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| TB REGIONAL REVIEW: "RAGS" in CONNCECTICUT | |
| Posted by: T.B._Admin. 09:16 am EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| Fred reviews this Goodspeed Opera House production, which runs through December 10 in East Haddam CT. | |
| Link | TALKIN' BROADWAY REGIONAL REVIEWS: CONNECTICUT & THE BERKSHIRES |
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| Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot | |
| Posted by: wizrdofoz27 09:26 am EDT 10/27/17 | |
| In reply to: TB REGIONAL REVIEW: "RAGS" in CONNCECTICUT - T.B._Admin. 09:16 am EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| Several new characters and others eliminated, it sounds like. | |
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| re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 04:35 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
| In reply to: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot - wizrdofoz27 09:26 am EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| I saw the original production, pre-Broadway in Boston. What I remember are the incandescent performance by Teresa Stratas (if that isn't redundant I don't know what is, incandescent and Ms. Stratas almost always go hand in hand), my first look at someone I knew would become a star (Judy Kuhn) and the mess that was the storytelling. My point is, if ever there were a musical where a major reworking of the plot would be in order, Rags is it. Based on the review, maybe they have salvaged a memorable theater score. I certainly hope so. | |
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| re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot | |
| Posted by: Delvino 06:06 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot - Snowysdad 04:35 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| I saw the original production, a preview, and agree with your points. Stratas and the score were the events, and what events they were. I've since grown so attached to the recording (alas, without Stratas), and have a special fondness for the overture. One of the best, ever. The revival I saw at Paper Mill many years ago was lackluster, despite some good performances. It's a show that has trouble gaining steam. Dramatic momentum. The set-up was always harrowing and brilliant, this Ellis Island arrival, and then it just seemed to hop around, sometimes tread water (albeit with lovely songs) until the catastrophic events of act two. The reunion of husband and wife at the end of act one was forced and didn't feel terribly moving, in either the original or the revival. And the best known song (also memorably covered by Ripley and Skinner) was not sung by the two women, but but Rebecca. Apparently, there are at least three versions of the working script, and song order, rather like the post-original "On a Clear Day..." but not as many as "Candide." I'd love to see a small, tight, focused production that found emotional suspense earlier. As a sort of sequel to "Fiddler," which many described it, it was always too ambitious, too many characters to keep track of. | |
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| re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot | |
| Posted by: bearcat 05:33 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot - Snowysdad 04:35 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| what happened to the husband Rebecca comes in search of? It seems like the roles played by DIck Latessa (Avram) and Marcia Lewis have been retooled based on description of "Three Little Rooms" "Blame It on the Summer Night" as a trio? when I saw a very good conservatory production years ago, I thought Rebecca is just a reactive character, she has no impetus, and that's bad for a main role. It was a good choice to give her more agency as the review indicates. Also, "Children of the Wind" is not a good intro for the character. At the show's opening, she has not earned the right to speak for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Something more specific to her own person is necessary to engage with her. The added duet for her and Bella works better. (it's been awhile since I thought about the show, so maybe I'm getting some of this wrong) remember John Simon's headline "Sad Rags" and him saying Judy's Kuhn's character experiences the double indignity of dying in the fire and having to sing the title song (which I think is a knock-out) |
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| Rebecca's "I Want..." also seemed to be... | |
| Posted by: Delvino 06:11 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Sounds like a substantial reworking of the plot - bearcat 05:33 pm EDT 10/27/17 | |
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| The one she sings to her son about the brand new world. Catchy, upbeat, optimistic. But you're right: she was a character with a sort of drifting, not terribly compelling drive. In a sense, the inciting incident -- the decision to flee to America -- unseen, leaves her riding a crest of hope at the start of the show, but then nothing to do about it. She meanders through act one. It was a serious problem, Rebecca's inability to take action on her own behalf. We lose patience, and all three of her act one solos felt disconnected to events in the book. She just announced feelings in song. | |
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