PAINT YOUR WAGON! Encores!@City Center

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:05am

Lerner & Loew's "Paint Your Wagon" is running through March 22nd & this one shouldn't be missed because it doesn't feel 'creaky' & appears to be much more of a full production than mere 'concert.'

In it's first NYC production since it's original Broadway run which began in 1951 - this is also the first time ENCORES is presenting a Lerner & Loewe show!

With not a script folio to be seen - Justin Guarini in legit voice but fakey rolled 'R's Spanish accent (esp. when paired w/his Irish accented comrade) & Nathaniel Hackmann in the weirdest role of 'vocally featured miner' - deliver the scores strongest melodic convictions. I esp. liked Guarini's "I Talk to the Trees' & 'Another Autumn.' I particularly liked Jenni Barber who brought comic relief to the role of the 2nd Mormon wife who is willing to be sold around a bit. "Trio" brings a nice ironic surprise to the score. Keith Carradine lacks some magic IMO (even with 'Wand'rin' Star') & suffers most from a book that doesn't allow 'the mayor' to carry much heroism other than maybe his ultimate lack of racial prejudice.

The 30 piece orch. is in top form. Closing my eyes for the overture & entr'acte helped me focus on just their sound. I particularly enjoyed the novelty flute birdies, percussion horse clops & banjo stylings along with 27 other pieces.

The 6 Fandango Ladies, a wonderful dream ballet duo during Act II's "Another Autumn" & dancing miners help to bring panache to Denis Jones choreography. Marc Bruni's direction moves things along at a really nice clip causing me to feel that some homework editing really smoothed out & expedited flow. No scene really felt too long or clunky.

The use of the small platforms behind the orch. was neat but underused. Maybe the back 2/3rds of the balcony can't see back there?

Talk of a more romantic/sweeping book for a Seattle theatre engagement gives more hopeful life for this work. One could certainly see things expressed in the area of 'Manifest Destiny' & consideration of town development as opposed to running off to follow just monetary opportunities? Aren't the Valveras's staying? (I guess if there was one thing that the film accomplished more than anything else - it was the reason to not even CONSIDER staying in town after the gold was relinquished what with the infrastructure so clearly shoddy that the whole enterprise washed away down river.)

All in all, this seems to be one of Encores most beautiful fully-realized productions - so I am proud for it's success. There were times when the large orch. appeared to be seated amongst the woods & that is quite the scenic feat. What did you think?


ACT I SELECTIONS:

OVERTURE, I'M ON MY WAY, RUMSON, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? I TALK TO THE TREES, THEY CALL THE WIND MARIA, I STILL SEE ELIZA, HOW CAN I WAIT? TRIO, RUMSON (REPRISE), IN-BETWEEN, WHOOP-TI-AY, CARINO MIO, THERE'S A COACH COMIN' IN, FANDANGO'S DANCE.

ACT II SELECTIONS:

ENTR'ACTE, HAND ME DOWN THAT CAN O' BEANS, CAN-CAN, ANOTHER AUTUMN, MOVIN', ALL FOR HIM, WAND'RIN' STAR, I TALK TO THE TREES (REPRISE), RUMSON (REPRISE), THE STRIKE, WAND'RIN' STAR (REPRISE), FINALE.

























Updated On: 3/20/15 at 12:05 AM

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:09am

In case you haven't seen this gorgeous clip. WOW!

Updated On: 3/18/15 at 12:09 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:11am

So glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm going tomorrow night and can't wait. Have always loved the OBCR, especially Olga San Juan. Whatever happened to her? She reminds me of a Susan Johnson type.

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:17am

Sounds great! Now if only they did The Day Before Spring...

[mamaleh]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:22am

Ditto about Olga San Juan. I'm especially fond of "How Can I Wait" and "What's Goin' On Here." Looking forward to seeing this one. I missed the Musicals Tonight! PYW done a few years ago.

[Tony2600]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 12:55pm

This is what Encores does best. Hearing that score played by 31 musicians and the sensational choral work make for a thrilling evening. The cast is first rate but Alexandra Socha is the heart and soul of this production. Her “How Can I Wait” number ranks right up there with R&H’s “A Wonderful Guy”. IMHO she moves to the head of the line for a Molly Brown revival.

