Oh, believe me, I thought of my reaction in 1991 when I read about the Sher alteration! That production still hasn’t gotten to Los Angeles yet; just heard it may be this fall at the Dolby, so I am dubious if I will attend. The combination of the pandemic + I hate the Dolby + no money + I have seen MFL many times, including with Rex H = doubtful. Of course, don’t ask me how I will feel when they reschedule THE BAND’S VISIT for the Dolby, a show I want to see so much, it hurts...
On the bare bones of Look What They’ve Done to My Stage Directions, Ma, the serious theatre historian in me is inclined to grumble, and maybe speculate that the Houston Variant (they’re KISSING) at least is a logical extension of AJL’s libretto (and his written comments on why he thinks GBS is wrong; but the Sher Variant (Eliza pops back in, then exits via center aisle) clearly derives from PYGMALION, and tell me again, what show are you staging here?
But theatre has to be more than bare bones. It’s actors and directors bringing a story to life. That magic can’t be defined or quantified—and allows for endless interpretations. The sexual tension throughout the Houston production made that variant acceptable in my mind. (Of course, the fact that Langella has made me melt since 1970’s THE TWELVE CHAIRS likely helped.) If, as I have heard, the Sher variant is skewed to a drastically more independent Eliza, the performance may justify the ending. I cannot chime in here without seeing it.
Laura |
