Seesaw...My new favorite musical.- Page 2

[bingbong]

Posted: 7/14/07 at 1:35pm

lol, fair play

[cristinamarie]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 1:34pm

Hey everyone...just wanted to let you know auditions are coming up for a production of SEESAW in Manhattan. Below is all the info.

The Group Theatre Too, LLC will be holding auditions for the musical SEESAW, music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, book by Michael Bennett, to be performed at the Connelly Theater for a limited run from March 9th – 15th, 2008. Rehearsals February 11th – March 8th, 2008. Director/Choreographer, Michael Blevins; Musical Director, Christine Riley; Executive Producer, Justin Boccitto. Currently seeking strong actor/singers, proficient in tap and theatre dance to play the following roles: JERRY RYAN, 30s, a slightly square and not quite single lawyer from the mid-west. Bari-Tenor; GITTEL MOSCA, mid 20s – 30s, a kooky would be dancer from the Bronx . Alto. DAVID, mid 20s -30s, a choreographer on the way to the top, song and dance man, tap required, Bari-Tenor; SOPHIE, Gittel’s friend & contemporary, Alto-Mezzo. JULIO GONZALES, a youthful New York street performer, Spanish song & dance man with thick accent, Tenor. SPARKLE, a singing drag-queen club performer, male singing role, Tenor. CITIZENS OF NEW YORK, all types and ethnicities. Strong dancer/singers, tap & theatre dance required. Equity showcase pending approval. Equity & Non-Equity performers. All ethnicities. NO PAY. Auditions will be held on Monday, January 28th at the 48th Street Studios, 353 W. 48th Street . Men & Women 9am – 1pm. Come prepared to dance (tap & jazz) and also prepare 32 bars of your best up-tempo. Bring headshot/resume.
Official Production Website

[Timmer]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 2:43pm

Bumping this thread for a terrific and underappreciated show.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 4:40pm

Next to My Fair Lady, Seesaw was the greatest show I ever saw (and I've seen a lot of them). I couldn't get enough of the show, and saw it many, many times. The greatest dancing I've ever seen.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 4:50pm

I worked on the tour when it came through Canada. Gavin was okay, but I had seen Ken Howard. No comparison. Lucy Arnez was great. The show had a reduced pit orchestra from the Broadway version (I always walk up to the pit and count chairs).

Michelle Lee's songs are used all the time at auditions. A better song to use if "I'm All I've Got" from "Bravo Giovanni" when she was just 18. What a great belt song.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 1/18/08 at 5:04pm

Lucie was fine, but she lacked Michele Lee's dancing abilities. Her feet barely moved. She was very entertaining in the role, though.

[justinboccitto]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 10:21pm

Thought you would all enjoy the review for the recent revival of SEESAW at the Connelly Theater. The production was produced by The Group Theatre Too, LLC. Visit http://www.stagebuzz.com or the link below.
Seesaw Review

[bk]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 4:08am

"I <3 Seesaw. Anyone heard the two cut songs on Lost in Boston?"

I have :)

[philcrosby]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 8:33am

I saw a later tour with John Raitt and Liz Torres ... she was terrific. The changes made for the tour (eliminating SPANGLISH and RIDE OUT THE STORM and closing Act One with THE PARTY'S ON ME) were a vast improvement!

Torres was terrific. Raitt less so.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 1:09pm

Actually, "It's Not Where You Start" was a song for a musical about FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt that Cy and Dorothy had worked on earlier.

It was to be sung by Eleanor and, I'm not sure, Harold L. Ickles or some famous friend of FDR's, to FDR to cheer him up after he's been struck down by polio and encourage him to get out of bed and go out and get re-elected.

One other thing that Michael Bennett brought to "Seesaw" was Anita Morris. (She's one of the hookers that you see in the pictures from the show.) Bennett saw her around the theater because she was dating the choreographer that Bennett was replacing, Grover Dale, and cast her in the show. Which led to her working with Tommy Tune, which led to her being in "Nine" and being one of the replacements for Miss Mona in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".

I actually recently won a copy of the "Seesaw" song book on Ebay and in one of the pictures it looks like Michael Bennett is playing one of the guys mugging Ken Howard. (He's the one with the gun in the picture.) Did he do that often, or was it a one time gig, like when Mayor Lindsay sang "My City"?

[fterranella2]

Posted: 5/4/08 at 10:21am

I saw the original production of Seesaw in 1973 and fell in love with it. I saw it twice -- once with Michelle Lee and once with her understudy, Judy Kaye. I actually liked Judy's performance more. She nailed the insecurity of Gittel in a way that Michelle Lee could not. I was listening to the cast recording (on vinyl) yesterday and was again struck by how underrated Cy Coleman is as a Broadway composer. And Dorothy Fields' lyrics are just perfect. I think she could relate to Gittel in a fundamental way. I dug out my copy of the script of Seesaw and was surprised at how funny the show is. I didn't remember it being so jokey. That may have been Neil Simon's contribution. But reading the end of Act One brought tears to my eyes just as it did on stage all those years ago. Finally, I have to say that I'm Way Ahead is one of the best theatre songs of all time. What a way to close a show! I think that only Rose's Turn can top it.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/4/08 at 10:50am

I agree "I'm Way Ahead" is a superb number.

