If you need to use the program to explain the show's meaning to your audience, you haven't done your job in clearly expressing that meaning in the play. I understand a wish to address the concerns brought up in this director's note, but I imagine there's a way to do so without simultaneously casting blame on the show's (still living) authors. There's a difference between saying "viewer discretion advised" and apologizing for the art you made before putti
@Scotty, while I agree with you about Staunton's Rose, I think it's worth noting that those who saw the production in person generally agree that her performance played much better in the theatre. What feels subtle in a 1,000-seat house can read as scenery-chewing on camera. I wish that she had dialed it in for the cameras (as I wish she also did in the NTLive broadcasts of Follies and ...Virginia Woolf?), considering she has done such great film work.
I've always loved how in Fosse's shows, every dancer gets their own bow. It happens in quick succession so it doesn't drag on forever. I think it's a really nice gesture that shows how much he valued each individual in his ensembles. If I remember correctly, they still do this in the current revival of Chicago, and the conductor announces everyone's name as they bow.
SomethingPeculiar said: "Ravenclaw's list is excellent. I'd alsoadd ASSASSINS and maybe CHICAGO to that list, also."
Wonderful additions! I might also add Cabaret, as the one musical that has four different versions of the book that, magically, all seem to work equally well.
I actually think it would work better as a film than it does as a play. I loved the play, but I found the character doubling and frequent changing of location frustrating. The play clearly wanted a larger cast and fully realized locations, which could be easily done on film.
I think something that should be noted as well is that the project of those shows you list, to encourage audiences to see the humanity in Asian peoples, seems to be aimed specifically at white audiences. What is an Asian-American theatregoer to take away from seeing The King and I? If careful thought doesn't go into understanding how all perspectives might perceive the story, then the many Asian characters in The King and I can b
Great to hear these updates! One of the things I love about Bart Sher's work is that somehow, his productions seem to only get better the more they run. Often, several months into a run, you'll see cast members starting to ham it up and sacrifice moments to get cheap laughs, or the excitement early in the run just seems to wear off. In interviews he has said that he tries to create productions that allow the cast to dig deeper rather than grow broader after he leaves and rehearsals st
To echo what others have said, Hairspray was definitely his best choreography.
As for shows he's directed, I think the original Broadway production of Legally Blonde was weighed down by having too much scenically--every location did not need to be so fully realized. The set kind of dwarfed the story. The London production was a more reasonable size (though, still, by no means modest) and allowed room for the characters to breathe. Plus, t
Thanks for the song list! I'm disappointed there aren't more changes, but encouraged by the positive words here.
@Kitsune, I believe "Welcome to Our World" was in the tryout (although I'm remembering it as "This Is Our World," though I could be wrong), and in the place of "Luckiest Girl in the World" was a song called "Hey, Hey, Look At Me Now," which very closely resembled "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
Would anyone mind posting a song list? I'm curious what (if anything) has been added/cut since Chicago. I found much of the show in Chicago incredibly bad, but I genuinely hope it has been improving.
I've always been fascinated by this production. Directors often add framing devices to pieces and no issue is usually brought up if no text is changed, and this didn't change a single word of the script. But this framing device seems like it didn't serve to contextualize but to contradict. Part of the project of the text is to inspire the audience (particularly young girls) that through compassion and optimism, they have the power to change the world around them. What does this pr
I understand the side saying that the word as it is used in the theatre is entirely divorced from its original context. Another example of an acceptable word with problematic origins is the word "hysterical," whose root references female anatomy. Etymologically, the word "hysterical" references an implied instability or craziness perceived to be inherent in women. However, most people who use the word "hysterical" have no idea of its etymological origin, and thus
NOWaWarning said: "Oh, it’s all in good fun. This reminds me of the theatre urban legend of a production of Annie where she wakes back up in the orphanage because it was all a dream."
That's not just an urban legend, that actually happened in the production at Trinity Rep directed by Amanda Dehnert.
I have no problem with directors reexamining material in bold new ways, but in all of van Hove's work I have seen, van Hove seems more interested in
I mean it's an odd choice, but so was a kabuki-jazz infused musical inspired by Rashomon and 9/11. He's never really been known for having conventional ideas...
I saw the production on Broadway and the tour, and what you describe is why I actually liked the staging more on the tour than on Broadway. They had the same effect with the white wall that then lifted to reveal a fully realized house, although it wasn't as huge of a house as you describe. I really appreciated the effect that as Allison delves deeper into her past, the world becomes more and more real, leading up to the moment when she steps into the shoes of her past self. It's just
qolbinau said: ""And then she goes on to do her "when I was younger it was a different world" thing which is not a specific rant against Ms. Ambrose at all, but a general one against the work ethic of performers today."
Is it about the work ethic or just a simple lack of capability? I could be wrong, but I would think back in the day they wouldn't often take risks casting people, such as Lauren Ambrose, who have no experience leading a musi
I sat in Row A of the loge for Oslo, and I had the worst legroom imaginable. I saw My Fair Lady in Row E of the 500 section of the orchestra, and I was perfectly comfortable. I don't know if Row B of the loge is any better than Row A, but based on my experience, I would pick the orchestra seat.
Fascinating the all the names mentioned so far in this thread are female performers. Just wanted to point it out and offer that Richard Chamberlain, at 64, was too old to play Captain Von Trapp opposite 19-year-old Laura Benanti.
The Cher Show Jun 12
2018, 11:50:47 PM
Typing this on the train, will say more once I’m home.
The show was strikingly fun, original, and has the makings of a hit. However, in its current state (at just shy of three hours) it is too long and unfocused to really cohere in a satisfying way. But all the events are in there.
The show has two framing concepts. The first is that they are rehearsing a Cher career retrispective, and Cher is re-experiencing moments of her life as they play out in front of her again. The other
