itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "Wasn't there at one point buzz that either theFiasco or Michael Arden productions or Merrily was supposed to come in? I'm assuming both are dead."
I'm assuming by "come in" you mean transfer to Broadway, because of course the Fiasco production did already play NY. I never heard any buzz about either of those Merrily productions transferring to Broadway, but maybe I missed it. The one that I remember having transfer buzz was Maria Friedman's production from London, which (IIRC) had its only US run in Boston. That production has widely been regarded as one of the best (if not the best) revival of Merrily, at least in recent years. As opposed to the Fiasco revival, which I personally thought was pretty bad, and I don't remember it being very well-received. A lot of people theorized that the Friedman production would transfer to NYC after its Boston run, but then Fiasco scooped up the area rights before that could happen. I don't know if that's actually why events played out the way they did, but I still think it's a real shame NYC never got the Friedman production.
As for the other Sondheim shows:
I agree that if we're just talking Broadway, Forum (with a big star as Pseudelus) is probably the best bet for the near(ish) future. It's overdue for a revival, and it could do well at the box office if everything is done right.
However, if we're not limiting it to Broadway, then I think it's very likely that we will get major productions of Sondheim's more obscure shows in the coming years. I can definitely imagine some Off-Broadway theatre like CSC, Roundabout, etc. putting up a revival of something like Anyone Can Whistle, The Frogs, etc.
I feel like there's been an increase in demand for productions of Sondheim's rarely-produced shows. Not in a commercial setting, of course, but in terms of smaller houses attended by serious theatregoers. We had the Encores! production of Road Show, the concert version of Saturday Night, the CSC production of Pacific Overtures. I even remember that 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco did Do I Hear a Waltz a few years back. When I was in London a few years ago I managed to catch a production of The Frogs, and I almost went to see a production of Anyone Can Whistle too, but it didn't pan out. It's a shame because it's one of the few Sondheim shows I've never seen live, and I'd like to try to get them all someday.
Updated On: 9/27/20 at 07:38 PM
