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re: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal

Posted by: jmill 02:42 pm EDT 04/02/14
In reply to: Encores The Most Happy Fella Dress Rehearsal - jrjr 12:12 am EDT 04/02/14
I was there last night and thought the Encores production was splendid - no scripts used at all, and Casey Nicholaw's production was polished and effective. The growing love between Rosabella and Tony in Act Two worked particularly well - I found myself quite moved, for example, by "How Beautiful the Days." It is thrilling to see such a huge cast onstage - I counted thirty people (with none of the principles) in one production number. "Big D" was a terrific, crowd pleasing show-stopper. The production is a wonderful presentation of Loesser's glorious score, which is overflowing with rich, beautiful melodies. And, I felt the superb cast does justice to all the songs. The Encores orchestra, of course, was exceptional as always - what a pleasure to hear this music played by, I believe, thirty-eight musicians. The cuts to the script did not bother me at all and, if anything, improved the pacing of the musical.

I've always had some reservations about the show itself. The mix of arias, recitative, musical theater songs, melodrama, and musical comedy is awkward at times, particularly, to me at least, in the climactic final scene at the Napa Station. But, that doesn't take away from the many glories of MOST HAPPY FELLA, and the Encores mounting may be the best version of this show that I have seen. Overall, I found it to be a marvelous, romantic, rich evening of beautiful music and fine musical theater.


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