I think ALNM might be too low key for some audiences. The score is glorious, but other than WintheC-it lacks the sassy zest of those deligthful Golden Age musicals and it takes some time to get going, I've found the exposition last about 20 minutes and the story doesn't really move until Frederick wanders into Desiree's apartment. (I saw the North Shore Music Theatre production (near Boston, MA) with Donna McKechnie and Jeff McCarthy some years ago, 2000!!!!, and in the men's room afterwards, one senior said, "I like something with jokes and more dancing)
remember what Abbott said to Bernstein for On the Town: I don't want any of that Prokofae stuff.
Well, the (agitated, elongated) rhythms of Night Music can be like the conflation of this Prokofiev with Richard Strauss |
