In anticipation of the new revival coming next spring, did anyone see the production with Boyd Gaines back in the early 90s?
That is one of few cast recordings I bought without having seen the show, and I can honestly say I love it. Why I bought it I can't remember. But glad I did.
I fully intend to make a trip to NY next spring to catch the revival.
I've listened to the score a couple of times and I like it a lot. I'm excited to see the show live to get a better sense of it as a whole (rather than just the score).
I love that show. In fact my avatar is me playing the store owner (Marachek) in a production of it. When our theatre did it, the time period was changed to early 1900's with very Belle Epoque sets and wonderful costumes. It worked perfectly. But oddly I think the main reason for the change was that we had recently done a plethora of musicals set in the 20s and 30s. I think the song Ice Cream is one of the most delightful songs in musical theatre -- particularly when sung by the amazing Barbara Cook.
The 1993 Broadway revival was top-drawer all around. Boyd Gaines made an ideal Georg and deservedly won his second Tony, but the rest of the sparkling cast warrants mention, as well. Judy Kuhn (and later Diane Sutherland, who replaced her and recorded the cast album when Kuhn left to do SUNSET BLVD), Sally Mayes, Howard McGillin, Jonathan Freeman, Lee Wilkof and Louis Zorich couldn't have been better. I was lucky to be able to see the production four times during its yearlong run.
I'm very much looking forward to next year's revival.
I was too young to have seen the 1993 revival but I saw a regional production in the mid-90s. It was one of the first musicals I had seen performed....if I recall, I had seen Hello Dolly along with Me & My Girl and then She Loves Me was the third.
Even at a young age, I felt such a charming joy from the musical and the score stayed with me even if I didn't fully understand most of it (I was 7, I believe when I saw it).
As I got older, I was surprised at how little known the musical was. Sure, it had a lot of respect within the theatre industry but a lot of people never really knew it existed and in terms of Bock/Harnick musicals, it was overshadowed by Fiddler.
I would agree with Henrik that it is probably the closest I have come to finding "the perfect musical".
I have seen two other productions of it since and all of them have been wonderful and by the end, it has me in joyous tears.
The score is truly wonderful and everything is woven together with such ease.
The fact that it is getting revived is something I have been longing for for the past few years, plus it will give more people a chance to see the show. When I was standing in the rush line at Something Rotten a few weeks ago, I was talking to a few people close to my age and younger...the topic came up about shows that were coming in and I said I was extremely excited for the revival of She Loves Me: none of them had heard of the show.
I think many people will be in for a treat if they give the show a chance.
I never get tired of singing She Loves Me's praises.
It has everything. A lovable cast of characters. Two leads (the quintessentially likable leading man opposite one of the greatest soprano roles ever created) that one can easily fall in love with and can't wait for them to do the same to each other (although, ironically, they already have but don't know it).
It has real and intelligent romance. In most shows, we are asked to take it on face value that the leads are in love. OK. They just are; accept it. Not here. There's no question of who exactly these people are and why they are meant for each other. There's nothing shallow or perfunctory about their attachment.
A superb score that ranges from rapturous ballads to charm songs that are actually charming to comic gold. A subplot with as engaging a supporting heroine as one could possibly hope for. Uproariously funny scenes. When done right, it has the best first and final curtains ever.
If you like musicals with heart and wit and love a great show tune, how can you not love She Loves Me?
I enjoyed the 1993 revival very much but the best She Loves Me I've seen was the all-star-but-still-perfectly-cast Roundabout 2011 concert.
An irreproachable breakthrough performance from Josh Radnor (luckily, next season's Broadway Georg), Kelli O'Hara (bringing her all to Amalia in her best performance ever), Victor Garber (adorable and refined as Marachek), Gavin Creel (a debonair and sly Kodaly), Michael McGrath (a grounded and delightful Sipos), Rory O'Malley (there could be no better Laszlo, and his "Try Me," the second act opener, made one's heart soar).
As if that weren't enough, Jane Krakowski's Ilona was everything one could have asked from her and more.
But there was more: Peter Bartlett's Head Waiter! One of those rare single scene performances that is so utterly delicious as to be (if eligible) worthy of a Tony (think Katie Finneran's Marge MacDougall).
It was clear from start to finish that everyone on that stage was having the time of their lives.
I feel so lucky to have been there. It was as close to seeing God as one could get watching a musical. It reinforced my unmitigated conclusion that - in the right hands - there is no more enjoyable, no more emotionally intoxicating show than She Loves Me.
I saw the '93 revival and own the recording. Top drawer production all the way...and Howard McGillin & Boyd Gaines in the same show? Amazing! Glad it's circling it's way back to the Great White Way.
I also saw a performance at Town Hall with Madelyn Kahn, Barry Bostwick and Rita Moreno in the late 80s. It was terrific, although I have always hated Madelyn Kahn's singing voice (I thought it was screechy and you never knew where it was going next). Barry's Bostwick was a perfect George.
It is absolutely one of my favorite shows from over 50 (ugh) years of theatre going. The score is perfection and the production at the original Roundabout was as close to magic as is possible. We were in the first row and, during 'She Loves Me', Boyd Gaines seemed like he was floating on air in describing his bliss.
There was also a TV show somewhere in the 80s that was also wonderful, despite serious cuts to fit into a 90 minute time slot. I have tried to find it to purchase it, but no luck.
Georg Nowack: Robin Ellis Amalia Balash: Gemma Craven Ladislov Sipos: Peter Sallis Steven Kodaly: David Kernan Ilona Ritter: Diane Langton Mr. Maraczek: Derek Smith Arpad Laszlo: Nigel Rathbone
Saw the original production with Barbara Cook and Daniel Massey 'way back when. Caught the revival with Boyd Gaines and Judy Kuhn about four or five times.
Is it true that Laura Benanti has been announced to play Amalia this time around?
My parents saw the London revival with Ruthie Henshall and couldn't stop raving about it. I adore this show and I'm really looking forward to this production.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
I don't remember the PBS Great Performances at all...thank you so much for sharing. I can't say I know anyone in the cast but it's still fun. And then to have Barbara Cook being interviewed is just fabulous.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for both versions...