Re: Producers .. opening night in LA. . .LA Critics

Date: 12 Jun 2003 21:15:54 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.musicals
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Wow, Stephen O., I'm surprised you've turned this into a New York vs. L.A.
thread.
All I said was that Reprise isn't comparable to Encores. Encores takes shows
that haven't been seen in New York since their original run, painstakingly
reconstructs orchestrations, plays them with a full orchestra configured
exactly as they were on their Broadway opening night, and casts a lot of people
who go on, the following year, to win Tonys. I saw Kristin Chenoweth and
Heather Hadley there long before most people had heard of them, which, I'll
admit, was pretty exciting.
If Reprise is doing something comparable, it's news to me. Does Reprise focus
on shows that haven't been seen in ages? Does reprise reconstruct the musical
sound through orchestration and expert instrumentalists? Does reprise cast
with talent that then goes on to win Tonys?
If so, they ARE comparable, and I'll eat my words.
Your belief that New York has given the world merely abstract expressionism and
the Broadway musical is laughable. Where would American fiction and poetry be
without the contribution of New Yorkers?