There were some strong hits at that time. Some have been revived decades later. How did the revivals stand up to the original productions?
I remember how impressed I was with the original staging of Man La Mancha and Kiley's portrayal. Many years later , I saw the revival with Brian Stokes Mitchell. The staging was more elaborate and Stokes sings beautifully, but that revival cannot stand up to the power of the simple staging of the original and the power of Kiley's performance.
That was also the time of the flourishing of Neil Simon's pen. I remember Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple which really set off their strong lineup of well-received comedies. I did not see the revival of Barefoot but I remember being disappointed with the revival of The Odd Couple with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick ( mainly because Matthew was not really a funny Felix). I remember seeing a few other Simon comedies but I recall that the one revival/transfer I enjoyed the most was in London of Prisoner of Second Avenue with that fantastic actor Richard Dreyfuss.
I remember seeing other shows like Mame, The Apple Tree, The Happy Time, Cactus Flower, I Do, I Do, etc...but they are just faint memories now. I don't think there have been any revivals...And does anyone remember when Ingrid Bergman performed on stage in a period play based in the South ( sorry, I can't remember the title now) - I think I was too awestruck ( as I was seated on the front row- not by design - but that was the ticket I got) that I forgot the title. I am also not too sure now, but wasn't the lead actor Arthur Hill?
I was too young to see original stagings of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals - but we have enjoyed revivals and film adaptations in the years that followed. I remember seeing the first revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center ( with Florence Henderson) and then many decades later seeing the recent second revival. The music is beautifully rendered by the live orchestra, but I am biased towards the film adaptation. I never saw Oklahoma! on stage until I had a chance to see it in London in the Jackman RNT version. King and I - I saw a revival in London with Elaine Paige but it lacked the charisma of the Yul Brynner performance ( I only saw his film portrayal, not the Broadway staging).
Les Miserables was from the 80's - I caught the tail-end of the first year of the original Broadway staging ( although Colm had already left, but I did catch Tony-winning Michael Maguire's Enjolras) and it triggered such an emotional reaction. Even the rotating stage was part of the show's stars... I had seen several other stagings in various venues ( including London and Paris) of the original production...Years later -- Mackintosh kept streamlining the original staging -- that when I saw the last revision, I was left dry-eyed. Was it too much familiarity with the show ...or has the film adaptation brought a new insight into the musicalization of Hugo's monumental work and which has left me much more impressed with that form of storytelling ?
I don't think this is a mere exercise in nostalgia, because some of these shows have enjoyed successful revivals. That is especially true for some straight plays. And quite a few had seen very successful film transfers ( Virginia Woolf, Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, etc).
Updated On: 5/15/16 at 08:03 PM
