Revivals that will be hard to beat — Page 2

Frankly my post is only marginally on topic. If it were not for excellent revivals, I probably would not be seeing musical theatre. I saw and disliked DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and LEGALLY BLONDE, one an adaptation of a very good movie. I would prefer to see a drama or comedy, either new or old, than to see a new musical that would probably have a score that for me would be second rate. With musical revivals, I know what I am getting into. I do not live close to NYC, only getting to the City twice a year, so I have to choose carefully.

This season I am looking forward to seeing FOLLIES and WAR HORSE in December, and PORGY & BESS, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and for the first time an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical: EVITA. (It interests me that EVITA is far ahead of the other revivals that Rob is polling, with small interest in the two shows that this message board has elicited so very many responses for: PORGY & BESS and FOLLIES.) If the timing is right, I might see FUNNY GIRL as well, but I'm not sure when it is opening. I don't want to see ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, having seen the original production with the irreplaceable female lead Barbara Harris.

On topic, I think that the 1980 revival of MY FAIR LADY set a very high standard. I thoroughly enjoyed the two leads whose names escape me now, but George Rose, the superb character actor, played Alfred Doolittle. The production was suitably sumptuous, if not quite up to the exquisite production of the 1956 original. And I agree with what others have said about the 1992 GUYS & DOLLS-- it was wonderful. I failed to see two high profile revivals that seemed to be problematic according to many BWW posters: A CHORUS LINE and WEST SIDE STORY. I had been thrilled by the original productions, in the case of A CHORUS LINE liking each performance better the more I saw it.

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^ Christine Andreas and the late Sir Ian Richardson.

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That MY FAIR LADY was actually in 1976 - billed as the '20th anniversary production'

And I love the 1998 National Theatre's OKLAHOMA! - Don't know what the 2002 Broadway transfer was like - whether it changed anything or what - but the '98 Oklahoma is a gem in my mind, and Nunn made that show into a new masterpiece all over again. I was afraid to mention this Oklahoma because I know some people hated that production

I thought OK! was much better at the NT with Hugh Jackman than at LC with Patrick Wilson. The recent revival of "The Normal Heart" will be hard to beat.

Oops...the Gershwin. Sorry AC, must've had Carousel in the back of my mind (another revival that may be hard to beat).

The actress who is the next Carrie Pipperidge in the next revival of Carousel will have one hell of a job to erase the memory of Audra McDonald from New York audiences! I mean she won every award around her for this performance.

What the revival of CHICAGO does best is teach how to do the show for a $1.80, but it works as a revival. However, the original was very different and IMO, more enjoyable.
But we're not comparing here right?

Mendes CABARET, to me was revelation, and a good standard to set the bar (very high).

AC, thanks for providing the names of the leads for the *1976* 20th Anniversary revival of MY FAIR LADY.

AC, again, I think you are correct that those who saw the 1959 Merman production of GYPSY would consider that definitive. Now for the 4 revivals, one of which featured a mis-cast Linda Lavin temporarily. I saw Angel Lansbury first in the London production and loved it. When I saw her in NYC at the Winter Garden, I merely liked it; Lansbury sang "Rose's Turn" with much more vitriol than she did in London, probably trying to placate director Arthur Laurents. I loved the Tyne Daly production because of her "Earth Mother" take on the role and despite her less than terrific singing. I did not like the Mendes production, despite its adherence to the official script, because I just did not have a good time, and with my beloved GYPSY I want to have a good time. I can't put my finger on it, and I liked Bernadette Peters OK, but there was too much darkness about it. Lastly, I liked Patti LuPone very much and the rest of the cast, too, but I did not like having the orchestra on stage and I did not like Arthur Laurents's change of the ending which causes this theatregoer to leave on a downbeat instead of an upbeat, with Rose and Louise being somewhat reconciled and walking into the wings arm in arm.

So what is the definitive revival of GYPSY? Since I can't have an amalgam of the three Laurents directed shows I guess I would go with the Tyne Daly production. In it Crista Moore was a superb Louise, and Tulsa was terrific, but I did not like Jonathan Hadary as Herbie. Well, the 1959 production was the yardstick by which I measure all GYPSY's and in my book no one can top Ethel Merman and Jack Klugman. And for the majority of the BWW posters, you missed a hilarious scene only in the original: Minsky's Salute to Christmas, some 16 showgirls with Christmas ornaments covering their boobs, all of them singing a sort of religioso aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, and then dragging out a giant Christmas box out of which popped Miss Gypsy Rose Lee. I'm sure the cost of this 2 minute scene prohibited it from being used in the 4 revivals.

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I know a lot of people have problems with the show and we probably won't see another revival on Broadway, but if we did I think it would be hard to top the 2010 revival of La Bete with Mark Rylance.

^ Second that.

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The Ragtime revival.

I'm not sure. I'd say South Pacific. That was a fine revival.

Based on the reviews from Toronto, I'd say the easiest revivals to beat will be the previous ones of Jesus Christ Superstar. No one seems too excited about it but it sounds promising.

Not only was I not fond of the last La Cage revival but I really enjoyed the 2004 version.

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