Contemporary rethinking of the legendary Broadway musical and 1962 film, updated to reflect a few early twenty-first-century sensibilities: A masterful con artist tries to bilk a staid Midwestern community, with unexpected results.
Director: Jeff Bleckner
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Molly Shannon.
Kathleen Marshall ... choreographer
Vince Pesce ... associate choreographer
borrowed dvd
19 songs in the Soundtracks, all Written by Meredith Willson.
I miss Robert Preston, Buddy Hackett and little Ronnie Howard. I miss the Technicolor of the '62 film, and the way that dancing was staged and photographed. I miss Paul Ford's bumbling blustering malapropistic mayor and Hermione Gingold's elitist bohemian. I miss the Ye, Gods! of the '62 mayor's daughter.
Only Chenoweth competes with her counterpart (Shirley Jones), with the possible exception of the vocal talents of the barbershop quartet, but the faces were better in '62.
But I didn't mind a bit seeing this show again. Tempting to give it a 6+.
Rated 6.3 (1,742)
distr. ABC, dir. Bleckner; 6
