What up with John Dempsey and Dana Rowe (THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, THE FIX, ZOMBIE PROM)?

[Pgenre]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 3:23pm

Does anyone know what is up with John Dempsey and Dana Rowe?

ZOMBIE PROM, THE FIX, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (and JULIAN KEYES) display the astounding range they are capable of and with the recent re-working of WITCHES in DC it seems they still work together (though Rowe did write the music for a musical based on BONNIE & CLYDE without Dempsey, didn't he?) so I'm curious if anyone has encountered any regional productions/workshops of anything post-01 WITCHES... I think their lack of recognition on these shores is one of the greatest slights of the last decade. They should be working like Kander & Ebb did in the 70s... the talent is certainly there as is the ability. What a waste.

Any other fans? For me, THE FIX is just about as good as musicals get, particularly Mendes' breathtaking original production... I don't think I have ever seen a better directed show than that. And those performances! Too bad the CD only contains about 2/3 of the score and eliminates a lot of the most interesting material ("Let The Games Begin", "Flash! Pop! Sizzle!", "Lion Hunts The Tiger") I'm sure at Cameron's insistence on making the show more palatable to a wider audience. But there is no way in Hell any regional theatres are gonna touch this show... I truly cannot think of a show that tackles more controversial material as head-on and viscerally as THE FIX. Plus, the book is brilliant and hilarious!

If you thought SWEENEY TODD or SPRING AWAKENING or NEXT TO NORMAL were shocking, THE FIX makes them look like parlor games (or parlour songs).

Also, I'm curious what those who have heard them think of the new material written for WITCHES. I think I am the only person who finds "Who's The Man?" to be absolutely perfect and really dislike "The Glory of Me" (probably the only Dempsey/Rowe song I truly dislike in every way), though I've heard the DC production had yet another song for this slot. I don't get to DC very often (and believe me, if anything would get me there it would be WITCHES or Lachiusa's new show GIANT) so I didn't have a chance to see the production but apparently GLORY DAYS was more worthy of the transfer from the Signature that season(and karma reared its ugly head on that decision... on opening/closing night no less).

At least we can content ourselves with the fact the OLC of WITCHES was preserved on video that will probably forever remain in Cameron's vault (with THE FIX too, I'm sure) untouched and unviewed. THAT was a set, a masterful achievement even from Bob Crowley! And that score is about perfection as far as my idea of a good, fun, memorable score is concerned.

THE FIX is just an anamoly. A brilliant anamoly that will forever languish in obscurity but remain cherished by those who can appreciate its vast virtues and its tough subject matter.

"Now, don't... tell... mother."

A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely,
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