ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Returning to Broadway- Page 5

[InnerMonologue]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 9:50am

The cast for the reading is pretty much a blend of actors from "The Color Purple" and "Spring Awakening". Carrie Compere is Asaka. (Cynthia, however, is not currently involved).

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 9:51am

Wow, I like this idea on paper, but there's going to be a "found" piano, guitar, and violin, right?

[little_sally]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 10:02am

Never mind. I don't want a revival if it's going to be played on literal garbage.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 11:28am

According to Flaherty, “We started toying with the idea of, ‘What if this was not a traditional pit orchestra? What if it was whatever you had on hand to make theatre?’ We are going for a more acoustic feel and stretching the boundary to ask, ‘What is an instrument. How can you make music?’”

Starobin has been working to build instruments out of “garbage” and found objects, including trash bins, flexible piping, and more.

 

“We are approaching this sonically in a new way, by making the human body an instrument in a way that it hasn’t been heard in the past. We are taking a lot of the orchestrations and making them vocal orchestrations.”

While musicians are still integral to the production, Milazzo has reconceived the orchestrations as multi-layered vocal arrangements that ebb and flow as part of the musical storytelling.

 

Ugh.  I adore this show and this news deflates any excitement I had in a revival.  I'll just have to be content with the memory of the original touring production, which was simply gorgeous.

[MinnieFay]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 11:33am

It's so fitting to have the musicians in a Davenport production play instruments made of garbage.  Everything Ken touches turns to **** anyway!

[vampire musical]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 1:11pm

Any chance this thing tries to take Circle for the spring?

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 1:52pm

I'm curious about the new sound- the low-rez and MIDI synths of the OBC gives me fond memories of the background sound on my Sega Genesis from childhood.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 12/15/16 at 2:37pm

This wont go to Broadway without a regional tryout somewhere first.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 3:31am

Color me skeptical but intrigued. I'd rather have this than a tacky solo synth.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 4:40am

I hope this whole "garbage" idea is just hyperbole. I don't want any revival of this gorgeous show to become Brooklyn Part 2: the Remix.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 9:25am

vampire musical said: "Any chance this thing tries to take Circle for the spring?"

 

Repeating what I just said in the other thread: With what money?

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 10:55am

Speaking of solo synth but not tacky, I saw a production with a two piece orchestra; Lena Gabrielle (a composer I've worked with multiple times) playing a Fantom G8 sampler keyboard, and Jim Donovan (percussionist for roots/worldrock group Rusted Root). It actually sounded pretty good, though the Fantom's multi-layering and real instrument sampling makes it about two decades advanced over the synth score on the OBC.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 11:20am

vampire musical said: "Any chance this thing tries to take Circle for the spring?"

That would have to depend on how long the producers of In Transit are going to be able to keep it running. I personally hope Once on This Island waits until next season as this season is already too crowded.

[Cfried]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 5:35pm

This really disappoints me...

It seems like Michael Arden is the master of concept revivals. The only practical theatre for this would be The Circle in the Square, so either it comes in this Spring or next season (if Davenport has the money). 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 8:09pm

I wouldn't say he's a master. I'd say he's incapable of anything else. Spring Awakening was good (maybe a bit much, but I was very caught up in the emotional impact) but My Fair Lady and Merrily seem to have buckled under the weight of an unnecessary vanity concept.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 8:29pm

Cfried said: "It seems like Michael Arden is the master of concept revivals."

Um... sorry, but no.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 8:40pm

Maybe Arden should do more productions with Deaf West.

[Jiaroony]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 8:44pm

Just want too see Dreamgirls ,  Cursed Child !!1 I have no interest 

[vampire musical]

Posted: 12/17/16 at 12:31pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "vampire musical said: "Any chance this thing tries to take Circle for the spring?"

That would have to depend on how long the producers of In Transit are going to be able to keep it running. I personally hope Once on This Island waits until next season as this season is already too crowded.

 

"

Shocked they haven't announced yet.  Tomorrow is two weeks notice for a Jan 1 closing... 

 

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/17/16 at 12:41pm

John Doyle is a master of concept revivals, and unlike Michael Arden, he realizes that you don't always have to slap on a, "Look at me, I'm directing!", concept. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/27/17 at 1:03pm

Revival CONFIRMED.

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/once-on-this-island-returns-to-broadway_80507.html

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/27/17 at 1:05pm

No thanks, I'm good.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/27/17 at 1:07pm

https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2017/03/why-im-producing-once-on-this-island-on-broadway-this-fall.html

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/27/17 at 1:08pm

We don't read Davenport propaganda around here.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 3/27/17 at 1:17pm

I would have a problem with an inexperienced orchestrator creating a band of garbage, but I trust Starobin to create something pretty magical.  I think what they mean is that the percussion section has been made up of garbage in order to create more of an earthy sound.  I suspect that we will have a piano and brass and what not, but with added color from an unorthodox percussion section.  I would love to see a re-vamped Once on this Island, but they have to get it to Broadway first.