^Though I'm sure you'll concede that directing essentially a one-set film with 6 characters (which Karam knows better than anyone possibly could) is a world of difference than directing a giant period musical with a cast in the 100's.
Since I'm guilty of using the Emperor's New Clothes metaphor myself in this thread, I should qualify thatit isn't an objective statement of fact about the play, it's simply how the play made me feel-- that to me, there was no there there.
That said, maybe Impossible2 can lay out explicitly the subtle thing that's happening in the final scenes that they so appreciated. It might not make me love the play more, but i
J.K. Simmons would have been my pick over Richard Jenkins. Multiple Oscar nominee (and winner) with a very fervent fan base, whose roots were on a Broadway stage (we saw him in the '92 revival of GUYS AND DOLLS).
Nope, neither I nor any of the friends with whom I saw the OBC. I really wish I could have seen whatever show the Pulitzer committee, Tony committee, et al got to see. Emperor's new clothes indeed.
I thought the first 3/4 of the play was pretty terrific, and was lost by the final 1/4 that strove for metaphysical pith and I thought fell way short. By contrast, I thought Sarah Steele was superb and went a long way toward making an iffy evening much more rewarding.
But isn't this a story that's built around 5 or 6 people stuck in ONE APARTMENT for the duration of the script? Not what I would consider a cinematic property by any stretch.
Heads up, LA theatergoers-- I just saw RAGTIME last night at the Pasadena Playhouse. For a knockout production of this beloved musical, read my review over on the Ragtime thread, or just go straight to the Pasadena Playhouse website and grab seats now. It closes this Sunday the 9th. (And no, I'm in no way connected to the production. Just a huge fan.)
I'm late to the party but finally saw this show last night, and I just have to proclaim to the rafters how amazing I thought the production was! You can read the rest of my review here, or you can immediately go to the Pasadena Playhouse site and grab whatever tickets are left for the rest of this week. (It closes this Sunday March 9.)
First the set: Tom Buderwitz has designed a creative amalgam of Eugene Lee's original and Derek McLane's revival Broadway designs;
Tag, FYI, David Rockwell hasn't been credited with the Oscars set design for a few years now. Derek McLane has been doing the honors for the past several years, loading more and more baroque monstrosities onto the Dolby stage as the years went on.
I for one thought Korins' design was a huge improvement over some of McLane's most bloated looks. I loved the undulating waves of red roses wrapped in gold banding. I loved the abstract clouds of swarovski crystals. I lo
Your tidbit regarding Sondheim's view of his composer-collaborators is great to read. (Your imagined dialogue with him vis a vis setting Dorthy Parker verse is less so, but who am I to judge?)
Any other tidbits you can share from the man himself in his letters to you?
I'm here with a completely counter opinion to most of what I've read on this thread.
Saw the original company in '96, liked but didn't love, have waited 23 years to see a staging that matched what for me is a better album of songs than a real show. Last night I got that staging and my God, I thought it was magnificent!
The design scheme was thrilling from the get-go, the mix of street scapes and interiors and band placement and abstract scaffolding and audie
^ My feeling exactly. I have vivid memories of sitting in the orchestra watching the original Bway production and wanting to climb under my seat at the riotous laughter that greeted every homophobic line and lyric spouted onstage. I found it insulting and grotesque back in 1998. I expect it would come off even more so in 2019.
Why is no-one considering a revival of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE in the list of possible revivals? To my knowledge, it's never had a full commercial mounting in NY since the premiere in '64. The misanthropy at its core would seem very suited to our current age, no?
We were Mezz Row D far house left-- none of the staging is obstructed although we couldn't see the window wall at all. The real issue is those mezzanine seats are hopeless when it comes to knee room, and I'm only 5'-5"! My husband had it really bad at 5'-10". Be forewarned!
The Ferryman has about an hour and a half of great theater sandwiched within a 3-hour play. If that math works for you, go book your seats-- the acting and staging is admirable. For us frankly, that left a long Act I and much of Act III that we couldn't wait to be done with.
Dame asked: was your screening at the DGA a union screening?
Yep, it was, full of union members with many many children in tow (makes sense for a Disney movie smack in the middle of the Thanksgiving weekend). No question, I adored seeing Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury onscreen too, all trotted out in quintessentially Dick- and Angela-appropriate roles with shtick that was a callback to their classic Disney movie musicals of the past. Each was onscreen for the le
