| And once again I say: This is not the original text that quickly flopped by any means. It is a new version that was created under the supervision of James Lapine. Cut songs, restored songs, new songs, a new character, etc. I know there are others who prefer the original score as it was recorded, but the show is, I think unarguably a better overall show because of its reshaping, which is very substantial. Lapine did what any director of a new work would be expected to do -- supervise a rewrite. Not often done with rivivals, but in this case it was, and that is what Maria Friedman was given to work with. Yes, she made some great directing choices, cast Groff, and gave the character a throughline that justifies (to some extent) our interest in him. But it's not like she started wihere Prince, Sondheim and Furth left off. |
