| Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | jmill 01:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Just posted at the NY Times website: Cabin in the Sky 1776 Do I Hear A Waltz | |
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| re: Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | mermaniac 10:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Next Season at Encores - jmill 01:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Where's Destry ? Milk & Honey ? By Jupiter ? Subways ? | |
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| re: Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | owk 11:41 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Next Season at Encores - mermaniac 10:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Not counting the Rodgers and Hart, the shows you suggest are really cult shows. I can see Encores gradually getting to them, perhaps, along with other cult shows. And they've done a few -- 70, Girls, 70, Juno, etc. But for the most part that's what Mufti does, not what Encores does. Encores does shows that are not much seen in their original versions with their original orchestrations, but they rarely do forgotten (by most civilians) flops like Subways or Destry. They're in a different business. | |
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| re: Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | Renfield1950 11:33 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Next Season at Encores - mermaniac 10:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I have a feeling that, for all intents and purposes, SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING doesn't exist any more. I think Comden and Green might have "disowned" it. The plot was substantilly changed during the tryout. What opened on Broadway in 1961 was written quickly and wasn't what they originally intended. But their original version might have been even worse, considering the out-of-town critical reaction. When "The New York Musicals of Comden and Green" was published in 2000, SUBWAYS was, as the saying goes, conspicuous by its absence. For decades I've been trying to track down the scripts of every musical I can. From the 1950s and 1960s, I have almost every one of them, but, again, SUBWAYS is c. by its a. | |
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| re: Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 10:51 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Next Season at Encores - mermaniac 10:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I wonder if Subway is considered altogether too problematic a show, despite the many good musical numbers and terrific orchestrations. And I wonder if the orchestrations for By Jupiter are lost. In any case, the R and H Org does not list the original orchestrations as being available, only what seem to be the Off-Broadway orchestrations. Also, so many people think the score is very lower-tier Rodgers and Hammerstein. I like it a lot, but I suspect Encores! | |
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| re: Next Season at Encores | |
| Posted by: | Renfield1950 11:27 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Next Season at Encores - AlanScott 10:51 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Don't leave us hanging ... you suspect Encores! what? As for BY JUPITER's score -- lower-tier Rodgers and Hart (which is what you meant to say, of course) is still on a pretty high tier, as far as I'm concerned. And BY JUPITER had the longest run of all their shows, originally. | |
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| I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | JAllenC3 05:59 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Next Season at Encores - jmill 01:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Please, please let Jason Alexander play John Adams! He would never do it in a full production, but he might do it here. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | musicaldirny 06:15 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | I'm going to say it... - JAllenC3 05:59 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Love Jason Alexander, but not as Adams. He's too contemporary in style, too New York/Jewish. I could sort of see him as Ben Franklin. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | Renfield1950 06:02 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | I'm going to say it... - JAllenC3 05:59 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I wish you hadn't said it. | |
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| Please, no. | |
| Posted by: | FrankF 06:12 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - Renfield1950 06:02 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| n/m | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | JAllenC3 06:07 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - Renfield1950 06:02 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I admit he has some tics that make it hard to see (and concern me), but with a strong director I truly think he could be great in the role. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 10:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - JAllenC3 06:07 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I think Jason Alexander is very wrong for the role for several reasons, including the fact that he's way too old for it. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 08:26 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - JAllenC3 06:07 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| And yes, apropos Zorba, haven't we been commenting on the fact that these shows don't get very much rehearsal time? It doesn't matter how strong the director is, he wouldn't be given very much time to work with Alexander. It's a moot point. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | scoot1er 07:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - JAllenC3 06:07 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| You will hate me for this, but: I can't see Jason Alexander being great in anything. I find him annoying and arrogant in everything he does. He is the main reason I stopped watching Seinfeld. | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | Michael_212 07:09 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - scoot1er 07:00 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I find him annoying and arrogant in everything he does. In other words, he comes off as obnoxious and disliked? | |
