Possible THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG revival??

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:28am

A friend of mine was invited to a reading of THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG last week starring Christian Borle and Sherie Rene Scott. The rumor at the reading was that they were aiming for a full Broadway revival!

You have no idea how exciting this is to me. I just discovered this musical a year or two ago and I LOVE it. I only know the cast recording, but I think the story is timeless enough to work now. The only thing that might be a little dated is the music, but I'm sure the orchestration can be updated, and that late '70s/early '80s sound is popular.

Who would be good to star in it? Like I said, I only know the music, so my dream cast (Raúl Esparza -- basically my dream cast in anything -- and Celia Keenan-Bolger) is probably totally wrong for it.

ETA: I should also mention that the reading was directed by Kathleen Marshall. And the producers are based in Toronto (Dancap, I think), so I'd bet the try out would happen there if it doesn't go straight to Broadway.

Updated On: 10/26/09 at 11:28 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:41am

I'd be interested to see Ceila Keenan-Bolger play anything that isn't her normal stock character. But I like the reading cast. I think that could be interesting. Or Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz. (Again, I don't know the show that well, but just going off of a pair with good chemistry).

[Jon]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:42am

It would be ridiculous to try and "update" the music. It's totally 70's, with a disco sound on the title song. It must be done as a period piece.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:43am

I don't really see Sherie Renee Scott in that role, which requires a sort of peculiar neurotic quirky charm.

I can't imagine this getting off the ground for a major revival without bigger names attached.


PS - this would be a much better vehicle for Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth than PROMISES PROMISES Updated On: 10/26/09 at 11:43 AM

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:55am

Or Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz.

Rentboy, it's funny you say that, because I always hear Norbert's voice when I listen to the cast recording, especially on certain songs.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:05pm

I agree that they need MUCH bigger names for this to have any appeal at all.

I personally think that the best thing to do would be to have a rotating cast of stars (maybe even those who have worked together previously or who have some sort of relationship with each other). An example would be Hugh Jackman and Scarlet Johannson, or, for the theatre nerd Norbert and Sherie or Adam Pascal and Idina. You could even have famous singers.

Give each couple a 3 or 4 week contract, and you would easily make back money and I feel stars would be more likely to do it because they would not have to commit to long runs.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:07pm

Jacob - Its not Love Letters - its a pretty involved musical comedy. I can't imagine stars would want to commit to a 3 week run when it would take them that long to learn the show.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:10pm

MB- I've seen the show MANY times and was actually supposed to direct a production a few years ago that never got funding, but thank you for assuming I know nothing.

I have heard from many stars that a reason they don't do theatre is the time commitment, here is a solution. Maybe you make it an 8 week run then (with shorter runs for theatre stars).

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 12:12pm

I wonder just how successful a revival of this would be...I do love me some Sherie Rene Scott though :)

Updated On: 12/9/09 at 12:12 PM

[sondhead]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:15pm

Updated On: 11/12/09 at 01:15 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:20pm

Jacob thats all good in theory, but there is a reason that idea of rotating stars coming in for 4 week runs hasn't much been put to good use outside of minimalist productions (i.e. reading shows like THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES and LOVE LETTERS).

Its just not practical from a financial perspective and in addition to the issue of stars not wanting to take on long committments, they also rarely want to replace other stars, so what you end up with is productions like the Weissler's GREASE where the 'star' line up is a bunch of television has-beens.

And when you are dealing with that kind of talent/name value - the actual box office pull is pretty questionable in relation to the paycheck. There have been a number of 'name' replacements in CHICAGO and GREASE who were axed pretty quickly when they failed to raise attendance

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:41pm

MB, that's really interesting re the stars' paychecks v. their draw. I had never thought about that. Always nice when you come back to post on the board

I really can't imagine a two-star vehicle taking off with someone like Christian Borle in the lead. He just can't carry a vehicle. He does well when he has to be the less interesting male romantic interest (ie LEGALLY BLONDE, MARY POPPINS--yes, he's good as Bert but he still makes the role less interesting and iconic than it should be).
Sherie Renne Scott's acting style doesn't fit this show, IMO. Her sort of humor is so cynical, I can't imagine her being quirky.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:43pm

I don't think They're Playing Our Song has enough oooomph to play a full Broadway run unless it has huge, huge stars attached.

What would be nice is to mount a nice off-Broadway production, maybe using the Lortel or the Minetta Lane. It would be nice to return to the 70s and 80s when there were great, intimate off-Broadway productions.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 1:55pm

The casting problem with the show is that one is tempted to cast the girl as the funny one. In a two-hander that is usually the case, but not here. Vernon is the funny, quirky one and Sonia is the straight role. Robert Klein, a stand-up at the time was perfect and Lucie Arnaz knew that the laughs were his. And yes, in this day and age you'd need two big stars--bigger than Klein and Arnaz, that's for sure.

The Broadway takeovers proved the casting point in spades; Tony Roberts who is a leading man, but not quirky and neurotic and Stockard Channing playing a straight role as the funny one. Talk about no chemistry. It didn't help that they each blamed the other for the show not working and feuded famously. The fault was in the miscasting of Roberts in the first place. Klein left the show first.

Then I think the book is dull, dull, dull. After about 20 minutes, who cares about these tiresome people? The score is great fun, but the cast recording is cheaper and quicker than 3 hours of much ado about nothing.

This is on my list of unsatisfactory smash hits.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:09pm

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker Updated On: 10/26/09 at 02:09 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:11pm

Good points WOSQ. And let us not forget how bankable the name "Neil Simon" was on any theatre project in the 70s and early 80s. His name sold the original SONG as much as any of the people on the stage.

Simon is not, apparently, the box office draw he once was (current revival of BRIGHTON BEACH an onpoint example).

[Jon]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 2:16pm

Not to mention Marvin Hamlisch - coming off A Chorus Line as well as Oscars for The Sting (adapted score) and The Way We Were (song).

[JRybka]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 4:29pm

If they did it in an off broadway house then I would say get the guy who did "Wedding Singer" -- Steven Lynch for the Vernon part.

He would be excellent with Laura Benanti.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 4:43pm

I saw the original Broadway production. What a mediocre musical. If they're reviving, They're Playing Our Song, they have to be desperate. Hey, yet another revival of Gypsy would be less boring.

[Bwayfan39]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 8:42pm

...I thought Sherie Rene Scott doesn't "do" revivals...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:23pm

Matt Morrison and Molly Shannon

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:59pm

I LOVE that casting, Gotham!

P

[sondhead]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 4:46pm

Updated On: 11/12/09 at 04:46 PM

[jennafan]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 5:56pm

I went to see They're Playing Our Song in Los Angeles a few years ago (Vicki Leiwis was in it).

I have NEVER seen a more EMPTY theatre. This is one of my moms favorite musical, so I took her on a weekend... The middle area was half full and everything else was empty.. We moved from the second row (near others) to the side where there was nobody around.

I can't see this show doing big right now. LOVE the music, but I don't think it would work right now.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 6:51pm

The original Broadway set was absolutely amazing!