TIme for an August: Osage Revival?

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/28/21 at 7:29pm

The BWW article about the movie being backed on Netflix transported me back to 2007-08 and seeing the amazing Broadway cast four times.

That got me thinking about whether or not a revival could be sustained in a couple of years and who might make for an excellent cast.

Updated On: 4/28/21 at 07:29 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/28/21 at 7:46pm

Whenever people suggest that something should be revived, but question its ability to sustain a commercial run on Broadway, I always say: why not a non-profit run, either on or off-Broadway? 

I can imagine Signature (NYC) bringing Letts on as one of their Residency 1 artists, and producing a high-profile revival in the Diamond. That would be great! 

Having said all of that, a commercial run wouldn't be totally out of the question. There's plenty of opportunity for star casting, plus Letts has accumulated even more notoriety in the intervening years. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 7:52am

Your excellent suggestion of Signature reminds me of how well it did with its revival of Angels in America.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 9:31am

I don't think we'll see it anytime soon, but when it does, Frances McDormand for Violet.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 9:38am

As much as I'd love to see it again, to me the big question is what would a revival bring that the original didn't?  The original production was so brilliant in part because of the text but especially because of that incredible ensemble and the direction, design, etc. that augmented the show so perfectly.  And I feel most productions since have tried to replicate that, but have not really succeeded in adding anything new to it which makes it seem just like a lesser version of the original production.  So that would be my fear with this.  I'd rather just have the memory of the original production than a lesser version of it that only reminds me of how great the original was.

[jvoom]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 9:41am

"I don't think we'll see it anytime soon, but when it does, Frances McDormand for Violet"

I personally feel they should split the role three ways a la The Cher Show and get Frances, Laurie Metcalf and Kathleen Turner on board. (They also happen to be my picks for the first "Doubt" revival)

[unclevictor]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 9:49am

Yea just what we need - people sitting in a theatre watching a 4 hour play. Lol! Lol!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 9:54am

unclevictor said: "Yea just what we need - people sitting in a theatre watching a 4 hour play. Lol! Lol!"

What an irritating post.

[aliceripleyofficial]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 10:35am

We 100% need to erase the tragedy of the film adaptation with a fabulous revival

[jvoom]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 10:44am

aliceripleyofficial said: "We 100% need to erase the tragedy ofthe film adaptation with a fabulous revival"

I'm always surprised when people say they hated the film adaptation - I personally thought it was great albeit, I've never seen a professional production on stage. Why does it fall short?

[unclevictor]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 11:56am

TotallyEffed said: "unclevictor said: "Yea just what we need - people sitting in a theatre watching a 4 hour play. Lol! Lol!"

What an irritating post."

You’re an irritating post

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 12:15pm

unclevictor said: "Yea just what we need - people sitting in a theatre watching a 4 hour play. Lol! Lol!"

Oh mighty Oracle.
Do come down from the mountains
and guide your ignorant supplicants
as to your wisdom of an acceptable
play length for a couple of years in
the future, the timeline for the
envisioned production specified
in the original post. Updated On: 4/29/21 at 12:15 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 2:06pm

Went in knowing nothing and saw it twice in one week on Broadway! Incredible!

The movie just doesn’t hold a candle to the stage show. Wish they had just gotten the stage show. “Eat your f—-ing fish” just didn’t work with Streep.

[east side story]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 2:48pm

Metcalf used to visit Jeff Perry, her ex, during the original production’s run. She would have made for an excellent Barbara, but now I want to see her as Violet.

And Metcalf in DOUBT? Sign me up.

[aliceripleyofficial]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 4:13pm

jvoom said: "aliceripleyofficial said: "We 100% need to erase the tragedy ofthe film adaptation with a fabulous revival"

I'm always surprised when people say they hated the film adaptation - I personally thought it was great albeit, I've never seen a professional production on stage. Why does it fall short?"

