This is my first time in over 30 years that I was able to see a stage play. I admit I was going through a lot of hard times, including a divorce, bad relationships, being laid off or fired, and going through depression. Now despite my debts, I’m working on my Masters degree in Special Education teaching and at 58, caught this play because I love the actors and the Bacharach music of which I grew up listening to since my grade school years. I even got the soundtrack album on my Spotify account. If that play were to be in Los Angeles or even the Bay Area, I would go there. Thank you for the download. It made me bring back my appreciation for live plays. May God bless you
Truly enjoyed this revival and the opportunity to time travel back to the late 1960's and see this feel good Bacharach musical that I had missed for some reason at the Shubet. Sean Hayes was a pleasant likeable surprise. Some iconic songs here.
The only reason this isn't a disaster is because these performers can do anything! (The casting is just thoughtless...really) They are all sooo invested. I'm flabbergasted by how Sean Hayes was so capable... really.... He kept the show moving like a bullet and was able to just 'handle' it. I'm honestly blown away by the fact that I'm watching beyond 25 mins...
I really love Kristin in this. She made a bold move and stepped away from the comedy box. She even extended her contract in this for another 6 months I believe, because she wasn’t ready to leave or felt finished with the character. Her Father told her that if this was the first thing people were seeing her in, she would be a hit. But because people are so used to seeing her do comedy, they didn’t give her the chance. I think she did superb. It’s one of my favourites of hers. Shame the comments are filled with negativity about her. Just personal opinion I guess. And I think knowing this show did her some good personally, makes me feel better about it to. ❤️
I disagree, personally. I think she’s trying hard to play against type, but with that she brings absolutely nothing dynamic to the role. I know she’s doing “subtle”, but, with as much respect as I can say this, she doesn’t do subtle well. And the songs they threw in for her feel shoe-horned, and neither the songs (nor her performance of them) bring any more depth to the underdeveloped character (which frankly, C.C. has no reason to believe is such a decent person).
Whoever in the company had the idea of (and then approved) changing the original spectacularly impressive choreography of the "Turkey Lurkey" number should have been fired from this production and they all should have done the 1968 version instead. Don't mess with PERFECTION! The utter "WOW" factor you get from watching the synchronized timing, the fast pace, and the unique advanced dancing skills required for it is something you just don't see anymore these days, unfortunately. It's an absolutely crucial part that makes the show special. If I had gone to see the show in person and this other unexpected disappointing version of "Turkey Lurkey" is what I got, I would have been shocked (like, what the hell is this BS?!) and had the urge to walk out and not stay for the rest of the show. That's how incredibly important that number is to Promises, Promises.
The Turkey Lurkey choreography is lackluster at best. So glad I missed this. The original dance should never be tampered with. This had no energy, like they were worried thier wigs we’re going to fly off.
@@rick90604whittier most of the songs here were written for this musical including Turkey Lurkey. Two songs have been added to this production, not included in the original broadway production. They are "Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is not a Home"
I agree with what you said regarding Chenoweth. For me, basically seeing Glinda the Good try to off herself with some pills made me feel like something in the universe was, well, off (miscast). However, thank the Broadway gods Chenoweth found her footing again as she advanced in her career. She found out what works for her and what doesn't. Hayes was awesome in this. It totally made me forget about "Just Jack"!
Did you know that at some point in rehearsals Bacharach and David flew Warwick out to New York to work with the cast on singing the rhythms naturally because of all of the time changes. Some lasting just a few bars and on to something else. Hellishly difficult for the performer. A treat for the audience.
I saw the original which was great--how could it miss with Jerry Orbach??. I didn't get to see this production live but not crazy about it. Sean carries the show. The added songs for Chenoweth are superfluous, obviously so she has more to sing. Turkey Lurkey Time---you can't beat Donna McKechnie or Michael Bennet--but the dancers here really work hard. Kudoos to them.
Perfect comment! My feelings exactly! There are certain numbers that need to follow the original choreography. Turkey Lurkey Time is one of them. One from A Chorus Line is another. How about Put on your Sunday Clothes from Hello Dolly! I love this show. So many community theaters do They’re Playing Our Song also written by Neil Simon. I like this better…
“There lies one of the most decent girls I ever met…” uhm. How would he know, they shared 0 experiences together ? She literally has nothing to do in their scenes but dodge him. Here’s everything he knows abt her: she’s got a brother, she likes basketball, she’s sleeping with his married boss and she tried to kill herself in his bed. “…the most decent girl…” ? Maybe he should meet more girls.
