Revivals That Missed The Mark- Page 2

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/7/18 at 3:58pm

even Karen was a let down. the woman can't dance the role. That and I didn't think she brought any nuance to the role whatsoever.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 12/7/18 at 4:05pm

standingovation79 said: "even Karen was a let down. the woman can't dance the role. That and I didn't think she brought any nuance to the role whatsoever."

this. i always said her Anita started pissed and ended pissed, running the emotional gamut from A to A.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 12/7/18 at 5:06pm

The Sally Field Glass Menagerie.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 12/7/18 at 5:50pm

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "The Sally Field Glass Menagerie."

Oh Jesus. Sam Gold is normally a favorite director of mine, but that was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 12/7/18 at 7:43pm

The 2009 BYE BYE BIRDIE with John Stamos and Gina Gershon owns this thread (as does the previously mentioned '09 GUYS & DOLLS).

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 9:48am

The Evita revival a few years ago with Ricky Martin. Granted the show had a fantastic cast and I thought Ricky did a great job but the overall performance fell flat.

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 10:28am

The two most recent Man of La Mancha revivals

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 2:46pm

Jekyll & Hyde

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 3:30pm

It's been mentioned but I echo Fiasco's "Into the Woods." Saw the tour stop in San Francisco last year. I love ITW, my favorite Sondheim show. There were some clever elements but I kept wanting to see the original production. 

[markypoo]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 9:10pm

What exactly was the problem with the 2009 WSS?
I saw the touring company in 2011, and found no fault with it.
Also, I'm listening to the CD right now and it sounds great.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 9:22pm

RWPrincess said: "The Evita revival a few years ago with Ricky Martin. Granted the show had a fantastic cast and I thought Ricky did a great job but the overall performance fell flat."

I loved everything about it except for Elena Roger’s pitchy singing on the high notes. I was never so glad when Eva started getting ill in Act 2 as there were less high notes then. Lol

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 11:29pm

Miles2Go2 said: "RWPrincess said: "The Evita revival a few years ago with Ricky Martin. Granted the show had a fantastic cast and I thought Ricky did a great job but the overall performance fell flat."

I loved everything about it except for Elena Roger’s pitchy singing on the high notes. I was never so glad when Eva started getting ill in Act 2 as there were less high notes then. Lol"

That was the main part of why it fell flat for me. Ironically, I have the soundtrack and still listen to it occasionally and you’d barely notice it on there.

 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 11:34pm

Agreed. I think the cast recording is pretty great.

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 12/8/18 at 11:51pm

It's so funny how opinions differ.  Sam Gold's Glass Menagerie is one of the top two more impactful pieces of art I've ever experienced.

I could write an essay on everything the 2018 revival of Carousel did wrong and I'd still not have the time to name everything wrong with it.  Everything was wrong.  The set was wrong.  The direction was wrong.  The casting was wrong.  The concept was wrong.  The costumes were wrong.  The script changes were wrong.  The song cuts were wrong.  The choreography was wrong.  Everything was wrong.  It was a lesson in everything not to do.  Horrendous in every way.  Baffling.  Jack O'Brien should never be allowed to direct another piece of theater again after the Carousel revival and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. 

I also hated both recent Jesus Christ Superstar revivals.  Lifeless, pointless, listless, slogs. 

If you have nothing new to say with a revival, don't say anything. 

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 10:19am

i forgot to mention but basically all of the ‘a chorus line’ revivals, concerts, benefit performances, etc. have all been drab and so uniform. the one at lincoln center was the straw the broke the camels back for me. the only thing i liked was that tommy bracco was in it because i love seeing italian americans in the media playing something other than a stereotype.

[JennH]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 10:57am

JSquared2 said: "The Roundabout/Fiasco Theatre's INTO THE WOODS

The Kathleen Marshall GREASE

The Tina Landau BELLS ARE RINGING

"

You might be the first person I know of that disliked ITW at Fiasco...I LOVED it, I thought it was one of the most clever reimaginings of an already existing show I've ever seen!

I will also say the mot recent Evita and Carousel...WOOF

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:01am

I didnt get to see the latest Carousel revival but everything I heard (cuts to the music, scenes etc) make me think it definitely missed the mark

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:01am

MauraLovesMusicals said: "i forgot to mention but basically all of the ?a chorus line’ revivals, concerts, benefit performances, etc. have all been drab and so uniform. the one at lincoln center was the straw the broke the camels back for me. the only thing i liked was that tommy bracco was in itbecause i love seeing italian americans in the media playing something other than a stereotype."

 

I think you mean City Center -- not Lincoln Center?  And the character of Mike Costa is usually played by an Italian.

 

[GreeneStreet]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:04am

As much as I love that show. The city center production was a hot mess.

[MauraLovesMusicals]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:12am

JSquared2 said: "MauraLovesMusicals said: "i forgot to mention but basically all of the ?a chorus line’ revivals, concerts, benefit performances, etc. have all been drab and so uniform. the one at lincoln center was the straw the broke the camels back for me. the only thing i liked was that tommy bracco was in itbecause i love seeing italian americans in the media playing something other than a stereotype."



I think you mean City Center -- not Lincoln Center? And the character of Mike Costa is usually played by an Italian.

"

ah, sorry, my mistake. the names got mixed up in my head (probably because i’ve been watching a lot of king and i revival stuff). and yes, while mike is usually played by an italian, i’ve been following tommy for a really long time and seeing someone so unashamed of their culture, one that we share, makes me happy. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:36am

broadwayboy223 said: "I didnt get to see the latest Carousel revival but everything I heard (cuts to the music, scenes etc) make me think it definitely missed the mark"

I was most taken by how mismatched everything was. Not one single element seemed to correlate to any other element, it was like thirty different adaptations of Carousel each donated a single piece to make one cacaphonous whole. The direction simply wasn't there - every character was in a different world, and there was almost no unifying concept, which Carousel obviously needs to work as well as it can to carry out its complex, unsettling messages.

My main memory is of Renee Fleming appearing out of the crowd in the middle of June Is Bustin' Out All Over with, inexplicably, a pie in each hand. I almost expected her to clap them together.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 11:47am

JennH said: "JSquared2 said: "The Roundabout/Fiasco Theatre's INTO THE WOODS

The Kathleen Marshall GREASE

The Tina Landau BELLS ARE RINGING"

You might be the first person I know of that dislikedITW at Fiasco...I LOVED it, I thought it was one of the most clever reimaginings of an already existing show I've ever seen!

I will also say the mot recent Evitaand Carousel...WOOF"

There were lots of people who didn't care for Fiasco's Into the Woods. The biggest problem for me was that while I actually thought there was a lot to the concept, the cast was just not up to the vocal demands of the score and the musicality suffered in order to keep their company members in the show.

[alex814]

Posted: 12/10/18 at 1:35pm

The off-Broadway revival of Rent.

The cast was talented but didn't really seem to grasp the material or the time period, which is something that's happening in the current non-equity tour apparently.