Once (cast of 13)
Musical
Labels: contemporary, drama, musical
posted by Larisa at 5:57 PM
Sep 1, 2022
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6 Comments:
I have thought this would be a perfect show for the space for years. The largest challenge will finding the performers who can sing and play the instruments, but I think enough people have it on their bucket list that it would happen. YES from me!
The music is so beautiful and orchestration is simple. It would be great for the arena space. I think we can find a talented cast. If we can afford it, I say let's go!
I was given the music from Once as a gift years ago, long before I knew anything about the musical - and then I saw the film. I rarely have strong emotional responses to musicals but Once is different - it is so "small", so heartfelt, so surprising - it seems to be TRP is a perfect place to stage this show. Challenges: actors who are good musicians (but in this town, I think perhaps less difficult than we think) and the question of if we are willing to pay live musicians (as we have discussed in meetings) would we make the exception of paying the actors who play instruments - and what potential havoc would that cause? If we can find a way to make this work, I think we need to go forward.
I'm not familiar with the music. It makes it difficult to comment on the show. The comments make it sound like a possibility. Also from the comments, I worry we may be opening a Pandora's box. Do we pay for musicians? How about actor/musicians, then actors, designers, tech people, etc. If paying any additional people is a possibility, it needs to go before the Board for direction. Is a show like this going to require understudies? The last time I was at TRP, two of the actors were out and people were on-book. An ill actor/musician will likely result in cancelation. Even with this being a "small show" I suspect it will be pretty expensive to produce. Reading about the problems Ancestry is having, I'm more reluctant to recommend a musical at this time.
I haven't read the libretto yet, but love the music and the movie. I did an MTI cost estimator and licensing alone would cost almost $10,000. I'm still feeling cautious about expenses royalties until we are "out of the woods" with COVID and I have had some time to build up other revenue sources. We can leave it on the table, but I would prefer to wait another year or so.
This was a favorite movie when it came out. I loved the story and the music - and the adorable puppy-like vacuum cleaner. I would love to see us do this one. I have never completely understood the notion that we can no longer do musicals at TRP. We did them for many years. Of course, many of the current obstacles are indeed credible, and some musicals are definitely beyond our scope. And Howard raises an excellent point about the ravages of Covid impacting productions when actors are unable to appear. But we now see more and more use of understudies. (In fact, the show I'm starting rehearsals for has understudies.) But I have always believed that there are ways to produce a musical. Cost is a big consideration. Recruiting musicians is a valid concern. But with a piano and a group of talented signers a musical can be done. (The last musical I did at TRP had only a piano after the rest of the musicians were let go by the director because they hadn't rehearsed enough, and the show was just fine). We just have to find the right candidate. For example, there is no reason why we can't do "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." And I have seen two fabulous small-scale productions of "Little Shop of Horrors." One was literally bare bones, with only hints of setting and a small cast-with-doubling and just a piano. But it was fabulous. Even the tiny theater in my hometown just did a wonderful production. So let's finally get serious about including a musical in a season soon.
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