"Because after a while it becomes hard to justify paying Broadway prices when you can you go see a regional production (which is usually inherently scaled down) at about 1/4 the price. "
But you are missing the point with these productions. The show and the score and the book come 1st, thats why these shows are doing so well here and so well on Broadway. Do you think the New York press raved about La Cage and Night Music for the hell of it? they liked them because they allow the material to shine, something that so many of the bad Broadway revivals dont do. Finians was pretty scaled back as was Ragtime (ironicly people stayed away from them both) and nobody started screaming blue murder about them.
How about the Sweeney Todd revival that came from the UK that everyone seemed to adore, it to was scaled back to let the show shine rather than the over blown production.
When you spend money to watch a Broadway show it should not be about how many chorus members they have, how many set changes they have, it should be about did the material connect with you, did the production sell the story, these shows do.
I loved Appelegate in the revival of Sweet Charity but the production itself was so over produced.
Guys and Dolls at the Donmar got AMAZING response and everyone on here wanted it to come to NY. it was darker, not over produced and played the story to perfection. Instead you got ANOTHER overblown revival with huge sets and video screens which everyone hated.
Little shop was turned from a small Off Broadway production which suits the material perfectly to a large scale over blown cold and somewhat disjointed production that again everyone agrees was far to big. However the recent revival in the UK was full of heart, nice simple sets and the book and score shone as did the actors.
So why everytime the UK produces something more intimate and more scaled back do the same old same old people moan, when themselves have spoke how over blown and over produced some of their own revivals were.
Broadway should not be about spectacle, it should be about great shows, if 25 people are in the pit or 7 people are in the pit, if 30 people are on stage or 8 people on stage....what does it matter as long as the job is done well.
It's Broadway's odd fascination with bigger is better which have led to a string of over blown flops. Its like the thinking is if you throw as much scenery and lighting and costumes as possible at a production that a dumb audience wont realize they are just watching a polished turd.
And on Sweet Charity you are looking at clips from the choclate factory not the West End, and the fact you can judge a show on a 2 min clip is amazing.
Oh and for the idiot who asked if Charity was played by a man or tranny in this show, well thats just childish and cruel. Tamzin is a beautiful and talented woman
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
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