What Was The First Broadway Revival?
What Was The First Broadway Revival?
#1What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 6:36pmWhat was the first show to ever be revived? I tried to search all over the internet and I kept coming up with responses for the recent revival of South Pacific.
round2
Featured Actor Joined: 4/11/08
#2re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 6:43pmMy (completely uneducated) guess would be The Red Mill or Floradora.
#2re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 9:42pm
It depends on how you define "revival." In the very early years of the 20th century shows did not stay in New York for multiple years. They would play Broadway for a few months then go off on tour. If a show proved popular it would return to New York a year or two later but that was essentially the same production. Even in the 1940's and 50's tours of hits hsows would make a return engagement to New York. (The recent Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES was actually an extended stay for the 1989 "Marius" tour.)
Then there were limited run revivals of 2-3 weeks each of popular musicals at the City Center.
As for commercial revivals, Victor Herbert's THE RED MILL from 1906 had a hugely successful revival in 1945. THE MERRY WIDOW first seen on Broadway in 1907 was revived in 1921, 1929, 1931, 1942, 1943 and 1944 (as well as many times by the New York City and Metropolitain opera.)
In the 1950s two Rodgers and Hart musicals were revived. PAL JOEY was a big hit, while ON YOUR TOES was a disappointing flop. THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE and Cole Porter's ANYTHING GOES were revived off-Broadway in the early 60's, the latter with a heavily revisd book and score. Also off Broadway from 1954to 1960 was a revival of THREEPENY OPERA, fitrst seen on Broadway for 12 performances in 1933 (with a different translation.)
As for plays, well technically any production of SHakespeare is a revival.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#3re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 9:48pmReally interesting. Thanks for that, frontrow!!!
#4re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 9:56pmIf I'm not mistaken Elaine Stritch was in the 50's revival of Pay Joey.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#5re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 10:57pmThe second time HAMLET To Be or Not To Beed.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#7re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 11:10pm
Stritch was in both revivals...she did Melba (singing "Zip") in PAL JOEY and was cast as Peggy in ON YOUR TOES. For that revival only they interpolated "You Took Advantage of Me" and Stritch brought down the hiouse with her performance. (The OCR of that revival is out on CD.)
ON YOUR TOES 1954
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#8re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 11:14pmMy father had the revival recording of Pal Joey. It has to be around here somewhere.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
#9re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 11:16pm
(The recent Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES was actually an extended stay for the 1989 "Marius" tour.)
Not really.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#10re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/20/09 at 11:40pm
The original stage musical of "The Wizard of Oz" (book & lyrics by L. Frank Baum) ran for nine months on Broadway in 1903, then went out on the road for six months.
It opened again on Broadway in the spring of 1904 and ran for a year and a half this time, before going out on the road again for nearly eight more years.
It was the "Cats" of its day.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#11re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:02amAnd let us not forget those delightful Gilbert & Sullivan operettas! Those were trotted out every 1-2 years.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#12re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:14am
(The recent Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES was actually an extended stay for the 1989 "Marius" tour.)
Not really.
Lizzie, this is what Variety reported in June 2008: "Les Miserbles was a continuatrion of the national tour (Marius company) which recouped in 1989."
Is that not correct?
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#13re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:17am
"If I'm not mistaken Elaine Stritch was in the 50's revival of Pal Joey."
If I'm not mistaken Elaine Stritch was in the original production of Our American Cousin. Matter of fact, she's the one that said "Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
colorandlight2
Understudy Joined: 12/5/08
#14re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:30am
I just want to say how much i enjoy this thread! Full of Broadway talk and free of any snark. This reminds me of the good old days. Sorry, I don't mean to thread-jack--please keep posting this awesome information.
And I LOVE Stritch's performance of "Zip".
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#15re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:17amfrontrowcentre2, I believe that technically the only things that were in common with the Marius tour and the revival were the sets. That technically it was a revival of Les Miserables, not Les Miserables playing a touring stop on Broadway.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#16re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:23am
...and some of the cast members.
The tour CLOSED in St. Louis in July 2006. (I was there the whole weekend.)
By then, some of the tour cast already had been cast for the revival -- but unless you count a company that closed, then reopened on Broadway as the same thing, then no, it was not just another, final (final final, really now!) stop on the tour.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#17re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:26amWeren't the orchestrations different, too?
#18re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:33amYep, they were the originals. *nostalgic sigh* Or at least closer to the originals than whatever they were trying to do in the revival.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#19re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 6:28amThe original production of WEST SIDE STORY opened at the Winter Garden in 1957, played for a year or so and then went out on the road. It returned to the Broadway Theatre in 1960 with the original cast intact. I saw WSS at both theatres and both times Carol Lawrence as Maria was out sick. I don't remember the understudy's name. So I guess that return engagement does not qualify as a revival.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#20re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:24pmI'm not proof positive about this, but in the 1890's there was a very popular musical called A Trip to Chinatown that had a phenominal run for its time. The song "After the Ball" was shoehorned in at some point and, in fact, put Trip/Chinatown on the map. I seem to recollect that it was being revived as late as 1920, but am not sure. Anyone out there like to clarify this?
BroadwayEd
boombaboy
Understudy Joined: 6/19/08
#21re: What Was The First Broadway Revival?
Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:49pmPerhaps it was East Lynne, the perennial stock production favorite of the 19th Century? Premiered at the Winter Garden in 1863 to withering notices but toured for years and years. Revived on Broadway in 1869 and 1926. I wonder if it's still on tour anywhere?
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