There are several in this show.

ometimes a short run is better - obviously not for the producers or backers - because the show is very fragile and wouldn't last through the rigors of an extended run. "Seesaw" is that type of precious little jewel box. I'm glad I saw it on Broadway and worked the tour but it was so utterly 'of the minute' that it was born in (well, actually in Seesaw's case it was a long, troubled birth) that it lived, shone for those astute or lucky enough to see it and then died a strange, tragic and yet strangely fitting death.

Killed by the IRS.

There's one for the books.

[explorer]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 9:18am

I thought Patti Karr was Michele Lee's understudy on Broadway & not Judy Kaye. Anyway, Michele Lee gave one of the best musical comedy performances I have ever seen. Saw the show 16 times & how she lost the Tony till this day I wil never know.

Updated On: 9/12/08 at 09:18 AM

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 2:35pm

I saw a production of this in San Francisco and loved it enough to search out the OBCR. It's one of those shows where I didn't like the original source material very much, but enjoyed the musical a lot.

[myshikobit]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 8:48pm

im really interested in it now =). sounds good.

[je veux te voir2]

Posted: 8/31/08 at 11:55pm

u know i really like seesaw too! I think it hasn't been revived simply because producers are waiting for the right time and also they might be afraid of the fact u can hear like...a definite 70's influence in the music a lot of the time. Not as strong/bad as "Turkey Lurkey" form Promises, Promises. lol. But really I think it'll be revived eventually...its probably just being avoided right now and its probably seen as somewhat a challenge to work with. :)

[Mosca]

Posted: 11/17/08 at 5:35pm

You are correct, Explorer! Patti Karr was Michele Lee's understudy & not Judy Kaye. Michele was perfect for the role & as for Patti...not so perfect.

Posted: 11/17/08 at 6:09pm

Maybe you don't find it as dated as Promises Promises but I don't think it's as strong, or revivable a score for a few reasons. One being that basically oen saved the show (and don't get me wrong I *love* the score) was Michael Bennett completely restaging it out of town--it was nearly all about the staging (more so than Promises, which had great choreography of course)

"I didn't remember it being so jokey. That may have been Neil Simon's contribution."

I thougth so too, but have since read insisting that Neil came in to look at the script and made edits but added virtually no lines... This definetly is an example of a musical that was completely saved (and completely changed) out of town. It's my second fave Coleman show after Sweet Charity, flaws and all, and I always see it as sorta a sister musical--one spearheaded by Fosse one by Bennett, both about New York, contemporary, with very fluid dance based stagings and great Coleman/Fields score (with one song of course coming from Charity).

[justme3]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 8:14am

Had the pleasure of listening to audio recordings of the original show which I recently found. If you get a chance it's really worth listening to, and even better along with the play's book.

The words local colloquialism will never be the same again

Wish there was a video of this.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 8:27am

I was lucky enough to see the original production and agree with all of those here who really enjoyed it. Hopefully, Encores will get around to this one soon.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:07pm

I saw the original cast for $6.38 plus whatever the service charges were at TKTS.  Had good seats in the orchestra and found it mildly enjoyable.  Never wanted to see it a second time in a period where I saw things I liked 5 or 6 timess.

 

My basic quibble with the show was that it was a two character play opened up with a huge cast and largely extraneous production numbers (even though many were good, they generally had virtually nothing to do with the story, as I remember).  I mustn't have thought much of the score because I never purchased the Album.  I also remember not thinking Michele Lee was much of an actress in the dramatic scenes...lots of overacting.

 

It's Not Where You Start was wonderful and Tommy Tune richly deserved his Tony award.  Michael Bennett's contribution was sizable.  Clearly, the length of the run was an indicator that it never really caught on with the public.  I remember that it opened just before the Tony Awards and was not eligible until the next year, which may have hurt, but I also remember thinking it was going to be a big hit after it opened...so the reviews must have been good.  But it really did not catch on at all.

 

As to a revival, I think anyone would be out of their mind to target a Broadway revival, unless they drastically revamped the show and made it small, intimate, with a lower overhead.  I do think it would be very dated too.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 1:11pm

Many shows are dated but that does not stopped them from being revived. Sorry you did not enjoy it as most of the posters here did. Everyone has different opinions about shows.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 2:52pm

It was great reading everyone's thoughts here. I really enjoyed reading about how the show came together in Riedel's book and about all the roadblocks it faced. Through that lens, it seems like a miracle that they were even able to get the show to New York at all, but then again, that's the genius of Michael Bennett. Like Roxy, I'd love to see it done at Encores.

Updated On: 3/13/16 at 02:52 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 2:54pm

I absolutely agree re different opinions, although I think we agree a lot on the older shows.  I don't get to see as many as I used to because I don't live in the NY area anymore, but once upon a time, I saw everything, like a lot of posters here.  Seesaw was one of the biggest disappointments.  Thinking some more, I really think I didn't like Michelle Lee's performance, which would not have helped.  Re 'dated', I agree that in a lot of cases, it doesn't matter.  I think it would matter with this show, since the story is so slight to begin with.  The only thing I can think of as an illustration would be the recent revival of Promises Promises, which IMO was horribly dated (ironically, I was thrilled when the revival was announced since I loved it when it originally opened...just didn't expect it to seem so dated (and Chenoweth to be so miscast).  I still enjoyed lots of PP, but cringed at parts of it, including the 19 times that Our Little Secret seemed to be reprised.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/13/16 at 3:04pm

 

It is really nice to know that despite all the back stage drama that went on during production of SEESAW that Lainie Kazan and Michele Lee are still friends.