People are probably very cautious of this one. CSC and John Doyle have a bit of a history now of stripping down these musicals and also stripping them of their better songs. I'm curious to hear what changes they've made with this one.
CARMEN JONES is one show in particular that continually fascinates me. The classical music of an incredibly famous opera gets new English lyrics (and a change of setting) by a musical theatre giant. It sounds like the nuttiest idea on paper, and yet it worked.
Has anybody else attempted to do something of this nature? Someone give "Marriage of Figaro" a new libretto and a gay pride spin? I wonder if lightning could strike twice...
Not precisely the same, but the writers of the Tony-winning musical KISMET, Wright and Forrest, basically took a batch of Borodin melodies and fashioned pop/operetta songs out of them to build a show around. Some like "Stranger in Paradise" and "Baubles, Bangs and Beads" became smash hits and even entered the pantheon of the Classic American Songbook.
I wonder if Borodin's heirs still receive royalties.
Carmen Jones has always fascinated me. If anything, it was an interesting writing exercise for Hammerstein, but I've never been completely satisfied with the end result. I still want a Carmen musical and Carmen Jones just isn't it.
Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "CARMEN JONES is one show in particular that continually fascinates me. The classical music of an incredibly famous opera gets new English lyrics (and a change of setting)by a musical theatre giant. It sounds like the nuttiest idea on paper, and yet it worked.
Has anybody else attempted to do something of this nature? Someonegive "Marriage of Figaro" a new libretto and a gay pride spin? I wonder if lightning could strike twice..."
Also not precisely the same, but John Corigliano's opera, The Ghosts of Versailles, is based on Beaumarchais's play, La mere coupable (the last play in Beaumarchais's "Figaro trilogy", the first two being the plays on which The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro were based), and incorporates characters from the first two Figaro plays.
I doubt Borodin's relatives receive any royalties for Kismet as the copyrights on his work are long expired. He died in the 1880s. But he did win a posthumous Tony for Best Score!
I saw this tonight and thought it was a wonderful production. I wasn’t familiar with the show beforehand, but the music is gorgeous. I love the intimacy of CSC; there are seats on all four sides and no side has more than five rows. The stage isn’t raised, and it feels like the audience is part of the show. The main set pieces are green crates that are constantly moved and used in different ways. At one point a white tent is raised above the stage, covering the whole space and adding to the intimacy. Hanging lights (some with ceiling fans) add to the atmosphere. The performances are stellar across the board. Anika Noni Rose exudes confidence, strength, and charm; she’s absolutely perfect. (The only imperfect moment came when she threw a Whitman’s Sampler and accidentally hit an audience member in the chest; after the curtain call, she gave the woman a hug and apologized profusely.) I recommend trying to catch this if you can.
I saw the show tonight, as well. If there’s a more perfectly sung show in all of New York City, I’ve yet to see it. The show itself (as mentioned above) is basically done with no set besides some movable crates and a large sheet that is hung on wires. This might be described as an Encores show on a very small and intimate stage but never for one second, did I feel like I wasn’t in the 1940s, right in the world I was supposed to be in. This entire cast should be singled out one by one for their talents, especially Anika, obviously, for her strong, powerful take on Carmen. She commands the stage when she’s on it, making sure all eyes are on her. I honestly just can’t sing the praises of this production highly enough. Give this thing some sets and a couple extra cast members (the cast doubles a few roles) and move this to Broadway immediately, if only to ensure it gets the cast recording it deserves.
Sounds rather liked how he staged PASSION (with some curtains, if I recall correctly). I loved that production. PACIFIC OVERTURES... not so much. However, now I'm looking forward to this. It should be more than a curiosity. It got fabulous reviews in 1945 and may have even gotten the general public more interested in grand opera, as they were for those post-war years. (Lenny B. may have helped, too.) Hammerstein's lyrics and text-- they cannot be called a "translation" because they simply AREN'T-- have always impressed me.
This was what he thought would be his calling card back into the theatre, despite the obstacles he faced getting it on. Then OKLAHOMA! happened. And onward!
jv92 said: "Sounds rather liked how he staged PASSION (with some curtains, if I recall correctly)."
There were a couple curtains here, too, hanging on the walls (behind the seats). And on two walls there were green boxes stacked up. I felt like these choices helped bring the audience into the set; it felt like we were immersed in that world.
The website says this about rush: "Subject to availability, $30 rush tickets are available in person at the box office one hour prior to curtain. Limit 1 ticket per person."
.jpg)
joined:7/20/13
joined:
7/20/13
Posted: 6/9/18 at 1:06pm