wanting things...

[Steve Schenck]

What I really want is a decent, well-done and well-received revival of Promises, Promises. Though I haven't seen it yet, the reviews I've read of the revival that opened last night are not too encouraging. I'm happy to see that Sean Hayes is getting pretty good notices for his portrayal of Chuck Baxter, especially since many of us found him cast a bit against type and were concerned. Sadly, Kristen Chenowith seems to have not been able to effectily portray the vulnerability that the part of Fran requires. Don't producers and casting directors see these things early on? Or are they so concerned about earnings that they want a bankable star, whether or not he or she can deliver the goods the show requires? I will definitely see the show, good reviews or not; I am just saddened that Burt, Hal and Neil Simon, who created such a great show, will not get to see their brain-child as well served as it deserves to be; and audiences from a new generation of theater-goers may also be short-changed. Of course, we've yet to gauge audience reaction; the crowds and their word-of-mouth may still make this revival a hit. "I'll say a little prayer..."

[BachtoBacharach]

Sadly, it's not the art that drives these things...producers must make sure the production is as bankable as possible in this environment and in 1968's environment as well. And, Simon and Bacharach did not go into this in 1967 with the idea of making an artistic masterpiece but to make a big commercial hit as artistically as possible. Promises, Promises was a rip-roaring commercial hit that spawned a bestselling cast album, several hit singles for Dionne Warwick and an album for Warwick which outsold the cast album 3 to 1. Bacharach was pretty shrewd at cross-marketing and Warwick's Promises, Promises hit single and album crossed over from Pop charts to R & B charts giving Promises, Promises exposure in that market. If one is looking for an exact revival of the show, then it won't be on Broadway, I'm afraid. Broadway is a different animal these days.

[nymusicalsguy]

Had Rob Marshall's Encores! revival transferred to Broadway in 1997 (as was hoped by many involved in the production), PROMISES would have a very different reputation today. Instead, we've been given a fitfully entertaining revival which should please many here (read my comments on it in a below thread...there's still much to offer) but isn't the ideal PROMISES. Only a flawless production could stave off many critics' general apathy towards Neil Simon's work (as the most commercially successful playwright America has ever produced, it was only a matter of time before critics started resenting Mr. Simon & re-evaluating his work in a harsh light) and unfortunately, the perception by some NY critics of Mr. Bacharach's work as "dated" or "easy listening." Theatre critics, in this respect, still haven't "come around" in the way many rock critics did. (Read Terry Teachout and Robert Feldberg's reviews for particularly damning, unfortunate assessments of the score.)

The reviews for PROMISES have disappointed me deeply, but I expected as much; Ashford's production simply didn't trust the material, changing the time period, adding songs, making other musical alterations. Marshall's production did. That said, this PROMISES is still a night well-spent on Broadway, and please join me in hoping against hope for a cast recording. Surely PROMISES, PROMISES finally deserves a complete recording to take advantage of modern technology. Fingers crossed.

[An Enormous BB Fan]

"But it's that Bacharach-David score, augmented by superb Jonathan Tunick orchestrations, that provide the best nostalgia kick. It's a shame these guys never wrote another musical for Broadway."

Yes, it is .... a big shame. I'm just guessing now, but my guess is that Hal would have loved to have written more Broadway musicals with Burt. But my guess is that Burt just didn't want the hassle. Especially after getting sick in Boston.

Well, I'm sorry the reviews weren't all raves. I think the most important review (as it relates to any Broadway show's success) is from "The New York Times." I don't think Ben Brantley did the show any favors with his review.

Go to youtube.com and type in "Promises, Promises" and you can see parts of the show there.

And if, like me, you're a fan of the incomparable Neil Simon, there's a wonderful article about him in the current issue (May 3, 2010) of "The New Yorker", written by John Lahr. The title of the article is "Master of Revels -- Neil Simon's comic empire." So appropriate, too.

[nymusicalsguy]

You also can follow the links from Broadway.com to a full ten minutes of musical highlights from the show. This footage may well be the show's best weapon if enough view it; it really looks spectacular and displays the best of the show.