On the Twentieth Century

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 12:21am

I think this is my new obsession. From the magnificent overture to the great chorus at the end, I loved every minute listening to the OBCR. I can't believe that it lost Best Musical to "Ain't Misbehavin'".

Every time I listen to it, I'm left wondering why this show hasn't been revived (I know that that the play version was recently revived). John Cullum's voice was so great, and Madeline Kahn was extremely hilarious and impressive with all of the things she made her voice do. I've seen clips of Judy Kaye (when they had clips) in the role of Judy Garland, and I love her renditions too. Judy Kaye may have had a stronger singing voice, but I love how wild Madeline Kahn gets on the CD. It's also great that the song "Repent" is actually very relevant today. I can imagine the sweet little old lady tricking the audience until they hear what she's singing.

If they do revive today, who do you think should play the parts?

Updated On: 7/1/07 at 12:21 AM

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 12:33am

I think the general consensus is that it's too big a musical to ever fully revive

sorta like Follies

too expensive

still, it's wonderful

[jv92]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 12:35am

On the Twentieth Century cracks me up. It is rather shocking how this hillarious musical romp lost to Ain't Misbehavin' and how Liza, who is wonderful, won for The Act over Kahn, no matter how early she left the show. (Or how Hal Prince lost direction. Mr. Prince's homage to George Abbott was better than Abbott's own direction. Granted, I only saw Mr. Abbott's weaker shows.)
It will be revived one day. It will probably be the show from Encores! that transfered instead of Follies. Don't get me wrong, I love Follies and I loved the Encores! Follies, but this show is even less known than Follies and needs to be done again.
Updated On: 7/1/07 at 12:35 AM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 12:37am

I think Kahn;s loss was largely political...

[jv92]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 12:43am

Hal Prince and Madeline Kahn had their differences, particularly because she was not a fan of doing eight great performances a week. She was more of a five great performances a week, three so-so performances a week gal. (Merman used to do the same thing though!) Eventually, she grew to dislike giving performances period and started missing them. Judy Kaye, a wonderful actress known now for her strong, powerful roles such as Emma Goldman in Ragtime, was quite wonderful as Lily Garland. Hal fired Madeline and gave Judy the role of a lifetime. (And to Christine Ebersole fans- Christine was Judy's understudy!)
Kaye was nominated and won a Drama Desk (I think she won at least) instead of Kahn. However, the Tony folks decided to give Ms. Kahn the nomination in a category with Eartha Kitt, Francess Sternhagen and Liza Minnelli. Liza also had some performance problems, but not because she didn't want to give them, but because she was too exhausted from partying at Studio 54. However, because she didn't leave her show (the rather pathetic, even for Kander and Ebb, The Act) and was a big star (bigger than Kahn at the time) she won the Tony.
John Cullumn was hysterical though. That one number where he starts giving away his personal items to his two goons still cracks me up on the album. His delivery and the Comden and Green lyrics are a perfect match.
Kevin Kline played the role of Lily Garland's boarish lover to hammy perfection as well and Imogene Cocoa (sp?) the comedy legend from Your Show of Shows was hysterical as the religious zealot. Nell Carter was fabulous, but Imogene should have won that Tony. Kahn should have too. It would have been the first time a musical swept the acting categories since South Pacific, right?

Updated On: 7/1/07 at 12:43 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 3:15am

Imogene has a rich Broadway history, going back to Leonnard Stillman's "New Faces" and The Garrick Gayieties of 1930. 1930!!!!

She was wonderful in OTTC. She stole whatever Kevin Kline left behind of the show (and Cullum stole a grerat deal too). I saw it with both Madeline and Judy. Two different but damn fine performances.

And doing a comic opera was such a wonderful, wonderful idea of Comden and Green. The style was PERFECT for the story.

Oh, and it's Lily Garland, not Judy (although it's easy to see the way such a mistake could be made).

[Julian2]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 3:47am

After I saw the video for the Actor's Fund Performance (which I wish had been recorded) on Broadway.com a LONG time ago, I fell in love with this show. I wish it was preformed more, its one of those shows that I think a lot of community theatres out there would find wonderful, but they've never heard of it, so no one does it. Bring this show back!

Updated On: 7/1/07 at 03:47 AM

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:15am

Oh, and it's Lily Garland, not Judy (although it's easy to see the way such a mistake could be made)./i>

Whoops. It was a total typo.

"I've got to get me out of here This place is full of dirty old men And the navigators and their mappy maps And moldy heads and pissing on sugar cubes While you stare at your books."

[Jon]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 8:54am

I saw the national tour with Kaye, Coca, the late great Patrick Quinn in Kline's role, and, unfortunately, the late Rock Hudson as Oscar Jaffe. He was so bad, they actually CUT his big 11 o'clock number, "The Legacy".

