After the success of the last year's Encores concert version of Bock & Harnick's The Apple Tree, The Roundabout Theater has decided to produce a full-scale revival of same at the Studio 54 theater.
The primary reason for this decision was Tony winner Kristen Chenoweth's kick-ass performance in the roles originated by Barbara Harris. Roundabout has wisely signed on Chenoweth for the limited Broadway engagement.
Combined with the already-planned Roundabout production of 110 in the Shade with the luminous Audra MacDonald, which was by itself reason enough to buy a Roundabout season subscription, this makes such a purchase an absolute must-have.
The Apple Tree was Bock & Harnick's follow-up to the phenomenally successful Fiddler on the Roof, so it was inevitable that whatever show they did next would be a disappointment. And even with 463 performances, The Apple Tree was quickly forgotten by the general theater-going public.
That's a pity, because the show has much to recommend it, including the beautiful ballad "What Makes Me Love Him?" The show has three acts, each telling a different story of star-crossed lovers, played by Barbara Harris and Alan Alda in all three acts. The first act focuses on Adam and Eve (ergo the title), the second relates the well known story of the lady or the tiger, and the third tells the story of Passionella, the humble chimney sweep who wants to be a glamorous movie star.
For some reason shows that try to tell more than one story never quite catch on. Other admirable attempts include Romance Romance, 3hree, and Weird Romance. (Some people include Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George in this category, but they would be painfully, tragically wrong.)
Interesting footnote: The original concept for Sondheim's Passion was to tell the Fosca story in one act, then have the other act be a musical version of the book Muscle, by Paul Fussell. Both stories describe the limitations of physical beauty, but Sondheim and James Lapine eventually opted to focus solely on Fosca, and the mixed bag that is Passion was born.
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