| the success of the show as presented was also largely due, it would see, to Carol... | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 08:08 pm EST 02/07/24 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:55 pm EST 02/07/24 | |
| In reply to: re: ONCE UPON A MATTRESS Last Night - JereNYC 03:49 pm EST 02/07/24 | |
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| It's a fine show, a B level musical comedy, nice songs, fun premise, good roles... and there were a LOT of B and C level musical comedies in the 40s, 50s, and 60s... that was their time, and it's better than many, but not compared to the real greats (like Forum, G&D, H2S, etc). But regardless of who they originally meant to play Winnifred... it was shaped to some extent around Carol once she got in, and moreso we'll never know how much what she brought to it and how she performed it shaped the response and how the whole show worked, or how it would have done on Broadway in the 60s had it opened with someone else. But it opened with Carol, who made an *indelible* print onto the character and show. And beyond the Broadway run and cast album, she featured it on her show many times and did TWO TV productions of the show (or a version of the show). Perhaps with a different talent in that role, the show would have and gone without much attention. But whether they molded it to her or not, she molded herself onto it. It's like Funny Girl in that way (which was molded around Barbra to some extent, though that wasn't the original intention until they went out of town). The show has mainly had a life, and a strong one, being a regular choice for High School musical for decades after its Broadway run, and I'm sure some regional productions and summer stock while that was still a thing. But the truth is that without Carol or someone like her, it's just not that great a show. It's fine. It's enjoyable and amusing, and has a few very good roles for good performers, and an enjoyable score. |
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