Are they doing the staging the last tour used? I'm kind of at the point where I think if you're not going to use the Michael Bennett staging, there's no point in doing the show.
Also, Listen should be removed and the original music for the Deena /Effie reunion should be reinstated.
They're using the last tour's logo and including "Listen" in the list of hit songs from the show so I'm guessing it'll be a non-equity staging of the last tour.
Basically, Effie says "I want to talk to the great Miss Jones." Then Deena says that she had wanted to reach Effie (but it's not sung and it's not the words from the original version) which makes Effie turn into a raging bitch to her. Then Deena sings "Listen" where she takes the blame for evertyhing and then Effie joins in and takes the blame for nothing (because I guess it was all about Curtis shifting his affections to Deena and had absolutely nothing to do with Effie's behavior whatsoever) then they both sing, "Sister, please" and start out-melismaing each other and then she encourages Deena to leave Curtis.
Then the song is over and Effie clumsily tells Deena she has a kid and then it starts seguing back into the original version.
So, no, there's no mention there of her mother's funeral.
And remember, it's ALL Deena's fault. Every last bit of it. Updated On: 9/21/11 at 10:01 PM
Why should every production be like Bennet's. That's just unrealistic. Part of the art of theatre is interpretation. I think to expect each production to be like the original is narrow minded.