| I'm so glad I saw the LA Opera production and not this concert... | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 10:06 pm EDT 06/28/24 | |
| In reply to: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC concert at Lincoln Center - NewtonUK 08:41 am EDT 06/28/24 | |
|
|
|
| ...it seems all my misgivings about this concert presentation were not unfounded. I am not feeling any FOMO having just been in NY last week. Am I mistaken or did someone on here once note that many of the cast were clients of the main producer, which explains the odd and, it seems, uninspired casting in several lead roles? I'm not at all surprised that Cynthia Erivo and Ruthie Ann Miles are stealing the show. I, too, would be so intrigued to hear these new Tunick orchestrations, though, not, apparently his music direction. If only Pauly G were still active! As thrilling as hearing more than 50 musicians play the score COULD have been, I do think it's largely meaningless without perfect casting. Wheeler's book may be my favorite of all Sondheim shows. It's exquisite and requires singing actors who would be just as adept without any of the music. I still treasure the LA Opera production I saw twenty years ago. As I recall, it was a transfer of the NY Opera production and had an extended summer season run at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The powers that be at LA Opera very smartly realized they needed to cast Broadway vets, not opera singers, in these roles and it was a pretty perfect cast... Judith Ivey (a somewhat surprisingly luminous and wry Desiree), Victor Garber (as perfect an inheritor to Cariou as I could have imagined at that time as Frederick), Laura Benanti (hilarious and exquisitely sung Ann), Zoe Caldwell (wonderfully acidic as Mdme. A -- perhaps my favorite Mdme. A after Regina Resnik), Michelle Pawk (dry, cutting and, when appropriate, heartbreaking as the Countess) and Marc Kudisch (a perfectly blustery Count.) And, as I recall, while they may not have been new Tunick orchestrations, it was augmented over the original, I think there were about 40 musicians in the pit playing beautifully. I keep hoping, one day, we'll get a full scale Broadway revival that's perfectly cast. I imagine LCT is our only hope for that. Unless, like the Sweeney model, commercial producers could find a really big name for the lead role -- an A-list actress of-a-certain-age who was up to the task of Desiree. I hope this, seemingly, disappointing concert production doesn't muff up any chance for a future full-scale revival. |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC concert at Lincoln Center - NewtonUK 08:41 am EDT 06/28/24 |
| Next: | NY Times Review - kieran 02:15 pm EDT 06/28/24 |
| Thread: | |
Time to render: 0.035145 seconds.