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| re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 04:47 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... - Michael_Portantiere 04:34 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
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| Yes, the Lion in Winter deal makes full sense on her side, as much as I loathe that that is why it played out this way since I'd bet anything that with the right actor attached they'd have revived Lion in Winter anyway. And Sondheim's interest in a regular relationship of revivals with Roundabout could certainly have been on his mind... however, their revival of Company was not some great success and only ran 3 months and didn't win any Tonys (and only nominated for 2, revival and supporting actress), so I'd be surprised that he'd see that and say "I have to make sure they do as much of my canon as possible". But given that he just liked that they were being revived and new the new financial realities of Broadway, perhaps he did. |
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| re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 05:14 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... - Chazwaza 04:47 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
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| "And Sondheim's interest in a regular relationship of revivals with Roundabout could certainly have been on his mind... however, their revival of Company was not some great success and only ran 3 months and didn't win any Tonys (and only nominated for 2, revival and supporting actress), so I'd be surprised that he'd see that and say 'I have to make sure they do as much of my canon as possible.' But given that he just liked that they were being revived and new the new financial realities of Broadway, perhaps he did." Yes, and as someone else here noted, those were the days before Sondheim's shows began to be revived so frequently on Broadway. |
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| re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 05:38 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 05:36 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... - Michael_Portantiere 05:14 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
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| Ha, yes, that was me. I wonder now if he's more interested in quality control than he was before. I certainly know that when I bring friends who don't know and already love a show to see a mediocre or bad production, they don't usually give it another chance, that is their one and only chance to appreciate or love it. When I brought my mom to the Roundabout Follies I was so frustrated because it would be her only chance to see it on stage. The point is, approving mediocre or misguided productions that don't sell what's amazing about the show properly (or worse, undermine what's amazing about it) does a lot of harm, just as having the show revived can do a lot of good in terms of exposure, relevance, new audiences, etc... It's a tricky balancing act. With a revival it can do one or two of three things - A) remind people and expose new audiences to the show and what makes it so great, B) present the show in a new context or vision, unrelated or intentionally very different from how it was originally presented or intended and bring a new view of the show or show people things about it they hadn't seen before (if it's good), C) degrade the memory of show and opinion of the material for new audiences and make people wonder what the fuss was about. It's really hard to know what will happen. For example: John Doyle's Color Purple (and Sweeney for most people, and Company for some) did B, but in my opinion his Pacific Overtures did C. Many disagree with me, but if his PO were my first and only exposure to the show I'd have been very confused and disappointed. Assassins did A & B, Threepenny Opera did C (luckily it's an enduring classic anyway). The Maria Friedman west end revival of Merrily also did C... in a very big way for me and the friends who didn't know the show who went with me to see it. The Roundabout revival of Follies very nearly achieved C, but the next revival (perhaps barely) achieved A. None of this is to say that revivals should be recreations of originals, or not try to find a new vision or presentation for the show that also works - I'm just saying it can be a risk, especially for a living author who wants his work performed and writes shows that are very challenging to sing and act, and often expensive to produce properly. |
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| re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 10:47 am EST 02/08/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Here is what Bobby has to say about the Roundabout production... - Chazwaza 05:36 pm EST 02/07/18 | |
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| "I wonder now if he's more interested in quality control than he was before. I certainly know that when I bring friends who don't know and already love a show to see a mediocre or bad production, they don't usually give it another chance, that is their one and only chance to appreciate or love it. When I brought my mom to the Roundabout Follies I was so frustrated because it would be her only chance to see it on stage. The point is, approving mediocre or misguided productions that don't sell what's amazing about the show properly (or worse, undermine what's amazing about it) does a lot of harm, just as having the show revived can do a lot of good in terms of exposure, relevance, new audiences, etc..." Do you remember the statement/response in the press between Sondheim and Todd Haimes over the size of the orchestra for the Roundabout revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE? Link to the original NY Times article below, and here is a quote from that article, followed by an excerpt from Sondheim's response. Perhaps this sheds some light on the Sondheim/Roundabout relationship. HAIMES QUOTE IN THE TIMES: What happened? Were the producers too cheap to allow six more instruments into the theater? “It was part of a particular artistic concept the director had,” said Todd Haimes, Roundabout’s artistic director. “The show had been in a small theater in London. Then when it came over here, Steve Sondheim was asked if he was happy with the way it sounded. He said yes, so there was never a discussion about increasing the size. If he had said, ‘No, it can’t come to New York unless there are 11 musicians,’ we probably would have accommodated that.” QUOTE FROM SONDHEIM'S RESPONSE, IN A LETTER TO THE TIMES: Like everybody else, as Ms. Elliott reports, I deplore the downsizing of orchestras, but I understand the economics. If I had thought for one minute that Roundabout, a nonprofit company, could afford 11 players for the revival of “Sunday in the Park With George,” I’d have asked for them. After reading in Ms. Elliott’s article that Todd Haimes, the company’s artistic director, would have given them to me, I’ll know better the next time we work together (which, I hasten to add, I hope will be soon). |
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| Link | NY Times article |
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