Best touring production you have ever seen? - Page 3

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 7:00pm

The new version of Les Miserables about 5-6 years ago, in Tampa.  I loved the inclusion of drawings from the original book, and the staging of Javert's suicide in particular; i never noticed that there was no turntable with the barricade.

Hello Dolly with Pearl Bailey, at the humungous, long since gone Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago.  Bailey and Cab Calloway were as committed as they were right after they opened on Broadway.  I never liked the Carol Channing version because it was so obvious that there were plants in the audience to generate standing ovations after the title song and So Long, Dearie.  On the other hand, Channing was still great at 73 (I think), although she was so thin that she looked like a corpse.

Finally, what I believe was a B&T production of The King and I (it only ran 3 or 4 performances) a year or two ago in Sarasota.  It was a proscenium version of the Bartlett Sher production at Lincoln Center, and worked extremely well.  The woman who played Anna was the second best Anna I have seen, after Donna Murphy.  (I did also see Angela Lansbury, Faith Prince, Constance Towers, Mary Beth Peil, Hayley Mills (don't ask), and Kelli O'Hara.

 

 

 

Updated On: 12/13/19 at 07:00 PM

[markypoo]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 7:42pm

Jarethan said: "Barbara Cook The new version of Les Miserables about 5-6 years ago, in Tampa. I loved the inclusion of drawings from the original book, and the staging of Javert's suicide in particular, and never noticed that there was no barricade.

Hello Dolly with Pearl Bailey, at the humungous, long since gone Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago. Bailey and Cab Calloway were as committed as they were right after they opened on Broadway. I never liked the Carol Channing version because it was so obvious that there were plants in the audience to generate standing ovations after the title song and So Long, Dearie. On the other hand,Channing was still great at 73 (I think), although she was so thin that she looked like a corpse.

Finally, what I believe was a B&T production of The King and I (it only ran 3 or 4 performances) a year or two ago in Sarasota. It was a proscenium version of the Bartlett Sher production at Lincoln Center, and worked extremely well. The womanwho played Anna was the second best Anna I have seen, after Donna Murphy. (I did also see Angela Lansbury, Faith Prince, Constance Towers, Mary Beth Peil, Hayley Mills (don't ask), and Kelli O'Hara.
Jarethan:

If you are referring to the Summer 1975 production of Dolly at the Arie Crown, you saw the late Billy Daniels; not Cab Calloway.

Bailey and Calloway DID play the Auditorium in Chicago together in 1971.

 

 

 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 9:21pm

I'd say Angela Lansbury and Jane Connell touring in MAME in the mid-1970s, to be topped only by Angela's mini-tour of GYPSY the following year.

If I were confined to this century, I'd say the national tour of BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, which I attended only because the tickets were free. I had avoided all versions of the story like the plague, only to be blown away by the amazingly moving musical. FALSETTOS comes very close.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 11:30pm

There was a touring production of Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother. It may not be the best touring production I ever saw but I certainly enjoyed it immensely and still often think of it. It's a shame the production did not get a cast album. I still prefer that adaptation over Douglas Carter Beane's Broadway version. It was a joy to see Eartha Kitt in person and she was delightfully droll as the Fairy Godmother.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 10/30/19 at 11:39pm

I'll be another to echo the Buckley tour of Hello, Dolly. That was a masterclass in musical theatre. That's how it should be done. Take notes, folks. Simply a splendid, charming, joyous evening of theatre. I didn't get to see the Broadway production of this revival, but I'm certain that it was just as delicious, if not more so. I plan to see the tour again early next year with Carolee Carmello in the lead.

The tour of the revival of Falsettos was beautiful. It was my first exposure to the show and I instantly fell in love.

I adored Curious Incident on tour a few years back.

Waitress was phenomenal. I caught the tour with Desi Oakley as Jenna and thought she was terrific.

The Humans was haunting and moving with a stellar cast.

[BWNUT]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 12:49am

I find the current touring production of JCS the most impressive version I've seen.

Ditto The Humans and Curious Incident mentioned  above.

Updated On: 10/31/19 at 12:49 AM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 12:52am

I loved seeing Settle in the Hairspray tour years ago!

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 7:26am

I can't give a verdict on this yet, but I'll come back to this post after I see Mean Girls on tour next month with my verdict. 

[broadwayindie]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 9:26am

Hedwig Tour - Euan Morton and Hannah Corneau... enough said

Come From Away Tour

Pippin Tour in 2015ish - This was just an embarrassment of riches

Color Purple Tour - The fact that I saw it at the cave that is the Auditorium Theatre and it was still amazing says something about the tour

Fun Home Tour

Next To Normal Tour

 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 10:36am

Magic, I still cannot send you a PM. Either when I reply or when I try to send a new one. Not sure what the issue is there. 

