Riedel's Take on the Best Revival Situation- Page 2

[morosco]

Posted: 4/2/08 at 1:29pm

A third revival - "Sunday in the Park With George" - seems to be fading, largely because Tony nominators and voters think The Roundabout skimped on the orchestra...

Ridiculous! He makes it sound like SUNDAY is setting a new trend by "skimping on the orchestra". That's been going on for years.

But let's hope the trend will somehow be reversed by SOUTH PACIFIC and GYPSY as audiences will learn to appreciate what they've been missing in terms of the size of an orchestra.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/2/08 at 2:27pm

Other shows have skimped on the orchestra, a necessary evil in recent years as costs have risen. No show in my experience has suffered so disastrously from reduced players as this current atrocious revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

ADDING MACHINE has an even smaller ensemble, and manages to fill the theatre with sound and music in ways that this unfortunate Britimport can't even begin to do.

[musikman]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 12:00am

To those who believe the sound of Sunday worked:

Sondheim himself originally had his score orchestrated for 11 diferent instruments to match the 11 differet colors Seurat used in his painting. Take them away, and you lose an incredible connection between the two works of art that seems so subtle, but so huge at the same time.

And to all those crazy about the Doyle revivals, we often forget that the orchestra is another character and another voice in the show. You take that away, and you're minus a central part of your show. I think people got so caught up in the drama/story that they forgot that the music is what so often drives the plot and the drama that is taking place onstage. This is more suited however to Sweeney than Company.

While I was surprised at how "loud" the orchestra sounded at Sunday, the change in the amount and type of instruments used had such a detrimental impact on me. The song sunday is suppossed to have such an impact musically and dramatically as that chaotic painting (the dissonant, disjointed music) finally comes together in that glorious harmony...and that small, overly-miked orchestra just didn't do it at all!

Not to turn this into a Sunday thread, but, I think the reason why so many people are stating that this production is the first to justify the second act is because this production also manages to miss the point of, and ruin the first act. It had NONE of the feeling, emotional punch, or impact that the original does for me (minus Jenna Russel who was magnificent, and three standout performances from Mary Beth Piel, Alexander Gemignani, and Michael Cumptsy). The second act was much better becuase the first was so weak.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the composer and orchestrator chose to have certain instruments and sounds used in specific places for specific reasons. You change that, or take it away, you have changed and dishonored the work.

[nonplussed]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 1:14pm

Sondheim was fully behind this production and encouraged its transfer to Broadway. If he was unhappy with the size of the orchestra, I am sure he could have insisted on more instruments.
I never saw the original production but someone has posted parts of the recording on the internet. We Do Not Belong Together and Move On appear far less emotional in the original, with the two leads standing and singing much of the songs straight out at the audience rather than to each other.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:01pm

I still stand by the fact that the current revival is a beautiful, and strong production. The story is great, the actors are brillant, so why not give it Best Revival? I think it's the only revival this season that has taken a more modern approach to the material. And when that violin/cello hums in during We Do Not Belong Together, I got chill bumps. Loved it!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:10pm

Rentboy, you stand by your opinion that the revival is etc.

I thought it was crap. Badly directed, badly performed by cast and really absurdly reduced band.

I stand by my opinion too.

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:19pm

I thought SITPWG was pretty brilliant. I enjoyed the smaller orchestra... it didn't bother me! the orchestra size shouldn't overshadow the amazing revival. just ridiculous.

I still believe SUNDAY gets the Tony.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 3:13pm

SUNSET and SMOKEY were the only two new musicals that season...

That is right....and for that reason in 1995 they should have eliminated the Best Musical, Best Book and Best Sore categories. SUNSET and SMOKEY are two shows not even worthy of nominations, leat alone a Best Musical award. Giving the Best Score award to ALW after his careless, sloppy work on SUNSET because it was the ONLY new score of the season really cheapened the award.

Nominating a terrible production like the revival of GREASE simply to fill out 4 nominees is pointless.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 3:36pm

Frontrowcentre, I'm with you all the way on that one.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 3:58pm

Roscoe, how could you find Jenna Russell's peroformance "badly performaned"?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 4:03pm

I thought it was a totally dull and uninteresting performance, more like something out of ARE YOU BEING SERVED than anything else. She had lots of energy, yes, but I didn't see that there was any real sexual chemistry with George at all. Kind of a problem, since the play depends on my believing that she has a child by him.

Rentboy, look into spell check.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:00pm

I don't get why you're being rude? Just asking a simple question. I found Dot and George to have tremendous chemistry. I was actually very impressed by it. They touched far more than the original leads did, and I found them to have a great connection with each other. I understand if it just wasn't you cup of tea, to each their own, but no reason to be rude about it.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:04pm

I'm rooting for Gypsy. Altough I admire the Sudnay revival, Reidel is right. I'd like to see a revival win for sticking to what worked about the original so well.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:06pm

But isn't the point of a revival to bring a fresh, new take on the original? I'm not talking about a complete overhaul, but what's the point of putting the same show up again and again. (This isn't a comment on Gypsy or South Pacific, I haven't seen either, but just a comment on the idea of a revival).

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:06pm

Laurents as best director? In my opinion, he is the reason why this production did not do it for me. Yes, its my favorite musical. But I did not enjoy the bitter take he gave this revival.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 6:08pm

Well, it's a good thing then that you're not a critic or a Tony voter.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 10:49am

Rentboy, I wasn't being rude, just suggesting that you might take a little time to make sure that your postings don't contain mis-spellings.

Nobody's complaining about revivals taking new directions with material. I have a complaint when the new directions are badly conceived and badly carried out, as I think they are in the current SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. Really badly carried out. Pretty much all over the place.

Just my opinion.

Updated On: 4/4/08 at 10:49 AM

[Sleeper2]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 11:41am

Best Revival Tony will go to SOUTH PACIFIC, so this spat is moot.

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:52pm

"Its presence on the TONY awards with Alan Cumming looking/acting like he was on something added further insult to injury."

Believe me, that was no act.

"but i must admit my first thought was, 'i wonder who he stole those lines from?'"

Oh papa, you stole that from Alexander Portnoy by way of Holden Caufield...gimme a break!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:52pm

We can agree to disagree. South Pacific just isn't my kind of show.