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| re: Is Mack & Mabel over? | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 04:23 pm EDT 06/16/22 | |
| In reply to: Is Mack & Mabel over? - Zelgo 08:31 am EDT 06/16/22 | |
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| I know people love to talk about how the score is so good and the book is a big problem, but it''s not that simple. The score IS glorious. I LOVE listening to the recording. But, as noted, the show gets very dark in the second act as Mabel decends into drug addiction. No amount of book re-writing can fix this---unless they decide to rewrite history and make it lighter. Because the songs that Herman wrote for the second act don't tell that dark story, with the exception of Time Heals Everything. You actually need new songs that are of a style that probably wasn't Herman's style and not the sort of thing he would have written. Also in general the score probably has one too many songs for Mack singing about or recreating silent movie moments. I say this based on research about the show and having seen the Encores production. I wonder if some felt that the original got it right somehow, but that the audience just didn't embrace it. |
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| re: Is Mack & Mabel over? | |
| Posted by: FIG 09:07 am EDT 06/17/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Is Mack & Mabel over? - EvFoDr 04:23 pm EDT 06/16/22 | |
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| Completely agree with you. I saw the Encores presentation and have know the CD for years, and tin my opinion he problem is that the score is not in sync with the book (specially in the second act). It is wonderful Jerry Herman music, brassy, fun, and the book is trying to tell I more dramatic story. I feel Gower Champion was trying to do a 'serious' musical, and didn't completely have it in him. No that dissimilar of what happened with The Happy Time. FIG |
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| re: Is Mack & Mabel over? | |
| Posted by: lanky 04:33 pm EDT 06/16/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Is Mack & Mabel over? - EvFoDr 04:23 pm EDT 06/16/22 | |
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| I saw the original and for the reasons you outline the show didn't work. The second act especially -- as you suggest -- was very dark and lacking in pace and energy. There were many walkouts. I've always been puzzled by the support for a revival. | |
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