What the title says - what straight plays do you want to see back on Broadway in the next decade? Personally I am itching for a fresh production of Moliere in NYC, with my preference being Tartuffe, but I would be overjoyed for anything from his pen.
"Life is already so dark. If you have got the talent to make it brighter and bring people hope & joy, why would you withhold that?"
( I am familiar w the controversy but consider it much ado about nothing)
PLUS think of all the confusion w the musical and them as get the wrong set of tkts find themselves in a show about a child murderer. LET IT GO indeed!
Lettice and Lovage The Member of the Wedding The Sunshine Boys 'night, Mother The Way of the World The Skin of Our Teeth Anna Christie Look Homeward, Angel Seascape
I want the trend of outstanding August Wilson revivals to continue—I’m thinking of Signature’s Piano Lesson, MTC’s Jitney, and the Broadway productions of Joe Turner and Fences. I’d especially love to see Two Trains Running and Seven Guitars come back. Fingers crossed!
I've always dreamed of having ARSENIC AND OLD LACE back on Broadway. If I can't direct it myself, then Rando'll do. Starring Jayne Houdyshell and Mary Beth Pell as Abby and Martha.
-- Strange Interlude (as long as the production is as good as the last one, with Glenda Jackson)
-- Scapino, as long as they can cast someone whose can hope will be at least half as good as Jim Dale
-- Nicholas Nickelby, although it may be prohibitively expensive at this point
-- The Philadelphia Story, with Cate Blanchette as Tracy Lord. I don't think Tracy's age is clear,so she would not be too old.
-- A Streetcar Named Desire...given how bad the last Broadway production was, it is time.
-- The Pillowman
-- The Great White Hope...at Lincoln Center
-- Hay Fever, with Jennifer Ehle taking the role last played by her mother...probably 30 years ago, if not more.
-- Death Trap, because it is time for a good mystery and no-one seems willing to produce new one
-- Becket, because I saw a version 20years or so ago,with DerekJacobi and Robert Lindsey,and it was great.
-- The Diary of Anne Frank, because the last production,which was probably 20 years ago,sucked.
-- Brighton Beach Memoirs or Lost in Yonkers, because one of them is Neil Simon's best IMO. Will probably need to be non-profit, based on the fiasco of BBM a decade or so ago, although Lost can benefitfromstar casting.
-- Marat / Sade, to see if it would still work today.
-- Sweet Bird of Youth, but only if they can get someone who can play Alexandra Del Lago. While not the larger role (Chance Wayne has to be), it requires 'larger thanlife'
--The Cherry Orchard...the last production I saw was at Lincoln Center 40 years ago, and it was incredible.
-- Never, ever going to happen, but I would've to see a revival of 'My Fat Friend', which was one of the funniest shows I ever saw, and was not a success. Nathan Lane would be great in the role originally played by George Rose.
I am probably forgetting the one I'd like to see the most, but this is a pretty good approximation.
I would also love to see "Nicholas Nickleby" revived. I saw it a few times regionally (I live in Ohio) and it's a real tour de force: 8 1/2 hours long, with a HUGE cast, and audience involvement with catwalks going all around the theater. It's what live theater is all about, and a fantastic story to boot.
Unfortunately, putting it on these days WOULD be prohibitively expensive. I remember the flap when the ticket for the Broadway version were (gasp!) $100 - imagine what the price would have to be now to cover costs. Your average theatergoer couldn't begin to afford it.
Also, sadly, in recent years theater groups who put the play on have chopped it up to shorten the run time. While I understand why they do it - the Kenwigs subplot has nothing to do with the main story, and let's face it, a lot of times Dickens wrote characters just for the sake of it rather than to move the plot along - the real meat of the experience is to immerse yourself in the world of the story, and 6 hours with no dinner break just isn't the same as devoting a whole day to theater. I'm glad I got to experience it, and I'd love to do it again.
Someone beat me to this but I would love to see a revival of DEATHTRAP. The twist and turns were endless and it was the first time I have ever heard an audience scream at a particular part of the play. It happened at every performce that I saw.
This question was discussed on this week's episode of Three On The Aisle, and one of the critics mentioned Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, and I could not agree more. Having only read it and never seen it staged, I think it is the great overlooked American classic. When it premiered, critics responded dismissively to a play about white New Yorkers written by a black women. This is a great play that was never given its due. Anne Kauffman directed a very well-reviewed production at the Goodman two years ago, and I would love to see her take on the work.
Jarethan said: "Hay Fever, with Jennifer Ehle taking the role last played by her mother...probably 30 years ago, if not more."
One of the Broadway nonprofits was planning to do Hay Fever last year with Christine Baranski but it fell through because of scheduling. Maybe it will reemerge in a future season.
I definitely agree with the August Wilson continuation. I also grew up outside of Pittsburgh so they have an extra layer of warmth for me.
Particularly I'd love to see The Piano Lesson (which is my favorite), Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom come back....and of course, any of the others are welcome after some time has past. The only one I wasn't as big on was Radio Golf.
I'd also love to see Seascape come back in a few years (another one that was mentioned). Also, it would be nice if The Goat: or Who is Sylvia? or even something like a The Play About the Baby made a comeback. Oh and Tony Alice!
Who’s Afriad of Virginia Woolf starring Laurie Metcalf Doubt with Laurie Metcalf I’m not sure if this would count as a revival, but they had that successful reading of Larry Kramer’s “The Destiny of Me” not too long ago with Mark Ruffalo, Ellen Barkin and Gideon Gluck. I’d love to see that get a full production