Posted: 3/22/24 at 10:19am
Winslet as Desiree
Karimloo as Frederick
Plimpton as Charlotte
Ann-Margret as Mme. Armfeldt
Posted: 3/22/24 at 10:27am
Dreamboy3 said: "ALNM is one of the most commercial of Sondheim’s shows. As others have noted, I would love to see a full scale revival with lush sets and without stunt casting. And with the movie version of the Glamorous Life. On the other hand, Follies is my favorite Sondheim score but the cost of doing it justice makes a revival prohibitively expensive and it’s never been commercially successful."
I absolutely love the movie version of Glamorous Life as a song, but the stage production is constructed to introduce us to Desiree through this song. The 1993 London production (whose CD is the jewel of my collection...yes, I still have CDs) merged the film and stage versions to something that is just too Frankenstein-ed. I say leave the stage show be and enjoy every woman and gay boy that sings this song in cabarets the world round.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 10:30am
henrikegerman said: "Winslet as Desiree
Karimloo as Frederick
Plimpton as Charlotte
Ann-Margret as Mme. Armfeldt"
Plimpton is a bit long in the tooth for Charlotte.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 10:44am
Since I moved to NYC in August 2008, the only Sondheim scores that have not had a major production or Encores presentation are Forum, The Frogs, or Saturday Night (the York did a small staging, though). If we widen the scope to the last 20 years, then only Forum or Saturday Night have gone without a production, and the only shows to have been done only once are Night Music, Anyone Can Whistle, and Passion.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 10:52am
A top notch "Whistle" would be great to see, to erase the Vanessa Williams concert from last year from memory.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:04am
Jen Simard would be an amazing Cora.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:08am
Kad said: "Jen Simard would be an amazing Cora."
Wouldn't she, though??
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:14am
HenryTDobson said: "This may be an obvious observation but it's truly amazing how much *quality* work Sondheim put out there in a short amount of time."
Very true. I like to think of it this way: if in an alternate universe Company had premiered in Y2K, we'd already be getting Passion this year. I don't know if that makes sense for anyone else, but to me it's a powerful reminder of how many significant shows Sondheim put out in a short period.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:16am
Yes and it’s crazy to think of his output from 1970-1981 especially (ie the Hal prince years).
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:26am
Jordan Catalano said: "A top notch "Whistle" would be great to see, to erase the Vanessa Williams concert from last year from memory."
That concert actually made me resent the show. Absolutely dreadful. I hope I am cleansed of the memory soon!
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:31am
Oof, that’s a shame. Whistle is one of my favorite Sondheim scores, but it's definitely as far from being a foolproof show as you can get.
Updated On: 3/22/24 at 11:31 AM
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:40am
TotallyEffed said: "Jordan Catalano said: "A top notch "Whistle" would be great to see, to erase the Vanessa Williams concert from last year from memory."
That concert actually made me resent the show. Absolutely dreadful. I hope I am cleansed of the memory soon!"
Yeah, thank God I already loved that show because that debacle was enough to make someone never want to listen to it again.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:40am
Concord Theatricals is teasing "exciting Sondheim news" in the coming weeks.
They're probably talking about the cast recording and/or licensing rights for Here We Are, but hey we can dream.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:57am
KevinKlawitter said: "Concord Theatricals is teasing "exciting Sondheim news" in the coming weeks.
They're probably talking about the cast recording and/or licensing rights for Here We Are,but hey we can dream."
There are gonna be some really really annoying productions of Here We Are I'm afraid. This original cast was so golden and magnificent, but the material lends itself to really hammy actors overdoing it.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 11:58am
ljay889 said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Would love nothing more than for Lincoln Center to do A Little Night Music with a Star-Studded Cast! Could we bring Hannah Waddingham back to Broadway in this?"
Now that Waddingham is worldwide star, I can’t imagine repeating a role she played to great acclaim 15 years ago would be a wise career choice for her.
I DO feel a lavish Night Music will be coming in the near future. It just feels like the right timing. I also really wantan LCT Follies as well."
Okay, Waddingham was NOT a great Desiree, I must preferred Zeta-Jones in the role (though Waddingham sang Send in the Clowns WAY better).
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:06pm
Owen22 said: "ljay889 said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Would love nothing more than for Lincoln Center to do A Little Night Music with a Star-Studded Cast! Could we bring Hannah Waddingham back to Broadway in this?"
Now that Waddingham is worldwide star, I can’t imagine repeating a role she played to great acclaim 15 years ago would be a wise career choice for her.
