Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
#1Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:30pm
It just seems odd that a property with so much name recognition and that's geared to a family audience would have only had one major revival. I know there was first class, AEA tour directed by Jack O'Brien but why haven't there been moves to mount a Broadway production?
It just seems like it could be a cash cow if producers were to play their cards right.
Is there more to the story? Has the R&H Organization held on tightly to the rights out of fear of a flop?
#2Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:42pm
Too funny... I posed this same question over a year ago...
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1123509#5246363
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#3Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:45pm
Probably because EVERY high school and community theatre does it, so tourists would have no reason to pay Broadway prices (unless they could get Taylor Swift (or Lizzo?) as Maria.
I believe the Broadway revival with Rebecca Luker (then Laura Benanti) did not recoup.
#4Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:45pm
Too funny... I posed this same question over a year ago...
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1123509#5246363
LMAO How funny is that? I agree with the first response that Bartlett Sher should take it up. The piece has a cinematic quality to it that would play out well on the stage of the Beaumont. Hopefully he'd do it with that dream team, design team he always pulls together.
#5Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:46pm
Okay, put your thinking caps on. I'm sure you can figure out the reason.
#6Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:49pm
It could be the next “Hugh Jackman in The Music Man” and “Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly!” revival we get. Who would be the ideal star for it, though?
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JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#7Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:51pm
Also, in present day America --- half of the country would be rooting for the Nazis!
#8Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:52pm
The stage version suffers in comparison to the film, IMO. It might be fairly difficult to find a director willing to take this on because, for some scenes, there's just not much you can do with it. The title song on stage is very static. You just have Maria standing and singing (maybe walking around a bit) in front of a backdrop of hills. Compare that to the breathtaking views of Julie Andrews on location at Mount Untersberg. "My Favorite Things" is also much better placed in the film. I could see someone like Sher looking at it and thinking there's not much he could do with it. O'Brien's production was fairly banal, like his Carousel.
I know the London revivals have incorporated changes to make it closer to the movie, so maybe that could be done here. I'd like to see something new done with it, like the recent Oklahoma! A local community theatre, years ago, did a very pared down production with projections and only a guitar as accompaniment. It was intimate and interesting.
#9Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:56pm
JSquared2 said: "Probably because EVERY high school and community theatre does it, so tourists would have no reason to pay Broadway prices (unless they could get Taylor Swift (or Lizzo?) as Maria.
I believe the Broadway revival with Rebecca Luker (then Laura Benanti) did not recoup.
"
Ironically enough to this comment, Taylor Swift was in Sound of Music in middle school. My mother knew the theater teacher who directed that production. So it would (bizarrely) not be unprecedented for Taylor.
#10Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 1:02pm
I believe there was hope the Jack O'Brien tour of Sound of Music would find its way to Broadway and Jack hinted in an interview that there may be more to come but I think those plans have since fizzled. I enjoyed the production but I know a few here did not.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#11Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 1:04pm
Ironically enough to this comment, Taylor Swift was in Sound of Music in middle school. My mother knew the theater teacher who directed that production. So it would (bizarrely) not be unprecedented for Taylor.
#12Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 1:37pm
It’s the same reason we hadn’t had a Funny Girl revival and why even Hugh Jackman didn’t get the raves he wanted. The originals can’t be duplicated or improved upon. SOM is synonymous with Julie Andrews. She was perfection, and yes, the movie is better than the stage show. Sometimes we need to just leave the good ones alone.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#13Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 2:29pm
MikeInTheDistrict said: "The stage version suffers in comparison to the film, IMO. It might be fairly difficult to find a director willing to take this on because, for some scenes, there's just not much you can do with it. The title song on stage is very static. You just have Maria standing and singing (maybe walking around a bit) in front of a backdrop of hills. Compare that to the breathtaking views of Julie Andrews on location at Mount Untersberg. "My Favorite Things" is also much better placed in the film. I could see someone like Sher looking at it and thinking there's not much he could do with it. O'Brien's production was fairly banal, like his Carousel.
I know the London revivals have incorporated changes to make it closer to the movie, so maybe that could be done here. I'd like to see something new done with it, like the recent Oklahoma! A local community theatre, years ago, did a very pared down production with projections and only a guitar as accompaniment. It was intimate and interesting."
