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| re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayLover 03:17 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
| In reply to: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? - EvFoDr 02:53 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
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| Although I didn't see it on Broadway, I enjoyed a strong production in Long Beach, CA with John Raitt in 1984. The show packs a lot of power and has great dramatic musical numbers for the male lead which Raitt sang beautifully. |
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| re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? | |
| Posted by: BruceinIthaca 09:27 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
| In reply to: re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? - BroadwayLover 03:17 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
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| When I was an undergraduate at Northwestern, the national tour of Shenandoah starring Cullum came to Chicago and played the Arie Crown. Those of you who knew the Loop theatres of that era (mid to late 70s), may recall that the Arie Crown was a humongous barn of a theatre, part of McCormick Place, a huge convention center (it's where the tour of Sweeney Todd with Lansbury and Hearn also played, among many others). One Saturday or Sunday (I don't remember which), I screwed up my courage and took the El from Evanston to the stop closest to McCormick Place (about a mile or so walk nonetheless) and bought a ticket in the farthest reaches of the balcony (all I could afford). I'd owned the LP for some time and had seen the film with my parents when it came out. I could barely see the faces of the actors, but Cullum's voice and presence were definitive--I remember some of his soliloquies to this day with a clarity I don't necessarily have about some productions I've seen in more recent years! I don't recall all that much about the rest of the cast or the production as a whole (not their fault--it is truly a vehicle for Charlie Anderson), but I became a fan of Cullum's for a lifetime. And the last scene with the singing of the "hymn" ("Pass the Cross to Me") with the, yes, shamelessly manipulative ending (the same as in the film), did indeed move me to tears--but I didn't feel "used," simply happy and touched. I don't think it could easily be revived today--though I agree with those posters who describe it as being equally critical of the South and the North in the making of war--I think it was a show of its time. But in its time, if you were really just starting your career as an audience member of big, professional Broadway-based shows, it was deeply satisfying. | |
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| re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? | |
| Posted by: Snowgrace 06:52 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
| In reply to: re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? - BroadwayLover 03:17 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
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| Saw it on Broadway when I was 10 & LOVED it...I remember John Cullum letting me, having dropped off a letter to him, come meet him backstage & he was so, so gracious! Maureen Silliman went on to do lots of work, & Donna Theodore, the other principal female cast member, did quite a bit of other work around that time...I think my Dad & I saw her in one of the wonderful musicals at Equity Library Theatre. The commercial, of John Cullum singing in a field, was very powerful & aired a LOT. | |
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| re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 12:31 pm EDT 08/21/20 | |
| In reply to: re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? - Snowgrace 06:52 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
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| Thanks for the memory! Theodore impressed me immediately on the Freedom track. Before I knew who was singing, both Ann Crumb and Streisand came to mind. Something about the "throb" in her tone. I felt for sure it must be the younger version of some actress who became a Broadway mainstay. But alas, I had never heard of her and she has no other credits on IBDB. ' |
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| re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 12:35 am EDT 08/21/20 | |
| In reply to: re: SHENANDOAH: Thoughts and Memories? - Snowgrace 06:52 pm EDT 08/20/20 | |
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| I think other posters covered most of what I would have said. Saw it in Boston, I believe pre Broadway. I took my parents. By this time I was already an experienced theater goer and more. We all liked the show, it was decently crafted and had that oh so fantastic part for its male lead which Cullum filled magnificently. It was of its time, the anti war sentiment still in the air moved the audiences in ways that don't as much today. Listening to the cast album is a pleasant experience, there are a number of good old fashioned show tunes. Geld and Udell were modestly talented as a team but Pulie continues to resonate whereas Shendoah does not. | |
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