| re: Fun Home on Broadway is official! | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 04:55 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Fun Home on Broadway is official! - whereismikeyfl 04:43 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I'm with you. It seems to me that Circle in the Square is about as far as you can get as a space from the Newman. The show will really have to be rethought for Circle. I can't say that I think it's a terribly good space for the show, but I hope they find a way to stage it well there and that it's a success. | |
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| It didn't have many set changes at the Newman | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 05:01 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Fun Home on Broadway is official! - AlanScott 04:55 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| If I recall,it was the house as the main set and they pulled screens or curtains to make other spaces. I don't think Newman had much wing space to begin with so most shows there are one set. | |
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| re: It didn't have many set changes at the Newman | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 05:17 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | It didn't have many set changes at the Newman - dramedy 05:01 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| Yes, I think you're probably right that the Newman does not have much wing space (though I'm not sure). It makes up for lack of wing space (if that's correct) with depth. As I wrote below, the more I think about it, the more I can see how Fun Home might be very effectively restaged there. But it will really need restaging to work well. One of the most stunningly designed shows I've ever seen (The Skriker) was at the Newman. And that did have multiple sets. And obviously some other shows there have had lots of set changes, like Giant, but IIRC the basic setup was always there, with other units and elements brought on and off. | |
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| I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | gad90210 04:58 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Fun Home on Broadway is official! - AlanScott 04:55 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I think that if whoever staged it at the Newman (assuming Sam Gold) is still on board, the move to Circle will be just as revelatory. Fingers crossed! | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 05:14 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | I'm not worried. - gad90210 04:58 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I think this space may help the show actually. The show had a static quality in terms of the staging and I'm hoping Sam Gold will be forced to use his imagination with this space. (And avoid what he did with Look Back in Anger.) | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 05:07 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | I'm not worried. - gad90210 04:58 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| Oh, I'm sure Sam Gold will be directing it for Circle. I've just seen some shows there that I thought did not use the space at all well, including Frozen, which I loved and saw three times there. But I made sure to always sit in the center section for that. I've seen other shows that did work well in the space, but I just don't think this one is a natural fit. Some of it should work well there. Other sections of the show may present a bit of a problem. It may be that, in fact, it will work even better there than at the Newman. As I think about it, I can see how it might be very effectively adapted for the space. But some of it would need to be really rethought. | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | whereismikeyfl 05:20 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm not worried. - AlanScott 05:07 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I have to agree. I am always shocked at the number of directors who cannot stage anything but proscenium. I saw many a forgotten show at Circle destroyed by name directors who just could not use the space effectively. On the plus side, this could help keep the piece fresh. Gold (and the actors as well) will really have to go back to the beginning an rethink the piece in adapting it to this space. | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 05:36 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm not worried. - whereismikeyfl 05:20 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| Well, certain types of plays are much more well suited to the space. It's obviously much better for plays set in big rooms with lots of characters coming and going. So plays like The Iceman Cometh, John Gabriel Borkman (although it has only a few characters), and Present Laughter were well suited to the space. The first time I recall seeing seats set up all around was Holiday, and that worked very well for that play. (Was that also done for Present Laughter? I seem to recall reading that it was, but I don't remember it having been that way when I saw it.) And even in plays that are essentially well suited for the space, problems come up. For example, Heartbreak House mostly worked well because lots of characters come and go, but I think a fair number of people mostly saw Rex Harrison's back and there's really nothing that you can do with the long scene between Ellie and Shotover. They pretty much have to sit together on a sofa for the whole thing. I wouldn't know how to solve a scene like that there. Just as Judy Kuhn's big solo in Fun Home will probably have some people looking at her back (or she will be way upstage). They could have her stand and move around, but that seems wrong. I don't know how to have effectively restaged Frozen for that space. But much as I loved the show, I was shocked by how much of the audience seemed to be looking at people's backs for virtually the entire show. | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | bwaydiva1 06:06 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm not worried. - AlanScott 05:36 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I'll be interested to see how they stage that song, too Alan. I hope they move it upstage anyway to make the audience a part of it (it's a big moment). But the movement you describe...I kind of would like to see that at the end of the song (for a specific reason). | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:56 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm not worried. - bwaydiva1 06:06 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| One of the problematic things about the space is that when someone is far upstage, that person is actually pretty far away from those in the last rows of the center section. Do you mean that you'd like to see her get up at the end of the song? | |
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| re: I'm not worried. | |
| Posted by: | bwaydiva1 (bwaygal1@yahoo.com) 11:05 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm not worried. - AlanScott 06:56 pm EDT 08/07/14 |
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| I'd spoil for anyone who's not seen it how I'd direct it. E-mail if you like... | |
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