#1
Posted: 9/29/05 at 11:11pm
Just back from seeing SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH, one of this years NYMF shows, playing at the 45th Street Theatre. Some thoughts:
_____________________________________
In the late 80s, when I was still a teenager in Texas, I saw several times, one of the funniest musicals I have ever seen in my life -- SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH. The Dallas production boasted an amazing ensemble, including Peggy Pharr Wilson, one of the original authors and was a huge hit, playing something like 2 years, which was unheard of for a production in Dallas at that time.
The show was then, as is now, a series of musical sketches on American pop culture, tied loosely together by the themes of the outrageous headlines in Rags like the National Enquirer and People Magazine.
In the late 80s, when the show was written -- American pop culture centered around such absurdities as Jim and Tammy Faye, Jazzercise, UFO abductions and Michael Jackson (okay some things never change), which is to say the show seemed VERY of its time.
SIX WOMEN has had many productions regionally since the first production I saw, and so I was surprised to find it in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival of developing works.
Is the show worth reviving? Does it still work? Well, yes and no. The production playing right now at 45th Street has been updated (slightly) to include references to W. Bush, and Paris Hilton, but remains more or less what was seen in the 80s. One sketch that was sorely missed -- "The Divas of Mowtown" was apparently replaced by a very stupid skit call "Rambi."
A lot of the material is still funny but I'm sad to say that this bare-bones production is pretty underwhelming.
MAJOR pacing problems. And that includes tempos that are way slow and a cast that mostly misses the beats. Responsibility for this must be blamed on Director/Choreographer Marcia Milgram Dodge who pretty much has no comedic instincts or choreography skills behind hand waving.
Which is a shame, because that deals a major blow to the game cast, including another original cowriter Valerie Fagen, who scene after scene are missing the major laughs.
So why is this production still worth seeing? THE SCORE. An amazing, tuneful, vibrant score by the late Mark Houston, which ranges from rock to country to gospel. If the basic concept of the show is dated, Mr. Houston's work is not -- its as fun musically as any musical revue you are likely to find.
Since Mr. Houston died in 1995, it wouldn't seem that SIX WOMEN can't really be much further "developed" as per the motto of the NYMF, but it was a treat to hear his work again.
Hopefully if the show is further workshopped, it will find a more experienced and inspired creative team to helm it. I would also strongly encourage the creative team to go back and examine some of the sketches used in the original production. Many are funnier than what is in the current script.
_____________________________________
In the late 80s, when I was still a teenager in Texas, I saw several times, one of the funniest musicals I have ever seen in my life -- SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH. The Dallas production boasted an amazing ensemble, including Peggy Pharr Wilson, one of the original authors and was a huge hit, playing something like 2 years, which was unheard of for a production in Dallas at that time.
The show was then, as is now, a series of musical sketches on American pop culture, tied loosely together by the themes of the outrageous headlines in Rags like the National Enquirer and People Magazine.
In the late 80s, when the show was written -- American pop culture centered around such absurdities as Jim and Tammy Faye, Jazzercise, UFO abductions and Michael Jackson (okay some things never change), which is to say the show seemed VERY of its time.
SIX WOMEN has had many productions regionally since the first production I saw, and so I was surprised to find it in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival of developing works.
Is the show worth reviving? Does it still work? Well, yes and no. The production playing right now at 45th Street has been updated (slightly) to include references to W. Bush, and Paris Hilton, but remains more or less what was seen in the 80s. One sketch that was sorely missed -- "The Divas of Mowtown" was apparently replaced by a very stupid skit call "Rambi."
A lot of the material is still funny but I'm sad to say that this bare-bones production is pretty underwhelming.
MAJOR pacing problems. And that includes tempos that are way slow and a cast that mostly misses the beats. Responsibility for this must be blamed on Director/Choreographer Marcia Milgram Dodge who pretty much has no comedic instincts or choreography skills behind hand waving.
Which is a shame, because that deals a major blow to the game cast, including another original cowriter Valerie Fagen, who scene after scene are missing the major laughs.
So why is this production still worth seeing? THE SCORE. An amazing, tuneful, vibrant score by the late Mark Houston, which ranges from rock to country to gospel. If the basic concept of the show is dated, Mr. Houston's work is not -- its as fun musically as any musical revue you are likely to find.
Since Mr. Houston died in 1995, it wouldn't seem that SIX WOMEN can't really be much further "developed" as per the motto of the NYMF, but it was a treat to hear his work again.
Hopefully if the show is further workshopped, it will find a more experienced and inspired creative team to helm it. I would also strongly encourage the creative team to go back and examine some of the sketches used in the original production. Many are funnier than what is in the current script.
Updated On: 9/29/05 at 11:11 PM
show to me. Is it supposed to be? (In which case it may be a directorial issue.)
