City of Angels revival ever?

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 12:49am

It won Best Musical and has never had a revival.

 

Why? It's very fun!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 11:22am

It's on my list of shows I want to see revived.  However, I'm a bit scared that it may not be as good as the original was.  I'm afraid that they will star cast it and it won't be as good.  Plus, the show needs really good singers because it's very tight jazz harmony.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 11:34am

Doing a regional production in Cleveland right now. We have been using projections as part of the set, which has helped with the transition from the movie to real life. I hope it's revived soon, even as an Encores production.

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 1:35pm

One of my all tone favorites and on my list as well.

Maybe a coincidence, maybe something in the air, but I've seen City of Angles mentioned twice I the last few weeks on Reddit...so maybe the time has come.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 1:38pm

This will never be revived on 'Broadway unless Roundabout does it.  I doubt it broke even the first time around...it only ran a year and a half, as i recall, and wasn't big box office for most of the run.  Despite the reviews, I don't think audiences liked it.  I will admit that I loved it for 15 minutes, then got bored, then ended up hating it, because the conceit got tired very quickly.  Probably the best musical winner that I hated the most, tied with 2 Gentlemen From Verona, which interestingly enough had the same timeline to hating it.  

I haver a friend who also hated the show, but ended up loving the score.  Maybe this is one of those shows where enjoyment benefits with familiarity with the music in advance.  Admit that I never listened to the score, out of sheer indifference.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 2:12pm

Saw a summer stock production of the many years ago and it was bland. I don't know how well this show does when it's out of its original hands.

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 2:51pm

Jarethan said: "This will never be revived on 'Broadway unless Roundabout does it.  I doubt it broke even the first time around...it only ran a year and a half, as i recall, and wasn't big box office for most of the run.  "

It ran two years - and this list says it recouped:  Hits and Flops

Its reported grosses on BWW:  Historical Grosses

 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 3:41pm

The nice thing about the original Broadway cast was that it was all Broadway actors.  (People knew Rene Auberjonois from tv, but he had a long list of Broadway credits).

They did do a bit of stunt casting after the originals left, Richard Kline, Tom Wopat, but it wasn't anything obnoxious where you were going to see a major star in a musical, whether they fit the role or not.

And, yes, the scenery gimmicks did sell the show a bit, but it's got a nice score to go along with it.  So it was one of the last shows that sold more on content than star recognition.

[denali.fire]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 3:42pm

How's about

A Tveit and J Jordan as leads?

Updated On: 7/8/17 at 03:42 PM

[Becky]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 4:09pm

I'd go a little older maybe...

Norbert Butz and Patrick Wilson.

 

[clb10162]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 6:50pm

Patrick Wilson and Andy Karl

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 11:14pm

I've always suspected that it doesn't even get done much regionally because as time passes, less and less people know and appreciate old black and white movies enough to appreciate it.

[morosco]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 11:42pm

Those musicians in that orchestra were fantastic!  Best part of the show for me was the exit music.  They were swingin!

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 7/8/17 at 11:54pm

There was an equity production in San Francisco about a year back. Let's just say that the show....isn't as good as many claim it is.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 12:00am

Count me among those who love the OBCR and found the show (national tour in LA) a little dull. (And I've been a James Naughton fan since the PLANET OF THE APES TV show when I was a teenager.)

I think one of the problems is the lyrics. They are virtually unintelligible without repeated playings of the recording. Zippel's wordplay is too clever by half and sits uneasily on the melodic lines of Coleman's jazzy score. Example:

"Familiarity
And in your case we both know what that breeds."

In the second or two it takes to turn the line around to realize "familiar breeds contempt", the listener has missed the next several lines.

Of course, a show doesn't usually succeed or fail based on its lyrics (if it did, Sondheim would be ALW), but I think that's one thing that gets in the way of the show.

I'm also not sure the concept doesn't get in the way of the story. As someone said above, it loses my interest after 15 minutes. As do the murder mystery and most of the fictional characters. So except for the music, there's not much that I care about in the show.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 8:27am

I love the show but a recent concert reminded me that it has second act problems. The story narrows in on the weakest role; Stine. He's the writer of a hacky detective novel who cheats on his wife.

Up till mid-act two I've sympathized with the wife and secretary and laughed at the incomprehensible detective story. Then we reach the final quarter and I'm asked to care about Stine's artistic integrity. He learns his scripts been rewritten... again and sings an overwrought 11 o'clock number called "Funny." It's one of the weaker numbers in the score, IMO, and I felt no sympathy for the character. The final scene is a comedy bit and Stine's story never resolves. The audience leaves with nothing to hold on to beyond the first act's jokes.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 11:22am

I love everything about the show. The book, score, lyrics, staging and performances were all exceptional. To me, Zippel's lyrics are right up there with Sondheim (someone else whose lyrics often contain ingenuity that isn't noticeable on the first listen). I was hoping Donmar's Olivier award winning revival would transfer. I'd love to see another top-notch production of the show again.

[Becky]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 5:41pm

Ditto Mr. Matt on everything you said. 

