SHE LOVES ME closes this afternoon - Three Photo Love Letters

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 4:33am

The glorious Roundabout revival of my number one most favorite perfect little musical closes today, I thought it would be fun to look back through gorgeous pictures at the various production of this gorgeous show.

Original Broadway Production - 1963 (Friedman-Abeles)











































 

First Roundabout Revival - 1993 (Martha Swope)



























Second Roundabout Revival - 2016 (Joan Marcus)





















Such. Damn. Perfection.

Updated On: 7/10/16 at 04:33 AM

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 4:42am

I have only watched the livestream of the current Roundabout revival, and listened to all 3 (Broadway) cast recordings via Youtube (and some clips from the 1993 revival when it was staged at Criterion Center Stage Right, before transferring to the Brooks Atkinson) , but I have to say that the 1993 revival set design seems so, so underwhelming, muted and cheap looking in comparison to the colorful palette of the 2016 and the original production (the original production, in particular, looks so lavish). 

I read somewhere that the 1993 revival used a very reduced orchestra (only 8 players, and much of the music synthesized) so perhaps they didn't have a very big budget and this extended to the set design as well. Which is sad because the cast in the 1993 revival is really stunning, with Boyd Gaines being my favorite Georg out of the 3 productions.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:21am

Thank you for posting such memorable photos of all three productions. It certainly takes me down memory lane... all had such talented casts.

But I agree, the 1993 revival was very minimalist in both set design and music...and so it does not measure up to the other two (in spite of some amazing performances) in my personal estimation. And I'll always be sad that I saw it after Judy left.

 

[dissimilate]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:34am

These are great photos, Mr. Nowack, thanks for digging them up and sharing them here. It’s really interesting to see how the three productions have staged the same scenes – some very different choices, indeed, but then some the same! The 1963 production’s sets are so incredibly lush: is that an actual full Christmas tree in the window?!

Regarding the reduced orchestra and set of the 1993 revival, Roundabout’s upstage guide mentioned that She Loves Me was a huge gamble for them that season. At that time, they were still a tiny, not very prominent non-profit, certainly not as prolific and well-funded as they are now. She Loves Me was the first of their new Great American Musical series. Given those constraints, they still did a wonderful job (as we all know), and the attention and acclaim they got from that production kickstarted the Roundabout that we know today. For those who saw the show then, does this match up?

Updated On: 7/10/16 at 09:34 AM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:43am

This revival was far superior to the first one in every way .It is a shame it could not transfer. Glad we saw it when we did with the entire cast intact.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:47am

I have to wonder if not for HOLIDAY INN coming in right away, if Roundabout would have tried to extend this through the end of summer. Even if they had to replace a lead or two. Such a beautiful show, thank goodness for the Live stream a few weeks ago.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:58am

I saw it again last night and I'm very sad to see this show go.  It was absolutely stunning.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:11am

Hard to believe the original flopped with the cast it had.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:18am

Thank you for the lovely photos! I have seen the revival three times now, and I am going to the closing show today!

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:53am

Please let us know how the closing performance goes! I will miss and cherish this production so much!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 11:02am

I share in the love of this show. I've always liked it very much but something about this particular production made me LOVE it! Now I can't get enough of it and it's wonderful score. This was a top notch production all-the-way and I was happy that we all were treated to a good old fashioned traditional book musical that didn't require all the bells and whistles just a wonderful story, with wonderful characters singing wonderful songs.

This show wears it's heart on it's sleeve,,,,and I am sad to see it go...thank the Theater Gods it was preserved for future generations.

Thank you everyone involved in this wonderful production and last but not least Messrs. Masteroff, Harnick and Bock and to Miklos Laszlo for providing the inspiration!

Updated On: 7/10/16 at 11:02 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 11:16am

Here is the BBC Television version broadcast on PBS' Great Performances in 1978:

There's some slight VHS buzzing noise, but this is the whole thing, with audio that's in sync. Bonus interview after the end with Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Barbara Cook (original broadway cast Amalia).

Cast:

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

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 11:26am

Rita Moreno (Ilona) and Gary Miller (Stephen) - 1964 Original London Cast

 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 2:41pm

That is in fact an entire Christmas tree that they moved into the window for the final scene! In addition to being gorgeously lush the OBC set was actually technically innovative with a sophisticated three piece revolving unit for the Parfumerie and magnet controlled seasonal elements (leaves, icicles etc.). It also took painstaking manoeuvring to store and move the lush elements in the apparently very small backstage of the Eugene O'Neill.

I agree that the 1993 production looks a little drab, but with performances by performers like Kuhn, Gaines, and McGillin I can see why it was such a success. Though it will always be one of the most lamentable misfortunes in Broadway history that Kuhn's Amalia wasn't recorded.

I'm so glad I got to see the 2016 revival, it is an experience that will be hard to top. And it was my first on Broadway!

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:08pm

Although I was familiar with the musical, the first time I actually heard it was on the cast recording from 1993.

And I fell in love with it.

I was totally excited to see it revived this year and it was one of the reasons I made the trek to NYC this past spring.

I've never heard the original cast recording but comparing the latter two, I think they both have their strong points.  I lean toward the 1993 version as I loved Boyd Gaines and Brad Kane, especially.  I like them a bit better than the cast members playing those roles in the current cast (which doesn't mean the current cast wasn't great too…just a preference).  

