Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 01:12 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Wondering what some of your go-to enjoyable musicals you play from shows that didn't run long. I'm sure for many “Candide, “Mack and Mabel”, “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Anyone Can Whistle” might qualify for having had short runs, but they’ve also had an afterlife with more than one “second chance”. So looking for others that haven't had as many chances to be rediscovered. "Goldilocks" - really a silly, wrong-headed title for a highly enjoyable show about early Hollywood with marvelous performances led by Elaine Stritch, Don Ameche, Pat Stanley and Russell Nype with music and orchestrations by Leroy Anderson (composer of "Sleigh Ride", "The Syncopated Clock" and novelty/light-hearted orchestral classics) and lyrics by Walter and Jean Kerr and Joan Ford "Tenderloin" - Bock and Harnick's enjoyable score with fine vocal performances led by Maurice Evans and Ron Husmann (it ran for over 200 performances, but might be considered a flop) "Drat! the Cat!" - the live LP recording from a live performances starring Elliot Gould and Lesley Ann Warren sounds like a hit from audience response, and the studio recording with Susan Egan and Jason Graae also very enjoyable "The Gay Life" - Barbara Cook is especially enchanting in mostly wonderful Dietz/Schwartz score "The Grass Harp" - Barbara Cook, Karen Morrow and Carol Brice's voices are three forces of nature in some gorgeous songs "Subways Are For Sleeping" - fun overture, very singular opening number; also on first hearing you can get why Phyllis Newman stopped the show with "I Was a Shoo-in". The show features some other great numbers as well. "Hallelujah, Baby!" - won the Best Musical, but still considered a lop - Leslie Uggams, Lillian Hayman and company are wonderful in the only Tony award-winning musical score for which Jule Styne ever won that award. "House of Flowers" - Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll heading the cast singing a wonderful Arlen/Capote score |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: PJ 08:16 am EST 11/23/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Favorites: The Human Comedy remains one of my favorite scores. Perhaps Galt McDermott's best. My Favorite Year - that cast, that opening number. Cry Baby - I think they released only the sub-standard demos, but this score is capital-F Fun. LaChiusa's Wild Party - because it's a perfect adaptation presented perfectly. Duh. Fortress of Solitude - which may not count as a flop, since it completed its scheduled run at the Public and never transferred My Life With Albertine - again, something that simply didn't extend or transfer, but what a bananas complex score Honorable mentions: Triumph of Love Sweet Smell of Success Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown OLC Steel Pier Nick & Nora Play On! Side Show OBC Zombie Prom Sail Away OLC High Fidelity The Capeman Thou Shalt Not |
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| The 1998 version of HIGH SOCIETY | |
| Posted by: HadriansMall 07:40 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| It was my first Broadway show and my first real exposure to Cole Porter. I loved it - with and without the horse lol Still get warm feelings when I see those fat cats. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: Lapsedfan 02:56 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I'm not sure if ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER is considered a flop, especially since there was a movie version and at least one Broadway revival. It only ran 208 performances (no idea whether it paid back its investors). But Barbara Harris singing "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here" is one of my top-five favorite songs from any Broadway show. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: mermaniac 11:07 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Lapsedfan 02:56 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
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| Baker Street, Ankles Aweigh, Happiest Girl in the World, I Had a Ball, Saratoga, Celebration, Mr. President, Let It Ride, The Athenian Touch (believe it or not !), Hazel Flagg, One Night Stand, etc., etc., etc. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") '''''athenian touch | |
| Posted by: bmc 12:09 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - mermaniac 11:07 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
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| I own a copy of ATHENIAN TOUCH, but I've yet to listen to it. "maybe next year" | |
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| Thanks for all of your replies. Not quite the infamous "treasure trail" thread response, but getting there! :) | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 07:07 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 07:03 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| We do love our flop musicals! The classic book "Not Since Carrie" is a great resource of wonderful scores from flops, as well as details on some, well, not very good ones as well. I've got to admit sometimes putting on "Nobody Throw Those Bull" from "Whoop-Up" as one of those "am I hearing what I'm hearing?" puzzlers, as in 'so bad it's good'. (There's even a Maurice Chevalier cover of it!) | |
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| Favorite Flop recordings accessible streaming | |
| Posted by: WayneM 06:39 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| As part of my Cablevision subscription there are numerous music channels available provided by Stingray Recently I tuned onto the broadway channel and was happily surprised to find the selections wonderful. I expected like sirius to find mostly the "hits" from current and past shows. To my amazement lots of flop musicals are well represented. Songs/overtures from such things as Cry for Us All, Let It Ride, Saratoga, Prettybelle, etc It was, as if, they raided my personal music collection ! Some of my favs include Oh Captain, Oh Brother, above mentioned Prettybelle, Tenderloian |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: jmill 05:28 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I agree with many of the recordings already noted, including HAPPY TIME, DEAR WORLD, DARLING OF THE DAY, and HALLELUJAH BABY, to name a few. Some favorites that I don't think have been listed include BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS, CARMELINA, THF GRAND TOUR, and more recent shows like CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, and GROUNDHOG DAY, to name a few. I'm sure I've left a lot of shows out. |
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| BANDSTAND | |
| Posted by: jmill 05:46 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - jmill 05:28 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I should have also mentioned BANDSTAND, which was a big favorite of mine; I love the score and the CD. | |
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| The Goodbye Girl | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 04:41 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 04:37 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I love every second of it, especially the overtures. I used to listen to Footloose a lot. I love the opening number. Also- The Scottsboro Boys is wonderful. Oh and Lippa’s The Wild Party. Wedding Singer and High Fidelity too. “The Last Real Record Store On Earth” gets me going. Oh and Henry Sweet Henry! | |
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| re: The Goodbye Girl | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 05:04 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: The Goodbye Girl - KingSpeed 04:37 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Oh and The Beautiful Game! Is Whistle Down the Wind a flop? I love it but I think it had a good run on the West End. | |
