Sondheim and Ives' HERE WE ARE at The Shed — Page 37

wish i were here2 said: "Robbie2 said: "wish i were here2 said: "Intermission

THIS SHOW IS BONKERS!!! I am so intrigued where it will go in Act 2.

Hey - Spoiler! ^^^^^^^^"

Shout out to Gypsy?

Sorry, about that! Posted using my phone and idk why the spoiler part didn't work "

A question to those who saw it last night. I'm going in November. Should one watch the films first? Would it matter to have that knowledge??? I see that they are available on Amazon Prime for a small fee. Not sure if I should...

Updated On: 9/29/23 at 11:19 AM

Capeguy said: "A question to those who saw it last night. I'm going in November. Should one watch the films first? Would it matter to have that knowledge??? I see that they are available on Amazon Prime for a small fee. Not sure if I should...
"

I went in totally blind and will probably watch the films now. I’m glad I didn’t watch them before and just got to experience this for the absolute insanity that it is, with zero expectations.

MezzA101 said: "I heard lots of "Passion" as well. Didn't see any celebrities or members of the creative team.

Did anyone?

Thanks.



"

I think I saw Jonathan Tunick in the audience.

I don't see this for a few weeks, but I would love to know what people who don't know the backstory thinks of the show. Casual theatergoers & not inherently Sondheim fans. There's so much speculation here about this moving to Broadway this season, but if they want any chance of commercial success it will have to transcend the Sondheim diehards (a finite and unsustainable audience base).

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I don't see this for a few weeks, but I would love to know what people who don't know the backstory thinks of the show. Casual theatergoers & not inherently Sondheim fans. There's so much speculation here about this moving to Broadway this season, but if they want any chance of commercial success it will have to transcend the Sondheim diehards (a finite and unsustainable audience base)."

I think the best we can hope for, as far as a transfer goes, is something akin to Days of Wine and Roses. A strictly limited engagement to boost awards eligibility and future life of the show, but not necessarily a commercial run. The audience for this is limited, and will absolutely not appeal to the masses.

ColorTheHours048 said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I don't see this for a few weeks, but I would love to know what people who don't know the backstory thinks of the show. Casual theatergoers & not inherently Sondheim fans. There's so much speculation here about this moving to Broadway this season, but if they want any chance of commercial success it will have to transcend the Sondheim diehards (a finite and unsustainable audience base)."

I think the best we can hope for, as far as a transfer goes, is something akin to Days of Wine and Roses. A strictly limited engagement to boost awards eligibility and future life of the show, but not necessarily a commercial run. The audience for this is limited, and will absolutely not appeal to the masses."


That's great in theory, but DAYS is a commercial run. Those investors ofc know the risks of Broadway producing, but they are hoping to see a return. As we've discussed on other threads, every flop reflects badly upon the industry and can scare off investors –– especially when being led by a producer who's had a string of flops recently (Kevin McCollum for DAYS, Tom Kirdahy for HERE WE ARE).

dan94 said: "I think money would be better spent, especially for the longevity of the piece, videotaping it at The Shed and doing a commercial release of that. Creating a cast recording is going to be a problem - do you record entire scenes? How do you end the recording? Is it a disc of "Unreleased Sondheim Songs featuring the cast of Here We Are"? Videotaping would solve those questions and ensure people in the future can see the show. I do not think this one will be produced much."

I'm sure it would be a cast recording, same as any, but maybe akin to a Sondheim-Nonesuch type of recording with a good chunk of the book included? The 2011 Follies revival recording comes to mind.

What was the story with "Bounce? Was there talk of a transfer? Did reviews play a role? They will matter a lot with this show. Anyone try to get a non-Sondheim fanatic interested in going? What was the pitch and reaction?

The production is well-suited for the high-tech "Shed" and there is nothing set to play there until Branagh's Lear next fall. I have to imagine that the intention is to extend the run there instead of an expensive Broadway transfer.

As for the show, the first act is terrific. The second is also there. That makes it just like every Sondheim show! (kidding, but am I really?)

Updated On: 9/29/23 at 01:06 PM

Such an emotional evening – it was like walking into the home of a friend who had passed and finding things they were in the middle of. It was impossible to be objective. I wanted to hear an old friend, and he was there in full force and at his comedic best. Sondheim and Ives are genius together in Act One. It felt fresh, new and smart. The show is staged and designed brilliantly. Act Two for me was more about his absence than what came next. The symbolism of the piano seizing and not being able to be played was just too much. The idea of this being a piece he did not finish or was not able to find a way to finish was more out front than the character’s plight for me. Because you can never separate the show from the composer’s death the creatives might want to lean into the idea more. Sondheim elevates Ives in the first act - it’s literally an impossible act to follow on his own. I think this could be an effective 90/100-minute piece if the last 10/15 minutes could encapsulate what is now the 2nd act as brilliantly as each scene is the first Act is presented.

If it transferred, the thrust design of this show would probably be best suited for Lincoln Center.