Revivals- Page 2

[tpdc]

re: re: re: re: Revivals#25

Posted: 9/9/03 at 3:38pm

I love THE APPLE TREE. Maybe Roundabout will do it at some point. It's something that Encores should look into as well. I think you have to have the three actors play all three roles. Otherwise, the roles are too small to get the kind of performers who could really put the material across. And part of the fun is seeing the actors have three very different roles in one show. Ten years ago, Donna Murphy would have been fabulous in the Harris roles. Now maybe Marin Mazzie or Sherie Rene Scott could do them. But I think Idina Menzel might really great in them. I could see Kudisch in the Alda roles. Maybe Bronson Pinchot in the Blyden roles?

[robbiej]

re: re: re: re: re: Revivals#26

Posted: 9/9/03 at 3:44pm

tpdc,

I agree that if a full revival is to be done, all the leading roles should be played by the same three actors. My suggestions were for a strictly ENCORES-like project.

"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."

[tpdc]

Revivals#27

Posted: 9/9/03 at 3:51pm

Well for an Encores THE APPLE TREE, I think Murphy is the ONLY choice for the women. Maybe Nathan Lane or Matthew Broderick for the Blyden roles? Kudisch would be good for the Alda roles. And then record it!!!

[Mr Roxy]

re: Revivals#28

Posted: 9/9/03 at 7:13pm

I figured out how to make Superman work

First of all, a wholesale rewrite is definitely not the way to go. It is great the way it is. The only rewrites that need be done are the 1 st act closing. Instead of blowing up city hall, have Dr Sedgwick have an ray that transports city hall to another location ( returned to its proper place at the end of the show ). Unfortunately, the chinese acrobats would be politically incorrect so make the acrobats multi national . The ending with the Chinese acrobats in the abandoned powerhouse becomes the multinational acrobats in an abandoned powerhouse. Nothing else need change

Cast

Superman - Peter Samuel ( Current Franz in The Producers )
Max - Nathan Lane
Lois Lane - Kristin Chenowith
Dr Sedgewick - ???

Poster Emeritus

Updated On: 9/9/03 at 07:13 PM

[CapnHook]

re: re: Revivals#29

Posted: 9/9/03 at 8:45pm

I would like to see a good revival of FUNNY GIRL back on Broadway, but I fear that if this is done (at least at this point in time), that it would flop, and then flip so it could flop again. I don't think it would sink or swim, I think it would sink or float. Nothing new seems to be swimming these days.

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

[alterego]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Revivals#30

Posted: 9/10/03 at 12:30am

I second No, No Nanette and Promises, Promises. Perhaps Neil Simon could rejig the dated book (Promises) and it should be presented as a period piece. I'd also like to see another Simon show, They're Playing Our Song revived, with the original Doug Schmidt sets.

[Oscar Jaffee]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Revivals#31

Posted: 9/10/03 at 10:33am

I've said it a million times — bring back "On the Twentieth Century"!!!!!!!!!

[magruder]

re: Revivals#32

Posted: 9/10/03 at 10:43am

Goodspeed did a revival of "Superman" some years ago. I love the score as much as anyone, but damn, if the thing just refused to fly. There are some wonderfully inventive staging moments, many terrific songs...but I think the book may need a little more than a spit and polish. By the way, for that production the Chinese acrobats were changed to Middle Eastern terrorists. Certainly ironic, when I look back on it now.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

[TxTwoStep]

re: re: Revivals#33

Posted: 9/10/03 at 2:35pm

TWENTIETH CENTURY (as a play, with a Ken Ludwig rewrite) got a very mixed to negative review at Signature in DC. i'm not sure if that property is revivable. But there's a lot about it i really like.

Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys. "I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life..."

[tpdc]

Revivals#34

Posted: 9/10/03 at 4:05pm

TWENTIETH CENTURY got a negative review from Peter Marks in the Post but everyone else seemed to like it. James Barbour got particularly good reviews, even from Marks. You can't go by Marks. He hates everything Signature does. FOLLIES, which I was knocked out by, got raves all over town and he panned it as not even community theater level. I think Marks would really rather be back at the New York Times. He has a feature story in today's Post that he filed from NY. He regularly reviews NY shows and lets second or third string reviewers cover major local productions weeks after they open.

[TxTwoStep]

re: Revivals#35

Posted: 9/11/03 at 3:45pm

The Variety review i read was by Dennis Harvey. It was far from favorable.

Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys. "I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life..."

[tpdc]

re: re: Revivals#36

Posted: 9/11/03 at 4:15pm

Of the 8 local reviews that I read, only Marks panned it. The other 7 weren't without negative comments about the show but were still what I'd call at least favorable. I'll have to check out Variety. Is Dennis Harvey based in DC now?

A friend of mine saw it last night. She enjoyed it but thought it still needed some work before it was ready for Broadway. I see it in two weeks.