How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
#1How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/29/18 at 7:11pm
I want Steph to play Diana some day.
Stephanatic
#2How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/29/18 at 7:14pmWho is "they"?
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Elegance101
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/24/17
#3How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/29/18 at 7:14pm
I think the past couple of years proves that there is no right or wrong amount of times between productions; it’s just about whether or not a director has an interesting vision for it. Spring Awakening, The Color Purple, even now with Yiddish Fiddler, I don’t care if I’ve just seen it a few years ago, if a really good production that will take on the material in a different way is ready to come in, I say let’s do it.
#4How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/29/18 at 7:15pm
LizzieCurry said: "Who is "they"?"
Producers....
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
Alex Kulak2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/16
#5How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/29/18 at 7:19pm
I personally don't see a time limit, but these are my criteria:
A good revival must do two things:
1) remain culturally relevant. Either the plot must still be pertinent in today's society, or in the event of period pieces, contain themes that would still gel with audiences.
2) transform the work. The director must have the desire to present the show in a new way, not just put it up so it can be seen, but with focus on new aspects. Some good examples are shows like Chicago, which pared down the cast and staging, Cabaret, which put heavier focus on the insidious rise of fascism, or Spring Awakening, which used ASL to reinterpret the divide between parents and children.
#6How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/30/18 at 12:09amEvery five or so, if it's "Gypsy."
#7How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/30/18 at 12:16am
Whenever someone puts up the $$$$. No good revival is too soon, and no bad revival knows it's bad until it's too late.
#8How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 11/30/18 at 1:56am
This is a great question that I wish I had asked first lol, but props to you for doing so.
My opinion is that it really shouldn't be that close in terms of time- even Piazza which will be 15 years old in two years should not be revived until 10 years or more to me. The Color Purple on the other hand did not really have a strong impact when it first came out and with all of the racial and gender issues that have come to the forefront of our country made the show a surprising hit to me at the time. I think 20 years is a good time period. Ragtime is a show that I would ironically like to see revived soon even if it was revived only 9 years ago but that's because the revival didn't really appeal to me probably because it was too much like the original in terms of the production and the OBC is really hard to beat IMO. I'd love to see Ragtime revived with Joshua Henry as Coalhouse, Nikki Renee Daniels as Sarah, Danny Burstein as Tateh, and Kelli O'Hara as Mother. Anyway, I think a good amount of time needs to pass and the revival needs to be visionary meaning a real different production of the show. Things don't have to be cut and the actors don't have to play instruments, but things need to be different. No carbon copies of the original.
#9How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 12/1/18 at 11:05am
I remember way back nearly 30 years ago, when Tyne Daly was ready to star in 'Gypsy' revival there was talk that it was 'the right time' to revive it, as 15 years had passed since the Angela Lansbury revival (which was 15 years since the original run). If I'm not mistaken, it was Jule Styne who had said this in an interview during the summer of 1989, indicating 15 years was his 'timeline'.
Sure enough, the next revival was in 2003 (close - 14 years), so the next revival should have been this past year or next year - not 2008 (going by Styne).
#10How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/4/19 at 9:25pm
I just want to know how long before we can revive Ragtime again, because I think that especially considering the current political climate, we really need another Ragtime revival. The 2009 one didn't do too well from what I discovered...
you found your heart but left a part of you behind <3
Theatrefanboy1
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
#11How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 9:13amAs much as I love that as long as a relivant version is created. I like the idea of 10/15, 25, 50, 75 100 anniversaries being more milestone mountings. And then encouraging new original shows to be produced. Instead of every 5-10 years bringing the same thing.
Scoot3
Chorus Member Joined: 12/3/18
#12How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 9:19amHit shows should never close, they should just build more theatres
JBC3
Broadway Star Joined: 4/9/17
#13How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 9:56am11.8
yankeefan7
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/12
#14How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 9:58am
"I think the past couple of years proves that there is no right or wrong amount of times between productions; it’s just about whether or not a director has an interesting vision for it. Spring Awakening, The Color Purple, even now with Yiddish Fiddler, I don’t care if I’ve just seen it a few years ago, if a really good production that will take on the material in a different way is ready to come in, I say let’s do it."
Good point but I always thought if you had to pick a number 10 years sounded good to me.
JennH
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/14/13
#15How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 10:43am
stoptheworld38 said: "I just want to know how long before we can revive Ragtime again, because I think that especially considering the current political climate, we really need another Ragtime revival. The 2009 one didn't do too well from what I discovered..."
It didn't, which is sad, but I think a couple things were at play. That was the beginning of the crash and no one was willing to spend money on a show (or anything really...) that they didn't already know, but also while Ragtimes' subject matter is still relevant and aways will be until further notice, that was also a time that the subject matter wasn't as near to the forefront of society as it is now. Things come in cycles, and that was a time in the cycle that it wasn't as pertinent. Note that I say "wasn't AS pertinent", not that it wasn't pertinent at all. But I do believe a Ragtime revival would be way more successful now than it was 10 years ago because we're now in a part of the cycle where we're hyper aware of these things, more than at any time in human history. OMG that revival was 10 years ago already, DDAAMMNNNNN!!
I've discovered that art is indicative of the time it's created and Ragtime is one of those pieces. It's cyclical but it comes around again when humans need to learn these things yet again. My best current examples are Won't You Be My Neighbor? and Handmaids' Tale. BTW see WYBMN if you haven't yet....That documentary wouldn't have been nearly as successful 10 or so years ago but it is now because humans are looking for any semblance of hope and human goodness to cling to in this era of uncertainty with the world burning around us. Same with HT, we see rights of certain groups being eroded and HT is as close to a real life example in fiction as we'll get. I know this was a weird tangent, but it ties into how/revival should be done. You bring it back not just because you want to, but you have a reason to. You want to reinterpret the material for a modern audience and/or know that the material is still as relevant as it was when it was first created. I know that was the idea with Carousel, but that fell flat for a few reasons and we all know that.
#16How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 5:39pm
I'm curious what you guys thought of the Hello Dolly! revival. That was the first production of Hello Dolly I've ever seen and from talking to people around me who saw it with Carol Channing several years back, they told me the choreography was similar as well as the costuming. To me, it seemed like people who loved the musical back in the day just want to relive those moments by watching Hello Dolly! and not sure whether the revival was transformed from the original. The audience did tend to skew to the older side (either big Bette Midler fans or simply fans of the musical.)
#17How many years after hit shows have closed should they consider revivals?
Posted: 1/5/19 at 9:19pmTacking on to what Wick3 brings up I also look at something like She Loves Me. Ive not seen the original (or any other version than the latest Roundabout) but I would guess this was quite faithful to it? Much of the lyrics in the songs are dated but did we care? Everything about this latest production was spot on and I LOVED that is was so dated. Throw in some epic performances and glorious set decoration and it was a pleasure to go back in time. Escapism can be wonderful in this day and age. I think Hello Dolly! was that too.