The major cuts to the script(over an hour) killed much of the character development(thus their relationships with one another) and the dramatic tension bubbling. The gasps and screams this show elicits when performed live is like nothing I've ever experienced with a straight play. Please read the play if you're not familiar.

John Wells's direction was also VERY weak and uninspired, not to mention the fact that he was clearly incapable of guiding a fleet of starry talent.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 5:48pm

jvoom said: "aliceripleyofficial said: "We 100% need to erase the tragedy ofthe film adaptation with a fabulous revival"

I'm always surprised when people say they hated the film adaptation - I personally thought it was great albeit, I've never seen a professional production on stage. Why does it fall short?"

For me the main reason was the absence of what made the play so moving and joyous:  comedy.

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 5:49pm

^. This!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 6:09pm

The movie is abysmal.

I’ve never felt so connected to an audience as when I saw the original production on Broadway. I was there alone and felt like I could have held hands with anyone in that theatre as we gasped and shrieked in unison.

The cast was absolutely incredible, with Amy Morton giving the best performance I’ve seen on stage maybe ever. And I really mean that.

I’ll never forget how HOT these characters felt, the acting was so good it felt like they were all dripping in sweat, miserable in that muggy house. When I watched the movie I kept thinking about how no one seemed hot. Weird, I know, but the original cast just felt so authentic and so believable.

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 7:00pm

The film was a prime example of how bad directing can ruin a film. That material with that cast should have been dynamite, but the director didn't understand the story one bit, and so it really is quite dreadful.

Thankfully, in 2014, LA Theater Works recorded a radio-play version with much of the original cast, including Deanna Dunnagan, Rondi Reed, and the late Maryanne Mayberry. You can purchase it for $5 from Amazon or Audible. For me, while the recording doesn't get close as the amazing experience of seeing that play live, it captures a great deal of the greatness of that play and those original performances and helped wash away the taste of the misguided film. I promise I'm not a shill for LATW, but I think they're a really great company with an incredible catalogue that so many people don't know about.

[broadway213]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 7:59pm

No August Osage County revival will happen without Carrie Coon.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/29/21 at 8:00pm

Ravenclaw: Thank you for sharing this info. I had no idea this existed and look forward to partaking.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/30/21 at 9:51am

I saw a production of this up here at Soulpepper in Toronto a couple years back and it absolutely blew my socks off. The comments about this play eliciting whole-audience gasping and shrieking is absolutely correct, which was amazing. I've never seen an audience be that purely cacophonous.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 4/30/21 at 1:50pm

jvoom said: "aliceripleyofficial said: "We 100% need to erase the tragedy ofthe film adaptation with a fabulous revival"

I'm always surprised when people say they hated the film adaptation - I personally thought it was great albeit, I've never seen a professional production on stage. Why does it fall short?"

I 100% agree with what others have said in that the comedy is missing. The movie is far too heavy handed and serious throughout, and on stage it is very much a dark comedy. I saw it with Estelle Parsons in the lead and it was such fun, the movie just isn't much fun. 

There is an Audible version that was produced by LA Theatreworks that is available super cheap. The cast is made up of actors from the original Steppenwolf, Broadway, and touring productions. You lose the visuals that way, but the dialogue is brisk and delivered impeccably. I recommend that to at least get the flavor of the stage version.

[Square Peg2]

Posted: 4/30/21 at 9:31pm

TotallyEffed said: "The movie is abysmal.

I’ve never felt so connected to an audience as when I saw the original production on Broadway. I was there alone and felt like I could have held hands with anyone in that theatre as we gasped and shrieked in unison."

This was my experience also, TotallyEffed. I saw the show at the end of a solo 4 week trip to NY, and the feeling of connectedness was palpable. To me this production of the play is the ultimate example of the visceral power of theatre and I'm so often reminded that you have to experience it, it's absolutely impossible to describe to people!

 

[Square Peg2]

Posted: 4/30/21 at 9:31pm

Apologies, double post.

Updated On: 4/30/21 at 09:31 PM