Tom
Backyard Balladeer
Posts: 5
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Post by Tom on Jan 18, 2005 7:22:31 GMT 11
What is everyone's favourite show done by the Production Company? Being a Sydney sider, I admittedly haven't seen any of them. But I would have LOVED to have seen Gypsy (seeing Maria Mercedes as Mazeppa would be AMAZING), Guys and Dolls and Anything Goes.
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Post by Sally on Jan 18, 2005 9:10:59 GMT 11
High Society  Ever so slightly ahead of Annie Get Your Gun. |
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Post by Buff on Jan 18, 2005 12:19:51 GMT 11
Being a Sydney sider, I admittedly haven't seen any of them. I'm from Tassie, so I haven't seen any either  Buff |
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Post by Sally on Jan 18, 2005 12:36:35 GMT 11
It'd be nice if they toured High Society sometime so you can all see it, because it was a wonderful show and apparently the most successful of the three this year And if they toured Hair then surely they can tour HS! |
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Post by Talissa on Jan 20, 2005 8:40:58 GMT 11
I haven't seen many of the TPC shows before this year, but High Society's definitely my favourite, because that one managed to take a show I actually disliked and made me now love it. Only vary rarely does that happen based on one production.
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Post by Sally on Jan 20, 2005 9:06:46 GMT 11
I haven't seen many of the TPC shows before this year, but High Society's definitely my favourite, because that one managed to take a show I actually disliked and made me now love it. Only vary rarely does that happen based on one production. Really? I never knew you disliked HS Was that based on another production you'd seen, or on the film? (I wasn't keen on the film of HS. So I liked stage HS because it seemed to more take The Philadelphia Story as its basis, and work from that  |
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RockAus
Ensemble Enthusiast
Posts: 140
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Post by RockAus on Jan 20, 2005 18:19:14 GMT 11
What is everyone's favourite show done by the Production Company? Being a Sydney sider, I admittedly haven't seen any of them. But I would have LOVED to have seen Gypsy (seeing Maria Mercedes as Mazeppa would be AMAZING), Guys and Dolls and Anything Goes. Funny you should write that because I was going to say Gypsy was my favourite PC show! I'd never seen Gypsy before the PC and wouldn't have seen it had they not cast Thern Reynolds as Tulsa and Maria as Mazeppa. The costumes were great, the music was great and the cast was phenomenal! Shame you missed it! |
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Post by Talissa on Jan 20, 2005 21:24:39 GMT 11
It was partly for quite childish reasons (Ah, high school, such fun), but also because my first exposure to the show was a couple of songs that I still don't particularly like, so little wonder I was less than enchanted. I could have sworn I've told you this, though  |
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Post by Sally on Jan 20, 2005 22:48:57 GMT 11
I could have sworn I've told you this, though No! This is all new!  I recall disliked songs...but not the ones that were disliked prior to. OK, full story will be required on the weekend. You're full of hidden depth!  |
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Post by Wondergirl on Jan 28, 2005 22:16:30 GMT 11
Does Hair count, as technically it was done by the Production compant was it not?
that and Annie Get Your Gun
<3 Wondergirl
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Post by jackjackjack on Jan 29, 2005 1:41:23 GMT 11
1. CAROUSEL - It's a little weird, sure, but it has the best score of any musical ever. And to hear a 30 piece orchestra play it... I was in heaven.
2. Anything Goes - That's when I fell for Christina Tan. Come back to Melbourne soon.... Please.
3. South Pacific - I teared up. Don't tell anyone.
4. Bye Bye Birdie - Except that I had Plucka Duck sitting behind me (or at least that's what he kept telling everyone) gushing over everything Darryl Somers did, as he was doing it.
5. High Society
6. Annie Get Your Gun
7. They're Playing Our Song - Not bad, just the worst of the one's I've seen.
James
P.S. Yes, Hair definitely does count.
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Post by Yonkers on Apr 28, 2005 19:05:33 GMT 11
I'm not a fan of the Production Company as what they present is neither concert nor fully produced show. In the end they don't do the material justice as they are trying to do full shows with too little rehearsal time and tatty costumes (mostly) hired that don't even appear to work together on stage. What you end up with is something pretty amateurish.
Just what are they trying to do? The show choices follow no pattern (old shows, new shows or those from one decade or another (50's, 60's)?) Even the best of performers appear to struggle. I've only seen one show that I thought was halfway decent, Call Me Madam with Geraldene Turner. Most times I leave the State Theatre thinking 'never again' or 'what the hell were they thinking?' As a lover of Musical Theatre I despair of The Production Company as they do the industry no favours.
