Giant was probably more commercially viable than First Daughter Suite (in a strictly relative sense), but it was the latter collaboration between LaChuisa and the Public that really got under my skin. I was particularly moved by the piece focusing on Barbara Bush, which engendered true empathy in me for a woman whom I had always found...unsympathetic.
But it’s Hello Again that I think is LaChuisa’s greatest masterpiece. Its score is varied, tuneful, highly moving, and incredibly intelligent. It gives each member of its cast an opportunity for a star then. It’s also the most insightful of the many adaptations of La Ronde that I’ve encountered. I’m so glad it has at least received a New York revival and of course a film adaptation (even if neither quite did the piece justice). |
