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| DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. | |
| Last Edit: ShowGoer 03:59 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| Posted by: ShowGoer 03:57 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - JereNYC 03:13 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Either that, or there just wasn't any interest in their new mission, or whatever you wanna call it, from the time it was announced. But quality aside, after grabbing a discounted seat at the last minute, this was easily the most sparsely attended Encores production I've seen in their entire history: the dress circle maybe half-full, the rear mezzanine very spotty, and to quote Georgie Jessel, they were nearly shooting deer in the balcony. (Some will say I'm being unfair, that it's still a pandemic year, etc., but that's not hurting attendance at shows that people have interest in like "The Music Man", "Six", and the forthcoming "Plaza Suite.) There was a Sunday performance during a snowstorm a few years back that was nearly as empty (Big River? Applause? The 2nd Call Me Madam? I can't remember) but that's the only one that's come close to this amount of empty seats. Billy Porter on the one hand doesn't have a tough act to follow, based on this disconcertingly poor offering - but I'd think the pressure's on him to restore a little of Encores' past luster. Whether ticket sales can improve with a similarly negligible title like "The Life" remains to be seen, but I at least trust Porter to give that one more of an overall cohesive sense of showbiz than what was on display this past weekend. Still, the implication by deBessonet that they've basically already done all the pre-20th century musicals that are palatable to today's audiences – and the justifiable reaction to them knee-capping perhaps the most fondly remembered character in the show they revived this weekend by excising one of her most definable characteristics - combined with the poor attendance, means that some over there already have to be thinking how to course-correct. Encores has had only 3 previous artistic directors in its 3 decades of existence, with Viertel there for the past 20 years. All of those people, love 'em or hate 'em, were more established pros who knew and respected the history of the art form. If they don't find a way to program shows like "Nymph Errant", "The Happy Time" or "Dear World" alongside, say, "Passing Strange", "Passion" and "Parade", I think interest will quickly continue to decline to the point where this institution soon becomes irrelevant, if it's even still in existence. But if they stick to their guns along this line of programming choices and don't venture any earlier than the mid-1980s – if the next season once again has no "Love Life" but is comprised of "Juan Darien", "Fela!" and a special multi-generational production of "Bright Star" featuring public school students – I'm out for good, and I'm 100% positive many subscribers who reluctantly renewed for this year will be joining me. |
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| re: DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 05:30 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. - ShowGoer 03:57 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Exactly. One must respect the history of the art form, and the writers who crafted even dramaturgically imperfect shows. Not view it all as inherently problematic, and therefore necessary for reconfiguring and updating. Take those issues to St. Ann's Warehouse! Also, frankly, ENCORES! for nearly three decades simply works as is. It ain't broke. It doesn't need fixing. |
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