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| re: The Goodbye Girl | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 05:21 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Goodbye Girl - KingSpeed 05:04 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| And Flora and The Red Menace! | |
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| Did I miss it? | |
| Posted by: moviejoemovies 11:18 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Skimmed over the responses so I may have missed a mention of "Take Me Along". This is the only show that I know of that contains almost every song in the show in the Overture. | |
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| A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Last Edit: DanielVincent 11:30 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Add me to those who've sung the praises of the recordings of The Life, The Visit, High Fidelity, Taboo, and Steel Pier. But here are a few more that, at least in a cursory scan, I didn't notice being singled out. If/Then: This manipulative mess was a guilty pleasure of mine while it was still on Broadway, but its recording makes an especially compelling case for it as more than just an Idina vehicle--though she has never sounded better. The score is incredibly melodic, moving and memorable (#unintentionalillteration). Without having to muddle their way through the misbegotten book, the performers truly shine. Anthony Rapp, James Synder, Jason Tam, Jen Colella, and Jerry Dixon all sound flawless. Rapp, Synder, and Tam all have genuinely tender moments that, despite the stereotypical bluster of musical theatre, succeed because they seem so intimate. Marie Christine was mostly dismissed as pretentious, atonal, and only valuable as a starring vehicle for Audra, but, DEAR LORD, I think the album showcases it as having one of musical theatre's most thought-provoking, complex, and dramatic scores. "Before the Morning" and "Paradise Is Burning Down" accelerate my heart rate like a rigorous workout! Audra's rendition of "Beautiful" is as exciting to me as I think Marvel movies are to the general public. Triumph of Love: I truly believe that one of the major reasons why this musical didn't work on Broadway is because Susan Egan is not a natural enough comedienne to be at the center of a farce; had the show come along just a few years later, it could have been the perfect vehicle for Sutton Foster. Nevertheless, most of Egan's shortcomings don't come through on the record and it's easy to enjoy her smooth vocals. And it's hard to imagine a more impressive supporting cast. Nancy Opel is one of the very few people who can deliver equally on vocal gymnastics and campy humor. Roger Bart and Kevin Chamberlain are both delightful. Though F. Murray Abraham obviously isn't a singer, the mixture of vulnerability and authority he brought to his performance onstage is still captivating on record. And there just aren't enough superlatives for Betty Buckley's performance. Her rendition of Serenity is a master class in stopping a show. She has more of an arc in that one song than most performers discover in their entire shows. It's musical theatre perfection. And speaking of Betty Buckley, it was through her semi-recent London revival that I discovered... Dear World: The bizarro book makes it hard to imagine a production that would work, but, dear lord, the music is fantastic. "And I Was Beautiful", "I Don't Want To Know", and "Each Tomorrow Morning" are as good as any standard from Jerry Herman's better known musicals. And Angela Lansbury's performance on the recording is so specific, so bold, so thoroughly imagined, it's easy to understand how she won a Tony despite the show's very short run. (That being said, I do wish Buckley had gotten the chance to record hers as well.) |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: rossprib 02:04 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| In the corner of my mind, I can still see when I saw Betty Buckley sing "Serenity" in Triumph of Love from my half-price, single seat in aisle C of the center orchestra section (on the left side). She was crying as she sang, and I remember thinking, "She does this eight times a week, and it still makes her cry!" One of my top ten theater moments! Just lovely. | |
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| Has no one mentioned my favorite LaChuisa score? | |
| Posted by: GabbyGerard 12:21 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Little Fish!!! It's a shame the original production wasn't recorded because I would love to be able to hear Jennifer Laura Thompson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Lea Delaria sing LaChuisa's score, which has all of his trademark complexity but is also somehow more accessible. The good news is that the "World Premiere Recording" is sensational. Alice Ripley's odd sense of humor has probably never been put to better use, and even though she's already starting to exhibit signs of the vocal damage that would plague her throughout Next to Normal, it lends her singing a weather quality that works quite well for someone who's struggling to quit smoking. And though I'd be just fine never seeing Chad Kimball on another stage, he's in glorious voice. |
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| re: Has no one mentioned my favorite LaChuisa score? | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:28 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Has no one mentioned my favorite LaChuisa score? - GabbyGerard 12:21 am EST 11/21/22 | |
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| Thanks for pushing this... I'm a huge LaChiusa fan, and I somehow still haven't even given this score a listen. | |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 10:40 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| HENRY SWEET HENRY (Bob Merrill) SAIL AWAY (Noel Coward) REDHEAD (Albert Hague) FLORA THE RED MENACE (Kander & Ebb) GOLDILOCKS (Leroy Anderson) |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 11:21 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 11:12 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - NewtonUK 10:40 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I enjoy listening to "Redhead" very much but it wasn't considered a flop -- it ran over a year and won Best Musical and many other Tony awards. It was Bob Fosse's first directing gig and considered maybe the most dance-filled show of Gwen Verdon's career. It's certainly neglected and not done very much though. I'd love to see a production with a worthy and capable triple-threat star who is needed to pull off the female leading role. | |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 02:00 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - PlayWiz 11:12 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I know it wasnt a flop. Just forgotten. ANd Encores has resolutely refused to consider doing it. I know there is an effort in place to 'fix'; a few things in the book - nothing major - just a few VERY un PC lyrics. and some plot confusion. | |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 02:53 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - NewtonUK 02:00 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Jack Viertel apparently just didn't like it. At a party held at City Center after the season some years ago, I even suggested the very capable (and very nice!) Karen Ziemba would be great for "Redhead" to him in her presence; she said "oooh, Redhead!" but he just wasn't enthused about the show. Other people would pitch shows to him at events like that. I once suggested Bette Midler for "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" before it was done there. He said she'd be great, but suggested there would be problems in getting her or dealing with her (or affording her) for the short time period of production, I seem to recall. She'd have been wonderful in the Shirley Booth role. | |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 08:30 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - PlayWiz 02:53 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I saw a concert style production of REDHEAD and was so disappointed. I mean, I was not expecting anyone approaching Verdon, but from the material I saw, the score is infinitely better than the book. In comparison, I saw a similar concert ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, and while the jokes were corny as hell, they were landing with a power that REDHEAD lacked. Laura in LA, who had written a long, long post this morning about her favorite flops and 18th century French plays, but her post timed out and the whole fricking thing was lost—lost, I tell you!