Haines His Way

This is a question for BK, Jay and any other Los Angeles DR:

In the new book on Kander and Ebb, when discussing the flop of  THE HAPPY TIME, John Kander says "I don't think you can learn from a Los Angeles audience what you need to learn for a New York production."  He really never elaborated on this statement.

Do you agree with this statement?  If so, why and if not, why not?  

BTW, re: WICKED. I don't know, but the performance on Letterman did nothing for me. I didn't particularly like it. But in contrast I loved Kristin's rendition of "Popular" from the Today show last week. I find myself singing it over and over.

Then I daresay you won't enjoy the show, so I recommend you avoid it.  Idina Menzel's character is the raison d'etre of the story and she has quite a few songs with the same intensity as "Defying Gravity."

Of course, Kristin's Glinda is an everpresent figure with lots of cute lines and the big novelty number, but that might not be enough for you.  

As for me, "Defying Gravity" (which is much more impressive in a theater) raised chills on my arms and brought the house down!

Can we really applaud or boo Mahler here?  I'm confused.

Ask BK: What numbers got Lost In Boston, not making it onto your Lost In Boston series?  In other words, what songs did you almost record?  And what stopped you?

Thanks TD!  Sad....Lee Curreri, Carlo Imperato, and Valerie Landsburg were my three favorite actors on the original series!

I am not from NZ and have not been doing anything with sheep. Not even dotting the hills near the olive trees or whatever it was with the KKK.
Favourite Shirley: "My Geisha" and "Some Came Running" Favourite Cissy: "In The Bedroom".
Thanks for the wake up call Ron and thanks TCB for trying to quieten it!
WEL: Overall what was your opinion of the Kander & Ebb book?

Emily:  Just re-read your comments about last night's performance on Letterman.

I am unsuccessfully trying to recall those soldiers being in that scene when I saw the show here in San Francisco.

My memory is that when Elphaba was airborne, the song was totally a solo.  But I "might" be wrong.  There's definitely a change in the delivery...whether it's a specially formulated version for TV as opposed to what they're doing in the theater I cannot say.

Hopefully, someone who has seen both the show at the Gershwin and last night's performance can share insights with us as to how representative the number is of the way it's now being done on stage.

I'm only about a third of the way through the book so far.  I happened to read that quote on a "bathroom break".  However from what I am reading I am not learning that much.  I'd like to read a book about Kander and Ebb by someone else and not a transcription of a series of interviews with them which is the form the book takes.

DR Noel:  Sounds like a great evening.  Lilia Skala was an interesting actress.  Unfortunately, she never won an Oscar. although she was nominated for "Lilies of the Field" (Margaret Rutherford won that year for "The V.I.P.s").  

Ron, unless I was imagining something, the scene yesterday:

1) opened with angry villagers
2) Idina and monkey make their appearance
3) Idina sing sing sing sing
4) soldiers come in - sing something very short while Idina moves backwards to get into "flying" position
5) Idina rises in the air and finishes the song

Am I crazy?  I remember people that weren't villagers with spears.  I assumed they were guards from the Emerald City or such.

Well, there were more villagers before the final notes of the song, too, and the camera cut away from Idina to show that perspective.  

When I saw the show here, Idina disappeared upstage when the guards came running in (she was in the wizard's palace).  Next thing you see, she IS defying gravity and eveyrone falls back...and she belts the song for all she's worth, including the final ah-ahh-i-ah-ah with NO villagers...you just saw/heard her.  But that was in June.

Things may be different now.

Thanks WEL. I shall put my order for "Colored Lights" on hold. K & E certainly deserve to be written about and written well. I am interested in knowing what happened to "Over and Over". (It had a song about ice-cream so IMHO it must be worthy).

This is a question for BK, Jay and any other Los Angeles DR:

In the new book on Kander and Ebb, when discussing the flop of  THE HAPPY TIME, John Kander says "I don't think you can learn from a Los Angeles audience what you need to learn for a New York production."  He really never elaborated on this statement.

Do you agree with this statement?  If so, why and if not, why not?  

Bruce said it, more or less.  I believe NY audiences are more discriminating than those in L.A.  By "discriminating," I mean able to dispassionately assess the merits--be it in the writing, staging or performance--of the work being presented.  I am amazed by how quickly audiences leap to standing ovations here for what, in my mind, is only passable quality--or worse.  In New York, too, I believe more of the audience is comprised of true theatre-philes (I know that's not a word) than in L.A., whereas in L.A., for most audience members, going to the theatre is more about a night on the town.

I need to throw in a disclaimer saying generalizations like the ones I've made here are just that:  generalizations.  There is excellent theatre here in L.A. and very discriminating theatre goers can easily be found.  Likewise, there's a lot of only so-so stuff that succeeds on Broadway, and  audiences in NY will always be made up, to some degree, by the "bridge and tunnel" crowd.  (BTW, I detest that "bridge and tunnel" expression, but that it has existed for as long as it has proves the point that not every theatre goer in NY is Ben Brantley.)

Special thanks to Jay - Goldilocks rules! I was inundated with other suggestions. An unbearable silence.

More hot posts, please.  Now that Jrand is back we all need to say 50 Hail Marys (or Hail Mayas depending on if you're Mr. Mark Bakalor) and make three posts each in quick succession.