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| Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Posted by: Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| There comes a moment in the latest Broadway production of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” when high spirits, terrific dancing and big stars align in an extended marvel of showbiz salesmanship. Unfortunately, that moment is the curtain call. |
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| Link | NYT: Even With Hugh Jackman, ‘The Music Man’ Goes Flat |
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| Theatremania's notes "Willson has two Ls" | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 07:02 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Cute | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:10 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Theatremania's notes "Willson has two Ls" - Ncassidine 07:02 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The comments ... | |
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| re: Cute | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 07:18 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Cute - Ann 07:10 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The whoooooosh of so many people missing the joke is practically audible. | |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 11:30 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:28 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| A lede from hell. About 180 from the Dolly reception. So far, it seems to be the Foster Marian iteration. She's landing not only career high personal notices, but clearly helping make the case that Marian's gravitas and acerbic prism on the world define this interpretation. Maybe the show. The Piano Teacher. Didn't see it coming. |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 11:33 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 11:31 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Delvino 11:28 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Yes and the people behind the 2018 production must be riding high. They got a rave in both the Times and NY Post reviews tonight. | |
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| Would love to have seen the one at Stratford | |
| Posted by: Genealley 11:44 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - KingSpeed 11:31 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| It's a hard show to make work. I've seen several misses. Would love to see a hit! | |
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| re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford | |
| Posted by: portenopete 02:26 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford - Genealley 11:44 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| I didn't love it. It was fine but nothing revelatory. Darren Herbert is a phenomenal actor but didn't seem to be enjoying himself the night I saw it. Stratford has done three productions over the years and I preferred the Jonathan Goad and Dirk Lumbard productions. |
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| re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford | |
| Posted by: singleticket 12:08 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford - portenopete 02:26 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I very much liked the Susan H. Schulman/Jonathan Goad production as well. | |
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| re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford | |
| Posted by: portenopete 02:43 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford - singleticket 12:08 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I preferred that one. It didn't suffer from an excess of choreography. | |
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| re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford | |
| Posted by: Guillaume 11:24 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford - portenopete 02:43 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The Schulman production had a lot of heart, humility and elegance. That's what she always manages to conjure in her productions. | |
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| This one I might miss | |
| Posted by: broadwaybacker 12:00 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Would love to have seen the one at Stratford - Genealley 11:44 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| I saw the original in the late 50’s when Bert Parks played Hill, and saw the 2000 revival with Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker that Strohman helmed. I think I’ll live with those memories. | |
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| The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 08:08 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 08:06 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: This one I might miss - broadwaybacker 12:00 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I'll silently toast the Bierko-Luker teamwork. The show was beautifully realized, Bierko unafraid to go full Preston on line readings or lyric interpretation when it fit, bringing genuine sex appeal to the character as well, and the show was both reminted and preserved. (Full disclosure: friend in the company; I went a few times). I did not love the two Hill replacements, one adequate one miscast, but Luker was still so wonderfully real, the show was never less that satisfying. I grew to realize that Music Man is a show that must have a Marian of substance; when it does, the arc of the storytelling just pulls us along. It's a smart redemption tale with the wisest character on stage a midwestern woman in the early part of last century. Imagine that. Rather than old fashioned, Willson's view of character was clear-eyed. He knew much about the way small towns lean on women like Marian, even as gossip derides their agency and tries to strip them of power. If by default Foster becomes the center of this production, as at least three reviews suggest, it may serve my point. | |
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| re: The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. | |
| Posted by: bicoastal 03:50 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. - Delvino 08:06 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I think this is one reason why the movie is so successful. Shirley Jones's Marian is strong, stalwart, yearning, and confused. I can only dream of seeing Barbara Cook in the role, but I think this is one of Shirley Jones's best performances; she is a great fit and delivers a wonderful Marian. | |
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| Here's Barbara Cook in "The Music Man" video | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 06:00 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 06:00 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. - bicoastal 03:50 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| from the "Bell Telephone Hour", granted not book scenes, but she was quite lovely, and of course, her gorgeous voice! | |
| Link | Barbara Cook "The Music Man" |
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| re: Here's Barbara Cook in "The Music Man" video | |
| Posted by: bicoastal 09:14 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Here's Barbara Cook in "The Music Man" video - PlayWiz 06:00 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| Thanks! I have this on DVD, I love it. She is amazing in these TV performances. I've seen her in several early TV musicals (Bloomer Girl, Yeoman of the Guard) and it sure is a shame there's not a full record of her performance in The Music Man. | |
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| re: The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. | |