—and she’s trying to get the energy to redo the whole thing—and is taking notes on How Not To Lose Long, Complicated ATC Posts from the discussion below |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 11:01 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 10:45 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - showtunetrivia 08:30 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| But you didn't see the effect of the original show with Verdon, which included Fosse's choreography (plus his first directing gig which Verdon insisted upon), and also Tony winning performances from Richard Kiley and Leonard Stone, which apparently made this a real treat. Not many murder musical comedies had been attempted to that point. I've never seen a production, and I'm not expecting an intricately plotted Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle work. Once Verdon attached to this show (after having already won 3 Tonys), it became a vehicle very much for her. I think besides the Karen Ziemba suggestion I mentioned in the thread for more recent years, that someone like Sandy Duncan might have been marvelous in the role. I'm not sure if toured or did stock much without Verdon (who looks like had "I'll Try" removed from the tour). But the difficulty of casting a star dancing lady of Verdon's triple-threat ability, combined with the kind of sensitivity and lovability she radiated, has made revivals hard to approximate how wonderful I've heard the original described. I appreciate your and keikekaze's attempts to try to reconstruct your original lost/timed out apparently lengthy responses. |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:36 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - PlayWiz 10:45 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Redhead did tour successfully and then had at least two summer-stock tours as well as productions at such venues as the Muny, Paper Mill and I think at least a few others. | |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 10:53 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 10:44 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - showtunetrivia 08:30 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| sorry - this posted as a duplicate before when I edited the above. But since it's here, I love "Greenwillow", most of "Steel Pier" in addition to ones I've mentioned before, and I'm probably forgetting some. "Pipe Dream" has a mostly fine score, and that's considered one of Rodgers & Hammerstein's biggest flops. Love listening to how well Judy Tyler's voice kept up with Wagnerian Helen Traubel in duet. |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 11:01 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - PlayWiz 10:44 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I tried to take that into account, PlayWiz. The ONE TOUCH OF VENUS I mentioned also didn’t have full choreography. I understand that a Verdon type star and full Fosse choreography could elevate damn near anything to a considerable degree. It was the book that just didn’t land with me: not the way the plot developed, or the way the characters interacted (some of that was downright cringe-worthy). The material was weak. Laura in LA |
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| re: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 12:54 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I had mentioned Triumph of Love, just in passing, in a post below. I had mentioned it at greater length in an earlier version, before I got timed out and lost the post. The show is a longtime favorite of mine, and I listen to it regularly. I think it has one of the best-crafted scores of its decade. It's a shame that one of the very best songs, Buckley's "If I Cannot Love," a breathtaking song, was cut from the show. It was replaced by "Serenity." Happily, the CD includes both songs in Buckley's original performances of them. If I had to guess about why the show failed on Broadway, I'd speculate that one of the show's few flaws is that we're not always quite sure how seriously to take the characters. Clearly, the three servants are meant to be "just" clowns--and that's fine. But what of the four others? There's a great deal emotionally at stake in most of their songs--they're heartbreaking as well as funny, for the most part. But Hesione and Hermocrites, too, are sometimes treated as if they were "just" clowns. I find myself a bit taken aback by that, sometimes. |
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| Marie Christine, 100% -- and LaChiusa's The Wild Party | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 11:27 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 11:24 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: A trio of contemporary recordings and one "classic" - DanielVincent 11:19 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I couldn't agree more. Marie Christine was a compelling, fascinating show to see, but the score lives on to me as a standout in the top tier of modern musical scores, and is easily one of the most original and dynamic scores I've ever heard. The Wild Party i think is a masterwork... i forget sometimes that it flopped on broadway because I was so wowed by it, the show, the score, the cast. It was incredible. And as piece of writing, I can't say enough about it. Neither has had much life since the broadway runs... though I do think the cast album to Wild Party is pretty well regarded and a favorite among musical theater nerds. Somehow despite Marie Christine being a vehicle written for Audra, and some of the most compelling and impressing singing and acting she's done (which is saying a lot), MC doesn't seem, to me, to have had the same amount of life as an album even. I listen to both cast albums A LOT. LaChiusa has never had a "hit" show, they have all either done their scheduled runs (maybe a few extensions) at the non-profit they started at, or failed on Broadway. That doesn't make any of them failures to me, but I don't see them as "flops" because most were off-bway and not intended to have long runs. Some of more life regionally and in schools than others. But I think i'd put *many* of his scores in this thread. MC and WP of course, Bernarda Alba which is stunning to me, See What I Wanna See is produced more than many of his works but not enough, Giant... so many. And many of his shows have cast albums, but some don't (including The Highest Yellow, Rain, and the recent Gardens of Anuncia which was absolutely wonderful). High hopes for his new musical, workshopping in nyc right now. |
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| LaChiusa's The Wild Party | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 12:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Marie Christine, 100% -- and LaChiusa's The Wild Party - Chazwaza 11:24 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I'd rank as one of the five best scores of the 1990s. The only reason I didn't mention it is because, based on my own experience, I assumed it *has* been produced quite a bit since its Broadway production. I've seen three productions in Chicago and one production in New York. | |
