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TStar: Time is ripe for revival of flop 1964 musical
Again! I miss an opportunity to hear/see Sondheim. :(
MUSICAL THEATRE
Time is ripe for revival of flop 1964 musical
The subject and staging of Stephen Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle is well suited to today
Jan 13, 2008 04:30 AM
ADAM BRAZIER
Special to the Star
To succeed you must fail, but perhaps the greatest successes come when you succeed in failing. This may be the case with Anyone Can Whistle, playing tonight in concert at the Diesel Playhouse.
This Canadian premiere features Kate Hennig, Blythe Wilson, Juan Chioran, Mark Harapiak, Jonathan Monro and me, backed by a 15-piece orchestra led by Wayne Gwillim. Star theatre critic Richard Ouzounian directs and narrates.
The production was originally produced by Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie. The Toronto show is being staged as a benefit by its artistic director, Arkady Spivak, to raise funds for developing new Canadian musicals.
Stephen Sondheim, arguably this generation's greatest composer and lyricist for musicals, opened Anyone Can Whistle, his third Broadway musical, on April 4, 1964. Whistle was greeted with scathing reviews and bewildered audiences..
Despite an all-star cast led by Angela Lansbury, the show closed after just nine performances. But, like so many brilliant plays before it, its biggest problem was being too far ahead of its time. Never before had the musical stage been challenged by such controversial subject matter or Brechtian staging.
Sondheim dealt with conservative politicians preying on the fearful religious right, the insanity of filling federal coffers to aid military funds, and the fact that most governments wind up favouring the private sector elite.
"The opposite of left is right, the opposite of right is wrong so anyone who's left is wrong, right?" says the show's hero. Sadly, these ideas and themes still resonate in today's political landscape.
With the corrupt mayor needing to instill fear of her opposition in the minds of her voters, the treasurer/preacher suggests "... if we could just show the people the evil of his ways. They'll be normal and frightened like they used to be." To which the mayor replies: "Now, what can we label him, my friends? A phrase that the rabble comprehends." Some of her cronies' suggestions ("religious pervert, enemy of God, enemy of heaven, enemy of the church.") brought enraged religious groups with picket signs out to Broadway.
What in 1964 was considered taboo may seem commonplace by today's standards, but these same follies encourage us to explore "problem plays" such as this, in hopes of a greater understanding of its subject and in this case, composer.
Paradoxically, decades later Sondheim's work is finally finding popular success. Revivals of his musicals grace Broadway every season and Sweeney Todd is currently carving up the big screen and theatre box offices.
Sondheim is 77 years old so we may have seen the last of his new gems. But he is like Shakespeare, Mozart, and Picasso: the beauty of their genius is often found in their failures and the challenge of rediscovery.
Anyone Can Whistle can be seen at 8 p.m. at the Diesel Playhouse, 55 Blue Jays Way. For tickets call 416 971-5656 or go to www.dieselplayhouse.com
MUSICAL THEATRE
Time is ripe for revival of flop 1964 musical
The subject and staging of Stephen Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle is well suited to today
Jan 13, 2008 04:30 AM
ADAM BRAZIER
Special to the Star
To succeed you must fail, but perhaps the greatest successes come when you succeed in failing. This may be the case with Anyone Can Whistle, playing tonight in concert at the Diesel Playhouse.
This Canadian premiere features Kate Hennig, Blythe Wilson, Juan Chioran, Mark Harapiak, Jonathan Monro and me, backed by a 15-piece orchestra led by Wayne Gwillim. Star theatre critic Richard Ouzounian directs and narrates.
The production was originally produced by Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie. The Toronto show is being staged as a benefit by its artistic director, Arkady Spivak, to raise funds for developing new Canadian musicals.
Stephen Sondheim, arguably this generation's greatest composer and lyricist for musicals, opened Anyone Can Whistle, his third Broadway musical, on April 4, 1964. Whistle was greeted with scathing reviews and bewildered audiences..
Despite an all-star cast led by Angela Lansbury, the show closed after just nine performances. But, like so many brilliant plays before it, its biggest problem was being too far ahead of its time. Never before had the musical stage been challenged by such controversial subject matter or Brechtian staging.
Sondheim dealt with conservative politicians preying on the fearful religious right, the insanity of filling federal coffers to aid military funds, and the fact that most governments wind up favouring the private sector elite.
"The opposite of left is right, the opposite of right is wrong so anyone who's left is wrong, right?" says the show's hero. Sadly, these ideas and themes still resonate in today's political landscape.
With the corrupt mayor needing to instill fear of her opposition in the minds of her voters, the treasurer/preacher suggests "... if we could just show the people the evil of his ways. They'll be normal and frightened like they used to be." To which the mayor replies: "Now, what can we label him, my friends? A phrase that the rabble comprehends." Some of her cronies' suggestions ("religious pervert, enemy of God, enemy of heaven, enemy of the church.") brought enraged religious groups with picket signs out to Broadway.
What in 1964 was considered taboo may seem commonplace by today's standards, but these same follies encourage us to explore "problem plays" such as this, in hopes of a greater understanding of its subject and in this case, composer.
Paradoxically, decades later Sondheim's work is finally finding popular success. Revivals of his musicals grace Broadway every season and Sweeney Todd is currently carving up the big screen and theatre box offices.
Sondheim is 77 years old so we may have seen the last of his new gems. But he is like Shakespeare, Mozart, and Picasso: the beauty of their genius is often found in their failures and the challenge of rediscovery.
Anyone Can Whistle can be seen at 8 p.m. at the Diesel Playhouse, 55 Blue Jays Way. For tickets call 416 971-5656 or go to www.dieselplayhouse.com