Hayes and Chenoweth are surprisingly well-matched in this thoroughly entertaining "revisal" of the mid-1960s musical. Neil Simon's adaptation of the Billy Wilder-IAL Diamond screenplay still ticks right along, even with additional songs from the Bachrach-David catalog.
This must have an off day for Kristin Chenoweth, a truly brilliant singer and performer. See her in Candide, a great minimal staging for Great Performances: ruclips.net/video/EdC652e9dpE/видео.html Or this also from Candide: ruclips.net/video/lQe1pJtfdB8/видео.html a wonderful duet. Or this ensemble number: ruclips.net/video/2PbPQ9VnxDM/видео.html And one last clip from Candide: ruclips.net/video/nlVD-jrq_Yk/видео.html Perhaps Leonard Bernstein's Candide is simply better material to work with.
He’s Ensambe, He’s one of the best dancers in the show, watch him durning the Tony Award performance. They Perform most of the Overture and he’s incredible to watch.
I think this version of Turkey Lurkey Time is just legendary and fabulous. Can anyone confirm that both Megan Sikora and Tony Goldwyn were out at this performance?
the pacing of that number always shocks me. It is engaging the entire time, even though every new section feels like the last one should have been the last one. And because it feels so long, it's always weird for me to remember that it's only 3 minutes. A throwaway pop song is usually 4 minutes.
…Finneran won a Tony for this??? Did anyone see it near opening..? / did her performance get broader over time??? She was performing in a completely different show (actually, a cartoon). IMO, her big performance kills the comedy in (what’s usually the only enjoyable scene in this show.)
I saw this production. Didn't love it mostly because of miscasting. I also thought the show missed some opportunities by setting it in time period slightly prior to the original (1968.) This felt more Mad Men and less swinging 60s. Of course, the original source material, The Apartment, is from 1960 so maybe that is what they were going for. Still, the music seems slightly off when not set in the late 60s.
I agree completely. The sound of this show suggests 1968, not 1961. Men's suits were still narrow lapels at that point in time but everything else had changed. And that changed line about asking Fran to meet her at "The old Garden, the new one hasn't been built yet" may rank as the dumbest rewrite line I've ever heard.
Did the director dislike “Wanting Things”? It’s so sped up that it loses its’ emotional punch. Also wish they dropped “Say a Little Prayer”, it seems out of place.
Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!!
As much as I love this musical and hoped for a revival, this one was completely misguided and miscast. Shifting the original show's time period from 1968 to 1962 was the least of its problems. The choreography was uninspiring, the added Bacharach tunes added nothing to the story and Chenoweth was completely miscast as "Fran" - she was way too mature for this role, which was originally written as young, wistful and waif-ish. I do however love some of the performances in this - - - but "Turkey Lurkey Time" - a true Broadway showstopper in the original 1968 production is so lackluster here and falls flat - - - a completely missed opportunity. I do however appreciate the upload so at least people get to see a version of this not-very-often performed classic. The score is still a winner.
@@thewkovacs316 But the show was written to be contemporaneous to 1968 America, not 1962. This is why Fran isn't an elevator operator like in "The Apartment" because by the end of the 60s those had disappeared. The sound of the music suggests late 60s, not early 60s and the shift also results in the DUMBEST rewrite line in the history of theater regarding Chuck asking Fran to meet her at Madison Square Garden. In the original the line is "The new Garden, the old one's been torn down". But to accommodate the time shift he says, "The old Garden, the new one hasn't been built yet." DUMB! And I heard far too many reprises of "Where Can You Get A Girl" than I would have liked to hear (those guys should have gotten their comeuppance).
Gotta agree with many of these comments, I hate being negative, but this doesn’t translate well to the me too era, and Kristen is just totally miscast and doesn’t sound as good as in her other singing rolls…LOVE Burt Bacharach’s music though
Love Sean Hayes, but I just don't buy him in this role. All I can see is "Just Jack"! That aside, thank you so much for uploading this. I was just dying to see it when it opened, but I live on the other coast.
