Tomorrow morning, I get on a train. Destination: New Jersey. To quote Bull Durham, I’m goin’ to the show.
Well, not that show. The “Little House” show. At the Paper Mill Playhouse. I’ve done a little digging–enough to re-familiarize myself with the show since I saw it almost exactly a year ago in Minneapolis, but not enough to give too much away. Steve Blanchard’s “Pa,” as Rebecca noted, seems to have lost his beard. Ouch. And Nellie, Mary and Carrie have been replaced by new actors. I expected as much about Carrie’s role, since the actress playing her was local to Minneapolis. But I admit I am going to dearly miss the actress who played Nellie. She brought such a delicious combination of sympathy and humor to that character.
Another noted addition is Melissa Gilbert’s son Michael, who is playing Willie Oleson. (Michael, the only biological child between her and Bruce Boxleitner, recovered marvelously from his very preterm birth back in 1994. He’s named after both Michael Landon and Melissa’s best friend’s son, Garrett.)
Kevin Massey and Kara Lindsay (Almanzo and Laura) tell me that the script has seen some changes as well. I wonder how well I’ll be able to pick such changes out.
I’ll report back on the play when I return. I hope I don’t miss anything! Tell me: if you were going tomorrow to see the play, what would you look for? What would you be excited to see again? Or even merchandise-wise … what would you buy?
Hey, is anyone coming to the show in St. Paul, MN at the Ordway? If you are or know of someone who is, here is a fun way to support the show. Check out Playmakers:
https://boxoffice.ordway.org/playmakers/
Oh, Sandra, I wish I could go with you. I’ll have to try to see it again up here. I hear it’s playing in St. Paul at some point.
Sandra, I can’t wait to hear your full report. One thing I read the other day and was very surprised at is that only two songs from the Guthrie run were kept for this year’s version! That’s a whole new musical! I MUST find a way to go now!
Only two songs? Let me guess: “I’ll Be Your Eyes” and the other one … the one they play on the front page of the web site. Darn. I really, really, REALLY liked “Faster, faster” with Laura and Almanzo both singing, talking about the horses and the progression of their relationship.
I hate to hear that they changed the music. I hope it wasn’t too significant. Wonder why they did that?
I plan to see it in Springfield, Mo if tix ever go on sale. I also want to see it in KC in June. I’d fly to Denver if I could. I am taking the girls in my family to see it in Springfield. I am also *making* them go to Mansfield while we are there.
I am looking forward to seeing the actor who played Almanzo again. It will also be interesting to see if they changed the characters at all. Since I bought just about everything they had at the Guthrie, I don’t know what I’d buy this time unless they have something new. My half pint shirt is too big now since I’ve lost weight so maybe a new t-shirt.
If indeed this vast amount of music change is true, I’m sure it’s because the reviews of the music weren’t great. Yes, Sandra, I thought the same as you — “I’ll Be Your Eyes” is my guess as one of the keepers, since practically every review raved about it — and no other song.
I barely remember any songs from the musical enough that if I heard them again, I’d recognize them… the Rock Rock song in the schoolroom I would recognize, and the song Laura and Almanzo sang in the cutter. Our own Sarah Sue mentioned in her own review last year that the songs were unremarkable enough that you don’t go out of the theatre singing them… and she’s exactly right.
Maybe this year, we will. I hope they finally make a soundtrack available for sale.
I *did* go out of the theater singing “Faster, Faster” — the song in the cutter. I really hope they kept at least some part of it.
My first visit of this tour will be the 4 showings in Springfield, next month. Right after, 2 days later, there’s ANOTHER musical at the Cothrie Theatre in KC, Missouri, I am going to see on Tues. It’s a local musical there! I already have tickets to see the musical in Sioux Falls, which we hope Dean Butler will team up with Melissa (playing Pa)! And, I will be going to Houston, Dallas, and Ft. Worth to those theatres as well to see the musical. We may see the very last show in KC. I believe it will continue as a travelling musical in the future as well. I have contacted the musical production company, requesting that they come and play on the very stage that Laura’s daughter, Rose graduated from the Crowley High School, in 1904, at the newly restored Grand Opera House of the South. Hopefully plans will work out to do this!
I’ll keep you posted! We are ordering a plaque to commemorate that Rose graduated on that stage!
Oh—just so everyone is clear: Playmakers benefits the Ordway specifically, but the producers of the musical have been fabulously supportive of this effort!