| Link | Corner Table |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | PlayWiz 08:35 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - Michael_212 07:09 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I could see where John Adams comes off as rather obnoxious and disliked at times, but Benjamin Franklin and Abigail certainly like him as played by William Daniels. We'll see what kind of box-office Alexander does when he takes over for Larry David in his play, but Alexander, while rather jovial at times in "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" years ago, has become rather hard in the many years since that time. I'd rather see someone else as Adams too. | |
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| rather "hard to take", that is. | |
| Posted by: | PlayWiz 08:39 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - PlayWiz 08:35 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Otherwise it's all shrinkage from what I remember from a famous "Seinfeld" episode. :) | |
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| re: I'm going to say it... | |
| Posted by: | scoot1er 08:01 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm going to say it... - Michael_212 07:09 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| You know that, sir. | |
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| Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Next Season at Encores - jmill 01:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| re: Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | MarkBearSF 09:21 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Emily Skinner was delightful in as Leona in San Francisco last Summer. | |
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| Ken Wattanabbe as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | Glamourboy 08:45 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| n/m | |
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| re: Ken Wattanabbe as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | PlayWiz 08:57 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Ken Wattanabbe as Leona Samish! nm - Glamourboy 08:45 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Why not have him as Henry Higgins giving elocution lessons in "My Fair Lady"! :-) | |
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| Jane Lynch as Leona Samish... | |
| Posted by: | jimvar1 08:36 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| and some other actress as Roberta de Rossi. LOL!! | |
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| Heather Headley as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | theaterisok 07:56 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Can we please get some diversified thinking on this board?! | |
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| Klea Blackhurst as Leona Samish! | |
| Posted by: | PlayWiz 08:25 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Heather Headley as Leona Samish! nm - theaterisok 07:56 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Let's see the Ethel Merman energy as Leona, maybe like after she parted ways with Ernest Borgnine. | |
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| re: Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm | |
| Posted by: | Alcindoro 07:44 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - OJaffee 05:47 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| There's a repressed, self-pitying quality to Leona, a bitterness she wears like a shield before she learns her lessons the hard way and earns some of our sympathy. I've never seen Menzel do anything that convinced me she has the acting skills to handle such a complex but sparingly written role. Certainly not in the pared-down script of an Encores! presentation. | |
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| Shades of Samish | |
| Posted by: | MarkBearSF 09:37 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Idina Menzel as Leona Samish! nm - Alcindoro 07:44 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Amongst the challenges is conveying this suspicious, pinched outlook while still remaining appealing and still being a bit positively agog. These days, an additional aspect to that challenge is that the wariness is considered a positive in the current world, so without seeming too contemporary, the actress needs to convey the cost of that wariness. | |
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| The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | portenopete 01:18 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Next Season at Encores - jmill 01:03 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Not sure we need 1776, since it's been revived (quite successfully) and is done frequently in regionals. But glad to have an opportunity to hear CABIN IN THE SKY and DO I HEAR A WALTZ? | |
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| Eddie Sauter's orchestrations | |
| Posted by: | Michael_212 03:33 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | The usual reaction. - portenopete 01:18 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I think the opportunity to hear Eddie Sauter's full orchestrations played live is a good enough reason to offer 1776. What I most appreciate about Encores! is a chance to hear these scores as they were originally heard. | |
| Link | Corner Table |
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| re: Eddie Sauter's orchestrations | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 08:29 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Eddie Sauter's orchestrations - Michael_212 03:33 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I have to guess that's the justification, but it still seems a slightly odd choice (even though I love Eddie Sauter perhaps above all other Broadway orchestrators). This will mean that they will have done all four musicals that were nominated for the 1968-69 best musical Tony. | |
