SHE LOVES ME closes this afternoon - Three Photo Love Letters

I have only watched the livestream of the current Roundabout revival, and listened to all 3 (Broadway) cast recordings via Youtube (and some clips from the 1993 revival when it was staged at Criterion Center Stage Right, before transferring to the Brooks Atkinson) , but I have to say that the 1993 revival set design seems so, so underwhelming, muted and cheap looking in comparison to the colorful palette of the 2016 and the original production (the original production, in particular, looks so lavish).

I read somewhere that the 1993 revival used a very reduced orchestra (only 8 players, and much of the music synthesized) so perhaps they didn't have a very big budget and this extended to the set design as well. Which is sad because the cast in the 1993 revival is really stunning, with Boyd Gaines being my favorite Georg out of the 3 productions.

These are great photos, Mr. Nowack, thanks for digging them up and sharing them here. It’s really interesting to see how the three productions have staged the same scenes – some very different choices, indeed, but then some the same! The 1963 production’s sets are so incredibly lush: is that an actual full Christmas tree in the window?!

Regarding the reduced orchestra and set of the 1993 revival, Roundabout’s upstage guide mentioned that She Loves Me was a huge gamble for them that season. At that time, they were still a tiny, not very prominent non-profit, certainly not as prolific and well-funded as they are now. She Loves Me was the first of their new Great American Musical series. Given those constraints, they still did a wonderful job (as we all know), and the attention and acclaim they got from that production kickstarted the Roundabout that we know today. For those who saw the show then, does this match up?

Updated On: 7/10/16 at 09:34 AM

I have to wonder if not for HOLIDAY INN coming in right away, if Roundabout would have tried to extend this through the end of summer. Even if they had to replace a lead or two. Such a beautiful show, thank goodness for the Live stream a few weeks ago.

Hard to believe the original flopped with the cast it had.

Please let us know how the closing performance goes! I will miss and cherish this production so much!

Here is the BBC Television version broadcast on PBS' Great Performances in 1978:

There's some slight VHS buzzing noise, but this is the whole thing, with audio that's in sync. Bonus interview after the end with Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Barbara Cook (original broadway cast Amalia).

Cast:

Georg Nowack: Robin Ellis
Amalia Balash: Gemma Craven
Ladislov Sipos: Peter Sallis
Steven Kodaly: David Kernan
Ilona Ritter: Diane Langton
Mr. Maraczek: Derek Smith
Arpad Laszlo: Nigel Rathbone

That is in fact an entire Christmas tree that they moved into the window for the final scene! In addition to being gorgeously lush the OBC set was actually technically innovative with a sophisticated three piece revolving unit for the Parfumerie and magnet controlled seasonal elements (leaves, icicles etc.). It also took painstaking manoeuvring to store and move the lush elements in the apparently very small backstage of the Eugene O'Neill.

I agree that the 1993 production looks a little drab, but with performances by performers like Kuhn, Gaines, and McGillin I can see why it was such a success. Though it will always be one of the most lamentable misfortunes in Broadway history that Kuhn's Amalia wasn't recorded.

I'm so glad I got to see the 2016 revival, it is an experience that will be hard to top. And it was my first on Broadway!

Was anybody at today's final show? Would love to read a report.

I too would love to hear any reports from the last show!

Jane didn't do her split last night. Did she get injured?

Jjhbb340 posted this wonderful report at All That Chat:

''Just got in from the last performance of my favorite show of the season. It was a terrible week in the news,but all was right with the world at Studio 54-Jane did her split (every little thing she does is magic,but this even more so), Zachary did his cartwheel, Laura sang like an angel and broke your heart at the end of the first act, Gavin was still able to seduce anything that moved and the rest of the whole wonderful cast gave career best performances. Poor Zachary seemed about to lose it in the last scene,but I was the same way. We'll never see a performance of this masterpiece done so well in our lifetimes. Scott Ellis and Warren Carlyle gave beautiful heartfelt speeches at the curtain call and welcomed two of the geniuses who created it-Joe Masteroff and Sheldon Harnick. Mr Harnick said he's seen three bway productions of the show,including the original, but felt this was the BEST. The audience screamed their agreement! Just plain wonderful. And the cherry on the cake was being able to buy the cd at the souvenir stand-won't have to wait three more weeks for the release.''

I saw the 1993 production during holiday break on the night I was supposed to see the Red Shoes. I was only 12 years old and fell in love with it. It didn't that the cast had the singing voice of Aladdin and the voice of Jafar, not to mention Pete, the friendly Greek diner owner in The Muppets Take Manhattan. The following week, when talking about what people did during the holiday, I said I saw "She Loves Me" and people started teasing me saying "you make it too easy, rwlevin." Homophobia to 12-year olds is fun! Seventh graders are major jerks, aren't they?

Anyway, as soon as I heard She Loves Me was being revived, I had to see it. I saw both the second preview and the second to last show. The one thing I really like more in the 1993 production was Jonathan Freeman's portrayal of the headwaiter. I just liked how he acted completely stoic and above it all and wasn't as much a caricature as Peter Bartlett.

She Loves Me is a show about falling in love. When I watch it, when I watch the actor that plays Georg sing the main song, be it Boyd Gaines or Zachary Levi or whoever will pick up the mantle next, the emotion is palpable, and I feel all that giddiness that you have when you're just beginning to fall in love with someone and realize that person is falling for you too. And I take that feeling with me when I leave the theatre. I felt it when I was 12 and I feel it now.

In other news, I wonder if Gavin Creel has shaved the mustache yet.