porgy and bess

[behindthescenes2]

Why in the world would the Tony voters give this production, best revival. I did see the show twice, once with madam and then the understudy. The understudy was fantastic and much more feminine than the Glenda Jackson approach i saw the first time. Sorry, but I think there definitely is no there there.

[broadwaydevil]

Good point! You tell 'em.

[RENT_is_Wicked2]

I seriously wasn't expecting it to win... I was thinking Evita. I didn't like the Follies revival, I couldn't even get through the first disc of the new recording... and the performance wasn't that good either. I DID like the Porgy and Bess performance, but it wasn't anything special. I mean, it was originally an opera that was changed into a musical... I still think it's an opera mostly just by listening to it.

[ljay889]

L
O
L

at this thread.

[Huss417]

As in Wayland Flowers and Madame?

[jv92]

Who the fvck is Madam? The puppet? Madam Rose?

I do agree with you on DIANE PAULUS' PORGY AND MESS. It is an ugly looking production, self-concious, overly PC, and badly arranged musically. Audra usually is a warm and exciting presence onstage. Here, she was Performing with a HUGE capital P.

I thought FOLLIES was a superior production on every level. Was it perfect? Of course not. But it was better than what won. As usual.

[behindthescenes2]

Madam is Audra. The reduction of the "opera" into the rendition now I like, hated the direction, hated the I'm a mean woman with teeth in my vagina approach, (when she went off with Crown on the island, I fully expected her to return with his balls in hand). Does that clarify? Her understudy, Alicia Hall Moran - brought a vocal beauty and clarity and just plain beauty to the role so so sadly missing in the stars turn. I know I am alone in this, but sometimes you gotta say, "The Empress has no clothes."

[millie_dillmount]

Matter of opinion?

[dramamama611]

Wow, you saw her toothy vagina? I must not have been paying attention.

I really liked the show, but I'm not comparing it to any other production. I knew much of the music and the basic story, but that's it. I enjoyed Follies more, but I have a more personal interest vested in that show.

[TimesSquared]

I agree with Rent-Is-Wicked--it just seemed low-rent, shorthand version of the opera to me, and with jv92--it was ugly and musically lackluster. I'd like to have seen Follies win.