Unchangeable Musicals

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 8:26am

What are some shows that no matter how much you try to reinvent them, you always have to go back to their original productions. I think some of the Makintosh extravaganzas fall into this category, especially CATS and Phantom. I hope Phantom never closes, but can you imagine a Phantom revival? I can't. Same goes with Lion King.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 9:03am

First (and only?) thing that comes to mind is A Chorus Line.

[broadwaytbay]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 9:34am

its kind of a pop culture curse. This idea that there is only ONE WAY to do certain musicals.

If A Chorus Line, Cats, Phantom had not run as long as they had they would not be forever frozen in the pop culture psyche and there would be a freedom to reinvent/reimagine in a revival.

Now Phantom of course is still running, but look at all the hoopla made about the changes being implimented for the tour especially in the UK. I am sure that MacIntosh must be thinking what is going to bring Joe and Mary Middleclass out of their house to see a tour of something they have seen before, could watch on DVD or drive to London to see.... bingo NEW ELEMENTS.
Keep in mind this is not a defence of these designs but a commercially minded Devil's Advocate.

Personally I would love to see a completely rethought ACL or Cats... I love the Oklahoma revival without the Demille Choreography. Now some might say the R&H estate has gone a little crazy crackers these days in light of how people on here seem to feel about Cinderella... but I think they must be thinking "who wants to see the same old R&H show?" hmmmm.... evolve or die.
On the otherhand it seems that something like Pippin has struck a middle ground... respect to the original but add something new too? Seems to be working for them.... the Regent's Park Ragtime on the other hand.... yikes scoop some of that concept off so I can see the show please.

Discuss amongst yourselves... these are just my two cents.



Updated On: 4/23/13 at 09:34 AM

[trentsketch]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 9:49am

I don't think Cinderella was a "who wants to see the same old show?" moment. I think it was a matter of how short the original show actually is compared to modern Broadway ticket prices. Even the Enchanted Edition with the extra songs is shorter than your average two act musical nowadays. Now, whether they went overboard in expanding the story to feel like the right length compared to other Broadway shows is debatable.

[ARTc]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 9:50am

I can't imagine a single show that with a little imagination can't be rethought. Open your minds!

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:07am

I don't think A Chorus Line is THAT unchangeable, it's aesthetic could easily be changed, I just think it shouldn't.

Updated On: 4/23/13 at 10:07 AM

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:09am

I don't know how much you can change with Michael Bennett's works. The rights are really restricted. So, if you want to get technical about it-A Chorus Line and Dreamgirls are by and large unchangeable.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:14am

I think there is a risk fhat a show could become a museum piece if it not refreshed or changed in any way.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:16am

People should treat Into the Woods like this.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:17am

Dreaming, and they should remain like that! Bennett's coreography must not be touched by human hands.

But A Chorus Line apperantly can be changed as there was a recent production in London which I believe changed the time period, costumes and coreography. There is a thread on that production.

[Dave19]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:35am

Miss Saigon.

The revival lost all it's charm.

[broadwaytbay]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:38am

I don't know how it takes away from an original production when someone revives it and has a new take... of course there will be comparisons but I don't think it should never be done differently because some former God of theatre touched it. New Gods are born daily... and I am sure at one time Gower Champion and Michael Bennett et al. were those young upstart directors...

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:46am

I agree about the new gods, but I think in order to achieve what the formers did, they need to create new work, not just reivent the former gods masterpieces.

[jesseryan98]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:50am

Rent would be a hard one to reinvent, imagine the amount of angry RENTheads if they brought the show back in 10 or so years and it wasn't done as well as the original run.

[broadwaytbay]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:10am

I think what is interesting is the amount of personal feelings tied to some of these productions and the idea that new productions of classic or "classic" works somehow diminishes the original.

And it is true new Gods need new shows... however we aren't often embracing, warm or welcoming to new works...

[bdn223]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:23am

Once immediatly comes to mind because in my opinion it only works because the cast plays their own instruments. Its book is too paper thin to be done in anyother way.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:40am

"But A Chorus Line apperantly can be changed as there was a recent production in London which I believe changed the time period, costumes and coreography. There is a thread on that production."

I think you're thinking about a regional production in Pennsylvania, with Jessica Goldyn as Cassie again. By pretty much all accounts, it wasn't very good.

I don't think ACL needs to be the the museum piece the revival was, but I also don't think it can be changed much. It's too much of its time. I don't see how it can be updated.

Fulton's A Chorus Line

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:44am

Broadwaytbay, again I agree with you, I personally favor revivals over new works simply because I don't like the way they're creating shows nowadays, the only recent shows I really like are Rent, Aida, Hairspray, Wicked and Legally Blonde.

Ghost, that's the production I was referring to, I have no idea as to why I thought it was in London.

Updated On: 4/23/13 at 11:44 AM

[broadwaytbay]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:45am

So the question becomes
A) is the concept limiting or so focused so that it can only be played/performed and directed one way
B) or is a sacred cow that cannot be touched for fear of bringing down the wrath of critics and online forums

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:52am

Or, C) The original production was so brilliant and beloved that people don't want to see it done differently.

I would be beyond disappointed if I'd gone to see a production of A Chorus Line and they didn't had the gold costumes in the finale.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 11:56am

"She Loves Me!" is that rara avis - a perfect show.

There is not a time period that needs to be rethought or a song interpolated or even dropped. There is no concept needed. It is all on the page. All you have to do is direct it and play it.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 12:00pm

I think the choice with any revival is between telling the story/presenting the material in the way that respects the integrity of the writing; or trying to reinvent the piece.

Sometimes, directors go a bit crazy with the latter approach (remember that Ring cycle, in which Brunhilde was a Red Cross nurse?). But there are always people who love it, over-the-top or not; there are some who think that no show should be done the same way twice.

For me, I'm OK, as long as the story still makes sense, and the words and music are respected.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 12:23pm

The point is not that they are unchangeable.

The point is that musical theater has always been a collaborative medium, and if a show is memorable enough to be revived, it was usually not only the book/music/lyrics that were memorable but also the staging/choreography/design.

If so, the challenge becomes: How do you do something that is as-good-as let alone better-than?

The Lincoln Center Carousel and Anything Goes revivals jump out as living up to (or surpassing) the originals. Way too many come to mind as being disappointing, whether they adhered to the original (Chorus Line) or "reimagined" it (West Side).

But most of the time, the revival productions fail to deliver the spark that made the original worth reviving in the first place.

[John Adams]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 1:58pm

>> "The Lincoln Center Carousel and Anything Goes revivals jump out as living up to (or surpassing) the originals."

Is there an "original" version of Anything Goes? Has any version of both the book and score been revived without restructuring?

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 6:20pm

Rent would be a hard one to reinvent, imagine the amount of angry RENTheads if they brought the show back in 10 or so years and it wasn't done as well as the original run.

I totally agree. Imagine if one day we get something called ReNt Remixed, that would be WEIRD!