It was touch and go for a while if we would actually get to do this reading, but in the end it all came together, with an enthusiastic group of performers covering an range of roles. Some were familiar with the source material (Billy Wilder's film, "The Apartment") and others had knowledge of the show through the cast album, but only two of us had ever encountered it on stage. Our exploration of the piece last night led many of us to understand why the show isn't produced more often (and wonder why anyone thought it would be a good idea to revive on Broadway right now). The story is fun, with some classic Neil Simon (and Billy Wilder) dialogue, and some songs are great fun (although it's a very challenging score, and the lyrics rarely do much to advance the plot), but it's dated, and tough to identify with the the office-place sexual shenanigans, let alone the show's protagonist in the same way that audiences might with, say J. Pierrepont Finch from "How to Succeed...."
Nonetheless, we all had a fun evening, especially the many new participants who were joining us for the first time last night. Thanks to KJ McElrath for his expert accompaniment, and, once again, a very special thanks to everyone who stepped in (with very little notice in some cases) to cover roles.
No comments:
Post a Comment