Thank you. I never understood the move to the Majestic, which struck me as peculiar. (I'm less familiar with the house, since I haven't been in there in 20 years, for the obvious reason, though I recall everything from The Wiz to Bette Midler there.)
Sidebar but far from unrelated: I saw the first national in the opera house of the Kennedy Center, absolutely wrong for Night Music, at least the original staging. I was lucky to have a fairly decent orchestra seat, but I always notice how enormous and impersonal the space is when I watch the yearly honors. I lived in DC and saw countless shows there until late 1979, including Mack and Mable (okay fit) and the Lansbury Gypsy (not so much). It's interesting that the original try-out of Annie played the Eisenhower, a good decision, as did the last revival of Follies (saw it's penultimate matinee there).
House choice always plays a role in how material lands, and when I read reports of Fun Home touring and ending up in road barns, I sympathized.
When smaller musicals strategically book smaller houses (say, Next to Normal in the Booth), it's an experience enhancing decision. So many shows fit well into the Broadhurst, with that intimate mezz. For me, the Kennedy Center experiences informed my taste for size/show synchronicity. Night Music must've felt like it was miles away from those rings. |
