I used to love Hello, Dolly! and Mame as a kid, but I now realize how dated and thin their plots are. The new revival of Hello, Dolly! creaks along because it's so old-fashioned and lacking in much depth. Dolly gets revived solely because it has a great leading role (Midler is near perfection; can't even imagine Bernadette coming close to delivering on the slapsticky stuff). Mame doesn't get revived much. The songs for both shows are melodious, of course, but, except for their title songs, no songs are recognizable by the average person.
Sondheim's revolution has left Herman's work in the dust. New composers are mimicking Sondheim and avoiding Herman. La Cage may have some staying power, mainly because it deals with real emotional and social conflict.
I've never seen Dear, World, Mack & Mabel, or The Grand Tour (frankly, either have most people) so can't comment on those.
While I love Herman's music, his musicals will become interesting historical tidbits rather than major parts of the revival repertoire. His work is fun, yet forgettable. |
