CINDERELLA to close in January- Page 2

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:03pm

^I agree, it wasn't perfect but at least Beane cared about what he was doing, unlike that ONE person I know. CINDERELLA would've been more amazing if Rodgers and Hammerstein brought the show to Broadway instead of doing it for television; can you imagine what Hammerstein himself would've done for the book?

[RW3]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:03pm

Personally, I think the casting of Nene is great. Her and Keke should help Cinderella through the winter months, especially Christmas and in the end close out strongly. However, come on Cameron here is your opportunity to bring Miss Saigon back to Broadway!

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:06pm

Aw, it had a good run. I hope it recouped! Also, I hope down the road, it will get a movie musical adaptation. It would be cool to see a big screen adaptation of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in the 21st century. The last one was, of course, The Sound of Music in 1965. Moreover, Nene is a big draw. No shade to her, but the role of Madame is PERFECT for her! I would love to see her in the role!

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:13pm

I was right. Nene wouldn't be available until November. I'd be interested in seeing her, although I have a love/hate relationship with her.

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:16pm

degrassifan, there is a movie of R&H's Cinderella. Not a favorite of mine, but it exists.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:24pm

The reason people either do or don't think that Beane's book works, is that Beane's essential sentiment of postmodern romance, questioning of standard love tropes and feminist consciousness-raising, goes rather against the sentiments of Rodgers and Hammerstein's oeuvre.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:30pm

^I don't know, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II especially, were anything BUT setimental.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:43pm

bwayto, I meant a theatrical film, not a TV movie like the other three versions with Julie Andrews, Lesley Ann Warren, and Brandy. Also, a film adaptation of this particular version.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:44pm

^If they find a really good screenwriter and find a great cast, then I could see that working.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:59pm

I agree, Musical Master. They need an Ernest Lehman of today to make it work for the big screen, but I hope it truly happens!

[Green_Flash]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 9:57pm

I liked the costumes and set.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 10:18pm

Maybe now it can be NBC's next live musical??

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 10:33pm

"Wow mjohnson2, I can understand people's opinions of certain things but "desecration" is too strong a word, don't you think?"

Strong, perhaps, but entirely apt.

" I thought Douglas Carter Beane's work was a much BETTER revision than the terrible and unspeakable revival of FLOWER DRUM SONG,"


Yes, the Beane travesty was less egregious than the Hwang one. That doesn't make it any good.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 3:04am

That's another option, Mr. Nowack! If it is, then it will have to occur in 2016 since The Music Man is supposed to be next.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 4:37am

To take a show that ranks among shows like MY FAIR LADY in terms of charm and then try to make it witty for a "modern" audience is certainly a desecration. Can you imagine if Douglas Carter Beane took the knife to other shows like THE MUISC MAN or THE SOUND OF MUSIC? CINDERELLA is not an ironic musical, and to take such blissful music and to make it all seem so slight really is a crime against the show, and is doing everybody who sees the show a disservice to not know how delightful the original material is.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 6:48am

I would not compare Oscar Hammerstein's original book to the likes of My Fair Lady. Book wise My Fair Lady is stronger, wittier, and more advance. Oscars original book is somewhat dated,incomplete, And I don't believe would play to an audience in today's standard of a Broadway Musical. Even regional houses have ran into problems when presenting the original teleplay. While never perfect, I think each TV remake that followed improved greatly on the original book. What has made Cinderella so timeless and greatly enjoyable is the score.I don't think we can say the book has been it's stronger component. Cinderella is truly my favorite fairy tale, and not only do I believe Beane served great integrity to the original perrault storytelling, but I also think he created great service to the songs. Making it quite Enchanting.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 6:58am

"To take a show that ranks among shows like MY FAIR LADY in terms of charm and then try to make it witty for a "modern" audience is certainly a desecration. "

Exactly.

Funny, isn't it, how sensitive writers are to the integrity of their own works and how diligently they quash any attempts by others to change them, cf. recent stories about Hands on a Hardbody and Oleanna. Yet, once authors are dead, then it's perfecly fine for esteemed playwrights to wreak all kinds of havoc upon their works.

I wonder how Beane and Hwang would feel if someone came along and altered The Nance and M. Butterfly saying that their changes were for the better.

Updated On: 9/4/14 at 06:58 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 7:36am

" And I don't believe would play to an audience in today's standard of a Broadway Musical."

The original played just fine when presented at the New York City Opera, and would have played far better on Broadway than this travesty.

