Haines His Way

LADY IN THE DARK was revived with Maria Friedman at the National Theatre in London in the mid-nineties.  A cast album was released.  I found the show, as usual at the National, quite well-mounted and very stylish...I still remember vividly the wonderful set.  But it's still not the greatest show or score (with the exception of a couple of numbers) and I suspect the psychology is a bit primitive these days.

DRCharles Pogue, I would disagree about the quality of the score to LADY IN THE DARK.  I find the three dream sequences skilfully crafted one-act operas, and Weill seems to be flying high on invention:  great choral writing, interesting orchestration for a small theatre orchestra, and an abundance of good tunes.  While I'm grateful for a complete recording, I find Ms Friedman - who may have been stunning onstage - badly overparted in Gertrude Lawrence's soprano keys.

The libretto is certainly primitive in its rapid recovery, but since it all stemmed from Mr Hart's analysis to cure his homosexuality, he must have felt his rapid attachment to several of his leading ladies was a sure sign anyone could be cured quickly.  Having seen several National Theatre musical productions where I found the decision to cast actors over voices (CANDIDE, CAROUSEL) a mistake, my jury is still out about whether I think the National shoud be doing them.  I missed the OKLAHOMA!, but I saw the video.  Don't like the Laurie at all.  I do wish I'd seen the GUYS AND DOLLS, however, as well as the LADY IN THE DARK.

I don't think the Mick would do it unless you changed the names of the show to MARRYIN' SAM.

DRJRand54, Mickey Rooney begged for the role of the Toymaker when I did BABES IN TOYLAND with the Houston Grand Opera.  We lost Donald O'Connor because of health, I wanted Bernard Hughes who was tied up in contracts for BLOSSOM, and we ended up with Eddie Bracken, who was lovely offstage and couldn't remember his lines!  I wish we'd gone with Mickey.

I think KEAN is one of the underrated scores of the past 50 years. Charles Pogue's mentioning it made me want to make that comment.

...As far as revivals, I too am a huge fan of LADY IN THE DARK, but I'd suggest Malcolm Getz as Russell Paxton, Brendan Fraser as Randy Curtis,  Brent Barrett as Charlie Johnson, and Sylvia McNair, who seems to have jumped ship from opera to the Great American Songbook, as Liza Elliott:  she's seen enough crazy divas to play one....

Interesting choices!

I'd like to see an all-star cast revival of 70 GIRLS 70 - Barbara Cook, Chita Rivera, Patricia Routledge, Elaine Stritch (I can't think of a male star). Judging from the score, the show deserves another life. I think the leads, and the audience, would have a blast.

By this time, John McMartin should be old enough (but he'll never admit it...)


(Didn't realize I was dittoing Matt!)

Whoever they get for Effie, please,  oh! please, let her be able to sing the role...and significantly better than the lady who sang it in "'Dreamgirls' in Concert".

I have a code in by nose.

I've got considerable post-nasal drip.

Frenchie from American Idol as Effie!

Beyonce as Deena.

(And though far too old, Whoopi as Lorell)

I'm on the verge of calling it quits at work for the day and going home to bed.

I see that my brother covered our dinner Saturday night.  a good time was had by all.

The rest of my Californian weekend was comprised of several shopping jaunts with our mother, accomplishing several chores for her (thereby freeing said brother up for some others that will have to be done at another time), and generally just visting with her.  Only one game of Scrabble (C), and not a particularly stellar one on either of our parts.

Ya know, there is an edition of "Scrabble" out there with twice as many letters, with point values increased, both on the tiles and on the bonus squares, and you work with more letters per draw.

...Hermione was supposed to serve Welsh Rabbit with the meal, but didn't have the heart (go with me on this.  I know it's "rarebit")....

Didn't have the hart?  Hart is dear!  And I don't mean expensive!

Elmore, that's what makes horse races.  I actually like much of the music in LADY IN THE DARK andI certainly enjoyed the production I saw.  I find it an interesting and intriguing musical, but not a great musical.  The operatic aspects you mentioned are things I am not overwhelmed with.  Of course, my introduction to this musical besides the bad Ginger Rogers film version which jettisons most, if not all, of the score, was a recording by Opera star Rise Stevens and I found her acting ability a bit limited.  

I'm sort of in-between on casting actors over singers.  I've found some of the most moving musicals I've seen had stronger actors than singers playing the roles.  One of my favourite singers, who introduced probably more classic songs than anyone, was Fred Astaire...who, let's face it, was far from the greatest singer, but had a lot of style and panache and could put over a song.  

One of my favourite film musicals is GOODBYE,MR. CHIPS which is full of mostly negligible, if not lousy, songs (except for one or two) and stars Peter O'Toole who can't sing a jot.  Go figure.

I know a lot of people who worked with Mickey Rooney in dinner theatre in the seventies who would not want to work with him again.  Found him very undisciplined and egotistical.  Said you could not trust him or depend on him onstage.

Well, just took Tewkes on his first long walk in days (weeks, it seems) and, despite the deluge of the past few days, the day is simply glorious.  Around the corner of our little hill, we have vistas of LA that stretch to the sun-glistening ocean.

I second Ron's vote about not casting pop stars...IN ANYTHING!

MattH, though I know the book was probably problematic (and have heard such from its author Peter Stone), I've always found the score to KEAN very moving as well as thematic material of the story.  And then, of course, there is Alfred Drake...who to me is the still the greatest actor/singer of the Broadway stage.