'Therapy' from Tick..Tick..Boom!

[Bal]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 1:38am

To anyone who is a fan of the show, or simply knows bits and pieces about it...

How was this number staged in the New York production, and what was the gist of the dialogue leading up to it? I'm hopefully going to be performing this with my duet partner at competition this year and would love some ideas/background on it..

Similarly, how would YOU stage it, if you were the director?

Any assistance on this would be greatly appreciated. Merci beacoup!

(Emcee? Art thou there? )

Updated On: 9/14/05 at 01:38 AM

[Becky]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 8:15am

The dialogue leading up to it was Jon and Susan arguing about going to each other's apartment - they wanted to see each other but neither really wanted to make the trip...then the dialogue drifted into vague comments about their relationship which led into the song.

The number was staged with both of them starting out in chairs on opposite ends of the stage facing the audience (but not *too* far apart.) Throughout the song they would pick up and move the chairs closer together and slam them down, pick them up again and move apart again (kind of venting frustration). They were supposed to still be on the phone and in their seperate locations, and their characters never interacted as if in the same room. Wow that sounds confusing, so I'm not sure I helped any. It's early....

[Emilia]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 9:19am

I saw the London production reccently (FANTASTIC in case anyone is interested) and the staging was pretty much the same except they didn't ever move futhur apart again just gradually closer. The ended up shouting the last line of the song face to face then sitting in the chairs arms and legs crossed staring straight ahead

Hope that helps

EDIT the specifics of the dialogue are that susan lives far away (two subways and a bus) and Jon doesnt really want to go that far, he wants to work, (she says you've been working on the musical for five years are you really going to write the great american musical in the next five hours) then he thinks 'well she has got cable' it is as it says in the cd book a fight about nothing and everything

Updated On: 9/14/05 at 09:19 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 9:47am

ha, I'm flattered that you ask, but you know I've never seen the show live, right?

Anyway, you've got your answers, and I'm no director, so I don't know how I'd do it differently, but I would simply like to express my love for Therapy. whee.

[peach]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:19pm

I saw it in Boston. The staging was pretty much everything everyone else said - my recommendation would be if you do this to keep it as simple as it was in the show - which lets the song really shine on its own. That's what made it so funny. And the facial expressions are key in this number.

By the way, they are actually on the phone the whole time having this little fight.

And Emcee - I thought for sure you had seen this show live!!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:21pm

psh, no. And I kick myself at least once daily for that.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:22pm

This is the one song in that show (which I greatly enjoy) that I really don't like.

[peach]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:22pm

If you can catch it, even if not a professional run, see it! The staging for Sunday is just brilliant (if you're a Sunday in the Park with George fan like me. Nice little nod to the orginal, but of course just funnier.

:)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:28pm

Next time there's one somewhere near where I live, I'm going to try as hard as I can to catch it. Not that I haven't seen a staging of the show, but the operative word being live.

[Bal]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:44pm

Thank you SO much, you guys. You've been a great help. I had assumed they were in the same place...you know, the "It's too late to screw!" line and all, but this makes good sense.

Emcee, go see it.

...Or go to see Chitty on a night the car breaks down. Maybe Raul'll sing it for you! o.O

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:46pm

Because I can schedule that. :-P

Maybe if I asked really nicely.... *facepalm*

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 6:04pm

i love therapy.. its one of my favorite songs from ttb, so funny.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:39am

Wait. Okay. I'm a little confused. If this is a phone conversation, what's the point of "it's too late to screw?" You know, if they're not together in person, or something?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:43am

I took it as a continuation of their previous conversation. After their fight, it's too late for Jon to bother traveling uptown for a booty-call, so he's definitely not going to her apartment now, cable or not.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:44am

ha. I figured as much; just a slightly awkward lyric given the context!

Kind of like the whole condom thing. Maybe I just have a problem. *facepalm*

But really, I was listening to it today, and picturing it in my head, and was like "wait a minute...."

Updated On: 9/17/05 at 12:44 AM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:46am

Nah, I put a lot of thought into that one line as well and that's what I came up with.