Should there be a Showboat revival anytime soon?

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 4:48pm

I want everyone's opinion.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 4:57pm

My 2nd favorite of all-time. So, YES, naturally.

(Just leave out the claims of deep character study and magical rebirths for a new generation supposedly incapable of enjoying the classics, lol.)

[AMH]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 4:57pm

Yes! I would love a SHOWBOAT revival!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:01pm

I'd love it, but I don't know how they could top the last one. What a beautiful production that was.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:04pm

That's one amazingly expensive show to produce. They'd better have STARS in it if they do!

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:04pm

The Hal Prince '90s revival was a terrific production. The show is anything but stale. So yes, revive away ... as long as it isn't given to a hack director/choreographer.

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 6:07pm

Who would you all suggest for a director/choreographer???

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 7:14pm

No. There've been several, and the Prince version would be almost impossible to top at this point. Besides, there are countless other shows equally deserving of revival: BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, for example — a great score, a fun book, an easy-on-the-budget physical production.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 7:16pm

I'm looking forward to seeing it at Lyric Opera (with Nathan Gunn and Ashley Brown) when I'm in Chicago next month.

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 7:29pm

Ashley Brown is Magnolia I would assume?

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 7:38pm

Yes.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:22pm

Yes. While Laura Benanti is still young enough to be Magnolia.

[AHTC]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:37pm

PersonaLly, I'd rather see Benanti as Julie.

Sara Jean ford as magnolia.

Martin short as cap'n Andy.

Steven Pasquale as ravenal.

[AHTC]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:40pm

Tony Yazbeck and Meredith Patterson as frank and Ellie.

Natasha Yvette Williams as queenie.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:45pm

I'm with Sean--I'd give it another ten years at any rate. I'm a huge Show Boat nut, but with all the massive variations in text from production to production, I felt the Hal Prince version was as definitive as a contemporary production could or should be, and I can't see it being topped. (As much as I'd love to see some sort of recreation fo the Ziegfeld production with songs I love but few others seem to like Hey Feller and In Dahomey restored and that picture postcard Urban set but it would be too expensive, would never get an audience, too controversial and, again too expensive, so...)

As long as nobody tries to do something like Eric Shaeffer/Signature Theatre's horribly ill conceived "modern/intimate" production of a couple years back...

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:46pm

(Which makes me think maybe we'll get a Doyle actor/musician version sooon!)

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 8:58pm

Eric, you are not alone: I love "Hey, Feller!" and "In Dahomey" so much.
I want Laura Benanti as Julie, but only if she does her Obsessed!/Terrible version of "Bill." I would pay front row for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXZ9AEaBVDQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 9:01pm

>> that picture postcard Urban set

Arguably one of the most stunning ever seen in New York.

>> maybe we'll get a Doyle actor/musician version

Go to your room and ponder your sins for even *thinking* that.....

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 9:02pm

Who would play the tuba?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 9:07pm

But just think of the possibilites! The black characters can all play either the banjo or the harmonica, which would make some sort of brand new, exciting, ironic political statement. And really with all of those characters, the musical landscape is endless. I see Parthy with a kazoo, myself.

(OK, I'll go to my room... )

I wish there was somewhere to see colour reproductions of the Urban set--the photos in that Complete Show Boat book from the 70s are amazing. It's such a fascinating show, even just in regards to how many versions exist. I think Prince did a good job of studying the various texts and making a (to me) definitive modern mix of them--just when the show was strting to fall into many overly sentimental, corny versions (though I would like to see the full 80s Papermill version which I believe tried to go back to the original in some ways and was televised on Live from Lincoln Center--I've only seen the two youtube clips).

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 10:08pm

Give it time. Just like Carousel with the RNT production. Prince's Show Boat was so perfect.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 1/5/12 at 11:48pm

Aw man, the RNT CAROUSEL was amazing: imaginative, stylish, stunning. But you had a director with vision working that one, as well as a design team that knew what to give to support that vision, and as a result, it all worked gorgeously. I wish that one was on video.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 1/6/12 at 12:09am

Yes please! I would love to see another first class production, but like so many others I can't imagine a better production than the Prince revival.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/6/12 at 1:21am

That Hytner production of Carousel was near perfection (it did bother me that everyone saw it as a re-imagining while, kinda like Prince's Showboat, I think it was more about a musical that had got watered down over the years in nostalgia) was one of my favorite theatre experiences as a teen. I basically lived for what came near us on tours, and saw it on tour with Patrick Wilson (who I remember as being great) as Billy. Actually I guess a year or so before I saw Show Boat in its Vancouver production (aww the days when Livent existed and owned the Ford in Vancouver so we wouldn't have to wait on the West Coast for years to see a tour on its last legs...)

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/6/12 at 9:30am

Give it a few years and cast Glee's Naya Rivera as Julie.

In a few years, the Les Miz movie will be out and Taylor Swift will be looking to do Broadway, so she could play Magnolia.

Updated On: 1/6/12 at 09:30 AM