Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Sondheim's Lost Musicals
I occasionally say there isn't much chance that 42nd St. Moon will get to do Sondheim, but it's actually not true. Sondheim has done numerous shows that didn't become famous...and some that have made their Broadway debut years after their origination.
His latest example, the ill-fated Bounce, is getting a reading at the Public Theatre in NY. (It's a closed reading even!)
Bounce played Chicago and DC but just didn't make it to New York. That's perhaps the furthers from NY Sondheim has ever been. Assassins finally made it to Broadway in 2004, after 2 previous failed attempts. Oh, and I've got a story if you'd like to hear some little-known theatre history. Now, this comes only second-hand, unlike most gossip which is much more removed from the source. Apparently the show was selling well and should have had a longer run, but the theatre started getting threats right around the time the Republican Convention came to town! Not only the threats themselves, but the cost of upping security to respond to the threats convinced the producers to close.
Anyway, Bounce will likely qualify as "rarely-produced." The same could be said of The Frogs, Saturday Night, arguably Merrily We Roll Along and Anyone Can Whistle...which has an AMAZING score, but a seriously wacky story.
Am I missing any?
His latest example, the ill-fated Bounce, is getting a reading at the Public Theatre in NY. (It's a closed reading even!)
Bounce played Chicago and DC but just didn't make it to New York. That's perhaps the furthers from NY Sondheim has ever been. Assassins finally made it to Broadway in 2004, after 2 previous failed attempts. Oh, and I've got a story if you'd like to hear some little-known theatre history. Now, this comes only second-hand, unlike most gossip which is much more removed from the source. Apparently the show was selling well and should have had a longer run, but the theatre started getting threats right around the time the Republican Convention came to town! Not only the threats themselves, but the cost of upping security to respond to the threats convinced the producers to close.
Anyway, Bounce will likely qualify as "rarely-produced." The same could be said of The Frogs, Saturday Night, arguably Merrily We Roll Along and Anyone Can Whistle...which has an AMAZING score, but a seriously wacky story.
Am I missing any?
// posted by ElisaC @ 4:50 PM 