The original production was terrific, but when it comes down to it there are some bad songs in among the hits. And Kristen Chenoweth couldn't have been more miscast. This was a mess.
So, I watched this from beginning to end and noted a couple of things - I love Kristin Chenoweth, but I have to agree that she was miscast. Not her fault, she still did her best with what she was given. Sean Hayes was wonderful - excellent singing voice, and contrary to popular opinion, I thought he was quite convincing playing a heterosexual character. (And whoever the doctor was is absolutely hilarious.) Unfortunately, I think the real problem was that this show simply should never have been revived at all. The story has aged badly, and no amount of rewriting could have made it palatable for the #metoo world of today. What was acceptable in 1968 is most definitely not acceptable 55 years later.
The original movie, The Apartment, holds up very well and is an accurate record of its time in history. Perhaps it should have been left to itself instead of being made into a musical at all. Chenoweth is amazing in Great Performances Candide.
Ugh awful..was this a Burt jukebox musical?....i mean WHY? .i fast forwarded through just to get the gist of the story .... Sean Hayes, love him but as a romantic lead... Umm no. No masquline vibes AT ALL. Love loce love kristen and was surprised i fast forwarded through her songs as well. This character was not for her.. She would have made a better margie, who stole the show in the small part she had .
It is amazing to me that anyone with a functioning brain would think this revival was good on ANY level. Well, the band's okay, so there's that. The culprit here is Rob Ashford. He's always the culprit. His "choreography" for Turkey Lurkey Time shows just how inept he is. He has no clue how to build the number to a frenzy, he completely screws up the ending by adding bars to it. Michael Bennett knew how to build a number - Gower Champion knew how to build a number - Bob Fosse knew how to build a number - I could list a dozen more names. Bennett's staging for The Grapes of Roth bar scene got huge laughs - here it's just meaningless movement with no point, an Ashford specialty. Setting it in the early 60s was a stupid idea. Adding songs was a stupid idea. The casting is stupid in most cases, and that includes Marge - it's a foolproof scene so the laughs are always there. But this woman is so overplaying it it's like beaten over the head with a bat. There is no one else to blame but Ashford. Putting pointless movement in one of the greatest overtures ever written is inept. I just marvel that theater has apparently devolved to the point where people say they loved this production. It was a flop for very good reason. And it's all in evidence in this video. A major fail for a musical that deserved a much better revival done by people who trusted the original material and more importantly, understood it. I'm nauseous from watching this horror show. I saw the original production five times on B'way. It was fantastic because it was done by people with talent.
This is my first time in over 30 years that I was able to see a stage play. I admit I was going through a lot of hard times, including a divorce, bad relationships, being laid off or fired, and going through depression. Now despite my debts, I’m working on my Masters degree in Special Education teaching and at 58, caught this play because I love the actors and the Bacharach music of which I grew up listening to since my grade school years. I even got the soundtrack album on my Spotify account. If that play were to be in Los Angeles or even the Bay Area, I would go there. Thank you for the download. It made me bring back my appreciation for live plays. May God bless you
Sean Hayes can do no wrong - he’s stellar in everything and anything
Truly enjoyed this revival and the opportunity to time travel back to the late 1960's and see this feel good Bacharach musical that I had missed for some reason at the Shubet. Sean Hayes was a pleasant likeable surprise. Some iconic songs here.
I saw it in New York I saw it in London I now watch the revival all the time on you tube
It’s still fantastic
The only reason this isn't a disaster is because these performers can do anything! (The casting is just thoughtless...really) They are all sooo invested. I'm flabbergasted by how Sean Hayes was so capable... really.... He kept the show moving like a bullet and was able to just 'handle' it. I'm honestly blown away by the fact that I'm watching beyond 25 mins...
i AM SHOCKED! sEAN IS EXCELLENT, GREAT VOICE, AS USED TO SEEING HIM IN will and grace. HE HAS TALENT! AS DOES CHENOWERTH TOO.
Great show….saw this one as well as original years ago. Great Bacharach music.