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Post by Sally on Apr 28, 2005 19:28:44 GMT 11
Disagree with that. I'm yet to see a bad TPC show, or a bad performance in one, from leads through to ensemble - on the whole, they select their casts extremely well. (One or two performers I wasn't entirely enamoured with, but that's more personal taste of how a role was portayed than any fault of their own) I see their production standards as pretty damn high, and it's to be remembered that TPC is doing it all 'for us', to get the shows out there, not-for-profit; not aiming for big runs, just a quick season to share a bit of musical love around. And I find their concert-style approach works very well with the shows they have chosen. Obviously, there are some shows they could never pull off...but then I didn't think they could pull off Oklahoma until I saw last year's efforts and I became convinced that they damn well had to try it, and soon. (And yay, they are!) I enjoy their choices of shows, not all of us were around to see the Broadway classics when originally staged, and have had only to rely on filmed versions - I'm looking forward very much to KMK so that Marina can 'wipe away the stain' of Kathryn Grayson in my mind (Ouch, sorry KG, I've liked you in one film at least..) Just my two cents If you don't like TPC, then you don't have to go. Easy enough. I, on the other hand, will see something multiple times if I like it - I ended up going to five TPC performances last year alone |
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Post by Yonkers on Apr 29, 2005 1:52:40 GMT 11
Sally, get a hold of the video/dvd of the recent Broadway/London revival. This is screened frequently on Ovation (Foxtel) and is also available from amazon.com. It's fabulous, then you can see the marvellous Rachel York ( a true comedic actress) and spare yourself the pain of having to watch Marina Prior's amateurish attempts at being funny.
I don't agree that the Production Comapny are doing it "for us". While I feel that Jeanne Pratt deserves some praise for her work sadly those that have'her ear' either are self serving (being paid by her) or know little or nothing about musical comedy. Are you aware of the butchering that Rodney Fisher did to HELLO, DOLLY!?
Firstly he cut half the opening number I Put My Hand In , to insert a monologue for Cornelius (taken from The Matchmaker), used only half of the Waiters Gallop, and chopped off half the Finale so he could insert another monologue, this time about the 'moral of tonights story'. Not only is this a misrepresentation of the show Hello, Dolly but is a infringement of the Performance Rights obtained by the Production Company. Terence O'Connell did similar cuts to They're Playing Our Song. These are two that immediately come to mind.
We have some very good directors of musicals (and some who should be encouraged) but instead we get the likes of Rodney Fisher and that great exponent of the musical (NOT!) Roger Hodgeman. Neither of these two have a sense of humour let alone a interest or love of musicals, so what the....?
This years choice is interesting ( not really, I'm being sarcastic). Oklahoma! is there as they have discovered there is a market for Rogers and Hammerstein (they've done well with South Pacific and Carousel) so that's their"insurance policy". Sunset Boulevard will be flocked to by Melbourne's Gay and Lesbian Judi Conelli fans (why couldn't we have seen Melbourne's own Maria Mercedes?) and KMK while a great show, is probably only there for Marina Prior (though God knows, and the producers of Witches and Noises Off know she alone doesn't fill theatres anymore).
I shudder when I think of international visitors who may stumble into the State Theatre and think what is on stage there is a representation of the Australian industry. Have a look at the LA Reprise! website and see what could be done (and what great shows they choose too!). Sally do yourself a favour and get that video/dvd now!
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Post by Sally on Apr 29, 2005 2:05:10 GMT 11
Did you see Annie Get Your Gun? I thought Marina was brilliant as Annie Oakley and she truly has a flair for comedy. Even just seeing her perform Miss Adelaide's Lament at Australia's Leading Ladies is enough to be able to tell that. But, she's a favourite of mine in any case So there's going to be a little natural bias towards someone that I've adored since I was a child. I'll look for the dvd after TPC's - KMK is really a show that I really don't like as much as it may sound like I do. I'm looking to TPC to save it for me Hello Dolly is one I haven't seen - in any way, shape or form. I only 'discovered' TPC in 2003. So I'm only a new fan, but they haven't disappointed me yet. Well, she did in AGYG at least. I loved it so much I decided I had to see it a second time, but it was sold out. It was just by sheer luck that I managed to get a return ticket, 15 minutes before the show began. |
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Ever so slightly ahead of Annie Get Your Gun.
I recall disliked songs...but not the ones that were disliked prior to. OK, full story will be required on the weekend. You're full of hidden depth! 