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| re: Eddie Sauter's orchestrations | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 04:17 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | Eddie Sauter's orchestrations - Michael_212 03:33 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Agreed. The Broadway revival of 1776 had many things to recommend it, but the orchestra was unacceptably small. Similarly, I saw a wonderful production at Ford's Theater in D.C. a few years back with an excellent cast that included Brooks Ashmanskas and Robert Cuccioli, but again the orchestra was small. (They don't have room for a large orchestra there.) And although I'm pretty sure the Paper Mill production had quite a large orchestra, that production was flawed in other respects. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 01:20 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | The usual reaction. - portenopete 01:18 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I think 1776 is a wasted slot. It was just done at Papermill and the film is shown regularly on cable. The other choices are fine. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | Renfield1950 06:01 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - lowwriter 01:20 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| The best thing about 1776 is the book, which many people who know what they're talking about rank among the greatest, if not the greatest, ever written for a musical. Running it through the Encores! shredder will not only be misguided; in this case, it will be a crime. I think every year they pick one they think has at least a slim chance of transferring. This might have been the motivation behind this otherwise rather inappropriate choice for Encores! Being a presidential election year might have been another consideration. | |
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| Aren't there 35 minutes without a song? | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 09:01 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - Renfield1950 06:01 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I'm sure it will sound wonderful, but I agree with all posts touting the book. It's almost a play with music, the songs are memorable yet the show doesn't work without extraordinary care given to characterization and the difficult sequences without music. It seems counter-intuitive to produce a show that's not music-driven. | |
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| "Just done at Paper Mill"? | |
| Posted by: | TimDunleavy 01:51 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - lowwriter 01:20 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| That was six years ago! (Somebody here said recently that King and I was "just done at Paper Mill," when it was 13 years ago.) Otherwise, point taken. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | PlayWiz 01:50 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - lowwriter 01:20 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| "1776" has a section where it's about 30-40 minutes between songs. Encores was originally all about the score. Granted, "1776" is a great show, but it has a much bigger book than other shows, plus it is done pretty regularly. So, they'll have somebody chop up the book section? This is really a rather waste of a space that could have gone to something else like a Jerry Herman show or "Redhead" or "Hallelujah, Baby!", both of which won Tonys for the Best Musicals of their year, but are rarely mounted nowadays. "Do I Hear A Waltz?" is a good selection; "Cabin in the Sky" has a movie version, but it's probably pretty truncated so it might be nice to hear the full score. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | MarjorieMae 04:22 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - PlayWiz 01:50 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I think "Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe" was written for the film version of Cabin in the Sky, so I'm guessing they won't include it. Pity, what a wonderful song. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | Renfield1950 05:54 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - MarjorieMae 04:22 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Oh, I bet they jam it in there somewhere to give Audra something extra to sing. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | owk 03:41 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - PlayWiz 01:50 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Or Take me Along or Palin and Fancy... I doubt they'd do Hallelujah Baby and Cabin in the Sky in the same season. To me 1776 is worth it to hear those Eddie Sauter orchestrations played by this band. I don't think it's the greatest score in the world, but those charts are out of this world. The original Cabin dances were by Balanchine, so there's probably a lot of Vernon Duke music that's not in the film that we'll get to hear too. Overall, I'm happy. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | Thom915 03:55 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - owk 03:41 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Palin and Fancy? Well, it is an election year. 1776 I understand will be chopped up . there will be only 11 colonies. I seriously hope they pay careful attention to the casting of Do I Hear a Waltz. This is one I want to hear! I also look forward to Cabin in the Sky but feel they wil vocally do that well. | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 09:27 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - Thom915 03:55 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| 1776 I understand will be chopped up . there will be only 11 colonies. New York abates...courteously? ;-) | |
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| re: The usual reaction. | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 02:14 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: The usual reaction. - PlayWiz 01:50 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I think only two of the songs (maybe three) in the film version of Cabin in the Sky are from the show. The Off-Broadway revival, which produced a cast recording, added songs and cut songs from the original score and is also generally considered to have been inadequately performed. And, of course, the original orchestrations were not used. So Cabin in the Sky is really an ideal choice, exactly the kind of show that we're always saying they should be doing. | |
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