| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 01:00 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - jrjr 12:12 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| I wish I was as enthusiastic as you about the production as it was performed tonight. I found it a very mixed bag, with some of the principals delivering solidly and others perhaps not so ideally cast or a bit under the weather. I'm not speaking of Benanti, who did not sound unwell, despite the announcement. But I don't recall ever feeling before that she sings through so much tension as it sounded to me like she was doing tonight so perhaps her illness was the reason, especially since I thought she sounded lovely in the first act, but less good later. It really is a glorious score and it was great to hear it performed with a full orchestra. Of course, it was a dress rehearsal and some of what I wasn't wild about may improve. I certainly was glad to have finally experienced the show with a full orchestra, and I liked it much more than the Goodspeed/LCT production. I know that about a half hour of cuts were made, but I don't know the show well enough to know exactly what was cut. Perhaps a listen to the OBCR or the JAY recording will remind me. | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | Billhaven 09:41 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - AlanScott 01:00 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| If Ms. Benanti was under the weather and an announcement was made about her condition it seems a bit unfair to comment that she sounded as if she were singing through tension and sounded less than lovely in the second act. C'mon Alan, you are usually so even handed about things! | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 09:59 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - Billhaven 09:41 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| You are quite right, and I rather wish I had not posted at all. In my defense, I will say that I posted in response to jrjr writing that she sounded glorious, and I did specifically say that the reason for what I heard as tension in her singing may have been that she was unwell. But if I had it to do over again, I would not have posted. | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | Billhaven 10:05 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - AlanScott 09:59 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| You are one of fairest and reliable people on this board. No joke. | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 10:13 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - Billhaven 10:05 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| Thank you. That is sweet of you. I have tried over the years to tone down my natural propensity for negativity and bitchiness. Sometimes it still slips out. | |
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| wow: this may be the most civil exchange in the history of ATC!!!! | |
| Posted by: | portenopete 12:20 pm EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - AlanScott 10:13 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| what a breath of fresh air to hear two level-headed, intelligent people battle it out for who is the most considerate and polite. would that their equanimity and maturity would bleed over into some of the other posters (myself included). maybe the world ain't such a bad place, after all. | |
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| re: wow: this may be the most civil exchange in the history of ATC!!!! | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:44 pm EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | wow: this may be the most civil exchange in the history of ATC!!!! - portenopete 12:20 pm EDT 04/02/14 |
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| On ATC I'm Herman from The Most Happy Fella but in real life I'm Sweeney Todd. ;) | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | larry13 04:31 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - AlanScott 01:00 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| The only(minor)cut I was aware of involved the presence of actual children(or one child?)and related dialogue that leads Tony to sing--before the accident--about his desire to have children. I'm sure there were other small cuts but, finally, Encores is giving the respect to the book that it always accords to the orchestra. I agree with your comments about the performance. Unlike another poster, however, I do think Tony calls for an operatic baritone--not bass--and one who can easily reach the many high notes written for the part. Of course the Tony should not perform in an artificial("operatic?")style but this has not been my experience with earlier productions nor how I find Robert Weede's incomparable interpretation on the OBCR. Furthermore, Tony should be, if not the "old man" Rosabella grimly sings, a man who appears considerably older than she does. This is the crux of the story. Tony's physical appearance is as integral to this musical as Fosca's repellant look is to PASSION. This is one show that I do not think lends itself to a small(e.g. two piano)version. Finally, one--again minor--deviation from the book involved Marie's staying onstage after the scuffle near the end and the--silent--sympathetic interpretation accorded her(by the director presumably)before she did finally exit. | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 05:33 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - larry13 04:31 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| I agree that you really want an operatic high baritone for Tony. With a bass, as with Spiro Malas, transpositions are necessary and it just doesn't have the same effect. On the other hand, it's certainly true that opera baritones who can provide the mix of heart, acting skill and voice that Robert Weede seems to have provided (visible in several television clips of him in the role, as well as audible on the cast recording) are rare indeed. I have wondered for some time what Placido Domingo might be like in the role, and of course now he has moved into baritone roles. But I guess that's not to be. Re the scuffle at the end: The staging for the most part worked well, but that scuffle made no sense. And it made Herman seem like he was suddenly a sort of irrational aggressor. I think they did not want to do what the script calls for, which I don't altogether blame them for, but what they substituted was not a good solution. There was not much of a scuffle between Marie — who is not only unusually sympathetic and vulnerable in Jessica Molaskey's lovely performance, but also very slight and seemingly no physical threat to anyone here (because that's Molaskey) — and the heftier (and excellent) Heidi Blickenstaff as Cleo. So very quickly, after virtually nothing of a scuffle, they're both on the floor. Herman goes over to Cleo, seemingly to help her get up. Pasquale goes over to Marie, seemingly for no other purpose than to help her get up. And suddenly Herman punches him hard on the chin. Why? Because he was helping Marie up? Did I miss something? That's what it looked like to me. I suppose the audience may think this is just fine because of how hateful Pasquale has been to Herman earlier in the show, but still Herman needs a specific reason to punch Pasquale. It needs to be in defense of Cleo. That's why she sings "Herman, my hero!" I hope they do something about this. The script calls for a very physical fight between Cleo and Marie. Pasquale tries to separate them, and unintentionally pushes Cleo too hard, knocking her to the floor. Herman sees this and that's why he hits Pasquale. Pasquale entered after Herman here, didn't he? Re the two-piano reduction: Something that I don't think was ever mentioned at the time of the Goodspeed-LCT production is that it was first used in a bus-and-truck tour in 1959. | |
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| re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 10:11 am EDT 04/02/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - AlanScott 05:33 am EDT 04/02/14 |
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| I agree about the voice. Something is different, perhaps lost, if it isn't a baritone. Malas wasn't my favorite Tony, though I enjoyed that production. Is there a phrase in all of musical theater as heartbreaking in its emotional resonance and yet simplicity as the "I don't know nothin' about you..." plea of Tony's? It always moves me to tears, without fail (bass or baritone.) | |
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