Topic I'm dizzy with excitement from the Theatre Chat forum.
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jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/23/2003 at 6:31:41 PM ET
Next Monday is opening night for Bounce (in Chicago). I cannot believe it's been 10 years (or something) since a new Sondheim show-and 20-something since a Sondheim/Hal Prince collaboration. Pinch me,someone-please. I'm just not listening to any negativity now-this is cause for celebration. Yes,I'm one of *those* Sondheim freaks-although I don't think he's infallible (the Witch's "rap"-Oh,Steve! The hell?! *cringe*). I know we can be insufferable,but I promise to be nice,I don't hate Andrew Lloyd Webber,and even if you don't like Sondheim,we can still be friends.
Anyway-see what Steve thinks about the Internet's impact on shows:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,585-722301,00.html
Jenn
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 6/23/2003 at 6:41:42 PM ET
Haha Jenn! I'm excited about it too. I'm a little behind on any Sondheim news but I do hope the show will come to NYC soon. Sondheim is a musical genius!!
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/23/2003 at 6:45:11 PM ET
Bwaybaby-
When I say I've waited for years for this,I mean it literally. The fact that this show is going on should be declared a miracle by the Vatican. It's the show that just would not die.
After it plays in Chicago,it's going to D.C. Don't know anything about any plans for New York yet,so don't hold your breath.
I just don't *get* the negativity. Some of the stuff I've read seems like people are desperate for it to fail. What happened to the days when a new show by a legendary composer and director was greeted with excitement and fanfare? I just don't understand how people who supposedly love the theater are so eager to dish about "expected failures." But some people absolutely hate Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince. They absolutely loved the failure of Merrily We Roll Along. Yes,it might have been a mistake to cast young inexperienced actors,and telling the story backward really holds the audience at length,but the hatred some people have toward Sondheim-John Simon,I'm looking at you-is incredible.
Revivals are great,but we need new shows. And Sondheim isn't getting any younger. Yes,this probably won't be as "revolutionary" as Sweeney Todd,Company,or heck,even Sunday in the Park With George,but it's still a new show,and something that's not based on a movie or a "dancical" set to pop music.
Jenn
|  Jean
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 6/23/2003 at 7:16:59 PM ET
OK, count me in as one of the Sondheim fanatics. By now I've seen almost all of his work, either on Broadway, regional, or, in one case, only a movie (A Funny Thing Happened..). I haven't seen Assassins or Pacific Overtures, but I'm proud to say that I am one of the *very* few who saw Anyone Can Whistle on Bway. I plan on seeing Bounce in DC. Whopee!!
And, although I don't understand the negativity about this project coming from people who supposedly care for theater, I suppose the nature of things is to try to knock down the biggest kid on the block (hmm, maybe that applies elsewhere, too).
Jean
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/23/2003 at 7:34:08 PM ET
Peter Filichia wrote something very interesting about Michael Reidel some time ago. When Reidel took control of TheaterWeek (oh,TheaterWeek!),Filichia (who is really an incredible man-a true champion of the theater and a super-nice guy)was writing a column for TheaterWeek (TheaterWeek!!!).
Anyway-Peter said that whenever he happened to chat with Reidel,Reidel never discussed the shows he grew up seeing or the shows he loved. 'Cause Reidel never grew up watching shows,for one thing. Rather,Reidel was only interested in the failures and bad rumors about the shows and the stars-and Filichia just couldn't understand it.
In contrast-Frank Rich,for all his faults,loves the theater. He has a passion for theater. Theater gave him lovely moments in a childhood in which there were few lovely moments. Yes,when Rich disliked a show,he would tear it to pieces,but he championed the ones he respected. And he didn't have blinders on for his favorites,and you could detect a sense of disappointment when one of his favorites-mainly Sondheim-didn't deliver,in his opinion.
Here's a plug for Rich's memoir-Ghost Light. It's not an easy read-I had to put it down from time to time because it's so full of hurt at times. His criticisms are collected in a giant volume titled Hot Seat,and it's a doorstopper-994 pages covering 1980-1993. But a great read,and he added comments on his reviews. And what a writer! Read this "The only sad thing about a great night in the theater is its evanescence. When it's over,it's over. You can remember the performance forever,of course. But you can't re-create that virgin sensation-that almost numbing exhilaration-of witnessing something new and different and exciting in the theater for the very first time."
Jenn
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 6/23/2003 at 7:42:57 PM ET
I personally think part of the problem is...its just easier and gains a writer more attention to tear a show apart then write a positive review of it. Its unfortunate that some writers, performers...ect are eternally stamped with "failure" when those who classify them as failures haven't even bothered giving the person's work a chance. Reidel has even admitted, like Jenn said, to not being a big theatre fan in his youth.
I've read Ghost Light and its a fabulous book!
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/23/2003 at 7:47:10 PM ET
I don't mind negative reviews. A falsely positive review is just as bad as an unnecessarily negative one. When something is bad,it's just bad. And that's it. And there are bad shows out there,and poor performances,and some shows should have never seen the light of day.