| Posted by: IvyLeagueDropout 10:44 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: The last B'way iteration worked for me, and many others. - Delvino 08:06 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I also loved the Bierko Luker revival, on all fronts. Being a midwesterner myself, I always felt there was a reality about Marian in particular, but midwrsterners in general in the show. They (we) are by nature friendly, trusting and fundamentally optimistic. But not stupid. Willson pulls off writing the characters (at least the main characters) without writing them as cartoons. I will probably not see this Music Man (I'm not in NY anymore), but I will say this: regardless of other merits, hearing this score well played and sung makes for an enjoyable evening unto itself. If a production is otherwise good, that's a bonus. |
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| If you miss it…. | |
| Posted by: Roman 12:17 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: This one I might miss - broadwaybacker 12:00 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| ….you won’t miss a thing. | |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 11:25 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Interesting that he doesn’t acknowledge the elephant in the room. The big difference between this and Dolly is Scott Rudin who is a hands on producer who might’ve produced a better show if he had been allowed to. | |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Posted by: dsikula 12:28 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - KingSpeed 11:25 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| I don't think Rudin's presence would have mattered. I think the production staff realized early on that all audiences wanted was to see Jackman, Foster, and the others live on stage and had no motivation in giving them anything other than an utterly uninspired and flaccid two and a half hours of that. | |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Posted by: Kjisgroovy 12:52 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - dsikula 12:28 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| ... you don't think all audiences wanted to see was Bette Midler? C'mon. Scott Rudin sucks as a human being but he never would have allowed this to be a disaster. I don't think that's necessarily a good thing... but... i think you're way off. | |
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| to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:08 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Kjisgroovy 12:52 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| I do think there is a LOT more love and passion and memory of the Dolly score vs the Music Man score. Both are exceptional. But I think Dolly is just more known and more beloved, and I think the audience has more moments it is really looking to see play out live with Bette than Music Man, with or without Hugh. | |
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| re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 06:23 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 06:20 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
| In reply to: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man - Chazwaza 06:08 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
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| Dolly Levi is a lot easier to cast; it lends itself to quite a number of actresses. Harold Hill is really difficult, on the order of Mame (to use another of Jerry Herman's shows) in terms of certain acting abilities and qualities the characters require. The song "Hello, Dolly!" was a popular hit, played at weddings, bar mitzvahs and of course over the airwaves via Louis Armstrong and other covers by other artists. "The Music Man" had a famous cover of "Till There Was You" by the Beatles, though I don't know if it charted very high, compared to some of their other hits. Plus "76 Trombones" became well-known and played at parades and other places quite frequently. Barbershop quartets and a cappella groups sure did and do "Lida Rose and yes, "It's You" quite a lot. I personally think "Hello, Dolly!" has some terrific numbers and some functional but enjoyable numbers that work in the show. But "The Music Man" is really a better score all around and among its wonderful use of counterpoint and pre-rap patter songs, really rather amazing and kind of avant garde, strange but true to say. But big stars like Dick van Dyke got bad reviews and now even Hugh Jackman mixed ones, so it's a much harder leading role to cast satisfactorily. | |
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| re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Posted by: lanky 10:30 pm EST 02/15/22 | |
| In reply to: re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man - PlayWiz 06:20 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
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| Anita Bryant, that great purveyor of Florida orange juice and not so great purveyor of homophobic remarks, had a hit single with "'Till There was You." | |
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| re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 01:44 pm EST 02/16/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:42 pm EST 02/16/22 | |
| In reply to: re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man - lanky 10:30 pm EST 02/15/22 | |
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| Yikes, didn't know that. But the Beatles cover I think is more famous. The song has become a standard, and a great one to sing at weddings (which I did at my brother's wedding years ago.) | |
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| re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 06:54 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:50 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
| In reply to: re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man - PlayWiz 06:20 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
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| I'm not trying to compare the quality of the writing, I'm saying I think the song in Hello Dolly are much more the kind that bring out the kind of reception Rudin would want, and the role of Dolly has much more enthusiasm and love in the heart of the musical theater crowds than does Hill. I think way more people were ecstatic to get a dose of the broadway medicine that Bette as Dolly sounds like than what Hugh as Hill (or anyone as Hill) sounds like. And the shows as a whole, I think Dolly inspires more warmth and "musical medicine" feeling than Music Man does. I adore both shows and think both are great, but I do think Music Man is a technically better piece of score writing (both have some weaknesses in the book, but both disguise and wear them very well). We can even boil it down to the adoration of female musical theater star and lead roles vs male... it's just observably more for the female stars and the roles written for them. We also had a big Music Man revival 22 years prior to this revival, which many of the audiences for this revival saw, and we have a beloved movie with a definitive performance in the role by the original Hill (and only actor ever associated with the role). We hadn't seen a Dolly on Broadway with a new star in the first cast since the 60s original (the many replacements, and Carol remountings, don't count)... and while I love the movie and Babs' performance, even more than most, it isn't considered the definitive performance of Dolly Levi nor is it by the beloved and famous originator of the role. So I think the shows are working with pretty different specs when you break it down past "beloved broadway classic with a super star playing the lead role". |
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| re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:01 am EST 02/15/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:00 am EST 02/15/22 | |
| In reply to: re: to be fair, Hello Dolly vs Music Man - Chazwaza 06:50 pm EST 02/14/22 | |