I'd also love to hear an Emily Skinner/Carolee Carmelo rendition of "What You Don't Know About Women" and Norbert Butz/Patrick Wilson "I'm Nothing Without You" in any capacity. Revival or not.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 9:26pm

Mister Matt said: "I love everything about the show. The book, score, lyrics, staging and performances were all exceptional. To me, Zippel's lyrics are right up there with Sondheim (someone else whose lyrics often contain ingenuity that isn't noticeable on the first listen). I was hoping Donmar's Olivier award winning revival would transfer. I'd love to see another top-notch production of the show again."

Sondheim's lyrics have layers of meaning, no question. But they have an immediate meaning that one can grasp even among the distractions of live production.

As in the example I provided, Zippel's lyrics often lack that immediate level of meaning. So listening to them in the theater is like doing a crossword puzzle in one's head while trying to watch a show. (And let's be frank: no way would Sondheim ever sink to the tacky double entendres of "The Ball Is in Your Court". Compare that number to "I Never Do Anything Twice" and you'll find Zippel is not remotely in Sondheim's league.)

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/9/17 at 9:28pm

Great analysis, Mrs. Sally.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:22am

It's a shame the 2014 ,Donmar production didn't transfer.

It was far superior to the original. Fabulous production.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=city+of+angels+donmar&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgxY2Tvv7UAhXpAsAKHSf8Cg8QsAQIOw&biw=1440&bih=770#imgrc=0iunDAM8PHhLYM:

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 5:13pm

Sondheim's lyrics have layers of meaning, no question. But they have an immediate meaning that one can grasp even among the distractions of live production.

See, I never had the problem you mentioned with any of Zippel's lyrics in City of Angels.  I heard "familiarity" and when it was followed by "breeds", I immediately knew it alluded to "contempt".  And the context of the song itself assists in the meaning. How many times have we seen people ask about the meaning of the phrase "send in the clowns"?  Does everyone immediately understand "watch me die like Eliza on the ice"?  Especially seeing as how Eliza didn't die on the ice?

And let's be frank: no way would Sondheim ever sink to the tacky double entendres of "The Ball Is in Your Court". Compare that number to "I Never Do Anything Twice" and you'll find Zippel is not remotely in Sondheim's league.

Oh, I don't believe that proof of anything of the sort.  It's just a matter of preference, style and intent.  The two songs are written for entirely different purposes.  Sondheim wrote a droll Coward-esque story song for a 19th century English madame.  Zippel wrote flirtatious banter being lobbed back and forth between two sexually charged characters of 40s film noir.  I don't think it's "sinking down" to any particular level, so yes, I do believe with City of Angels (and with Hercules, in fact) Zippel was most definitely in Sondheim's league.  It's Woman in White where I felt Zippel made a left turn into the WTF Forest.

It's a shame the 2014 ,Donmar production didn't transfer.

It was far superior to the original. Fabulous production.

What made it superior?  The staging of the original was incredible.

Updated On: 7/10/17 at 05:13 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 5:51pm

ggersten said: "Jarethan said: "This will never be revived on 'Broadway unless Roundabout does it.  I doubt it broke even the first time around...it only ran a year and a half, as i recall, and wasn't big box office for most of the run.  "

It ran two years - and this list says it recouped:  Hits and Flops

Its reported grosses on BWW:  Historical Grosses

I stand corrected on the length of the run, although that is not an impressive duration for a best musical winner.  From the grosses, it is hard to tell anything, but I  am still surprised that it broke even...I can remember it dragging at the box office for an extended portion of its run.  In any event, other than Encores or Roundabout or Off-Broadway or some big star deciding to do it (any why would he...James Naughton may have won the Tony, but he did not have much competition).  Ain't gonna happen.

 

 

Updated On: 7/10/17 at 05:51 PM

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:11pm

This is one of my favorite shows. Witty with a nice musical style. It's pretty sad when a great book and score like this  would not have interest. Maybe it's too expensive to mount.

Its got a plethora of roles that can be filled by a nice mix of Broadway names (Alaura, Stone, Stein) and great roles for up and comers (Mallory. Oolie), and even roles for good established supporting actors (Stein's wife Bobbi, producer Irving). I'm sure the roles just add to the expense. And I loved the "greek chorus" on the radio.

There are any number of ways to stage it (projections must not have been so commonplace then). The black & white vs color can be done subtly without banging you over the head. I happened to like that element in the original. Did not see the SF production last summer (time?). But I thought it was extended (?).

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 10:27pm

I don't think expense it the issue. Particularly with projections, there's no reason CITY should be any more expensive than any other show of similar size.

***

Mister Matt, if you find "The Ball Is in Your Court" "sexy" or "flirtatious", I would assume you are 12. But the rest of your argument is too skilled for a pre-teen.

Comparing "It Needs Work" to "Send in the Clowns", however, is laughable. Nobody has ever missed a word of "Clowns". If people wonder about the meaning, that's as it should be; for the meaning of the phrase changes: it is poetry instead of prose (in content as well as form) from the mind of a mature artist (Desiree).

As for Amy's lyric in "Not Getting Married Today", she's SUPPOSED to sound madder and madder until she is simply babbling nonsensically. Have you heard the song in the show?