What's wrong with the Roundabout?

[Lumen2]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:10am

I have seen four of their productions last season--Hedda Gabler, Distracted, The Philanthropist, and Waiting for Godot--and felt incredibly ambivalent about all of them. I mean, to me they weren't terrible, only because I've had experience with truly horrible theatre, but I wonder why they can never put on a really good show. I normally wouldn't even care as much if they hadn't completely raped "Hedda Gabler", not to mention my favorite actress, Mary-Louise Parker. (I'm still reeling!)

It's just whenever I see a Roundabout production I'm disappointed, and I take it others feeling that way, but for the love of god, why?

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:12am

Well you've certainly missed their respected productions.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:14am

I feel the same way about the majority of Roundabout productions of late, however I thought DISTRACTED and GODOT were two of the strongest shows of the season.

[Lumen2]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:20am

Godot was decent, maybe it's me, but for a play like that to come back to Broadway after fifty years, it needs to shine.

[scott68]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:27am

I can't speak in defense of Roundabout in general, but Waiting for Godot was the one production of the show I've ever enjoyed seeing. I love the show on paper, but have never liked seeing it, and this production completely changed it for me.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 12:51am

I hated GODOT, JOEY, and THE PHILANTHROPIST, admired Langella's performance in SEASONS but was bored to tears, didn't see DISTRACTED, and actually...didn't mind HEDDA. So go figure.

But I have to say that when the Roundabout is on point (which seems to be happening very rarely nowadays) their productions are truly stellar. Here's hoping we see more of that this season.

Updated On: 7/15/09 at 12:51 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 1:01am

I hated Distracted, Gabler, and Pal Joey.

But I think when Roundabout gets it right, they get it right. Granted, the two examples I can think of were both imports: Sunday in the Park, and Cabaret.

I think MTC almost has a worse track record. They should just transfer RUINED to Broadway.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 1:15am

39 Steps, Speech and Debate

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 1:23am

I can understand not liking a season, but can you back up your claim past last season alone (I happen to agree with you, btw?). Many companies simply have a poor season here and there. Roundabout usually has at least one must see a season. Last season appeared to be Godot which of course isn't everyone's taste.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 2:28am

I was hugely underwhelmed by Roundabout's Godot compared to others' reactions, but maybe that is because I had just seen the London production and thought it was so excellent and pretty much a perfect interpretation of the play. With the Roundabout's production, John Goodman, in particular, I thought was horrendous and barely seemed to be making any kind of effort. Lane & Irwin were pretty good, with John Glover being the only really excellent performance.

I used to subscribe to Roundabout but don't anymore. Not really because their seasons have been terrible lately, just that I don't really have time to see all the shows.

I actually sorta liked their Pal Joey, for the record. And I adored their Threepenny Opera.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 2:29am

Godot is never going to appeal to everyone. No matter how wonderful.

They put out a lot of shows. They can't all be winners.

[Plum]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 3:26am

I don't get why they chose The Philanthropist in the first place. It's just not that good a play, and as far as I know the Donmar production a few years back was no critical smash.

[scott68]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 3:53am

This isn't a Godot love/hate thread, so I hate to hijack, but I wish anyone who saw this production would have had SOME working knowledge of the play. I appreciate Scarywarhol's input, and I wish I had been able to see the West End production, but I would hate for word of mouth for the play be tainted by the people who had no previous experience with it or absurdist theater as a whole.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 7:15am

Part of me totally agrees^ but then the other part of me hates the idea that you HAVE to research before going to the theater.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 7:31am

I tend to look at their stuff this way now... If they're just importing someone else's revered production (a la Sunday In The Park With George), I tend to want to see it. If I see the words "Roundabout" and "reworking" ("revisioning", etc.) in the same article about a show, I tend to run the other direction and avoid at all costs.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 9:12am

I thoroughly enjoyed Waiting for Godot. Distracted was ok. I hated The Philanthropist (left at intermission, I just couldn't take it anymore, Hedda Gabler (or Gobbler depending on which actor was talking), A Man for All Seasons (even Langella couldn't save it), and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (the boredom! the boredom!). I'm also one of the few who did not like Sunday in the Park with George. The only thing ThreePenny Opera had going for it was Brian Charles Rooney.

I blame Todd Haimes, the "artistic director."

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 9:29am

Their highs never quite balance out their lows. They would need several stunning productions to make up for THE PHILANTHROPIST, which was one of the worst theatrical experiences in decades of theatre-going. (And I've been a Matthew Broderick fan since first seeing him on stage in TORCH SONG TRILOGY.)

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 9:30am

It's true that Roundabout has been subpar lately, but THE PAJAMA GAME was one of my favorite shows in the past decade, so every once in a while, they get it right!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 9:31am

Roundabout uses the 3-dartboard approach. On one is a list of plays and/or musicals that nobody wants to see. The second contains a list of famous people. The third has a list of the best directors around.

In order to create a season, all they need to do is play darts.


That said, GODOT and SEASONS were the highlight of this season. In recent memory, Roundabout has one or 2 good shows per year.

And I disagree about THREEPENNY, frogs_fan. The only thing it had going for it was Cyndi Lauper.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 10:02am

When they're good, they're really good (GODOT, SUNDAY IN THE PARK, DISTRACTED) but when they're bad, they're extremely dull and almost insufferable (PHILANTHROPIST, HEDDA GABLER, LES LIASONS DANGEREUESES, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.)

[outdamnwench]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 10:46am

"They put out a lot of shows. They can't all be winners."

Not a valid excuse.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 10:59am

This production of GODOT (and I've seen maaaaany of them) was the very first time I was ever totally enthralled with the piece. I admit to falling asleep or having left some productions, be they college, community or even professional but I was totally drawn into this play and it was just like I'd never seen it before. So for that reason I consider it to be one of the great accomplishments overall of the past few seasons of Broadway.

As for THE PHILANTHROPIST...I think The Roundabout owes Reparations to everyone who they made sit through that. When he blew his brains out on stage, I thought "Lucky Fvcker".

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 11:21am

i also think that the Roundabout NAME is more prevalent than on many productions, so we are more aware of WHO is producing the show.

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 11:26am

You know, its the luck of the draw. If someone had the formula for doing all hits, then we would see all hits. But there is no formula, no secret potion, no magic spell, no mathmatical equation. I think EVERY producer sets out to do GREAT THEATRE, and whether it pans out that way, or if audiences/critics like it or now...that remains to be seen. Some people get it right more often than not, some hit only occassionally. So in answer to your question, what is wrong with Roundabout? Nothing.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/15/09 at 11:27am

I do feel as though they think their "name" is more important than the quality of what they put on the stage. MCC is worse than Roundabout by far but they need to be careful because especially with the economy the way it is they're going to start losing subscribers at an alarming rate.