I originally saw Bandstand near the end of its run at Papermill. According to my recollection, the ending takes place about a year after the contest. The guys and Julia are watching the movie at some small local venue in Cleveland. When the movie ends, they remain seated and reminisce about their experience with the contest. They all seem to have moved on with their lives. Their band still exists but has not achieved any great success beyond what they have accomplished in their hometown. When they exit the venue, a teenage girl comes up to them and tells them she is a big fan of their music. They all smile and that was about it. I don't recall any big production number finale.
I'm pretty sure there was some sort of authors note in the Papermill playbill stating that they were trying to present a realistic story that was true to what returning soldiers experienced after the war. Apparently when the show made it to Broadway, they changed their minds and decided to go with a big splashy, Hollywood-type ending. I loved the show overall, but liked the ending I saw at Papermill better -- it was very low-key, but more in keeping with the story, which was dark, hard-hitting, and realistic. |
