70, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below

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WhizzerMarvin
#170, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 7:45am

I had the IMMENSE pleasure of seeing 70, Girls, 70 at 54 Below last night and I have to tell you that I'm truly baffled as to why this show didn't have a long original run. Yes the book is a little weird; I completely disagree with any argument that the book songs don't mesh well with the show biz numbers- I mean this like a sister show to Follies and they did the same thing there. Of course, 70, Girls, 70 is a lot sillier than Follies, but the score is rich and wonderful. It surely must be an impossibility for anyone to walk out of the theater and not be singing Boom Ditty Boom! 

The great Ernestine Jackson was one of many who brought it home last night. Broadway My Street and Coffee in Cardboard Cup were sensational! What showstoppers! Jim Brochu told a moving story about David Burns and also had a blast performing The Caper. David Cryer, at age 81, can out sing (and out act) most young leading men performing today! Loni Ackerman could still probably belt out Men from So Long, 174th Street with as much vim and vigor as she did on the cast recording. I wish little programs/cast lists had been handed out because I wasn't familiar with a few of the performers and want to look them up. 

I'm praying for a full-blown Broadway revival. Too bad I'm not a millionaire or we would have on next season. 


Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

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Ado Annie D'Ysquith
#270, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 8:31am

Lovely testimonial, Whizzer, and I'm glad that you had a good time. Hey, question- shows at F/54 don't typically have programs, right? I'm actually kind of relieved that you made a mention of this one not having them. In a negative review of my concert back in February, the "critic" lamented that there was no program, which I found a little absurd.


http://puccinischronicles.wordpress.com

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PalJoey
#370, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 8:31am

 

I think it failed because after David Burns died onstage during the out-of-town tryout, the very idea of the show seemed a little ghoulish.

 


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WhizzerMarvin
#470, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 9:17am

Ado, Rachael Lily Rosenbloom had a program with cast, songs and an author's note. It was very nice. If I'm going to see Chita in concert at 54 Below I don't expect (or really need) a program, but now that they have been putting on all these flop reunion concerts it's nice to have a cast list with songs and some interesting tidbits about the show. 

Up next are Henry, Sweet Henry and Nick & Nora. Can't wait!

PJ, When Brochu told the story of David Burns I was shocked that they didn't even take a day off from the performance schedule and the understudy went on the very next day. That does indeed sound ghoulish, but if they dedicated the Broadway run to his memory I don't see a problem with that. Do you think that was really the main factor or did audience just not take to the show. I can't believe something this good closed after 35 performances while junk like Amazing Grace and In Transit each run over 100 performances. 


Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

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newintown
#570, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 9:20am

I think that comparing 70, Girls, 70 to Follies is a bit like comparing an episode of Three's Company to Hamlet.

70, Girls, 70 is a perfectly cute little show, but all the tunes are the usual (very well-done) simple Kander/Ebb showtunes, and the book is merely a frothy little romp that ultimately goes nowhere. There's nothing wrong with any of that, but Follies is really about something gritty and deep, with a much more complex score.

Updated On: 4/18/17 at 09:20 AM

After Eight
#670, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 9:59am

"Of course, 70, Girls, 70 is a lot sillier than Follies"

 

And a million times better.

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Kad
#770, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 10:02am

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Lovely testimonial, Whizzer, and I'm glad that you had a good time. Hey, question- shows at F/54 don't typically have programs, right? I'm actually kind of relieved that you made a mention of this one not having them. In a negative review of my concert back in February, the "critic" lamented that there was no program, which I found a little absurd."

Typically, cabaret shows in general do not have programs. Events like this particular concert are an exception, since the point is to present more obscure work.

 


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

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WithoutATrace
#870, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:00am

"It surely must be an impossibility for anyone to walk out of the theater and not be singing Boom Ditty Boom! "

I am still humming Boom Ditty Boom this morning...what a fun way to stage it with all of the actors dancing around 54 Below in the audience.

"The great Ernestine Jackson was one of many who brought it home last night. Broadway My Street and Coffee in Cardboard Cup were sensational!"

Honestly, she really was sensational. This woman should come back to Broadway ASAP. Plus, she looked fabulous.

"David Cryer, at age 81, can out sing (and out act) most young leading men performing today!"

He surprised me the most out of anyone. What a talent. Such brilliance and stage presence and that voice! Age 81? We can all only hope we are that spy at his age.

The night was so much fun and I'm really glad I was able to attend. Nick & Nora is less than a month away...can't wait!

Jarethan
#970, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 3:29pm

After Eight said: ""Of course, 70, Girls, 70 is a lot sillier than Follies"

 

And a million times better.


 

I am disappointed that you did not like Follies.  Is that because of the book or did you not like the musical numbers?  The original production of Follies remains my favorite musical ever (Mame is #2, but it requires a great leading lady, which it got in Lansbury).  Any show that has Beautiful Girls, Waiting for the Girls Upstairs, Broadway Baby, Whose That Woman, and Lucy and Jessie has to score some points, even if one doesn't like the more dramatic material, there aren't too many musicals that have that many great great numbers).