And just what " standard " are you referring to? Crassness, vulgarity, stupidity? Tuneless music? Yeah, you're right. R & H's Cinderella- the REAL one, the RIGHT one-- has nothing to do with that "standard." Thank heavens!


" While never perfect, I think each TV remake that followed improved greatly on the original book. "

Nonsense. Each successive teleplay was worse than the preceding one. The original was perfection.

" not only do I believe Beane served great integrity to the original perrault storytelling,"

How so?

" but I also think he created great service to the songs."

Ri-di-cu-lous.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 9:13am

It did not recoup, and I doubt it will. Many many slow weeks. Surprised it managed to last this long.

Updated On: 9/4/14 at 09:13 AM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 10:43am

After Eight, as much as you love Hammerstein's original book to CINDERELLA, I must repesctfully disagree with you that it would've worked on Broadway, and here's the reason why.

The original book itself does not represent what Hammerstein believed in as a person who was expiremental and political, I would imagine if he and Rodgers would've written the show for Broadway, it would've been more deeper than the shallow television version that we know now. It was such a shame that after THE KING AND I, Hammerstein's magnificent book writing skills started to wither away during the 50's with the exception of FLOWER DRUM SONG and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (whose book is written by Lindsay and Crouse) which both have political underbelly in them with their own different ways of saying it of course. What Beane attempted was a work that was both politically charged but from what I saw, it was still a great old fashioned fairy-tale romance, so I'll give him a tiny bit of credit for attemting this balance, sure it's not perfect by any means at all, but at least I'll give him a good pat on the back. Unlike Hawng who's FLOWER DRUM SONG book hurt my heart and soul so much that I consider it my most hated unspeakable thing I witnessed (almost on terms with PalJoey's unspeakable hatred for the 2001 revival of FOLLIES).

Now this is important that you know this: I am NOT defending the 2013 version of CINDERELLA, nor am I defending Douglas Carter Beane because I am a fan. I'm just saying this because while yes, revising old works from the masters of theatre will turn heads and stomachs, only because in the end of everyting, the original CINDERELLA was, at least to me, a shallow creation that would've went above and beyond if Hammerstein wrote a different book for Broadway.

But, if you or many fans, still love the original CINDERELLA for what it was and you want to defend it, then I really like you all for doing so; otherwise this conversation would've been dull and boring.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 11:00am

"the original CINDERELLA was, at least to me, a shallow creation"

Pay better attention. It's not in the least bit shallow. Listen to the conversation between Julie Andrews and Edie Adams, for example. It's wise in the extreme. Far wiser than any of the drivel propounded by Beane. If Hammerstein had wanted Cinderella to be a political statement, he would have written it as one.


"that would've went above and beyond if Hammerstein wrote a different book for Broadway. "

You don't know what Hammerstein would have written for Broadway. Nor do I. Nor does anyone else.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 11:21am

"Pay better attention. It's not in the least bit shallow. Listen to the conversation between Julie Andrews and Edie Adams, for example. It's wise in the extreme. Far wiser than any of the drivel propounded by Beane. If Hammerstein had wanted Cinderella to be a political statement, he would have written it as one."

Which he was never given that chance to write it that way because it was a 1950's TELEVISION creation. It still feels shallow compared to the likes of THE KING AND I, SOUTH PACIFIC, and heck, even ALLEGRO.

"You don't know what Hammerstein would have written for Broadway. Nor do I. Nor does anyone else."

That's why I could only IMAGINE it like that.

Updated On: 9/4/14 at 11:21 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 11:41am

Uh, Musical Master,

It's a fairy tale, not a political tract.

And that's why Hammerstein wrote a fairy tale, and not a political tract.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 11:43am

That maybe true but that's not an excuse of not giving us more with the fairy tale than what was given. Look at THE GLASS SLIPPER with Leslie Caron, now that is a far more interesting take of the tale than CINDERELLA is, heck that's what the 2013 version WISHES it was.

But again, I'm glad that you really love the original version, flaws and all.



Updated On: 9/4/14 at 11:43 AM

[darreyl102]

Posted: 9/4/14 at 1:12pm

I will miss the show, but it had a good run.
I loved the production, but found the costumes kinda plain and boring- but that is because I was comparing it to the 19997 TV version in which the costumes were over the top and colorful. I felt that this productions costumes looked great up close, but from a distance, they looked kinda plain because the detail was lost.
I also wondered why most of the women wore the same dresses to both balls. I also felt that Madame and the Step Daughters should not have had repeat costumes, because i feel like they are the kind of characters that would be in a different outfit every time you see them- that and over dressed too. But that's just my opinion.