What are Your Definitive Productions? — Page 2

"Not necessarily. Certain directors/performers can make you look at a piece in a way you never have before."

Thanks for that post. I couldn't agree more. Original productions may have the advantage of fresh material but may benefit from being rescaled, reconceived or just be ahead of their time. Obviously it depends greatly on the quality of the piece as a whole as to whether there is the substance to flesh out new (or existing) elements, alter the focus of the direction or in some cases even revise the book. 

Thanks for some very interesting posts. And loving the love for Lansbury...

Updated On: 8/23/16 at 09:19 AM

Bartlett Sher's KING AND I, SOUTH PACIFIC, and GOLDEN BOY

I don't know about definitive production, but Tracy Letts was the definitive George for me in VIRGINIA WOOLF

 

I don't know about definitive production, but Tracy Letts was the definitive George for me in VIRGINIA WOOLF

 I could not agree more. I think the production was probably the one that made Martha least monotonous. Uta Hagen was good, and Elizabeth Taylor certainly got the screaming down, but Amy Morton gave her some colors. But Letts was astounding. I would even go so far as to call that production definitive. 

 

For me, it's the original GREY GARDENS, which was a perfect evening of musical theatre, exquisitely directed and designed (By far, Michael Grief's finest work.) and with unsurpassable leading actresses (Wilson, and especially Ebersole). It's a wonderful piece of writing, and I'm glad it's being done a lot and that new performers are getting a chance to explore the parts, but I don't think I'll ever be able to shake my memories of that original production. 

 

The 2016 revival of She Loves Me, the 2015 revival of Spring Awakening and the 2010 revival of La Cage Aux Folles (with Harvey Fierstein and Chris Sieber, although Douglas Hodge and Kelsey Grammer were wonderful in their respective roles too).