Seesaw

[bingbong]

lol, fair play

[cristinamarie]

Hey everyone...just wanted to let you know auditions are coming up for a production of SEESAW in Manhattan. Below is all the info.

The Group Theatre Too, LLC will be holding auditions for the musical SEESAW, music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, book by Michael Bennett, to be performed at the Connelly Theater for a limited run from March 9th – 15th, 2008. Rehearsals February 11th – March 8th, 2008. Director/Choreographer, Michael Blevins; Musical Director, Christine Riley; Executive Producer, Justin Boccitto. Currently seeking strong actor/singers, proficient in tap and theatre dance to play the following roles: JERRY RYAN, 30s, a slightly square and not quite single lawyer from the mid-west. Bari-Tenor; GITTEL MOSCA, mid 20s – 30s, a kooky would be dancer from the Bronx . Alto. DAVID, mid 20s -30s, a choreographer on the way to the top, song and dance man, tap required, Bari-Tenor; SOPHIE, Gittel’s friend & contemporary, Alto-Mezzo. JULIO GONZALES, a youthful New York street performer, Spanish song & dance man with thick accent, Tenor. SPARKLE, a singing drag-queen club performer, male singing role, Tenor. CITIZENS OF NEW YORK, all types and ethnicities. Strong dancer/singers, tap & theatre dance required. Equity showcase pending approval. Equity & Non-Equity performers. All ethnicities. NO PAY. Auditions will be held on Monday, January 28th at the 48th Street Studios, 353 W. 48th Street . Men & Women 9am – 1pm. Come prepared to dance (tap & jazz) and also prepare 32 bars of your best up-tempo. Bring headshot/resume.
Official Production Website

[Timmer]

Bumping this thread for a terrific and underappreciated show.

[JohnBoy2]

Next to My Fair Lady, Seesaw was the greatest show I ever saw (and I've seen a lot of them). I couldn't get enough of the show, and saw it many, many times. The greatest dancing I've ever seen.

[allofmylife]

I worked on the tour when it came through Canada. Gavin was okay, but I had seen Ken Howard. No comparison. Lucy Arnez was great. The show had a reduced pit orchestra from the Broadway version (I always walk up to the pit and count chairs).

Michelle Lee's songs are used all the time at auditions. A better song to use if "I'm All I've Got" from "Bravo Giovanni" when she was just 18. What a great belt song.

[JohnBoy2]

Lucie was fine, but she lacked Michele Lee's dancing abilities. Her feet barely moved. She was very entertaining in the role, though.

[justinboccitto]

Thought you would all enjoy the review for the recent revival of SEESAW at the Connelly Theater. The production was produced by The Group Theatre Too, LLC. Visit http://www.stagebuzz.com or the link below.
Seesaw Review

[bk]

"I <3 Seesaw. Anyone heard the two cut songs on Lost in Boston?"

I have :)

[philcrosby]

I saw a later tour with John Raitt and Liz Torres ... she was terrific. The changes made for the tour (eliminating SPANGLISH and RIDE OUT THE STORM and closing Act One with THE PARTY'S ON ME) were a vast improvement!

Torres was terrific. Raitt less so.

[sondheimboy2]

Actually, "It's Not Where You Start" was a song for a musical about FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt that Cy and Dorothy had worked on earlier.

It was to be sung by Eleanor and, I'm not sure, Harold L. Ickles or some famous friend of FDR's, to FDR to cheer him up after he's been struck down by polio and encourage him to get out of bed and go out and get re-elected.

One other thing that Michael Bennett brought to "Seesaw" was Anita Morris. (She's one of the hookers that you see in the pictures from the show.) Bennett saw her around the theater because she was dating the choreographer that Bennett was replacing, Grover Dale, and cast her in the show. Which led to her working with Tommy Tune, which led to her being in "Nine" and being one of the replacements for Miss Mona in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".

I actually recently won a copy of the "Seesaw" song book on Ebay and in one of the pictures it looks like Michael Bennett is playing one of the guys mugging Ken Howard. (He's the one with the gun in the picture.) Did he do that often, or was it a one time gig, like when Mayor Lindsay sang "My City"?

[fterranella2]

I saw the original production of Seesaw in 1973 and fell in love with it. I saw it twice -- once with Michelle Lee and once with her understudy, Judy Kaye. I actually liked Judy's performance more. She nailed the insecurity of Gittel in a way that Michelle Lee could not. I was listening to the cast recording (on vinyl) yesterday and was again struck by how underrated Cy Coleman is as a Broadway composer. And Dorothy Fields' lyrics are just perfect. I think she could relate to Gittel in a fundamental way. I dug out my copy of the script of Seesaw and was surprised at how funny the show is. I didn't remember it being so jokey. That may have been Neil Simon's contribution. But reading the end of Act One brought tears to my eyes just as it did on stage all those years ago. Finally, I have to say that I'm Way Ahead is one of the best theatre songs of all time. What a way to close a show! I think that only Rose's Turn can top it.

[allofmylife]

I agree "I'm Way Ahead" is a superb number.

There are several in this show.

ometimes a short run is better - obviously not for the producers or backers - because the show is very fragile and wouldn't last through the rigors of an extended run. "Seesaw" is that type of precious little jewel box. I'm glad I saw it on Broadway and worked the tour but it was so utterly 'of the minute' that it was born in (well, actually in Seesaw's case it was a long, troubled birth) that it lived, shone for those astute or lucky enough to see it and then died a strange, tragic and yet strangely fitting death.

Killed by the IRS.

There's one for the books.

[explorer]

I thought Patti Karr was Michele Lee's understudy on Broadway & not Judy Kaye. Anyway, Michele Lee gave one of the best musical comedy performances I have ever seen. Saw the show 16 times & how she lost the Tony till this day I wil never know.

[Amalia Balash]

I saw a production of this in San Francisco and loved it enough to search out the OBCR. It's one of those shows where I didn't like the original source material very much, but enjoyed the musical a lot.

[myshikobit]

im really interested in it now =). sounds good.

[je veux te voir2]

u know i really like seesaw too! I think it hasn't been revived simply because producers are waiting for the right time and also they might be afraid of the fact u can hear like...a definite 70's influence in the music a lot of the time. Not as strong/bad as "Turkey Lurkey" form Promises, Promises. lol. But really I think it'll be revived eventually...its probably just being avoided right now and its probably seen as somewhat a challenge to work with. :)

[Mosca]

You are correct, Explorer! Patti Karr was Michele Lee's understudy & not Judy Kaye. Michele was perfect for the role & as for Patti...not so perfect.

Maybe you don't find it as dated as Promises Promises but I don't think it's as strong, or revivable a score for a few reasons. One being that basically oen saved the show (and don't get me wrong I *love* the score) was Michael Bennett completely restaging it out of town--it was nearly all about the staging (more so than Promises, which had great choreography of course)

"I didn't remember it being so jokey. That may have been Neil Simon's contribution."

I thougth so too, but have since read insisting that Neil came in to look at the script and made edits but added virtually no lines... This definetly is an example of a musical that was completely saved (and completely changed) out of town. It's my second fave Coleman show after Sweet Charity, flaws and all, and I always see it as sorta a sister musical--one spearheaded by Fosse one by Bennett, both about New York, contemporary, with very fluid dance based stagings and great Coleman/Fields score (with one song of course coming from Charity).