 

I want to add the Once tour as well. Even though I admittedly didn't enjoy the show much, the cast was wonderful and top notch. They did an excellent job casting there. This was the original first national tour as well. 

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 6:47pm

Mike Barrett said: "Magic, I still cannot send you a PM. Either when I reply or when I try to send a new one. Not sure what the issue is there.



I want to add the Once tour as well. Even though I admittedly didn't enjoy the show much, the cast was wonderful and top notch. They did an excellent job casting there. This was the original first national tour as well."

I'm so sorrry, I just saw this---that's SO strange!! 

Wait....did you see CFA???? OMG I HOPE YOU LOVED IT!!!

[EspinosaRoscioliBlock]

Posted: 10/31/19 at 7:30pm

Original 2017 National Tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN (Adam Pascal, Rob McClure etc..” I had seen the OBC in 2015 and they were great but the Tour cast omg they were stellar. I ADORED Christian Borle as Shakespeare on Broadway but Adam was just sinfully good. Another top notch tour that comes to mind is the 2017-2018 LOVE NEVER DIES Tour. Meghan Picerno as Christine has the best vocals and acting abilities out of any Christine I’ve ever seen. Other great tours- the 2010 DREAMGIRLS National Tour, 2009-2010 MARY POPPINS National Tour (Ashley Brown)

[LRey95]

Posted: 11/1/19 at 7:07pm

Lot666 said: "LRey95 said: "I was most impressed with Phantom - that set is HUGE and it was a wonder to me how they could fit it all on that stage! Everything about it was superb."

Just curious, have you seen the Broadway production?

"

I have not. I’m sure it’s even greater. I can really only speak on 3 touring productions I’ve seen lol. 

[Alessio2]

Posted: 11/1/19 at 7:11pm

This is very fresh in my mind cause I just saw it a couple of days ago at the Pantages in LA, but Jesus Christ Superstar was beyond phenomenal.  This was my introduction to the show so I had no expectations and was blown away by every aspect of this production.  The Pippin tour was also incredible a few years ago.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 11/1/19 at 11:15pm

Rent with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.

[NoName3]

Posted: 11/2/19 at 1:59am

 

Wow, after reading this thread I feel SO old.  The first national tour I ever saw, which ties for the best, was the original national tour of My Fair Lady, which was a nearly complete reproduction of the original Broadway production. The only difference was that the Mark Hellinger had a large revolving turntable and Oliver Smith had to reproduce his original designs for a straight proscenium stage without a turntable.  Small difference.

The tour was on its last leg and starred Gaylea Byrne and Ronald Drake.  Spring 1962 in Greensboro, NC. (I was VERY young!)  The tour had been famous for being the equal of the New York production.  My grandmother basically forced my father to drive us to Greensboro from Winston-Salem to see it because she had seen it on Broadway and thought I would love it.  I was enchanted and my father actually loved it too and was grateful he had given in to my grandmother.  My grandmother thought it was better than what she had seen in New York.

Having seen the original Moss Hart staging exasperated my disappointment in Cukor's film version two years later, which I had eagerly anticipated and still find much more than lacking.  Cukor is otherwise one of my favorite directors.

Was going to post much more but it's too late, I'm falling asleep.  The tie was the second or third national tour of How to Succeed, starring Hal England and Jeff DeBenning, replete with the original visuals, staging and the Fosse choreography. Yes, I know he's credited with only musical staging and not the choreography but that's a very long story and he in fact did all the choreography except for the Treasure Hunt ballet. Such a smart, snarky, mean and hysterically funny show.  All qualities missing from the two Broadway revivals.

Third best was the last Equity tour of Ragtime.  I saw it at NJPAC and almost all the principals had been Broadway replacements I had seen before.  The last tour had been physically scaled down at that point but  I felt like I was going home. Afterwards, I went back and took my late partner and he said "Every time you take me to see Ragtime it gets smaller and better."  Lovena Fox as Sarah was the weakest acted but by far the best sung I have ever heard. She was wonderful, as were they all.

Updated On: 11/5/19 at 01:59 AM

[Finch]

Posted: 11/2/19 at 7:21pm

I think I am going back the farthest with my the first of the best touring productions--which have to say was at the top of my list, since it started me on the road to seeing professional theatre whenever I can: AUNTIE MAME starring Sylvia Sidney, spring 1957.  I was around 14 at the time.  My second and third best touring productions are/were:  the Chicago production of RAGTIME, with Barbara Walsh as Mother, and LITTLE ME with most of the original cast.  That one was seen on the opening night of the tour in Rochester, NY.