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| re: LaChiusa's The Wild Party | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: LaChiusa's The Wild Party - DanielVincent 12:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Top 5 of the 90s is a big honor for a decade that includes Kiss of the Spider Woman, Passion, City of Angels, Once On This Island, Secret Garden, Titanic, Parade, The Life, Rent, Ragtime, Violet, Hedwig and Floyd Collins! But... It technically premiered in 2000, and not even on the cusp, in March. Marie Christine was technically 1999, on the cusp... but the both ran around the same time, but they didn't even run concurrently, which screws with my mind because I remember seeing them within 2 weeks of each other, but MC closed Jan 9 and WP didn't start until March 10. But I wouldn't object to calling them both 2000, because that's their Tonys year. I'd rank Wild Party as one of the top 5 scores of the 2000s too (competitors include Caroline or Change, Piazza, Hairspray, Taboo, Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens, In the Heights, Passing Strange, Color Purple, Wicked) ... and in the Top 10 scores of the last 30 years. But when was there a NYC production of LaChiusa's Wild Party after the broadway run? I'm generally not aware of many productions of it, sadly. It was produced once in LA that I'm aware of, by a small theater, maybe 10 years ago. And that was largely because they have a relationship with MJLaC. |
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| Don’t forget The Lion King, Side Show, When Pigs Fly, Zombie Prom, even Scarlett Pimpernel | |
| Last Edit: KingSpeed 05:19 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 05:16 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: LaChiusa's The Wild Party - Chazwaza 01:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| All from the 90s | |
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| re: Don’t forget The Lion King, Side Show, When Pigs Fly, Zombie Prom, even Scarlett Pimpernel | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 01:27 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:26 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Don’t forget The Lion King, Side Show, When Pigs Fly, Zombie Prom, even Scarlett Pimpernel - KingSpeed 05:16 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I'm not sure I'd consider most of those among the competitors for top 5 of the decade. Maybe Lion King. But I dunno if my love for the opening number and the songs added for the stage show move it close enough to the top for me to even consider it in the top 10. | |
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| Oops! I feel stupid… | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 12:33 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: LaChiusa's The Wild Party - Chazwaza 01:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I remembered The Wild Party as being a musical of the 1990s because I associate it with running while I was in high school. I forgot, of course, that the tail end of my high school career was indeed in 2000. (And now you all know how old I am.) At any rate, in 2007, “Columbia Stages,” which I think is just the gussied up name of MFA productions at Columbia University, did The Wild Party. Anne Tolpegin, who would later cover Marin Mazzie in Carrie and go on several times, was Mae, and Katy Frame, who is now better known as part of the comedy country duo Reformed Whores, was Nadine. |
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| re: the superior Wild Party | |
| Posted by: kidmanboy 08:10 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: LaChiusa's The Wild Party - Chazwaza 01:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| What's most frustrating is that Lipppa's Wild Party seems to get much more attention - the Encores Off-Center production, schools and regional theaters, etc. I was shocked at Encores by how little that version mines from the story compared to LaChiusa's. It made me downright angry that they did that version before LaChiusa's, which I think is a masterpiece and hope it gets its day again in NY in my lifetime. | |
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| re: the superior Wild Party | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 02:36 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: the superior Wild Party - kidmanboy 08:10 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I couldn't agree more. Looking at the two supposed adaptations offers a masterclass in adaptation from LaChiusa & Wolfe, compared to a surface level lazy attempt by Lippa. I'll grant that Lippa's score is fun, and a lot of people like it, but the show itself is not my cup of tea... whereas I can't get enough of LaChiusa's. LaChiusa's score is an intelligent layered masterpiece and is also very fun - a lot more fun if you ask me. I think Encores did Lippa's because Sutton wanted to do it (miscast though she was). But I think it was a bad choice. It's also a show that gets produced pretty often around the country. |
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| I love Andrew Lippa's wild 'Wild Party' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 01:42 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:28 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: the superior Wild Party - kidmanboy 08:10 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I didn't get to see Encores' version with Sutton Foster, Steven Pasquale, Brandon Victor Dixon and Joaquina Kalukango in 2015. Or the West End revival in 2019. But I caught the original 2000 Off-Broadway production a couple of times at Manhattan Theater Club. What a great and energetic cast! Brian d'Arcy James, Idina Menzel, Julia Murney, Taye Diggs and Alix Korey. I've never forget Korey bringing down the house with ''An Old-Fashioned Love Story'' or James raising the roof with ''Let Me Drown.'' Plus, Michael Gibson's rousing orchestrations. But above all, Andrew Lippa's sensational score, which (to me) is one of the most terrifically tuneful ones of the 2000s. Other songs I enjoyed: ''A Wild, Wild Party,'' ''Raise the Roof,'' ''What Is It About Her?'' and ''How Did We Come to This?'' I wish Lippa's show moved to Broadway for the Tony attention it deserved. Oh, well. We've always got the cast album. ''What a Party,'' indeed. |
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| Link | 'The Wild Party' - Off-Broadway 2000 - Reviewer's Reel (snippets of the show) |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: Live_From_London 09:40 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| From a West End perspective, I listen to stuff from Budgie, OLC of Children of Eden, Taboo and I like alot of the cast recording of Always - The Musical. It was about Edward and Wallis Simpson. Shani Wallace and Sheila Ferguson had small supporting roles and I saw it about 3 times. Yes it overwrought and some of the lyrics are awful, but so much of the early 90' shows were and I enjoyed most of them. The cast had given it their own name - Wallace and Vomit. |
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| Several from London | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:43 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Live_From_London 09:40 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Two that had disappointing though decent runs: Songbook and The Crooked Mile. I will also mention The Good Companions, which managed seven months and may have closed when it did partly because of a worldwide recession that greatly hurt theatre in London (although it had ended more or less when the show closed so I somewhat discount that story). I should also mention Valmouth and His Monkey Wife. |
