The Frogs

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/2/04 at 7:22pm

I assume from the full page ad in todays NY Times, Sondheim's "The Frogs" will be a little bit more than it was when first staged by the swimming pool. I have no idea how much music there was the first time around but guess he will have to have written more songs for it. I do not think Stroman did it the first time either. Is it limited or open ended ?

Updated On: 5/2/04 at 07:22 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/2/04 at 7:57pm

Sondheim's written at least six new songs for it and this looks to be a main contender for the 2005 Best Musical race (there won't be any Assassins-like arguments as to whether this is a revival or a new work -- the original was only 40 minutes long). The original was staged at Yale by Burt Shevelove (Stroman would have been about 19 at the time).
The Frogs

[wally]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 10:52am

Limited until Oct 10.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 11:02am

I sincerely hope it has a much revised book and score. Otherwise, I don't see how it could be a main contender for Best Musical before the season (or the show) has even started. The name Sondheim is not always synonymous with Tony (remember Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park With George, Candide, Merrily We Roll Along, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies and Pacific Overtures?)

Counting chickens perhaps?

[DisneyMC]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 11:21am

The name Sondheim is not always synonymous with Tony (remember Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park With George, Candide, Merrily We Roll Along, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies and Pacific Overtures?)


I remember Into The Woods and Follies won the Tony for Best Music in which case Sondheim's name would in fact be "synonymous" with Tony
www.toxicaudio.com

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 11:28am

um candide???

right

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 11:30am

i mean I remember Candide...but Sondheim doesn't because he didn't write it!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 11:55am

I always think Sondheim with Candide because he wrote some of the lyrics, as with Gypsy, fo which he also didn't win, but I was referring specifically to the Best Musical category as stated in the original post of this topic.

And yes, Sondheim won score Tonys for Follies and Into the Woods, but he has not won for every show he has written. So how is his name synonymous with Tony?

Updated On: 5/3/04 at 11:55 AM

[DisneyMC]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 1:22pm

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Is anyone's?
www.toxicaudio.com

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 1:26pm

YOU are the one that used the phrase "synonymous with Tony," not anyone else. Nor did anyone but YOU say anything about him winning for every show that he has written. And NOWHERE did I claim that this show would WIN next year.

Let's take another look at what I actually said, shall we?:

"this looks to be a main contender for the 2005 Best Musical race"

I used the word "CONTENDER" which is true, nearly every show Sondheim has written has been IN CONTENTION for the Tony -- West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum, Company, Follies, Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music, Side By Side By Sondheim, Sweeney Todd, Sunday In The Park with George, Into The Woods, and Passion were all nominated for Best Musical (and Assassins will be nominated for best revival next week). They were all NOMINATED -- in this context, that's what "CONTEND" means. If you are having trouble with the meaning of the word "CONTENDER," perhaps you should try a dictionary.

And I stand by my statement: a new musical by Stephen Sondheim, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, and starring Nathan Lane (lets add up all of the Tony nominations and wins just from those three, not even counting the award-winning design team)would look the have a very good chance of getting one of four Best Musical slots in 2005.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 1:27pm

Give it to 'em good, Mattie, give it to 'em good!



Larry Blyden was in the original production of The Frogs at Yale.
The show has some wonderful music in it. As far as the new songs go, I hope Sondheim is up to recapturing the flavor of his great middle period (Company through Sweeney Todd).

[Plum]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 2:56pm

Oh, great. Now I have What's the Use of Wondrin' stuck in my head.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 3:08pm

YOU are correct. I used the phrase "synonymous with Tony".
DisneyMC said Sondheim was, in fact "synonymous with Tony". And NOWHERE did I state that you said it would WIN. My post was not a personal attack on YOU. In the light of all the "Who will win Best Musical" posts that pop up before three of the shows this season even open, a Tony prediction post regarding next season seemed a bit ridiculous to ME.

Everyone thought Bounce would be a CONTENDER as well. I have no difficulty with the definition of CONTENDER. If YOU prefer to be literal, every musical next season that opens will be a CONTENDER for Tony nomination and those CONTENDERS will then CONTEND for the actual award. I just thought that saying it will be the MAIN CONTENDER was jumping (more like pole-vaulting) the gun. Unless you have some inside track to access of the new score or script, then it sounds an awful lot like the usual blanket statement heard so often that anything Sondheim should be placed on the golden pedestal for all to worship.

Sondheim has written flops, Stroman has directed and choreographed flops, and Nathan Lane has performed in flops. If you're fond of counting Tony nominations and wins, then you're talking about nearly everyone in the business from Bock to Fosse to Lloyd Webber to Hal Prince. There is no sure-fire magical combination that will lead anything to a shoo-in nomination. I'm not wishing anything bad on the show, but judging what I've heard and read, I know that it has a long way to go. I hope they are successful.

But I'm glad you jumped all over me with capital letters and the patronizing tone. It gave me the spurt of energy I needed this afternoon.