| RAGTIME -- Thoughts of a Transfer | |
| Posted by: student_rush 12:48 pm EST 11/08/24 | |
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| What in the world are people talking about when they float the idea of a RAGTIME transfer to Broadway? The last revival -- more or less a fully-fleshed production, albeit more minimal than the original -- closed quickly and at a loss. And that was on the heals of a successful out-of-town mounting. The Encores presentation is lovely for the box it currently fills: gloriously sung, an incredibly lush orchestra, touching on obvious topical sociopolitical notes. But this is not a production. There is no vision, no aesthetic, not a single memorable bit of staging or design. It's what Lear does: at her best, she leaves the performers alone to park and bark. At her worst, performers are left to their own devices in lieu of parking and barking. There isn't a single compelling stage image, the acting is mostly flat. But, god, can they sing. To stress, I quite enjoyed this Encores production ... with a wall of sound coming out at the audience, how could you not be moved? But the show is twisty and loses a significant amount of focus and energy in the second act; structural flaws in no way are compensated by compelling design or direction. The idea of mounting this on Broadway, with a giant cast (but no real-world stars) and orchestra ... hoping that goodwill alone will bring the audiences in droves? Can you fill City Center over two weeks with this cast? Absolutely, and glad they did! How many general audience members would pay full price to hear a well-sung but flawed historical musical for three hours, running eight times a week for months? A show that would have a very high weekly cost, despite a low capitalization? It's insane. But we live in insane times, I guess. |
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| Next: | re: RAGTIME -- TMy houghts of a Transfer - NewtonUK 09:41 am EST 11/09/24 |
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