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| re: Several from London | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 01:11 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:06 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Several from London - AlanScott 11:43 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I also love "The Good Companions" and don't quite think of it as a flop; it apparently closed early also because there were some bombings (IRA?) in London around that time as well. It's a marvelous score and the performances of John Mills, Judi Dench, Marti Webb, Christopher Gable and the rest are very enjoyable. I read the J.P. Priestley novel this past year -- it's a great beach-type leisurely read, and although it's quite long, it's also really wonderful as you get to know these characters and highly recommended. The musical did a good job in representing its essence I believe. I don't, for some reason, think of "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" as a flop, I guess, because I play it so much. It's a wonderful score and yes, I agree, it has absolutely superb orchestrations and wonderful performances from its cast. |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: Guillaume 11:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Live_From_London 09:40 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Holy cow! I can't believe someone else still listens to BUDGIE! That was going to be my pick for this thread, and then I saw you also had it! I also like to listen to So Long, 174th Street! | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: Live_From_London 06:19 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Guillaume 11:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I can't believe someone else has even heard of Budgie! lol It's a show that definitely needs a second chance. I believe they had a workshop a few years back, but i guess nothing came of it. Mary, Doris and Jane is my highlight! | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 10:05 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Live_From_London 09:40 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Among London shows that were not successful I also enjoy Make Me An Offer, Virtue In Danger, Passion Flower Hotel, and especially On the Level. Among London shows that were successful, but never came to Broadway, I enjoy Blitz!, Charlie Girl, and, of course, Robert and Elizabeth. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:32 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - keikekaze 10:05 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Oh, from time to time I break down and acknowledge my lack of appreciation for Robert and Elizabeth. To me it screams flop, and not in a good way. I know it was a hit in London, despite mixed reviews, many of them dismissive and downright caustic. It surely would have been a massive flop on Broadway had it managed to get there. And I do know the story. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 01:00 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - AlanScott 11:32 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Oh, I quite agree that Robert and Elizabeth would have failed on Broadway in the Sixties. Sixties Broadway didn't do operettas. But I do love many of the songs still, and they really wowed me when I was 15! | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:37 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - keikekaze 01:00 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I think if I had heard it first when I was much younger, I would have more fondness for it than I do, so I understand. :) | |
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| Adding one | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 09:00 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Should have mentioned the brilliant Let 'Em Eat Cake. We are lucky to have the terrific concert recording. And I feel like adding that I always list the overture to Tenderloin as one of the three best ever, and perhaps the Let 'Em Eat Cake overture could be added. And speaking of great overtures, how could I forget It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, which also has one of the best set of orchestrations ever. Personally speaking, my absolutely favorite orchestrations. |
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| Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public | |
| Posted by: notung 08:12 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Never saw it. Haven't seen it produced anywhere since. Probably not high on anyone's list for "rediscovery." Indifferent towards the original, but love the sequel via cast recording. Great tunes by Carol Hall, with the always fantastic Dee Hoty. Seeing the infamous infomercial and reading Larry L. King's post-mortem comments, can only imagine what this was like in the theatre! |
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| re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public | |
| Posted by: libbymaebrown 12:03 pm EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public - notung 08:12 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I saw an off-Broadway revival of WHOREHOUSE/PUBLIC at the Opening Doors Theater Company at the Duplex in Manhattan, probably around ten years ago--it was a lot of fun--bare bones staging, but off-book, and Casey Nicholaw (who was in the original cast) was sitting next to me! | |
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| re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 10:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public - notung 08:12 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I love the Whorehouse Goes Public recording too. Those orchestrations by Peter Matz are magnificently fun. | |
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| re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public | |
| Posted by: Snowgrace 12:15 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public - pecansforall 10:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I remember seeing it through a group of comped tickets & having a terrific time, & it was my first time seeing Dee Hoty onstage; she was wonderful! | |
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| re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public | |
| Posted by: notung 10:42 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public - Snowgrace 12:15 am EST 11/21/22 | |
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| As mentioned, not a fan of the original. But love Larry L. King's making-of book, The Whorehouse Papers. Wish there was something similar for the sequel, especially given the flop aspect. However, he does blow off steam, air some dirty laundry in a series of published letters (Larry L. King: A Writer's Life in Letters, Or, Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye); worth reading if you can find a copy. "Let the record show that on May 10th I opened The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and Willie Nelson got busted for pot. Willie got better press than I did, so apparently my crime was the larger. And that young kid who got his ass caned in Singapore? He took his licks in private; I was caned as publicly as can be done." |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: JohnPopa 08:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| "Blondel" - lesser known early 80's Tim Rice show, didn't do well in London, never came over to the US, other than a couple regional productions (and an attempted rewrite done at a college some time ago.) I think it's a lot of fun. Paul Nicholas plays the title character. |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 07:42 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| i spent 40 minutes writing a long and thoughtful reply to your post, then lost every word of it when I was forced to log in again for a second time, apparently because I had spent too much time writing a long and thoughtful reply. Well, that will teach me. So, before they make me log in AGAIN: I agree about Goldilocks, The Gay Life, Hallelujah Baby! But Goldilocks isn't about "early Hollywood." It's set in 1913 and while the plot involves silent movies, the whole show is set in and around New York--where most movies qwere still made in 1913. Others I listen to frequently that you didn't mention: Tovarich, Kean, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Sherry, Triumph of Love, Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:55 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - keikekaze 07:42 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I have learned to regularly hit copy when I am working on a post that is taking me some time, although a few weeks ago I still managed to lose one because it wasn't even all that long but I was taking a lot of time with it. I just forgot that the time itself could cause me lose it. It is very frustrating when it happens. That time I just gave up rather than try to redo it. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 08:09 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - AlanScott 07:55 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Thanks for the advice, AlanScott. I knew I should have copied the whole thing and saved it to another document before posting, just in case I got timed out, but this time I just forgot to do it. It is very irritating! | |
