ON THE TOWN sets opening night for 10/6; previews to begin 9/20- Page 2

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 3:59pm

PJ, how was the choreography in the Barrington production? I'm really curious about that aspect of the production. Can it really hold a candle to Robbins' work?

Although I'm not a dancer or a choreographer (or even particularly coordinated!), I am as much of a Robbins purist as anyone alive. I've seen On the Town three times on Broadway (twice when I was a teenager in 1972 and once in 1999) and once in Central Park in 1998.

Josh Bergasse's choreography of the ballets (a bit trimmed) had more of the Robbins spirit than either of the two Broadway revivals. I remember feeling sad at intermission that we had to go back in and see the second act--I wanted to go back in and watch the FIRST act all over again. I can't remember ever feeling quite that way at an intermission of anything before.

And it wasn't just that the boys (Tony Yazbeck, Clyde Alves and Jay Armstrong Johnson) were cute and sometimes shirtless, it was that they and the girls had a pitch-perfect horniness appropriate to all those stories of servicemen on leave and the girls who couldn't resist them. The three girls were spectacular: Elizabeth Stanley, Deanna Doyle and the miraculous Alysha Umphress.

Alysha's "I Can Cook Too" was triumphant--she even incorporated some honest-to-god scat singing. Not only do I think Lenny would have loved it--I think he would have jumped up on the stage and scatted along with her.

And Tony had a tap dance in the middle of "Lucky to Be Me" that was more in tune with the Gene Kelly choreography of the movie than the Robbins choreography for the stage, but it was the perfect blending of the two traditions. And he is a real treasure, the way that Gene Kelly was.

Every laugh landed, every sentiment was true and deeply felt. John Rando directed and the energy of the piece was sexy and funny and sweet, appropriate to the period and yet it still felt fresh--an almost-impossible combination of qualities to pull off.

I left exhilarated, thinking how thrilled Lenny and Jerry and Betty and Adolph would have been--not just to hear the music so beautifully played and sung and danced to, not only to hear Betty and Adolph's sometimes corny jokes made funny again, but to witness the re-blossoming of their youthful spirits of hope and fear and loneliness and love.

And everyone in this thread can just shut up about the size of the theater. Yeah, we get it. It's a barn, a big barn. But you know what?

This is a big show.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 4:04pm

Oh yes--and Michael Rupert and Nancy Opel!

[HorseTears]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 4:14pm

Wow. That sounds like musical theatre heaven. Thanks, PJ.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 5:00pm

"And everyone in this thread can just shut up about the size of the theater. Yeah, we get it. It's a barn, a big barn. But you know what?

This is a big show."


And it'll need a big audience.

Every night.

Whether you loved it or not won't change that.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 6:21pm

That's what people said when I loved A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

(Never underestimate PJ's Powers of Loving!)

[Kad]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 6:30pm

The Lyric is more than twice the size of the Kerr.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 7:02pm

PJ, that's a great endorsement, I'm sold! My concern is for the show, not against it. And I think some of us are underestimating audiences more than the show itself. I generally think this type of raved-about, non-star driven type of shows need to open in the spring to take advantage of the Tonys, but of course there's always an AVENUE Q or a GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE to battle that idea. However, like Kad said, this is a huge theatre and the reality is that it's challenging to fill those to allow a show to recoup.
Honestly though, maybe the producers and investors are indeed mounting this as a passion project, in which case, good for them. I'm definitely looking forward to it either way, I just want it to stick around long enough so that I can do that.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 7:05pm

"I hope they keep the cats from the Berkshires, because they were all spectacular."

Wait--what?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 7:30pm

I don't really like the title treatment, but the rest of that art is nice. They might want to add some shirtless chorus boys dancing down the street though. Might sell a few more tickets.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 7:59pm

Doesn't the choreography incorporate some of the remaining remnants as restaged by Robbins for Jerome Robbins' Broadway (the way the Encores did?) I have to admit, from everything I've seen, this does look like the best OTT revival New York's ever gotten. I would kill to see it.

(In what number are the guys shirtless?)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 9:09pm

^Perhaps, "The Great Lover Displays Himself?" That title has always made me giggle.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 9:21pm

Well, it's the sailors who bare their chests so it's probably the ballet?
FIND ME A PRIMITIVE MAN is always a shirtless option.

Isn't that Yasbeck on the logo?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 10:15pm

The video preview of the Barrington Stage production shows a shirtless dancer, but only in the second half after they stop displaying the title of each song they're previewing. The scenery also looks pretty sparse. I assume they'll be expanding the design for Broadway?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bwyzmuiuLs

[RW3]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 10:19pm

Miss Saigon should be going here, not this musical

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 10:20pm

That looks like the set of an Encores! production. I assume it will be beefed up for Broadway.

Updated On: 5/9/14 at 10:20 PM

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 10:32pm

I'm thrilled beyond belief for this revival! I'll definitely try to get my hands on some tickets!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 11:11pm

"I hope they keep the cats from the Berkshires, because they were all spectacular."

Carried away, carried away, I get carried, yes, carried a-waaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Cast.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 11:17pm

Love the show, I just hope it can be somewhat successful at the Lyric.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 11:24pm

Two clips of rehearsal footage.

http://youtu.be/-xm50reWyw8


http://youtu.be/N0U4Y2XQ3tc


There are four (!) dream ballets in On the Town. I dunno about any of you, but the boys always shirtless in my dream ballets.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 11:27pm

"The Great Lover Displays Himself"

Ha! Isn't it Reveals himself? no matter--judging from the video and music, that does seem to be the pas de deux (with "dream Gabby" I think) where it happens.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 11:34pm

It's Tony Yazbeck.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 12:13am

But which ballet is that? That's what he wanted to know.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 12:33am

The shirtless one.

Any pics of Jay's pecs?
I can't seem yo google them.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 3:17am

One from the show and one from a SIP.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 7:55am

What you guys need is the London revival of Singin' In The Rain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOiIGUg6yLI