I also thought the ladies in the 1993 recording were equally as strong as the current cast.

As for the orchestration in the current show….I love it.  

But the 1993 sounds great too!  Especially considering someone here said it was a smaller orchestra?  Didn't sound like it.  I loved the 1993 orchestration….in fact, so much so I was afraid I might unfairly compare this version to that version.

All that being said, I slightly prefer the 1993 version on the recording, but since the current version is the one I actually saw, it will always hold a special place for me.

Such a great show!  No matter how you slice it.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:25pm

Was anybody at today's final show? Would love to read a report.

[afterthesun]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:27pm

I was unfamiliar with the show before its current revival, and I am so glad it was revived so that I could fall in love with it. What a true delight of a show. I'll miss it! Thank you for sharing the photos from past productions, Mr. Nowack! It's fun to see the different sets, costumes, etc.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:49pm

I too would love to hear any reports from the last show!

[supersam1026]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:59pm

I was there this afternoon, and to the surprise of no one, it was just such a lovely afternoon! The cast was on fire, and the crowd was incredibly well behaved, just a little extra applause, but nothing too distracting.

The cast kept it together until the end. Once it was just Laura and Zac on stage, he began to cry throughout the whole final scene which caused Laura to also tear up a bit. Nothing too distracting, but it was interesting to see how composed everyone was until that final scene.

Most were in tears throughout the curtain call which featured speeches by Scott Ellis, Sheldon Harnick, and Joe Masteroff. They all seemed so grateful for this production, as I'm sure many of us here were.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:02pm

Jane didn't do her split last night.  Did she get injured?

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:05pm

She didn't do her split when I saw it last Saturday either. And there was some kind of issue with her shoe where she had to take it off midsong.

That sounds like a wonderful closing performance, fittingly without too much commotion : )

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:10pm

Jjhbb340 posted this wonderful report at All That Chat:

''Just got in from the last performance of my favorite show of the season. It was a terrible week in the news,but all was right with the world at Studio 54-Jane did her split (every little thing she does is magic,but this even more so), Zachary did his cartwheel, Laura sang like an angel and broke your heart at the end of the first act, Gavin was still able to seduce anything that moved and the rest of the whole wonderful cast gave career best performances. Poor Zachary seemed about to lose it in the last scene,but I was the same way. We'll never see a performance of this masterpiece done so well in our lifetimes. Scott Ellis and Warren Carlyle gave beautiful heartfelt speeches at the curtain call and welcomed two of the geniuses who created it-Joe Masteroff and Sheldon Harnick. Mr Harnick said he's seen three bway productions of the show,including the original, but felt this was the BEST. The audience screamed their agreement! Just plain wonderful. And the cherry on the cake was being able to buy the cd at the souvenir stand-won't have to wait three more weeks for the release.''

 

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:24pm

I was there this afternoon. Jane did her split without any problems. The cast, as others have said were on fire, as was the audience. Everyone got enthusiastic entrance applause and great audience response throughout.

Zachary not only cried through the end of his last scene, but through the extended curtain call as well. The Entire cast cried, but most stopped when the speeches began. Zachary continued crying til he left the stage at the end. It was very moving.

[rwlevin]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:30pm

I saw the 1993 production during holiday break on the night I was supposed to see the Red Shoes. I was only 12 years old and fell in love with it. It didn't that the cast had the singing voice of Aladdin and the voice of Jafar, not to mention Pete, the friendly Greek diner owner in The Muppets Take Manhattan. The following week, when talking about what people did during the holiday, I said I saw "She Loves Me" and people started teasing me saying "you make it too easy, rwlevin." Homophobia to 12-year olds is fun! Seventh graders are major jerks, aren't they?

Anyway, as soon as I heard She Loves Me was being revived, I had to see it. I saw both the second preview and the second to last show. The one thing I really like more in the 1993 production was Jonathan Freeman's portrayal of the headwaiter. I just liked how he acted completely stoic and above it all and wasn't as much a caricature as Peter Bartlett.

She Loves Me is a show about falling in love. When I watch it, when I watch the actor that plays Georg sing the main song, be it Boyd Gaines or Zachary Levi or whoever will pick up the mantle next, the emotion is palpable, and I feel all that giddiness that you have when you're just beginning to fall in love with someone and realize that person is falling for you too. And I take that feeling with me when I leave the theatre. I felt it when I was 12 and I feel it now.

In other news, I wonder if Gavin Creel has shaved the mustache yet.

[afterthesun]

Posted: 7/10/16 at 11:19pm

Regarding the mustache, this collection of photos Nicholas Barasch posted at the after party today suggests that yes, Gavin's already shaved it! https://www.instagram.com/p/BHs0j9_Bupl/?taken-by=nick_barasch

I would've loved to be at the final performance today. About three weeks ago, I decided to splurge on a good seat to see the show a final time — I tried to get a ticket for this afternoon, but based on availability, I chose this past Friday night. This show really was such a treat. I finally watched the live stream all the way through this evening (I had been wanting to "save" it). As I said earlier in the thread, I'll really miss this show! I look forward to watching the stream again when it's back on the BroadwayHD later this year. At least I have the cast recording to tide me over!