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| Bringing Back Disappearing Posts | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:28 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - keikekaze 08:09 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| If you hit the "back" arrow three times slowly after re-logging in, your original post should reappear. | |
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| re: Bringing Back Disappearing Posts | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 04:54 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Bringing Back Disappearing Posts - BroadwayTonyJ 08:28 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Thank you, BroadwayTonyJ. I'll try to remember that, the next time it happens. | |
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| re: Wow! Made it! Now I may also have time to . . . | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 07:45 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - keikekaze 07:42 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| . . . thank you for mentioning that there is a recording of Drat! The Cat! That was news to me, and I'll definitely have to try to find it. | |
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| The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| The Life was certainly not a flop, certainly not a "short" run... but it has had almost no life in America since Broadway (the less said about the recent Encores revision the better). It's an incredible and fabulous score given a fantastic original cast album... and since I discovered it in 1998, I have no idea how many times I've listened to it or sung to it in the car. It's hard to count shows that were at non-profits for short scheduled runs... but Women on the Verge was on Broadway and has had little life in America since. A wonderful score. Dessa Rose was off-broadway at LCT but given that it's Ahrens & Flaherty, and what I consider easily in their top 3 scores (their new show I haven't heard yet)... I think it counts for this subject. It's an incredible score. And of course famous flop Rags hasn't had much life since. Nor was The Rothschilds, which has a fabulous score too. |
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| Women on the Verge was far better in London... | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 12:31 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| ...where it wasn't so overproduced. And even though Tamsin Greig was still not the ideal Peppa, at least she was not, as LuPone said in her memoir, "a travesty of a leading lady." | |
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| re: Women on the Verge was far better in London... | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:22 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Women on the Verge was far better in London... - DanielVincent 12:31 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| I haven't read the memoir... that is what LuPone said about S.R. Scott?!! | |
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| re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:36 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I saw the original production of The Rothschilds (with some replacements in the cast) and it was terrific. But if The Life at 466 performances is hardly a flop, is The Rothschilds at 507 even less of a flop (although it closed at a substantial loss)? The Rothschilds got a national tour, a stock tour, and an Off-Broadway revival that ran 13 months (counting the initial run and the commercial transfer together). The downsized revision is truly a diminution of a piece that demands to be epic. |
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| re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 08:16 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - AlanScott 07:36 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Very fair. Neither were flops at all. Though I do think of Rothschilds as a bit of a flop recording since its time, because it is not celebrated, discussed or performed the way many others are (including by the same writers). Neither show had much major life since their initial Broadway run. But The Rothschilds did, much much more than The Life, but it's more than it is not done anymore and has been done much since I've been seeing musicals. But I also forgot about the off-broadway production in 1990 and the well received 2015 revision at the York retitled "Rothschild and Sons". | |
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| re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 04:58 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - Chazwaza 08:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I’ve always thought of The Life as a flop. I didn’t know it ran a whole year. | |
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| re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:39 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - KingSpeed 04:58 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| It also won the Drama Desk for Best Musical, and Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League. It may not mean much, but hey, in the 80s and 90s Drama Desk gave it to Sunday over La Cage, Into the Woods over Phantom, Secret Garden over Will Rogers Follies, Ragtime over Lion King, Parade won it even without Fosse nominated (it beat A New Brain and The Civil War). Interestingly, in 1997 Titanic wasn't nominated by DD... The Life won against Steel Pier and Violet. Titanic wasn't in a different year, it seems to just not have been nominated. |
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| The Visit too | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:21 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Great score. Hasn't been too too long since it was on broadway... but it still hasn't had much life since then, and it should. | |
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| re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose | |
| Posted by: ilw 07:11 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| So glad you mentioned Women on the Verge, one of my favorite scores of this century. | |
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| Ditto | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:27 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Life, The Rothschilds, Rags, Women on the Verge, Dessa Rose - ilw 07:11 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| And Amour is my other favorite modern-day flop. | |
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| Christopher Fitzgerald in "Amour" | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 12:26 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Ditto - Ann 07:27 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| When I saw Amour, Christopher Fitzgerald was simultaneously absurd and sincere and so damn hilarious beyond description when he delivered "The Advocate's Plea" that I thought I was watching the first performance of someone who would go on to be the preeminent musical theatre clown of his generation. His performance on the recording is lovely, but doesn't capture what a showstopper it was live, perhaps because he is such a gifted physical comedian. Fitzgerald has had a lovely career, but he certainly hasn't become a musical theatre "star," even amongst ardent theatergoers. Nevertheless, I think he's brilliant and has deserved much more. |
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| re: Christopher Fitzgerald in "Amour" | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 04:55 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: Christopher Fitzgerald in "Amour" - DanielVincent 12:26 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Minsky’s should’ve been Chris’ star making vehicle but it didn’t come in. | |
