| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | NightMusic77 05:47 pm EST 01/16/14 |
| In reply to: | i'm always amazed it ran so long - Chazwaza 05:03 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| You're definitely right about Rosie O'Donnell giving Titanic a much-needed boost. The original cast performed their opening number on her show either late in previews or early in the run and Rosie mentioned the show quite frequently. It went from being somewhat of a laughing stock during previews to a bonafide hit due mostly to word-of-mouth. But what a season that was! Steel Pier was a bit of a let down (not about old people at a dance competition--they were adults vying to win a dance marathon) but it did have some fantastic choreography, a great lead performance from Karen Ziemba, and it boasted the Broadway debut of Kristin Chenoweth who was truly a standout in the show. The Life was another let down with some great numbers--that show could've been a huge hit; I think it struggled in trying to carry its own weight. I definitely remember seeing Titanic early in the run, loving the music, and wishing it were more plot-driven. As it stands, the show is more of a "let's meet everyone on board" than an actual plot. It was hard to get to know/care about characters you only got to "meet" briefly. I'm honestly curious who the target audience is for this production of Titanic in New York. If the Ragtime revival didn't fly, why would Titanic? (I compare it to Ragtime because they opened on Broadway within a year of each other and neither has exactly become a "name" show. Frankly, I think Ragtime is the superior property.) | |
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| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | Singapore/Fling 07:00 pm EST 01/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - NightMusic77 05:47 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| Rosie did her best to give it a boost, but it was struggling after it opened to that lousy review in the Times. It didn't turn around until it won all of those Tony awards (also best score, book, orchestrations, and scenery, iirc), and then of course got a huge short in the arm once the film did so well. | |
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| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 06:34 pm EST 01/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - NightMusic77 05:47 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| Despite having never seen Titanic play out as a full show, I know from listening to the score and reading about it and getting the structure from all that... that RAGTIME is far and away a better musical, and I think it has a much better and vastly more memorable score. And it's funny... I was 14 in 1997, so it seemed to me then like Steel Pier was more about "old people" but that was also my short hand for the post, I never thought it was about elderly people or anything. But I do remember the CD being disappointing (ps I wasn't a normal 14 year old, I had a vast knowledge of musicals by then). The show I was most taken by that year, and still am, is The Life. I think the score is just sensational. But yes, I remember watching Rosie (for the performances) and seeing all these shows and hearing about them. I was already a fairly regular theater goer, but somehow I missed seeing all the big new shows of 1997... I never saw The Life, Titanic, or Steel Pier. But I did see the surrounding shows... Forum, Chicago, Rent, Ragtime, Parade, Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun. | |
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| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | larry13 06:46 pm EST 01/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - Chazwaza 06:34 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| Just when I thought there was nothing I could agree with you about, along comes your admiration for the score of THE LIFE. Fully agree. | |
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| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 07:18 pm EST 01/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - larry13 06:46 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| Outside of Sondheim shows and Kander & Ebb shows, The Life might be the score I've sung most in my car. I think it's just awesome. There are some songs I admit are weak or repetitive, but by and large it is, as I said, sensational. | |
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| I think THE LIFE was a good show- beautiful sets + lighting, too nm | |
| Posted by: | thtrgoer 01:17 am EST 01/17/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - Chazwaza 07:18 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| and those performances! | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 04:36 pm EST 01/17/14 |
| In reply to: | I think THE LIFE was a good show- beautiful sets + lighting, too nm - thtrgoer 01:17 am EST 01/17/14 |
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| I never got to see the show, but the performances on the CD are ridiculous. | |
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| re: i'm always amazed it ran so long | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 12:41 am EST 01/17/14 |
| In reply to: | re: i'm always amazed it ran so long - Chazwaza 07:18 pm EST 01/16/14 |
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| on my list of shows that could clearly be better in revival than in the original production the life is very near the top. but it is hard to dislodge my number 1 which is 9 to 5 - ridiculously underrated material destroyed by misguided direction, unforgivably heavy choreography and a lugubrious, soul destroying set. some day somebody's gonna revive 9 to 5 to hosannas and thrown roses. i hope they follow that smashing success with the life | |
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