"I was there for yesterday’s talk back. Learned something from a questioner in the audience. Mack & Mabel is a tragic love story, yet the two never have a duet. I had worn out my LP from use as I love the score. I had never realized that the two lovers at the center of the story never sing together and that’s indicative of why M&M doesn’t work."
On this point, I have to disagree. Given the nature of their relationship, I think it's entirely appropriate that they never sing together. I think their relationship is perfect encapsulated by the fact that Mack sings "I Won't Send Roses" and then, immediately afterwards, when he is not around, Mabel reprises the song with different lyrics.
P.S. Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow never actually sing together -- as in singing at the same time -- in CAROUSEL, and that's perfect for those two characters' relationship as well. In several other shows, such as OKLAHOMA! and SOUTH PACIFIC, the two leads sing together only briefly, according to the growth of their characters' relationship. And, of course, Higgins and Eliza never sing together in MY FAIR LADY, which is 100 percent appropriate. |