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| "Is There Life After High School?" | |
| Posted by: ilw 06:34 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| wonderful score by Craig Carnelia | |
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| re: "Is There Life After High School?" | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 02:24 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: "Is There Life After High School?" - ilw 06:34 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Speaking of Craig Carnelia... Sweet Smell of Success. My first introduction to Kelli O'Hara. John LIthgow in fine form, and Brian D'Arcy James continuing his climb to stardom after a more supporting role in Titanic. At the Fountain is one of my favorite showtunes of all time. | |
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| re: "Is There Life After High School?" | |
| Posted by: Ann 02:32 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "Is There Life After High School?" - EvFoDr 02:24 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
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| Yes, yes. | |
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| re: "Is There Life After High School?" | |
| Posted by: comedywest 11:22 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: "Is There Life After High School?" - ilw 06:34 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| oh yes: very nice--my favorite is the The Kid Inside I saw it at Hartford Stage, and would love to see it again. |
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| re: "Is There Life After High School?" | |
| Posted by: westech 08:09 am EST 11/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "Is There Life After High School?" - comedywest 11:22 am EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Fran and Janie is one of the loveliest and most poignant songs about high school friendship and the different paths taken, as one looks back at their lives... | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:01 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Apart from those already mentioned, most of which I like, I would add these: A Doll's Life, Dance a Little Closer, Out of This World (generally preferring the original, but it's nice to have the extra music and the arguably superior Marin Mazzie and altogether good performances on the Encores!), Juno, Street Scene (if we count it as a flop, it certainly has had an afterlife), Johnny Johnson (only studio recordings, but a great score), Minnie's Boys and Oh, Brother! Then there is the completely bizarre but generally very good Flahooley. I will stick to the Mandelbaum six-month conditional here, unless a show paid off in less than six months (and not due just to a film sale). I generally find the concept of "guilty pleasures" a bit silly — why feel guilty about enjoying something?— but recordings that I can enjoy while acknowledging that the scores are rather less than first-rate include Henry, Sweet Henry and Ankles Aweigh. I find most of Goodtime Charley competent but not terribly interesting, but it has one of my all-time favorite songs: "Merci, Bon Dieu," beautifully performed by Susan Browning and Richard B. Shull on the OBCR. A show that ran a tad more than six months and paid off (thanks partly to a film sale) that fascinates me is Billion Dollar Baby. The recording we have comes from the best Musicals in Mufti I've ever seen, but it suffers from the combo accompaniment for a score that really needs the full orchestrations. I hope someday Encores! does it and gives us a recording with the full orchestrations. Meanwhile, we can also enjoy the 'Charleston" on Jerome Robbins' Broadway. And since my second favorite Mufti was A Family Affair, my memory has been jogged and so I mention that OBCR, even though I wish the overture (I think it had one) and the proper finale had been included on the recording. |
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| SO glad you mentioned 'Charleston' from Billion Dollar Baby (paging Chromolume!) | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 06:31 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 06:30 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - AlanScott 06:01 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I've seen the Jerome Robbins staging, which is a total delight. But I think the musical performance on that number sometimes gets overlooked. It's brilliantly orchestrated, performed with such panache by the orchestra and, of course, expertly conducted by Paul Gemignani. My favorite moment is the frenzied section that follows the woman's scream (about 3:46 onward) in which that orchestra sounds like it's about to levitate. The rat-a-tat syncopation of the rhythm section and the brass as the strings and woodwinds swirl around them in this gorgeous undulation is sublime. I'm sure there's a more knowledgeable and accurate way to describe that sound, but I think you know what I'm referring to. It's almost the combination of the lushness with the undeniable swing of the band. I sometimes listen to this track -- and, specifically, that 'post-scream' explosion of the orchestra -- and long to hear that orchestral sound in other recordings. Can you think of other recordings that approximate that orchestral sound and feel? |
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| Link | 'Charleston' from Billion Dollar Baby - Pauly G Conducting |
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| re: SO glad you mentioned 'Charleston' from Billion Dollar Baby (paging Chromolume!) | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:27 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: SO glad you mentioned 'Charleston' from Billion Dollar Baby (paging Chromolume!) - DistantDrumming 06:30 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I think if the "Lucy and Jessie" dance music had been recorded in 1971, it would have had something like that. The Paper Mill recording doesn't quite. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 05:28 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 05:26 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Post-2000, I play these cast albums a lot: Jason Robert Brown's ''13''; Tom Kitt and Amanda Green's ''High Fidelity,'' and Sting's ''The Last Ship.'' | |
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| very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 05:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 05:01 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| If there's one flop recording I play most it is absolutely the original Merrily. The show has been revised heavily... and made worse in almost all respects. Love it or not, I think the original deserved a second chance without being massively rewritten and reconceived ... no production or recording of the revision I've seen/heard has ever come close to the original in my opinion. Many don't agree with me and that's fine. But it doesn't change that the show we get now, is not one I'd have fallen in love with like I did the original. I know we'll never get a major production, or any production, that uses the original script and score... but that's what I'd like to see have a second chance. |
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| re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance | |
| Posted by: peter3053 05:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance - Chazwaza 05:01 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Amen! With reservations... I'd love to see the graduation framework returned, but wouldn't want to lose "Growing Up" - also, am happy with the conflating of the "Like It Was" and "Franklin Shepard Inc." scenes. The thing about Merrily is, it's on a universal theme of life, and one of musical theater's greatest gems, so will live on forever. But yes, it would be nice to have all the elements what made the first version so good as well. |
