| re: from NEW GIRL IN TOWN to CARNIVAL | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 06:51 pm EDT 05/05/23 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 06:38 pm EDT 05/05/23 | |
| In reply to: from NEW GIRL IN TOWN to CARNIVAL - bmc 02:33 pm EDT 05/05/23 | |
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| I think it's a really good score and a very good musical version of O'Neill's play. It was originally not going to feature much in the way of dancing, but when they've cast a dance star, now famous after two Tony-winning roles in "Can-Can" and "Damn Yankees" and have Bob Fosse on board as choregrapher, more dance was bound to happen. But, director George Abbott was rather offended by a whorehouse ballet Fosse created to show Anna's life prior to being with her father. Abbott kept taking it out and Fosse and Verdon kept putting it back in. I believe it remained, but producer Hal Prince rather sided with Abbott, and I believe that led to a rift in both Prince and Abbott's professional relationship with Fosse and Verdon, no longer doing shows with them after that. The comedy songs for Ritter are perfect for her character and abilities; Abbott's libretto makes Marthy into another star role along with Anna. In the original O'Neill, Marthy appears in the first act meeting Anna before she meets her father, and then I believe isn't seen in the rest of the play. Verdon's other dances as Anna includes "There Ain't No Flies on Me" at the Check Apron Ball. This number ends the first act frozen in time. The second act curtain comes up and it's seconds later and the dance resumes. An interesting curtain as I remember it being described. "Ven I Valse" also sounds like it featured dancing and there's a video sometimes available of a "Pony Dance" that featured in the production. I think "Look at 'er" is a gorgeous ballad, "It's Good to Be Alive" and "If That Were Love" wonderful songs for Anna, illuminating her character and "On the Farm" even censored on the recording (it really ends with "With those vicious sons of bitches on the farm!") a great, bitter, biting (say that three times fast!) up-tempo opening song for Anna. Verdon's voice on the recording, with her voice already starting to decline slightly from cigarette smoking from her really excellent belting on the "Damn Yankees' OCR, still really shows her as a superb singing actor. |
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