RIP Burt ❤
I really love Kristin in this. She made a bold move and stepped away from the comedy box. She even extended her contract in this for another 6 months I believe, because she wasn’t ready to leave or felt finished with the character. Her Father told her that if this was the first thing people were seeing her in, she would be a hit. But because people are so used to seeing her do comedy, they didn’t give her the chance. I think she did superb. It’s one of my favourites of hers. Shame the comments are filled with negativity about her. Just personal opinion I guess. And I think knowing this show did her some good personally, makes me feel better about it to. ❤️
KRISTIN WAS SUPERBE AND THE MUSIC BY BURT BACHARACH WAS EXCEPCIONAL, INDREDIBLE.
I disagree, personally. I think she’s trying hard to play against type, but with that she brings absolutely nothing dynamic to the role. I know she’s doing “subtle”, but, with as much respect as I can say this, she doesn’t do subtle well. And the songs they threw in for her feel shoe-horned, and neither the songs (nor her performance of them) bring any more depth to the underdeveloped character (which frankly, C.C. has no reason to believe is such a decent person).
Thank you for posting this. I have 4th row seats, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Entire cast is excellent. Thanks again for posting.
Sean Hayes is very good…great comedic timing !
The rest of this may be questionable in quality, but the opening sequence is gorgeous and hypnotic, reminds me of the ending to Nine for some reason.
Sean is Magnificent.
He has a Beautiful Voice.
Whoever in the company had the idea of (and then approved) changing the original spectacularly impressive choreography of the "Turkey Lurkey" number should have been fired from this production and they all should have done the 1968 version instead. Don't mess with PERFECTION! The utter "WOW" factor you get from watching the synchronized timing, the fast pace, and the unique advanced dancing skills required for it is something you just don't see anymore these days, unfortunately. It's an absolutely crucial part that makes the show special. If I had gone to see the show in person and this other unexpected disappointing version of "Turkey Lurkey" is what I got, I would have been shocked (like, what the hell is this BS?!) and had the urge to walk out and not stay for the rest of the show. That's how incredibly important that number is to Promises, Promises.
The Turkey Lurkey choreography is lackluster at best. So glad I missed this. The original dance should never be tampered with. This had no energy, like they were worried thier wigs we’re going to fly off.
I am so sorry I didn't go and see this performance. It was a classic. .
I also love how the cast is able to go from drunk co-workers to full on Turkey Lurkey ensemble.
What album did Burt write Turkey Lurkey for?
@@rick90604whittier most of the songs here were written for this musical including Turkey Lurkey. Two songs have been added to this production, not included in the original broadway production. They are "Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is not a Home"
Right from the start. Just what you need...That couple that's going to mindlessly chatter throughout the ENTIRE show.
I think it's cool that the show's overture turns in to a "dance-overture" at around 2:15.
1:19:50 The introduction of the best character in the whole play. Chenoweth was miscast and Hayes was ok, but Ms Marge was PHENOMENAL
I agree with what you said regarding Chenoweth. For me, basically seeing Glinda the Good try to off herself with some pills made me feel like something in the universe was, well, off (miscast). However, thank the Broadway gods Chenoweth found her footing again as she advanced in her career. She found out what works for her and what doesn't. Hayes was awesome in this. It totally made me forget about "Just Jack"!
....I do like her singing "Knowing When to Leave." 🙂
Anyone who can work out Bacharach's timing is a pro.
Did you know that at some point in rehearsals Bacharach and David flew Warwick out to New York to work with the cast on singing the rhythms naturally because of all of the time changes. Some lasting just a few bars and on to something else. Hellishly difficult for the performer. A treat for the audience.
@@siegessNo musician with their salt would describe his rhythms as hellishly difficult.
I enjoyed this musical a lot I don't understand why this revival is so hated but maybe I need to see the original 1960s version
Ya think?
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💐❤️👍🏽
I saw the original which was great--how could it miss with Jerry Orbach??. I didn't get to see this production live but not crazy about it. Sean carries the show. The added songs for Chenoweth are superfluous, obviously so she has more to sing. Turkey Lurkey Time---you can't beat Donna McKechnie or Michael Bennet--but the dancers here really work hard. Kudoos to them.