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| Either show can work with someone not a super star playing the role if they are good. I saw a young person's theater a few years ago in NY who jobbed in a Yale student for their Harold Hill, and he was one of the better Harold Hills I've ever seen. The show was pretty well cast, though younger than usual for a few roles, but it still delivered. And i wasn't disappointed by the expectation of dashed hopes of a big star like Dick Van Dyke, who should have been good, but wasn't and almost dragged down his whole production (with the exception of his Marian). Even if Jackman got all around great reviews, he's not worth the price of a round trip ticket to Europe or to Los Angeles depending on the ticket price. | |
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| re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN | |
| Posted by: ryhog 01:12 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Kjisgroovy 12:52 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| actually, I think it's fair to say that Rudin's track record with musicals has include some disasters and I think a lot of the reasons here are the consequence of things he did before he "stepped back." I think some of the sentiment now is a matter of absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or some such. | |
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| Here’s Johnny’s review | |
| Last Edit: Genealley 10:49 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| Posted by: Genealley 10:46 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Gotta agree with him. | |
| Link | https://nypost.com/2022/02/10/the-music-man-review-hugh-jackmans-revival-is-a-let-down/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app |
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| On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 12:48 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 12:37 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: Here’s Johnny’s review - Genealley 10:46 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Mark Kennedy calls Hugh Jackman ''the real deal'' in ''a glorious and exuberant revival of 'The Music Man.' '' Plus, there's high praise for his co-star,Sutton Foster, who ''somehow channels her inner Carole Burnett ...'' Don't they have copy editors at AP anymore? ''Carole Burnett''? Other websites have picked up AP's review without correcting the typo, too! I wonder how long it'll take for someone to fix that. Or will they need to consult the AP Stylebook? ;) |
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| Link | Associated Press review: Hugh Jackman Steals 'The Music Man' on Broadway |
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| re: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman | |
| Posted by: mamaleh 10:23 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman - WaymanWong 12:37 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The AP’s review is pretty spot-on. I also found this production buoyant and vastly entertaining. Hugh and Sutton are at the top of their game. By contrast, I cannot understand why Jesse Green thinks HJ’s Hill should have been more “dangerous” or less “cool and manipulative.” Huh? Isn’t “manipulative” what Hill is supposed to be? And it’s absurd to state that this Hill is not “lovable.” If he didn’t project amiability, the townspeople would never take to him or his conman concoctions. Some critics cannot avoid the temptation of tearing down a show because it’s not the one they envisioned in their own brilliant minds: mostly nonwhite principals, edginess, more woke, less woke, experimental staging, etc. And that’s a shame. But the hundreds of Winter Garden audience members at the several performances I’ve attended who wax rhapsodically about the show during intermission and as they leave their seats don’t care what those critics think. They’re too busy feeling uplifted after two and a half hours of pure enjoyment. |
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| re: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman | |
| Posted by: Someday 09:14 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman - WaymanWong 12:37 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The AP review also says the show has been scrubbed of racism and “misogamy”. I’m pretty sure Mark Kennedy meant to say “misogyny” there. Misogamy *is* a word, but it means means hatred of marriage. And while Marian may have complex feelings toward the institution, I doubt that’s what the revisers removed. Assuming Kennedy attended opening night, maybe the piece bypassed copy editing due to the quick turnaround. |
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| re: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman | |
| Posted by: Ordoc 01:19 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman - WaymanWong 12:37 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The typo is the least of the problem. Chaneling Carol Burnett is the wrong way to go with the role. | |
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| re: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman | |
| Posted by: Roman 08:19 am EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: On the other hand: The Associated Press gave a rave to Hugh Jackman - Ordoc 01:19 am EST 02/11/22 | |
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| That’s not at all what she does. She quite sincerely makes the role her own. I didn’t get Burnett at ALL. That entire review is off. Hugh disappoints. |
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| Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats | |
| Last Edit: Genealley 10:30 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| Posted by: Genealley 10:30 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: Green on THE MUSIC MAN - Clancy 10:17 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Green must have seen the show earlier in the week. | |
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| re: Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:29 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
| In reply to: Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats - Genealley 10:30 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| Well, Sarava! worked that way. (Google it, youngsters.) | |
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| re: Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats | |
| Posted by: venividivideo 05:13 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats - Delvino 11:29 pm EST 02/10/22 | |
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| ...as did Merlin. | |
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| I hope the producers are asking themselves... | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 05:21 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Apparently the NYTimes bought one of those premium seats - venividivideo 05:13 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| ... if they got what they wanted out of that rather surly announcement about the reviewers. Whatever they were hoping to achieve—and given how relatively critic-proof the show is in light of Jackman's involvement, why bother?—that NYT headline surely wasn't it. | |
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| re: I hope the producers are asking themselves... | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 05:46 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: I hope the producers are asking themselves... - MockingbirdGirl 05:21 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| The announcement was done in a classless way. And I don't know why they'd even expect good headlines/reviews out of it, to be honest. | |
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| re: I hope the producers are asking themselves... | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 06:38 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I hope the producers are asking themselves... - Chromolume 05:46 pm EST 02/11/22 | |
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| And they got the opposite: a number of the reviews pointedly mentioned being invited to opening night as a ploy - a scam, a con - to hide the show's lack of luster by surrounding the critics with an enthusiastic opening night crowd. | |
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