[Mistress]

I'm a little confused over concept of the rivival. I've watched the Angela Lansbury/George Hearn movie (marvelous!), and I've seen snippets of the rivival show with Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris (also very well done, in my opinion). I'm just confused over their staging of the death secenes, the asylum idea and those blood-stained labcoats. I'd really appreciate if someone could explain the idea behind the concept of the revival's production. Is it supposed to be some sort of performance put on by the asylum patients?

Another question I have is about the casting. I'm curious to know the reason why a woman (Donna Lynne Champlin) was cast as Pirelli.

I'd really appreciate any information you can give me. Thank You!

[Sweeney Hyde]

The revival was a new artistic concept in which the main difference was the idea to intergrate the pit orchestra and the cast into one flowing, functioning body. The other new aspects, such as the opening sequence, are just new ways to interpret the material. I don't think the actors themselves were supposed to be mental patents, I never got that empression at least. The lab coats were a representation of death. They had a VERY small set, the coffic which acted as a table as well, some chairs, and the bookshelf. As a result they didn't have a chute, a barber's chair, etc. It was left up to the audience to invision their own backhouse, etc.

[Salome]

Champlin was cast as Pirelli because in a production with no ensemble thewy needed another femal voice for the group numbers.

[Ghost]

The Broadway production also added a seperate actor to play Fogg and bass. In the original Doyle production the actress playing Pirelli also played Fogg.

[Mistress]

Thank you! Thank you very much. Interesting information.