This production is fabulous and the performances are not to be missed. I much preferred this staging to the Mendes (and Marshall) revivals, but to each their own.
From what I've heard, this is still moving forward next spring with Buckley/Redmayne, but obviously there is plenty of time for that plan to fall to pieces. Having said that, if I have to hold tight to my memories of the London mounting, so be it. It was a magical night at the theatre!
If this indeed transfers and they go to the Hudson, will they have enough time to renovate the theatre after Salesman closes in January and open in the spring?
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
I don't understand why directors seems to be in a race for who can make the most edgy and bleak production of Cabaret. It's all about contrast. A journey. If we're at the end from the first note, why spend another 2 and a half hours with these characters?
"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir
Considering theater is cheaper to produce over there, this seems like it would be a very costly production to mount - similarly to the recent Company revival ( I can't imagine that was cheap). So I can see there being hesitation.
Sally Durant Plummer said: "I don't understand why directors seems to be in a race for who can make the most edgy and bleak production of Cabaret. It's all about contrast. A journey. If we're at the end from the first note, why spend another 2 and a half hours with these characters?"
I fondly call this the Anne Hathaway as Fantine Method.
This is not coming in this season nor will it come it at the Hudson. The producers are eyeing a Shubert house that they'd renovate for the 23-24 season.
Curious as to which Shubert theatre will accommodate the sets.
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
Dylan Smith4 said: "Curious as to which Shubert theatre will accommodate the sets."
There are no sets to speak of. It is reconfiguring the theater to expand the Kit Kat club to two sided which they did by pudding an audience and balcony on the stage and then putting the stage in the middle which had a hydraulic trap door and turn table.
It's a lot like Pierre, Natasha… If you put a two level audience upstage.
I haven't seen the production, but all this talk of re-configuring the theatre has me thinking:
How essential is the staging to the production, really? Is it just the increased intimacy? Is it the novelty of seeing the theatre transformed? Or is there more to it than that? I just have to wonder - if the direction and performances are strong enough - do they absolutely need to gut the theatre?
It would be a shame to throw away a shot at a transfer just because they can't fully replicate the staging. But if the staging has a stronger effect than I'm giving it credit for, then fair enough - like I said, I haven't seen it.
Although, from my point of view: I have to assume that no matter how it's staged, I probably won't be able to afford the good seats. And if that's the case, then I ESPECIALLY don't want them to be overly pick about how they configure it.
JBroadway said: "I haven't seen the production, but all this talk of re-configuring the theatre has me thinking:
How essential is the staging to the production, really? Is it just the increased intimacy? Is it the novelty of seeing the theatre transformed? Or is there more to it than that? I just have to wonder - if the direction and performances are strong enough - do they absolutely need to gut the theatre?
It would be a shame to throw away a shot at a transfer just because they can't fully replicate the staging. But if the staging has a stronger effect than I'm giving it credit for, then fair enough - like I said, I haven't seen it.
Although, from my point of view: I have to assume that no matter how it's staged, I probably won't be able to afford the good seats. And if that's the case, then I ESPECIALLY don't want them to be overly pick about how they configure it."
The staging absolutely elevates it. I was particularly surprised by how the book scenes seemed so present and stark. If it's not done in the round. it will essentially have to be a new production, so crucial it is to the way things play out.
I think the auditorium has to come somewhat close to the London one absolutely. Having all of the other bar spaces matters far less.
So how long is A Strange Loop gonna be at the Lyceum? Will it move theatres or just close completely?
Also, if Cabaret does indeed go to the Lyceum, can they PLEASE OH PLEASE put better/comfortable seats in there?
Lastly, I will be putting a dent in my savings just to get a ticket, but it will be worth seeing Eddie and Jessie on Broadway!
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
I didn't get a chance to catch Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley in the London production (maybe I'll have a chance here in the States), but I really hope we can bring Fra Fee/Amy Lennox over at some point. I've seen Fra three times (and Amy only once; she was out the other two times), and he is positively chilling as the Emcee. I also like Amy Lennox's take on Sally, although, again, I don't know how Jessie Buckley compared.
Dylan Smith4 said: "So how long is A Strange Loop gonna be at the Lyceum? Will it move theatres or just close completely?"
I can say with complete confidence that STRANGE LOOP will not move theatres –– while also having no inside knowledge of their plans. There is nothing about those grosses that would indicate surviving a move, and you don't get much smaller than the Lyceum. And if CABARET is coming in the spring, ASL could still last til December/January; I don't think anyone has expected it would last longer than that.
"Also, if Cabaret does indeed go to the Lyceum, can they PLEASE OH PLEASE put better/comfortable seats in there?"
Absolutely not. I'm sure the Lyceum is on Shubert's longlist of houses to renovate, so there's no logical reason to replace the seats now when they might do even more significant renovations in a few years. And changing legroom and/or seat width is extremely challenging without a more substantial reno.
akhoya87 said: "I didn't get a chance to catch Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley in the London production (maybe I'll have a chance here in the States), but I really hope we can bring Fra Fee/Amy Lennox over at some point. I've seen Fra three times (and Amy only once; she was out the other two times), and he is positively chilling as the Emcee. I also like Amy Lennox's take on Sally, although, again, I don't know how Jessie Buckley compared."
I managed to listen to a bootleg audio with Jessie as Sally. I compared it to Amy's Olivier performance, Jessie was WAY BETTER! Granted, I haven't seen the show, YET, but cannot wait for it to come to NYC soon!
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
I asked my agent friend and he said Cabaret is going to a Shubert house and not the Hudson. As for timing, he was not sure but said ASL may be vacating sooner than we thought. So we shall see?
"Anything you do, let it it come from you--then it will be new."
Sunday in the Park with George
Wasn’t sure where else to ask this. Does anyone have a recommendation of where to sit for the west end production? I was obviously thinking the tables but the prices are insane. Like almost $600 for two tickets for the cheapest table.