What musicals still need to be revived through ENCORES? — Page 2

A.J. said: "WigWerk said: "A.J. said: "WigWerk said: "I am shocked that ENCORES has not revived the following shows:

City of Angels

Woman of the Year

BABY

Meet Me in St. Louis

The Will Rogers Follies

Barnum

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Blood Brothers



There are so many more, but all of these shows are either Tony Award winners or nominees, and they are all relatively old. If not the main season of ENCORES, maybe some of these would be good for the summer season? Thoughts? Add more shows!”

City of Angels is desperate for a revival. That being said, to really“sell” the B&W/Colourconcept of the show, you need a strong physical production (lighting, sets, costumes). I wonder if some of the impact would be lost with a paired down Encores run?










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I understand what you mean, but ENCORES have done gala presentations of Brigadoon, Sunday in the Park..., as well as other shows that rely on production elements like Merrily We Roll Along and Finian's Rainbow, which ended up transferring! I think they could come up with some creative ways to do the show even on a budget. I mean their EVITA production looked absolutely stunning and elaborate. Plus, ENCORES original intention for producing shows was about showcasing the score. And that City of Angels score is such a gem."

You’re 100% right. SITPWG is a perfect example of a successful design-reliant Encores production.

I think best case scenario would be a successful Encores run that leads to a fully-realized revival run.

It’s a shame the Donmar production was scheduled for March 2020."

I completely agree with you. To be frank, I'm a smidge annoyed with how ENCORES have really made huge productions out of some of their presentations. When it started in 1994, the actors were all wearing black and there was barely any scenery or playing spaces. I am grateful for the productions that have come out of ENCORES, but if we look at it closely, a big reason why that revival of CHICAGO was as successful as it is, was that it let the score and book be front and center rather than relying on spectacle. As an absolute lover of theatre, I think the revival of CHICAGO is kickass, sexy, and magical. But because that show was translated to the film, many people who only know CHICAGO from the 2002 movie come to the Broadway show and expect the same level of production. It's still amazing CHICAGO, but it is truly the ENCORES production of CHICAGO. The stylization of Fosse and his principles are what make that revival what it is. To be fair, not all shows work like that. But as a theatre goer, would I love see more scaled-back productions that use simple methods of storytelling. I'm sure many people will read this and say, "ENCORES is already scaled back. Shut the f*** up.", and in many ways, I COMPLETE AGREE WITH YOU. I guess there is just something special about the 90s. I always seem to go back to it. But come on now, am I wrong? The 90's were magical for musical theatre.

Rumpelstiltskin said: "A new production of Raisin. Best Musical winner with no revivals IIRC. I loved the original production; a showcase for African American actors, with several meaty roles, a solid book, and memorable songs. Hard to understand why it was forgotten so soon after the original run. Textbook definition of Encores eligibility."

I came here to say this, but I'm happier to find another admirer of this show!! I unfortunately didn't see the original (or any production), but I love the cast recording enough I'd empty my bank account to see this revived.

Leslie Odom was on TV talking about always wanting to do Purlie. Encores has gotten away from using stars which has made ticket sales dip but perhaps Odom would consider an Encores version.

Steel Pier although I'm not sure Encores is the best venue for that. I would actually like to see a new full scale production of that show but with an entirely new book written from scratch.