Advanced Search | Search All That Chat


ATC Rush/Standing Room LOGIN REGISTER THREADED MODE

Threaded Order Chronological Order
re: Whence Tevye's red coat...
Posted by: Vectorbabe 01:45 pm EST 12/19/15
In reply to: Whence Tevye's red coat... - theaterluvr 06:20 am EST 12/19/15
Pushing the boundaries of revivals is a great tradition. (See my other posts.)

I was lucky enough to see Anne Bogart's production of South Pacific that took place in a hospital facility to help shell-shocked war veterans re-enter society.

Not a single word was changed, but the setting was an explosion of power.

Unfortunately the R&H executors shut the product down shortly after it opened.

Why try to infuse new relevance into South Pacific? Doesn't it have enough relevance of anti-racism and the way indigenous people are taken advantage of. (Think Bloody Mary)

For the same reason Sam Mendes pushed the boundaries of Cabaret.

I admit there are parts of the original Broadway production that I miss in the current revivals. But Mendes did the theatre a benefit in changing the scope of the production.

And the last scene is one of the most powerful I've ever seen. First time I saw it I sat in my seat for 5 minutes crying my eyes out.

But the red parka is such an insignificant framing device. And yet it says so much and gets people talking and thinking.
reply to this message
re: Whence Tevye's red coat...
Posted by: whereismikeyfl 11:44 pm EST 12/20/15
In reply to: re: Whence Tevye's red coat... - Vectorbabe 01:45 pm EST 12/19/15
Just to correct, the R&H executors did not shut down the Anne Bogart South Pacific. It was a college production and closed when its scheduled run was over.

The executors understood the thrust of the production before it opened. They saw the production as a test to where the catalog could go at a time when R&H was not taken seriously. When the production finally opened, the people controlling the estate were divided. Some were enthusiastic about the production. Others did not like it.

Also, the production did not change the setting of the play. Rather it framed it as a performance of the classic musical by vets in a hospital. The play within a play setting may have helped audiences to see the play's relevance, but the WW2 setting remained the same.
reply to this message


All That Chat is intended for the discussion of theatre news and opinion
subject to the terms and conditions. (Please take all off-topic discussion to private email.)

Please direct technical questions/comments to webmaster@talkinbroadway.com and policy questions to TBAdmin@talkinbroadway.com.



Time to render: 0.038104 seconds.