Some details from a NY Post story which appeared last Wednesday are being picked up on by UPI today and appearing in various outlets, with the opening line, “Critics were disappointed in Twyla Tharp’s new musical ‘The Times Are A-Changin,’ based on the music of Bob Dylan so the show has been almost completely recast.” You’d think, after reading that, that a big dud of a show has been gutted in a desperate attempt to save it.

It’s an interesting example of how stories evolve — and not in a good way. Of-course, as readers of this site would know, the show got largely very positive reviews when it was playing at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego early in the year. The consensus seemed to be that it was a good show that needed just some tinkering before debuting on Broadway, and the critics seemed confident that Tharp would be up to the task.

Wednesday’s NY Post story was really just providing the details — direct from Tharp herself — on what tinkering she did. Essentially, she’s brought in a group of dancers with whom she’s worked for many years and a new female lead (Caren Lyn Manuel). She’s also “clarified the plot.”

From that NY Post story:

The new cast of “The Times,” which begins previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Sept. 25, includes “Movin’ Out” stars Ron Todorowski (from the national tour), Lisa Gajda and the great John Selya, a longtime member of Tharp’s company and a Tony nominee for the show.

“These are dancers I’ve developed and trained and worked with for years,” says Tharp. “They have talents and abilities that always come through for me.”

It’s not simply that they’re much better equipped to handle her exacting choreography than your typical tap-dancing Broadway chorus kid.

Says Tharp: “The bottom line is that when you have a repertory company, you have a different responsibility to them, and they make a different kind of commitment to you. You have a history, and the past feeds into the present, looking to the future.”

Because her ensemble now consists of dancers of Selya’s caliber, they have all been given much more dancing to do in the show.

Tharp also let one of her three lead singers go.

Jenn Colella, whom many people involved in the show believed lacked chemistry with her co-star, Michael Arden, has been replaced by Caren Lyn Manuel, who starred on Broadway in “Rent” and “Brooklyn: The Musical.”

“It was immediately clear that Caren had empathy with the Dylan material,” Tharp says. “Her mother was a hard-core hippie. She came to the audition wearing some of her mother’s old hippie stuff.”

Arden and the third leading character, Thom Sesma, got rave reviews for the interpretations of Dylan’s songs, and are still with the show. (Expect Tony nominations for both.)

In addition to all the recasting, Tharp has clarified the plot of “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” – which, in San Diego, suffered from being too murky.

There’s also this curious inaccuracy:

She’ll unveil the reworked show for Dylan’s agent and office staff at a run-through next week.

The elusive Dylan won’t be there himself, since he’s on tour in Europe.

But, says Tharp, “He’s trying to make opening night.”

Well, Dylan’s tour of Europe ended nine days ago. His upcoming tour of minor-league baseball parks in the U.S. doesn’t start for another two weeks. So, in fact, Dylan could be there next week for the run-through if he so desired. And maybe he will.

...................
Share this!

Posts which might be related to this one based on a mysterious algorithm:

• Troublin’ Times
• Catching up to The Times
• The Economist agrees with RWB on The Times They Are A-Changin’