Perfect comment! My feelings exactly! There are certain numbers that need to follow the original choreography. Turkey Lurkey Time is one of them. One from A Chorus Line is another. How about Put on your Sunday Clothes from Hello Dolly! I love this show. So many community theaters do They’re Playing Our Song also written by Neil Simon. I like this better…
“There lies one of the most decent girls I ever met…” uhm. How would he know, they shared 0 experiences together ? She literally has nothing to do in their scenes but dodge him. Here’s everything he knows abt her: she’s got a brother, she likes basketball, she’s sleeping with his married boss and she tried to kill herself in his bed. “…the most decent girl…” ? Maybe he should meet more girls.
Hayes and Chenoweth are surprisingly well-matched in this thoroughly entertaining "revisal" of the mid-1960s musical. Neil Simon's adaptation of the Billy Wilder-IAL Diamond screenplay still ticks right along, even with additional songs from the Bachrach-David catalog.
This must have an off day for Kristin Chenoweth, a truly brilliant singer and performer.
See her in Candide, a great minimal staging for Great Performances: ruclips.net/video/EdC652e9dpE/видео.html
Or this also from Candide: ruclips.net/video/lQe1pJtfdB8/видео.html
a wonderful duet.
Or this ensemble number: ruclips.net/video/2PbPQ9VnxDM/видео.html
And one last clip from Candide: ruclips.net/video/nlVD-jrq_Yk/видео.html
Perhaps Leonard Bernstein's Candide is simply better material to work with.
Who is playing Sheldrake in this recording? Does anyone know?
Tony Goldwyn
@@niclesnyc Are you sure? I know he is listed in the cast, but it doesn't look like him. Understudy?
He’s Ensambe, He’s one of the best dancers in the show, watch him durning the Tony Award performance. They Perform most of the Overture and he’s incredible to watch.
Brian O'Brien, he was the understudy.
I think this version of Turkey Lurkey Time is just legendary and fabulous. Can anyone confirm that both Megan Sikora and Tony Goldwyn were out at this performance?
the pacing of that number always shocks me. It is engaging the entire time, even though every new section feels like the last one should have been the last one. And because it feels so long, it's always weird for me to remember that it's only 3 minutes. A throwaway pop song is usually 4 minutes.
Ever seen the original number??
…Finneran won a Tony for this??? Did anyone see it near opening..? / did her performance get broader over time??? She was performing in a completely different show (actually, a cartoon). IMO, her big performance kills the comedy in (what’s usually the only enjoyable scene in this show.)
Who played Margie? Genius!
Katie Finneran, most likely.
Yes, she won a Tony for her role.
We have been cheated out of a curtain call.
This dimwitted, selfish broad illegally taped a Broadway production and you're whining about a curtain call, dullard??
The curtain call is wonderful to watch. a lot more dancing from the ensemble. Rob Should won the Tony for Choreography.
@@Rcity2332 but he didn't, did he, Blanche?
🙂
WCUYAADM ?
I saw this production. Didn't love it mostly because of miscasting. I also thought the show missed some opportunities by setting it in time period slightly prior to the original (1968.) This felt more Mad Men and less swinging 60s. Of course, the original source material, The Apartment, is from 1960 so maybe that is what they were going for. Still, the music seems slightly off when not set in the late 60s.
I agree completely. The sound of this show suggests 1968, not 1961. Men's suits were still narrow lapels at that point in time but everything else had changed. And that changed line about asking Fran to meet her at "The old Garden, the new one hasn't been built yet" may rank as the dumbest rewrite line I've ever heard.
The Apartment was very good and still holds up. A musical of it i.e. Promises Promises should not have been made at all.
1:33:17 ....that hurt.
Did the director dislike “Wanting Things”? It’s so sped up that it loses its’ emotional punch. Also wish they dropped “Say a Little Prayer”, it seems out of place.
43:22
Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!! Thank you !!!!!!!
