Seeing a show multiple times VS. getting sick of it (SITPWG)

This may sound stupid, but bear with me, please. I need some advice. I can't decide whether I should see SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE tonight or tomorrow.

This production has become one of my favorite musicals of all time. Now, I don't have a big history of seeing musicals more than once. Before this year, the only show I had seen more than once was Rent (10 times over 7 years). I've seen Spelling Bee twice, and that's about it for multiple viewings (granted, I didn't live in NYC until this year).

I have seen SUNDAY three times: on 2/26, 5/20, and 6/11. I am taking family members to see it next Tuesday and Sunday (closing night), which makes 5. I'm in withdrawal from having not seen it in a week.

On one hand, I love this production and it might not be around again for a long time (heck, it took 24 years to come back this time). On the other hand, I don't want to overdose on it to the extent that I'm sick of it by the Sunday showing. I want to preserve the magic and good memories, and don't want to spoil lifelong memories by seeing it too often in a short period of time. I feel like I'll also enjoy next week's viewings more if I haven't seen it so recently.

Anyway, if you all can provide some advice, I'd appreciate it. If you've gotten sick of a show from seeing it to often, or whether this risk is less than I fear, I'd like to hear about it.

Updated On: 6/19/08 at 02:01 PM

When Company posted its closing notice last year, I knew I wanted to see it several more times before it closed, but I worried about it overdoing it so close to the end -- and of course, I didn't want my last memories of it to be ones of boredom.

But at the same time, while I didn't feel compelled to see it during that period the way I had if it had been, say, several months, I almost looked at it as... the emotional equivalent of stocking up on food, or something: you may not need it now, but sometime down the line, you'll wish you had gotten it. I had this fear of waking up the morning of closing and wishing I had seen it more while I could. I feel sort of the same way about Rent; I saw the show about three weeks ago for the first time since Adam and Anthony left. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't probably wouldn't feel compelled to see it again for a while. But since I know time is limited, I'll be going back a few times this summer, because I know I'll regret it if I don't.

Even though by the end of Company's run, I felt like I was bordering on short-term saturation, I was never "sick" of it, or feeling like that saturation ruined the magic of the year and a half that had preceded it. Going into those last two weeks, I promised myself that if I ever got bored, or was going for the sake of going, I would wait until the closing. The truth is that when you love something that much, you're always going to miss it when it's gone. Seeing it one more time, in the grand scheme, isn't going to make you any less nostalgic a year, or two years, or however long after the fact. And so I think your decision comes down to whether you truly think seeing it again today would ruin the magic, or if you're just afraid it will. My personal opinion is to go if you're able, and experience it while you can, because come next Sunday, you won't be able to change your mind. But it's a really personal decision, and so my best advice is not to overthink it, and do what you feel is right.

---

Updated On: 6/19/08 at 02:14 PM

wow, luvtheEmcee, fantastic post. You captured my feelings very well. Had I lived in NYC a year ago I bet I would have loved Company similarly.

tomemiller, did you read my post? I've already got tickets to see it twice next week, including closing night.

Only you know your capacity for seeing the same show over and over again. I've seen 'Les Mis' three times in the last couple of years, and I know I couldn't see it more than once or twice in a year without going a little batty. Even though it's been different casts (and technically two different productions, but the Broadway revival was hardly dramatically altered) each time, and I really am keen to see Drew Sarich as Valjean, I don't want to kill the show for myself so I'm holding off seeing it again.

But then it does depend on the show. I know I could sit through a good production of 'Henry V' just about as many times as a cast could bear to perform it, although I don't suppose I'd be mentally stable at the end of the run. ^_^

If it were me, and I had the opportunity to see 'Sunday In The Park With George' more times, I would. This is a little gem of a show, and even though I only saw it once, I know it's one of those shows that can only improve with further visits. It's not like a simple basic story with repetitive dull tunes that you hear once and wish you could forget easily; there's a lot going on, and the beauty of Sondheim is that you can hear his music repeatedly and notice new things about it every time. It's not a show where you get everything upfront and learn nothing new with subsequent viewings.

And besides, it's not like 'Wicked', where you could see it several times then think "gosh, I'd go see it again, but I'm just so BORED, never mind, it'll be there in a couple of years when I'm ready again". SITPWG is going, going, GONE, and you'll never be able to relive this production right here. Any time it might be revived in the future, it'll be different, I guarantee it. And I'd totally rather regret seeing a show than not seeing a show.

---

Updated On: 6/19/08 at 02:27 PM

I hope it helps.

---

I've seen Hairspray 20x, Titanic 9x, King and I 9x, Gypsy (Tyne Daly) 9x, Ragtime 5x, etc. Not once did I ever regret seeing a show multiple times.

---

Updated On: 6/19/08 at 02:57 PM

You do reach a certain point where you do get sick of it though. The first time I saw AUGUST, I went nuts for it, but by the fourth time, not so much. I ended up observing the performances. This production of Sunday in the Park is really really great though. I have already seen it twice, and the second time was even better. Personally, I would not see a third time. I was so moved by the end after the second time, and I might not be by the third. If you have already seen it three times, I would assume that you remember the play, the music and the performances quite well. A fourth and fifth time may not be necessary. However, if you are in "withdrawal" from not having seen it in a week, then by all means, go for it.

Maybe skip Tuesday, and go to the final performance. It may be an emotional final performance, and you might take a lot away a lot from that.

I think you should do it. :)

You'll regret it later..."Dammit! Why didn't I go?"

---

luvtheEmcee beat me to it - I was the same way about COMPANY this time last year. I never regretted seeing it fairly frequently during its last month.

And I think SITPWG can stand up to repeated viewings. I have only seen this production once but after the excerpt at the Tonys on Sunday night I ordered another ticket for next Wednesday's matinee. I want very much to "stock up" on the recollections of this fine work and beautiful production.

I say go for it -

As many times as I've seen certain shows, there are shows I have never seen, and I didn't regret that either.

---

I didn't even realize that I capitalized the T in The. It totally does deserve a capitalized T though.

The Sweeney Revival. (tagline: because it's one in a million, baby.)

You'll know when you're starting to get sick of it, and when to take a break. There's no set point where you become sick of a show. I'd space your next time(s) seeing it out as much as you can, though.

It really depends on the show. There are shows I haven't gotten sick of at all and then there are others where I actually had tickets for the closing that I sold or gave to someone because I was just at saturation point.

That said... I've seen shows 14 times (Next to Normal), 10 times (The Vertical Hour), 9 times (The Year of Magical Thinking...and saw the last 4 performances of that one which almost had me tired of it...but she just captivated me), 7 or 8 times (110 in the Shade), and I will have seen Sunday... at least 4 times when I go to closing (that being the 4th unless I go one day next week as well) ~ and other than the last 4 performances of TYOMT I never got sick of them. Probably because there are always subtle little changes in each performance, so at least part of it always feels new.

With Sunday... especially, I find that there is SO much to take in, I've really benefited from multiple viewings.

edit ~ Lest anyone comment about seeing things at the expense of other shows, let me say that I did see other shows during all of those multiple viewing ones. The exception was N2N, but I had already seen everything out there at that point.

---

Updated On: 6/20/08 at 07:29 PM