I think it was just a bad idea. it's two characters who are not especially interesting. There aren't many real obstacles getting in their way of getting together. It's the kind of thing that can work on the screen if you've got the right actors, and it did, but there's very little real plot. There's local color, which works better onscreen, and two actors you like. Even with two actors you like onstage, it's not the same. There's not enough variety, not enough of interest to sing about. It's like The Baker's Wife — a movie that was never going to be a successful stage musical because the plot is too simple and too predictable. It works onscreen because of actors you love and local color but it can't be a full evening onstage. And although there are good and even great musicals with even less plot, those — like Follies and Assassins and A Chorus Line — either have huge themes or a large group of characters providing variety or both.
Perhaps if they had made it one half of an evening of two one-act musicals and had come up with a contrasting new piece for the other half. |
