams Family: he’s much more than Hairspray.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/20/06
Schwartz has one he's been working on for ages. It's called Snapshots and it's unbearable.
Double yes for Tesori please.
I know it would be very niche, but LaChiusa would be fascinating. There's certainly a large body of extremely diverse material to choose from.
Theatrefanboy1 said: "Webber"
I thought that happened in the 90’s. It was called Music of The Night
Boq101 said: "Schwartz has one he's been working on for ages. It's called Snapshots and it's unbearable."
I was asked to direct a local production -- I could barely get through READING the first act. I declined. You're right -- it's completely unbearable
There's also the more recent ALW revue Unmasked which had the distinction of playing at the Paper Mill right before the pandemic hit.
Triple yes for Tesori.
Understudy Joined: 10/8/18
I would love to see a Michael Bennett revue. turkey lurkey, who’s that woman, and i hope I get it would be sure to be highlights. Plus now having seen Follies at Carnegie Hall it would be incredible to hire Michael Baresse to do the Right Girl.
What are the REALLY great revues? The "revue of songs from other shows out of context" format can very easily be bad. I dislike 2 of the 3 major Sondheim revues (Sondheim on Sondheim is okay). A Grand Night For Singing is a little twee. Recreating a director or choreographer's work can be lifeless or overly nostalgic.
I love Closer Than Ever but most of those songs aren't written for stage productions that were produced, similar to Ain't Misbehavin'.
For most of my favorite composers I think I'd just prefer a concert, like what JRB does with him at the piano and some of his fave singers, or the Schwartz evening at the Met. Or I'd prefer that they write an original song cycle.
Going by social media, Jen Tepper has been workshopping a new version of THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT.
Gotta think Casey Nicholaw deserves one years from now.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
EDSOSLO858 said: "Gotta think Casey Nicholaw deserves one years from now."
I can’t help thinking there would be a sameness to his numbers that it would be boring.
i actually struggle to think of any composer other than ALW whose name would actually sell tickets. Re choreographers or directors, I come up blank.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
EDSOSLO858 said: "Gotta think Casey Nicholaw deserves one years from now."
I can’t help thinking there would be a sameness to his numbers that it would be boring.
i actually struggle to think of any composer other than ALW and SS whose name would actually sell tickets, and who would have enough songs that would be entertaining out of context of the show.
Re choreographers or directors, I come up blank.
Jarethan said: "i actually struggle to think of any composer other than ALW and SS whose name would actually sell tickets, and who would have enough songs that would be entertaining out of context of the show."
Oh I just assumed this convo was about creative feasibility. Economically, I do not really think any appetite exists for revues on Broadway. Even the upcoming Sondheim revue needs a nonprofit to produce it and apparently sold poorly in London. And if a big enough star could be signed for a revue, that's kind of a waste of their time when I'd prefer them to do a book musical.
I'm sure MTI & Disney would get a lot of amateur licenses out of an Alan Menken revue.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Jarethan said: "i actually struggle to think of any composer other than ALW and SS whose name would actually sell tickets, and who would have enough songs that would be entertaining out of context of the show."
Oh I just assumed this convo was about creative feasibility. Economically, I do not really think any appetite exists for revues on Broadway. Even the upcoming Sondheim revue needs a nonprofit to produce it and apparently sold poorly in London. And if a big enough star could be signed for a revue, that's kind of a waste of their time when I'd prefer them to do a book musical.
I'm sure MTI & Disney would get a lot of amateurlicenses out of an Alan Menken revue."
I actually agree with everything you said. I thought the only possible chance as with ALW and SS. Given that neither Fosse or Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, both of which won best musical Tony’s (in bad seasons), did not return their investments would also not be a good omen.
I have to admit that I went from having a grin on my face to being bored with JRB, and hated Fosse, which I thought was too pretentious from beginning to end, so I wouldn’t be getting in line to buy tickets unless the cast was incredible. Re JRB, even a succession of great numbers started to get numbing to me.
My favorite revue of all time is "Disney: On the Record," because the musical arrangements for eight singers and jazz band are just SO good. But the Disney Theatricals group apparently hates it, and other than VERY rare one-off productions, they've kept it in the vault for almost twenty years.
Tesori and Schwartz are my top two.
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