[Luvinbroadway]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 1:16pm

In that clip he sounds (and looks!) gorgeous. Why is he painfully stiff with no expression though? I admit I don't know the show and/or character. A great listen though!

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 1:38pm

Glad the clip of rehearsal was added but hopefully someone will add the compilation promo vid that was filmed during the dress. (I haven't learned how to do that yet.) "Call the Wind Maria", while being one of the scores highlights, is unfortunately presented by a non-character in the story/plot - a glorified miner who seems to appear & disappear from the show after we first encounter him in the number. So, Luvinbroadway, take the number for what it's worth.

[theaterdrew]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 1:57pm

Here is the compilation video. It's too bad this is only a five day production as I would love to see the whole thing.


Paint Your Wagon Highlights Video

[jv92]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 2:13pm

I believe Lerner scholar Dominc McHugh recently finished restoring THE DAY BEFORE SPRING.

In any event, I'm excited to see this on Saturday! The score has always pleased me, for the most part.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 2:56pm

I'm also going on Saturday. I like the lush romantic songs "I Talk to the Trees" and "Carino Mio" but I'm really just looking forward to having a plot/libretto to associate with the music.

[jv92]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 2:58pm

There's one lyric in "I Talk to the Trees" that HAS ALWAYS bugged me!

"...touch someone else's HEART (beat, beat) STRINGS, too." The phrase ends at "heart" so it sounds like nonsense, or that he touches someone else's heart. And strings, too.

I'm a child of the Sondheim generation. What can I say?

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:01pm

Updated On: 3/18/15 at 04:01 PM

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:07pm

Yes, I believe The Day Before Spring received a Mufti or musicals tonight performance, but of course though the Mufti people may love a score, they can't do justice to it like encores can.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:26pm

This looks and sounds wonderful. The OBCR has particularly bad sound, even for its era--so I hope this gets recorded.

I heard they completely cut out the Chinese characters? (Wisely, I'd guess...)

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:38pm

Does anyone know if the original DAY BEFORE SPRING orchestrations are extant? I know the score has been presented a number of times over the past twenty years with piano accompaniment.

I also really hope this gets recorded. It seems like the cast is amazing, and the original cast recording has so much material cut out, in addition to being only in mono (though for the record I don't think the OBC sounds that bad for its time).

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:42pm

I dunno, those pre Stereo OBCRS always sound kinda rough to me--unless they were from Columbia. I mean Columbia's South Pacific was two years before PYW--and sounds infinitely better, IMHO. Actually even King and I, while not as lush as SP and not a Columbia release, sounds better.

[Cesare2]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 4:47pm

The York did "The Day Before Spring" apparently, though, without the complete score.
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/spring-1209.shtml

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:06pm

Anybody see it?

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:14pm

I believe shortly after the York Mufti presentation a great deal of material was uncovered, leading to a more extended/complete presentation at London's Lost Musicals in 2010 (though still with just a piano).

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:24pm

The Mufti production opened in 2007 apparently

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/muftis-day-before-spring-with-watkins-adams-and-bell-begins-york-run-july-2-142511

I disagree about the OBC of paint your wagon having nice sound. I think it sounds horrible, which is why I really want a new recording.

[Cesare2]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:42pm

A live recording a la "Pipe Dream" would be nice. But "Pipe Dream" had R&H funding the recording.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:45pm

I don't say it had particularly "nice" sound, just that it didn't sound that bad. A new complete high fidelity recording is sorely needed though.

And waaaaaait a minute, that article asserts that an american record company was interested in recording DAY BEFORE SPRING??? PS Classics I imagine? Wonder why it never came to fruition. Or else it's still just on the back burner of Mr. Krasker's mind.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 5:55pm

He did sound great in the clip. Maybe he's so expressionless because he is in anguish from the tightness of his t-shirt. Oh, how he suffers for his fans :)

[elmore3003]

Posted: 3/18/15 at 7:42pm

I believe that all that exists for THE DAY BEFORE SPRING is a piano-vocal score and that the orchestrations are lost.