But to have a glee about bad shows and/or unfortunate circumstances-that's sick. No one sets out to write a bad show or perform badly (or get sick). No one wakes up in the morning and says,"The next show that's an abysmal failure-it's all about me!" No one wants to get sick right when the show starts. Especially when during the entire past year people were debating if you were miscast. It happens. And when it does,of course it should be noted. And send best wishes and flowers to the sickee. But to jump on something or someone before you've even seen it/her/him-that's different. And to go to a show during its last week of performances to laugh at the star and proclaim that he's washed up and old-well,karma's gonna bite you in the butt,my friend. What in the name of all that's good and decent is wrong with you? As will verbally abusing a sick woman who's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. That is unforgiveable. Even if it were the actor I disliked most out of any actor,that's unforgiveable. Write with vitriol about the score,the scenery,weird facial expressions-but don't attack someone for something that's out of his/her control. And don't be so damn happy that a show flopped. Yeah,yeah,it's a tough business. But theater is different from movies and television. It just is. No one wrings their hands over the future and existence over movies and television. If a movie gets ugly reviews,people are still going to see that Tom Green movie,because witless teenage boys apparently have disposable incomes. Critics-professional and armchair-have too much power in the theater. And understandably so,when a night at the theater-and I'm not even thinking about Broadway,I'm thinking about the tours in the hinterlands-cost a pretty penny. People don't want to pay lots of money to see a show in trouble. But that power is abused by a few folks in the business. And that scares producers. But,oh gosh,it aches the heart. People don't go into the theater to make money and to have an easy life.
I'm just sayin'. Am I preaching to the choir? Can I get an "amen"?
Jenn
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/23/2003 at 8:03:44 PM ET
BTW-I don't mean to imply that not having grown up around theater somehow disqualifies you for criticism or makes you less of a theater fan. My childhood was filled with shows and concerts and dance (going to performances and performing as well),so that's all I knew. Some families don't have the inclination or financial resources to do that,and plenty of people discover the arts in high school or college or whatever (which is why the arts are so important in school....).
But apparently,many staffers at TheaterWeek (*sob*) did grow up going to shows,and it struck Peter odd that Reidel never once mentioned his favorite shows or whatnot.
BTW-Peter has a great book about producing and directing community theater. Peter has a great heart for community theater-even if you have no plans to be involved in community theater (I don't,but my sister was in community theater during our childhood-she was part of the orchestras),his insights into shows is fun to read. It's a bit out of date,but still worthwhile. Let's Put on a Musical! is the title. Apparently,there are some small errors,but overall,it's fun.
Jenn
| Mabel
Registered User
Registered:
4/21/2003
From:
Boston, MA | posted: 6/24/2003 at 9:14:18 AM ET
I'm so glad this show is finally getting off the ground. I've been hoping and waiting for years through all the legal problems for everything to work out. I really love Sondheim's music although I don't always enjoy his shows. He tends to be very dark and depressing but, after reading his biography one can really understand why. Nobody but nobody can write a ballad like him that raises the goose bumps on your arms. Also, we saw him interviewed at the 92nd Street Y about 5 years ago and the interviewer kept making sneering comments about Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sondheim repeatedly called him on it and kept saying that the theater has room for all types of styles and that it would be really boring if everyone did things the same. What a classy guy!
In reference to Reidel (sp?). I just read a really, cool book by one of the ensemble members of "The Producers". It's a journal he kept from the closing night of "Cats" through the night he went on for Matthew Brodderick as Leo Bloom. Wonderful book, really recommend it for a nice, gossipy read. He talks about how he met Reidel at the closing party for "Cats", told him he was working on this new show, and Reidel said something like "Yeah, sounds like a real flopperoo." Then, he bumped into Reidel at the opening night cast party or some other party right when the show was taking off and Reidel was totally raving about how great "The Producers" was. The actor decided not to bring up their earlier conversation but thought that it was interesting how Reidel went from one extreme to the other.
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 6/24/2003 at 8:44:43 PM ET
There are quite a few young people-I'm talking teenagers-who look up to Sondheim. And whenever they ask him questions at a public forum-or write him (although he's apparently been behind on his correspondence,but I understand he's been busy with something....)-he treats their questions and remarks as respectfully and seriously as he would an older person. And interviews are not easy for him. He was very involved with Young Playwrights (he actually founded it and I'm not exactly sure of his current level of involvement)-he also has an immense respect for teachers (school was a saving grace in his childhood-he must have been a bit of challenge because he is so intimidatingly intelligent and has been since childhood).
So,yeah,Steve's quite the guy. On the Andrew Lloyd Webber front-he has said very little about him (as has Lloyd Webber about him). He did say something about Cats having no substance (something about how spectacle is fine but it has no substance),but I'd pay money to hear someone argue a counterpoint. When Hal Prince asked if there was some deeper British political meaning to it,he was told it was just about cats. But I hate Cats,so what do I know. I just don't get it,apparently. But it's not the musical I hate most out of anything I've ever,ever seen in my lifetime. Not even close. That particular musical is in a whole 'nother league.
Jenn,who has had an inexplicable binge on the Evita OCR (Broadway) recently. Don't ask. I saw a tour production as well as the movie and I've never really cared for it. Does anyone have the recording of Mandy Patinkin's Sondheim concert?Because now I think I'd like to get it. I noticed that he sang "Johanna" and I'd love to hear it. But "You Could Drive a Person Crazy?" How'd that turn out? I don't think he recorded his Broadway concert-darn.
Jenn
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