As much as I love this musical and hoped for a revival, this one was completely misguided and miscast. Shifting the original show's time period from 1968 to 1962 was the least of its problems. The choreography was uninspiring, the added Bacharach tunes added nothing to the story and Chenoweth was completely miscast as "Fran" - she was way too mature for this role, which was originally written as young, wistful and waif-ish. I do however love some of the performances in this - - - but "Turkey Lurkey Time" - a true Broadway showstopper in the original 1968 production is so lackluster here and falls flat - - - a completely missed opportunity. I do however appreciate the upload so at least people get to see a version of this not-very-often performed classic. The score is still a winner.
ruclips.net/video/-_2aPNuA1KE/видео.html
This performance brought me to this video.
they set this production in the same year as the original film, "the apartment"
@@thewkovacs316 But the show was written to be contemporaneous to 1968 America, not 1962. This is why Fran isn't an elevator operator like in "The Apartment" because by the end of the 60s those had disappeared. The sound of the music suggests late 60s, not early 60s and the shift also results in the DUMBEST rewrite line in the history of theater regarding Chuck asking Fran to meet her at Madison Square Garden. In the original the line is "The new Garden, the old one's been torn down". But to accommodate the time shift he says, "The old Garden, the new one hasn't been built yet." DUMB! And I heard far too many reprises of "Where Can You Get A Girl" than I would have liked to hear (those guys should have gotten their comeuppance).
Gotta agree with many of these comments, I hate being negative, but this doesn’t translate well to the me too era, and Kristen is just totally miscast and doesn’t sound as good as in her other singing rolls…LOVE Burt Bacharach’s music though
Love Sean Hayes, but I just don't buy him in this role. All I can see is "Just Jack"! That aside, thank you so much for uploading this. I was just dying to see it when it opened, but I live on the other coast.
Luck for you that you missed it.
The original production was terrific, but when it comes down to it there are some bad songs in among the hits. And Kristen Chenoweth couldn't have been more miscast. This was a mess.
Kristen didn't have enough soul for this type of part. I'm a big fan of hers. But she sounds corny doing these pop tunes
So, I watched this from beginning to end and noted a couple of things - I love Kristin Chenoweth, but I have to agree that she was miscast. Not her fault, she still did her best with what she was given. Sean Hayes was wonderful - excellent singing voice, and contrary to popular opinion, I thought he was quite convincing playing a heterosexual character. (And whoever the doctor was is absolutely hilarious.) Unfortunately, I think the real problem was that this show simply should never have been revived at all. The story has aged badly, and no amount of rewriting could have made it palatable for the #metoo world of today. What was acceptable in 1968 is most definitely not acceptable 55 years later.
The original movie, The Apartment, holds up very well and is an accurate record of its time in history. Perhaps it should have been left to itself instead of being made into a musical at all.
Chenoweth is amazing in Great Performances Candide.
This revival was a mess
Ugh awful..was this a Burt jukebox musical?....i mean WHY? .i fast forwarded through just to get the gist of the story .... Sean Hayes, love him but as a romantic lead... Umm no. No masquline vibes AT ALL. Love loce love kristen and was surprised i fast forwarded through her songs as well. This character was not for her.. She would have made a better margie, who stole the show in the small part she had .
Chenoweths southern singing style is a bit out of place for Madison Avenue….she has a fine voice but not for this character
It is amazing to me that anyone with a functioning brain would think this revival was good on ANY level. Well, the band's okay, so there's that. The culprit here is Rob Ashford. He's always the culprit. His "choreography" for Turkey Lurkey Time shows just how inept he is. He has no clue how to build the number to a frenzy, he completely screws up the ending by adding bars to it. Michael Bennett knew how to build a number - Gower Champion knew how to build a number - Bob Fosse knew how to build a number - I could list a dozen more names. Bennett's staging for The Grapes of Roth bar scene got huge laughs - here it's just meaningless movement with no point, an Ashford specialty. Setting it in the early 60s was a stupid idea. Adding songs was a stupid idea. The casting is stupid in most cases, and that includes Marge - it's a foolproof scene so the laughs are always there. But this woman is so overplaying it it's like beaten over the head with a bat. There is no one else to blame but Ashford. Putting pointless movement in one of the greatest overtures ever written is inept. I just marvel that theater has apparently devolved to the point where people say they loved this production. It was a flop for very good reason. And it's all in evidence in this video. A major fail for a musical that deserved a much better revival done by people who trusted the original material and more importantly, understood it. I'm nauseous from watching this horror show. I saw the original production five times on B'way. It was fantastic because it was done by people with talent.