Posted: 7/1/07 at 9:35am

i saw the tour too-- despite everything, spectacular!!!!

[tazber]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 9:38am

wow, that's a shame Jon. The Legacy is a highlight for me.

I know it was a HUGE musical when it was written, but in this day and age it doesn't strike me as being as large.
At least not compared to shows like Mary Poppins whose set is probably equally as big if not bigger.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 9:47am

I saw a wonderful performance of this show at Goodspeed about ten years ago, with Mark Jacoby as Oscar. Loved the music, especially "Our Little World." I understand the original Broadway show was as well known for its locomotive engine as MISS SAIGON was for its helicopter. This story is very light and funny - might actually suit Broadway's current frothy trend. Wouldn't mind seeing Jacoby again in that part.

Updated On: 7/1/07 at 09:47 AM

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 10:16am

Just a few thoughts:

I ADORE this show! But, it is not the sort that a lot of theater groups can do without an sizable outlay of money. If just for the costumes. You could do it without some of the set pieces (One of the most famous images from the show was Immogene Coca spread-eagled on the front of the engine car.) but, you're still talking a good bit of money on set.

I'd say that Nell Carter won because she was the "new kid" making a splash and everyone loved her show. Immogene was no kid and her show wasn't the hit that "Ain't Misbehavin" was.

"Repent" is one of my specialty numbers.

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 10:42am

I saw it in London in 1980. becuz I was too poor to buy the program, I have no idea who I saw in that production. (the theatres then always quickly ran out of the "free cast lists" accidently on purpose)

anyone know who was in the original London production? I'd guess some americans went over w/ it.

[me2]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 5:23pm

I love this score, though I still don't fully get what's going on in the song Veronique.

Little tip . . . I hated the two-CD case for a single CD show, so I switched it for a 100% clear single case. The back of the case fits, then I just used the booklet for the cover, and it worked GREAT. It also looked really cool because the clear spine showed through white, so instead of looking like a remainder-bin revival CD, it looks like a show produced last year.
Broadway Blog: From the Mouth of Alan Jay Lerner

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 5:37pm

OTTC played at Londons Her in Majestys theatre from March 1980 but only last around 5 or 6 months. It had Ok reviews but just didnt catch the publics attention. The cast was Julia McKenzie as Lillie with Keith Michell and Dora Bryan. Dora Bryan left the show due to 'phsyciatric problems' replaced i think by Ann Beach. It was said that the sets for London were a little more elaborate than on Broadwa? I have posters here with stickers replacing Dora Bryans name. I loved it and thought it was just gorgeous to look at. It was revived at the Bridewell theatre back in the late 90s in a very scaled down production with a fantastic cast- the set was made up of the passengers suitcases and moved around accordingly- worked brilliantly in a small space. If i had to choose between the two- i couldnt.

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 5:41pm

i ofetn wondered if that little train raceing along the back of the stage prompTed Lloyd Webber to give us Starlight Express! Repent! Repent! Repent!

[Jon]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:29pm

I remember that during the overture, there was a device in the pit that made the sound of the train's steam engine. Every time it went off, it shot out a "cloud of steam", which was really some kind of foam. As the overture neared it's climax, with the train gaining speed, the conductor was nearly drowned in this white foam. Very funny bit.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:35pm

I'd love to see Rachel York or Christina Applegate play Lili. I know it'll never happen but it makes me happy thinking it could.

[Glebb]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:38pm

Could Applegate sing it?

I saw the original Broadway production and I don't remember it as so huge it couldn't be revived.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:43pm

I don't know, maybe. But her comedic work would be DEAD on.

[Wicked63]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:43pm

Did the play 2 years ago do good biz or not?

[Glebb]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 6:46pm

Kristin would be one hundred times better.
She really should have been nominated for The Apple Tree.

Posted: 7/1/07 at 7:15pm

I believe the used numerous fire extinguishers to make the noise and look of the steam engine. It was considered THE state of the art set for it's time-- Interior & exterior views of the train, a locomotive engine that rushed toward the audience with Coca straddling the cow-catcher, two train compartments that opened so scenes were visible inside and a "minature" shot of the train as though seen from the distance. All that, plus an opening setting of a flop play on stage in Chicago, flashbacks to Oscar & Lily's meeting, and fantasies of a Noel Coward-type drawing room comedy and a religious epic (With the entire cast dressed in "Ten Commandments" garb.

I saw it when I was in high school and I remember playing the cast album hundreds of time!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 9:04pm

This show sounds even better live.

Nothing against Applegate, but if they are going to revive it, they need to get someone who could sing the material the way it was meant to be sung. Based on the OBCR, some of the best comdic bits are how Lily sings the lyric.