In the original production, Mary Martin was lowered from above on the limb of a tree. It was far from static.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#14Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 3:02pm
As I recall, the 1998 revival wasn't the hit it was expected to be, and the movie version is much-beloved and much better than the stage version. The filming of the movie on location makes presenting those same scenes on stage pale in comparison. Even the wedding scene during the revival wasn't as grand as that same scene in the cathedral in the movie (even though in reality, Maria and the Captain were married in a country church). I think this is one of those rare occasions where the movie is so much better than the stage version that presenting the show in a Broadway revival is a huge and almost impossible undertaiking.
ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure
Featured Actor Joined: 2/13/22
#15Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 3:36pm
The simplest answer is the movie casts quite a shadow
nativenewyorker2
Featured Actor Joined: 8/30/18
#16Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 3:37pm
You can see it at papermill next season since you miss it so much
#17Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 3:38pm
jagman1062 said: "As I recall, the 1998 revival wasn't the hit it was expected to be, and the movie version is much-beloved and much better than the stage version. The filming of the movie on location makes presenting those same scenes on stage pale in comparison. Even the wedding scene during the revival wasn't as grand as that same scene in the cathedral in the movie (even though in reality, Maria and the Captain were married in a country church). I think this is one of those rare occasions where the movie is so much better than the stage version that presenting the show in a Broadway revival is a huge and almost impossible undertaiking."
Agree 100%.
Plus, unlike London (where the West End production ran longer than the Broadway production, and a revival came as early as the 1980's), New York was about to go through quite a sea change as to what constituted a popular show. It's hard to imagine SoM doing well in 1970's or 1980's. Maybe more likely now, but the show pales in comparison to the film. Just not the same demand as there is for revivals of the other big R&H shows.
Having said that, I'm a fan, and it would be good to see a revival that tried to be smaller and more intimate and played the show on its own terms rather than attempting to shove a Todd-AO roadshow film into a stage space.
Georgeanddot2
Featured Actor Joined: 2/20/20
#18Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 4:11pm
Because it's a dull musical made for Christians in middle America.
Updated On: 7/18/22 at 04:11 PM#19Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 4:58pm
Georgeanddot2 said: "Because it's a dull musical made for Christians in middle America."
Yeah, no non-Christian ever cared for The Sound of Music. I guess you think Fiddler only appeals to people who are Jewish.
#20Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 5:13pm
Call_me_jorge said: "It could be the next “Hugh Jackman in The Music Man” and “Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly!” revival we get. Who would be the ideal star for it, though?"
Really, the list of actresses to play Maria and make this a 'must see' revival is endless...
Faye Dunaway
Patti Lupone
Sally Struthers
Bette Midler
Jennifer Hudson
Liza
Beanie
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#21Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 5:32pm
We seem to be forgetting that there was a well-received production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Debbie Boone at Lincoln Center.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#22Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 6:14pm
Dollypop said: "We seem to be forgetting that there was a well-received production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Debbie Boone at Lincoln Center."
I remember - she filled in last minute when Loretta Swit dropped out because of tonsilitis, and Boone was a hit.
I also remember a tour which played my city with Marie Osmond, if I'm not mistaken.
nativenewyorker2
Featured Actor Joined: 8/30/18
#23Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 6:38pm
And don’t forget about Carrie underwood’s wonderful acting in the sound of music liv
#24Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 6:48pm
David10086 said: "Dollypop said: "We seem to be forgetting that there was a well-received production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Debbie Boone at Lincoln Center."
I remember - she filled in last minute when Loretta Swit dropped out because of tonsilitis, and Boone was a hit.
I also remember a tour which played my city with Marie Osmond, if I'm not mistaken."
Geez with this place.
And yes, Marie Osmond led a touring production directed by James Hammerstein.
Theatrefanboy1
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
#25Why Have We Only Had One Broadway Revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
Posted: 7/18/22 at 7:26pm
I would love to see a revival direct by Sher. Laura Osnes as Maria. Cheyenne Jackson as Von Trapp. Audra McDonald as Mother Superior. Lea so Logan as baroness. Norm Lewis as max.
a full lush set and orchestrations. Would all be sublime
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