I DO feel a lavish Night Music will be coming in the near future. It just feels like the right timing. I also really wantan LCT Follies as well."
Okay, Waddingham was NOT a great Desiree, I must preferred Zeta-Jones in the role (though Waddingham sang Send in the Clowns WAY better)."
I’m not able to judge as I never saw her in that particular production but she’s a very talented actress and singer. With her fame from Ted Lasso, she will surely sell tickets. If we want a full and lavish Night Music, LCT would be the best place to do it. Or, have the National Theatre in London do it first as like an out of town tryout and, if successful, bring it to LCT. Anything is possible. I just think that whatever production of night music is done, will have a star studded cast.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:08pm
Owen22 said: "Is Meryl too old for Desiree...?"
She could play Desiree's mother, so...yes.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:12pm
The only way they’d ever get Whistle back on Broadway is with a genuine movie star. I mean are we ever going to see a better cast than Donna Murphy, Raul and Sutton? If that wasn’t enough what will?
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:13pm
Jordan Catalano said: "TotallyEffed said: "Jordan Catalano said: "A top notch "Whistle" would be great to see, to erase the Vanessa Williams concert from last year from memory."
That concert actually made me resent the show. Absolutely dreadful. I hope I am cleansed of the memory soon!"
Yeah, thank God I already loved that show because that debacle was enough to make someone never want to listen to it again."
Yes! Someone please give those of us who saw the most recent Carnegie Hall production a corrective Anyone Can Whistle experience. Vanessa Williams as Cora was one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Lifeless. Even Santino Fontana & Elizabeth Stanley's excellent work couldn't save it. The Mastervoices Frogs was a huge improvement.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:16pm
I can't help thinking that Passion and Whistle are going to be revived on Broadway is if a non-profit does them. Neither are commercial in any scenario. Even winning the Tony, Passion could only muster 8 months because audiences hated the show, despite the fervor of some people on this board. Three months before it closed, I saw it is a half empty theatre, and there were walkouts, despite no intermission. Whistle has some great songs, but the show is a mess. Only non-profit, unless they got at least one enormous star (better two) who commits for a year, and do major work on the book
I love the idea of Follies at the Beaumont...the stage is large enough to have the most evocative set of a decaying theatre imaginable. Seeing Beautiful Girls, Who's That Woman (please use the original choreography...much better than any other production I have seen), Lucy and Jessie, and Live! Love! Laugh! on that stage would be incredible.
I also think A Funny Thing is LONG OVERDUE, but only if they can get a great Pseudolus (sic).
Re ALNM, I would also love to see a big, lavish production, and I think that the original sets would be very welcome. The idea of either Kate or Cate in the lead would be amazing, and how about BP or PL as Madame Armfeldt? Julie Andrews is not going to do it...she is currently 88 years old.
If they have to revive Pacific Overtures, do it after A Funny Thing, ALNM, and Follies.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:19pm
Perhaps in the minority, but I can't wait to see some top-tier regional interpretations of Here We Are.
I just could not care less for that second act, and upon second viewing found it to be even more dreadful (the characterizations fell below satire to just utter cardboard) But with an open mind would be willing to see what some place like Signature in Arlington could do with it.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:21pm
somecheapfrenchthing said: "Yes!Someone please give those of us who saw the most recent Carnegie Hall productiona corrective Anyone Can Whistle experience. Vanessa Williams as Cora was one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Lifeless. Even Santino Fontana & Elizabeth Stanley's excellent work couldn't save it. The Mastervoices Frogs was a huge improvement."
I don't understand why people keep letting Vanessa Williams sing, especially Sondheim.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:32pm
TotallyEffed said: "somecheapfrenchthing said: "Yes!Someone please give those of us who saw the most recent Carnegie Hall productiona corrective Anyone Can Whistle experience. Vanessa Williams as Cora was one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Lifeless. Even Santino Fontana & Elizabeth Stanley's excellent work couldn't save it. The Mastervoices Frogs was a huge improvement."
I don't understand why people keep letting Vanessa Williams sing, especially Sondheim.
"
Sondheim was certainly a fan of hers. Her pop style “Good Thing Going” from SOS is gorgeous. And her “Losing My Mind/Not a Day Goes By” with Cook was and is unforgettable.
Posted: 3/22/24 at 12:53pm
I think most Sondheim shows can really only be done by nonprofits these days, unless they're anchored by some really big names. Not a single Sondheim production cracks the list of the top 125 longest-running productions (which basically includes everything over 1000 performances). The original Forum remains the longest running Sondheim show at 964 performances.
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