US Regional Premiere of Sondheim's ROAD SHOW at Stages in Houston, TX

[DEClarke]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 10:59am

The US Regional premiere opened at Stages Repertory Theater in Houston, TX on May 22, 2013, directed by Kenn McLaughlin. The cast featured Tom Frey and L. Jay Meyer playing brothers Wilson and Addison Mizner respectively, Susan Shofner as Mama, Jimmy Phillips as Papa, and Michael McClure as Hollis. Cameron Bautsch, Bridget Bierne, Hunter Frederick, Sarah Myers, Amanda Parker, Amanda Passanante, Tom Prior and Brandon Whitley round out the cast.

I was really excited and thrilled to see this, but I really feel very let down by John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim in the long run...

BWW Reviews: Stages' ROAD SHOW is Unfulfilling Despite Impressive Performances Updated On: 5/26/13 at 10:59 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 11:32am

I hate this show. There, I said it.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 12:48pm

Sometimes working on a show for a decade produces something like The Music Man, and sometimes working on a show for a decade produces something like this.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 12:55pm

I think it's a great score.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 1:13pm

I'll take something like this over Music Man any day.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 6:48am

My wife liked it a lot. I found I couldn't emotionally connect to any of the characters. We had an interesting conversation on the car ride home. But in all honesty, the writing was abysmal! The cast I saw did an excellent job with what they had, but...

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 7:50am

while nay-sayers say that this is SONDHEIM light, there are a few musical moments that i absolutely love...
"Addison's Trip"
"That Was A Year"
"You"
"The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" ...with the latter being the first openly gay song i think SONDHEIM has ever written...a lush love song for two men...

sometime so-called lesser SONDHEIM is better than anything else currently popular on Broadway...IMHO

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 12:25pm

It's nice to see the names of old friends of mine listed in this post. Congrats to them!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 2:55pm

I like "Talent," but other than that, I agree. I found it emotionally distancing. I just didn't feel or care for any of the characters. The Public staging was interesting, but with all the browns and stuff, it was just so uninteresting.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:00pm

The show seemed to be under the impression that it had something Important to say about The American Dream, but it never did get around to actually saying it...

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:05pm

Without even comparing the score to other Sondheim masterpieces, it's a dreadful bore.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:44pm

I already owned (and moderately liked) the BOUNCE cd when we saw the Doyle-directed ROAD SHOW. Halfway through the show, I actually thought they would succeed in pulling off a fine show out of the ruins of Bounce, but alas it was not to be in the end. What a shock to see characters we were supposed to take seriously crawling around on the floor snorting coke and making as much sense as people in the throes of a coke high ever do.

I still love the "Addison's Trip" sequence (as well as the cut song, "A Little House for Mama"), but as a whole the show was a poor excuse for a history lesson and a really poor excuse for a love story.

Speaking of which, I trust broadwaywannabe is aware that his esteemed gay love song "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" was originally written for a man and woman in the earlier incarnations.

Updated On: 5/28/13 at 03:44 PM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 6:12pm

Someone in a Tree2..yes i was aware of it but i am going by the cd and that vesion is wonderfully sung by two men so that's the version i take as SONDHEIM'S final choice on how to sing it...but thanks for reminding me

[4thRowAsile]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 10:11am

So last night (5/30), this happened, as reported by a cast member:
During ROAD SHOW at Stages Repertory Theatre, four angry patrons left the theatre during our beautiful little play because two men fall in love. Now, the cast often enters from the house, and as they left, they happened to pass one of the gentlemen in question who plays Hollis Bessamer (the fantastic Michael Prescott McClure). After making a disparaging comment to his face (and right before his entrance! Is there no end to it?!), they told house management, again within earshot of the cast, that Mr. Sondheim and Mr. Weidman's play "should have a disclaimer on it because there are relationships that people might find inappropriate." They went on to say that they had seen many shows at the theatre, and they were "very disappointed".
Road Show at Stages Theatre

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 10:39am

Well, they "warn" about nudity and stage haze, how about something like "Good news! Gay homosexual relationships are about to be crammed down your throat, and pulled out, and crammed down again! You know you want it!"

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 12:01pm

>> "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" ...with the latter being the first openly gay song i think SONDHEIM has ever written...a lush love song for two men...

I saw Bounce, but haven't seen Roadshow so I can only assume that the book might be improved. I'd seen every show Sondheim wrote, and had never felt anything negative other than just the mildest disappointment with Merrily... - until this show.

I couldn't believe my bad luck at finally seeing a Sondheim show at its birth, and being so uninterested in a book with so many melodies that sounded recycled. To me, there was so much narrative to be told that there was no room left to explore the emotional details I enjoy in Sondheim's music.

Having a song like The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened trapped in this show feels really sad to me. I feel like a really important part of Sondheim history is buried in this particular show.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 5/31/13 at 12:27pm

Well, they "warn" about nudity and stage haze, how about something like "Good news! Gay homosexual relationships are about to be crammed down your throat, and pulled out, and crammed down again! You know you want it!"


Thanks Namo. Your post made my day.