[markypoo]

Posted: 11/2/19 at 7:50pm

NoName3:

I saw that Ronald Drake/Gaylea Byrne tour as a child, and met Mr. Drake at a popular restaurant if the time across from the Chicago Shubert where the show was playing.
I thought it was the greatest thing I had seen thus far.
Up to that point, I had witnessed tours of The Music Man, Flower Drum Song, The Sound of Music, Carnival, and Milk and Honey.
Not too bad for a kid if around eight

Finch:

I saw that 1998 Chicago Ragtime with Barbara Walshcat at a Saturday matinee when several people were covered by their understudies.
Livent was in trouble at the time, and the show was probably not being managed properly by this time.

[clearastheday]

Posted: 11/3/19 at 9:11am

dmwnc1959 said: "WICKED with Ginna Claire Mason and Mary Kate Morrissey. They were SUPERB!!!"

I agree! I saw the tour twice because of them. They were fantastic!

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/4/19 at 9:21am

LRey95 said: "Lot666 said: "LRey95 said: "I was most impressed with Phantom - that set is HUGE and it was a wonder to me how they could fit it all on that stage! Everything about it was superb."

Just curious, have you seen the Broadway production?"

I have not. I’m sure it’s even greater. I can really only speak on 3 touring productions I’ve seen lol."

I had a lot of problems with the CamMac touring production of Phantom, not the least of which was the minimization of the iconic boat journey to the lair. This was not just a matter of preferring one visual approach over another, it was the fact that they literally made the boat journey encompass about 5-6 feet. In the original production, the boat appears upstage with the Phantom and Christine already in it, and it makes its way downstage as they sing the final verse of the title song. But in the touring production, they SHOW the Phantom and Christine step off the landing and into the boat, the boat then moves about 5-6 feet, and then they reach the second landing and disembark. Like the chandelier, this makes the boat virtually pointless.

Posted: 11/4/19 at 11:06am

The Dreamgirls tour with Lillias White.  The last stop was at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway.  Michael Bennett a few days after its opening night.  

[mikey2573]

Posted: 11/4/19 at 8:04pm

The first national tour of CATS in Boston in the 1980s because....well, Laurie Beechman. 

Also, the national tour of PETER PAN, which I had originally seen on Broadway (my first Broadway show). Again in Boston and because of ....well, Sandy Duncan.  

Two theatrical events I will never ever forget due to the incredible performers who were in them. 

[Joshua Kilimnik]

Posted: 11/4/19 at 10:43pm

BwayLB said: "Grease with Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel! Colorfully stages with high energy direction and choreography by Kathleen Marshall 2009"

The Toronto stop was the first professional production I'd ever seen!

I would like to say the most I've enjoyed a touring production would have to be The Lightning Thief, but I wouldn't necessarily say the very best. I've got no clue if this counts or not, because it essentially turned into a sit-down production, but Matilda in 2015 with Dan Chameroy as Miss Trunchbull was one of my absolute favourites. In thinking back to the productions I've seen in Toronto I realized how spoiled I am to live somewhere with so many official sit-down productions of shows with original casts (Dear Evan Hansen, Once, Kinky Boots, original version of Bat Out of Hell all come to mind).

[NoName3]

Posted: 11/5/19 at 7:48am

Markypoo, thanks for the feedback on the MFL first national tour. It really was something special for kids like us, wasn't it? The very first post I ever made on BWW was about that tour. I loved your story about meeting Mr. Drake.

mikey2573, I saw Sandy Duncan three times on Broadway as Peter Pan and it was a wonderful, wonderful production. If I remember correctly, she was the first Peter Pan to actually fly out over the audience as opposed to just flying behind the proscenium. I thought it improved greatly when Christopher Hewett replaced George Rose as Captain Hook but I've been put down here for that opinion. Updated On: 11/5/19 at 07:48 AM

[NoName3]

Posted: 11/5/19 at 8:17am

Finch, in the late 1960s or early 70s, I saw Sylvia Sidney as Mrs. Malaprop in a small bus and truck tour of Sheridan's The Rivals. She was fabulous and it was truly a case of an old master showing the youngsters how it's done. How inspiring for a film star whose fame had basically died years before.

She stole the show in a supporting part. Updated On: 11/5/19 at 08:17 AM