The two old shows that I've seen in unaltered form that held up best were OF THEE I SING (because the politics satirized are eternal) and ONE TOUCH OF VENUS. The latter frankly surprised me with how well the jokes landed, given the plot.
JUBILEE (which I'm currently researching for a book on the 1935-36 season; yay, I'm finally done with the Lunts!!!) has that amazing, underrated score,,but Hart's book is very much linked to its era. The production I saw helpfully provided detailed descriptions of the topical references for those who don't know Elsa Maxwell, Johnny Weissmuller, Noel Coward, Fritz Kreisler, etc. The jokes are too dependent on context.
The one that sorely disappointed was REDHEAD. I've also seen ALLEGRO and LADY IN THE DARK intact, but they were odd even for their times, so it's kind of hard to judge. LADY works better with a big budget, to highlight the contrast between Liza's dreams and reality. It doesn't work nearly as well in a concert setting.
Laura |