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| re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance | |
| Posted by: JohnDunlop 05:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance - peter3053 05:10 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| The first version on Broadway was not a success. And for good reasons. I also fell asleep watching it. |
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| re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance | |
| Posted by: winters 08:30 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance - JohnDunlop 05:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| And you admit this publicly. Very brave. |
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| re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance | |
| Posted by: peter3053 11:34 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: very sadly, that MERRILY never did get a second chance - JohnDunlop 05:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Ah, but did you fall asleep first and then wake up, that is, in reverse? | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings Jennie, and Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen | |
| Posted by: tealady 04:00 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Jennie is a musical with a book by Arnold Schulman, music by Arthur Schwartz, and lyrics by Howard Dietz, and starred Mary Martin. The musical opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on October 17, 1963 and closed on December 28, 1963, after 82 performances and four previews. Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood. |
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| Steel pier, American psycho and taboo | |
| Posted by: dramedy 03:50 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| None will be revived. I suspect aspects of live will be revived eventually. | |
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| re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:53 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo - dramedy 03:50 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I loved American Psycho. I don't listen to the album much but probably because I don't own it on CD (I still use CDs in my car). I adore the score to Taboo and have listened to it countless times. A sensational score, in a show that really should have worked and just didn't - baffling. |
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| re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo - and Closer to Heaven | |
| Posted by: tedlefdes 06:45 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo - Chazwaza 06:53 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| If you like Taboo (and American Psycho) I would also suggest Closer to Heaven, with a book by Jonathan Harvey, the Beautiful Thing playwright, and score by the Pet Shop Boys. The original production ran for five months in London in 2001 and was recently revived off-West End in 2015 and 2019. | |
| Link | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closer_to_Heaven_(musical) |
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| re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 04:47 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo - Chazwaza 06:53 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Can’t you connect your phone to your car and listen to everything off your phone? | |
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| re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 01:41 am EST 11/21/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Steel pier, American psycho and taboo - KingSpeed 04:47 pm EST 11/20/22 | |
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| Nope, I wish I could. I bought my car used, and in the year it was made it was optional to have an aux jack system, and i guess the original owner opted not to. I could have the system replaced but i just never have bothered or quite wanted to spend the money, even though if i'd done it right away it would have been well worth it now 5 years in. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: scoot1er 02:57 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Greenwillow - I adore Summertime Love, Never Will I Marry, The Music of Home Kwamina - some gorgeous songs, among which is Nothing More to Look Forward To First Impressions -- not a great score, but Hermione Gingold is a riot 70 Girls 70 -- a really good score: bright, funny, and, yes, adorable |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Last Edit: keikekaze 08:03 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 07:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - scoot1er 02:57 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Funny, I like almost everything about First Impressions except Hermione Gingold. I don't hold her at fault, though; she was miscast, and she knew it, and did her best anyway. The score is very uneven, but two or three of the best songs ("This Really Isn't Me," "Agreeable," "What a Day To Fall In Love") would not have disgraced My Fair Lady. Most of what I'd want to cut or change would be the Gingold songs--because, of course, Mrs. Bennet really should not be the heroine of Pride and Prejudice. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: Unhookthestars 01:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - PlayWiz 01:02 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| “The Happy Time:” beautiful songs, winning performances from Robert Goulet, Michael Rupert, and David Wayne. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: bmc 02:07 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - Unhookthestars 01:59 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I love 'em all. SUBWAYS has a legendary overture | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: My-Turn-To-Bow 02:36 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - bmc 02:07 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I had the pleasure of seeing Subways.....wonderful score with a knockout overture ! | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 02:15 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - bmc 02:07 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| I Had A Ball. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 04:45 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - TheOtherOne 02:15 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Also, other than its two irritating act closers (I've grown fonder of the title song over the years, however), I love the score and original cast recording of Dear World. | |
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| Golden Boy | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 07:19 am EST 11/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - TheOtherOne 04:45 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Probably my most-played. I’m not sure it is considered a flop, but it certainly hasn’t been revived on a major (or minor?) scale. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: duckylittledictum 06:48 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - TheOtherOne 04:45 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Agree! I would also add Superman, Donnybrook!, Bajour, Maggie Flynn, Bravo, Giovanni! and Henry, Sweet Henry. | |
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| re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") | |
| Posted by: den 07:54 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Favorite Flop recordings you play a lot (that haven't had many revival "second chances") - duckylittledictum 06:48 pm EST 11/19/22 | |
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| Having come of age, in theater, anyway, in the late 60s, I still listen fairly regularly to many of the titles already mentioned in this thread: Dear World, Henry Sweet Henry, The Happy Time. I also have a soft spot for Golden Rainbow, for Two By Two, for The Me Nobody Knows, and for the OCR Promenade. As for Is There Life After High School, well, I play it before every high school reunion. | |
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