I always assume 70 Girls closed so quickly because, in addition to not getting very good reviews, (1) It sounded a lot like Follies at the surface and Follies had just opened, so why not see Follies, which got many spectacular reviews (and we ultimately know that Follies darkness and plotlessness led to a sad conclusion); (2) it needed stars.  i always loved Mildred Natwick, but she was a supporting player leading a musical on Broadway (I know this is also true of Lansbury, but Mame was the perfect match of talent and show and discovery of a 'new' talent).  

Maybe someone can convince Roundabout to give it a second chance and cast it with names (both big and only known to regular theatre goers of a certain age), who are both young and old enough to do the show, e.g., Bernadette Peters (with age-adding make-up!!), Kevin Kline, Chita Rivera, Joel Grey, Leslie Uggams, Donna McKechnie, Ben Vereen, Priscilla Lopez, Phyllis Newman(?), Florence Lacey, Linda Lavin, etc., etc., and willing to commit for a short run.

 

Updated On: 4/18/17 at 03:29 PM

Ado Annie D'Ysquith Profile Photo
Ado Annie D'Ysquith
#1070, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 3:30pm

I don't believe After Eight likes any Sondheim musical.


http://puccinischronicles.wordpress.com

iluvtheatertrash
#1170, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 3:39pm

Thank you, both, for attending and saying such kind things! I so appreciate it and am so glad you've been enjoying this series. I'm really looking forward to Nick and Nora and Henry, Sweet Henry and so glad you can attend both.

As for programs... I have to confess that time got away from us this round, but there WILL be programs for Nick and Nora! In the meantime, the full cast list is on the 54 Below website with headshots, too! 


"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman

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gallerygirl
#1270, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 3:40pm

I've always adore the original cast album but the recent production at Encores (with a marvelous cast) revealed the book to be the problem. I'm sure there was a lot of goodwill at the 54 concert that made up for a rather boring night in the theatre.

Jarethan
#1370, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 3:44pm

That may be, but it'd be interesting to know if he hates the whole show or just aspects of it...and simply gets tired of all of the passion and hyperbolic positions taken by many on this site.  I have never used the word 'hyperbolic' as I do on this site.

I also have to admit that I have a mixed reaction to Sondheim shows.  Loved some shows, e.g., ALNM, hated some, e.g., Passion.  I didn't even like the score to a couple, e.g., Assassins).  

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devonian.t
#1470, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/18/17 at 5:03pm

I like to think After 8 IS Sondheim,, because that persona really has to be fictional.

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GavestonPS
#1570, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/19/17 at 12:16am

I am by no means authorized to speak for Pal Joey, but I think his point is that once David Burns died onstage, audiences began waiting for the next casualty instead of embracing the "you're only as old as you feel" theme. (I worked three seasons at a "senior theater" here in Palm Springs and we made lots of jokes about failing eyesight, receding hairlines, sagging body parts, etc., but there were NEVER any jokes about or other references to death.)

***

Jarethan: Didn't anyone ever tell you not to feed the bear? If you want an in-depth discussion of FOLLIES, you can find an old thread or start a new one. But you won't get a reasoned analysis from After Eight.

 

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goldenboy
#1670, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/20/17 at 9:17am

I saw the original 70 Girils 70 and the concert at 54 Below. Also saw a staged reading of it in Los Angeles with Jane Kean, Marni Nixon and Charlotte Rae.

The score is wonderful and tuneful. The book is eye rollingly bad and switches tone way to fast. First its a story. Then its a vaudeville. Then it breaks the forth wall. Then it unbreaks the fourth wall.

The "old folks" whine so much that they are annooying. "I don't know if I want to steal... Oh no"   Then out of the blue they say "ok we are in an we will steal."  It's really bad writing. No awful writing. This show will never work unless they throw out the entire book and start over.  And to justify songs, they say things like  these two old woman work in a diner and we go to "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup."  It makes no sense.

David Burns said it right. "They won't be calling in sick for this show. They'll be calling in dead." I remember watching the original 70 Girls 70 on Broadway waiting for someone to drop.  They also sing "If you want to see Old Folks... you're in the wroing place tonight." Then they do stuff that old folks do like watching tv and whine. So the kyrics fight with the story.

I enjoyed the concert at 54 Below. Standouts were Jim Brochu and Ernestine Jackson who commited 100% to the material.  Jim knew every word to the Caper without looking at the score and knocked it out of the park. Ernestine was wonderful. Loni Ackerman was a disappointment reading from the score showing she spent very iittle time learning the material. And she had very little personality. How did this woman ever play Evita?

Anyway, I  can't wait to see Henry Sweet Henry.. one of my favorites. The evening overall is a success but the book is just insulting to audience intelligence.

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newintown
#1770, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/20/17 at 9:32am

Loni Ackerman. Laurie Beechman. Margery Cohen. Shoshana Bean. Debbie Shapiro. Ellen Foley.Kay Cole. Lenora Nemetz. Teri Klausner. Catherine Cox. Susan Johnson. Ann Morrison.

So many terrific belters who never got that one project that propelled them to the top level.

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Valentina3
#1870, Girls, 70 @ 54 Below
Posted: 4/20/17 at 10:15am

^ didn't Shoshana recently did both Funny Girl and Beaches? She truly is a terrific belter, hope to see her in a starring role on Broadway soon.


Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.