Scott dares - he dares anything and everything, like both bull and bullfighter in an arena. He also got high critical praise: a New York Times review reads, "Mr. Scott did, though, get the production's sole Tony nomination for starring as Willy. The 1975 Death of a Salesman revival, the show's first, was the only one thus far not to win the Best Revival Tony Award. It was a critical hit, but not an audience one at a time of post-World War II prosperity and hope, film audiences weren't as keen as Broadway audiences on seeing a story about a working American's failure. Though Death of a Salesman was a success on Broadway - winning six Tony Awards including Best Play, Best Director, and Best Author, as well as the Pulitzer Prize - the show didn't do as well when it got the film treatment a year later. Kazan's vision and Mielziner's set have done the same, as has the incidental score by Alex North, which multiple revivals reused. In the years since, Cobb's grand performance has become iconic, influencing all the Willys that have come after him. But as the story goes, Cobb suddenly came out of his shell one day and his performance "clicked" for everyone in the room. Miller wasn't sold on the casting at first, though, complaining that Cobb's delivery was more reserved than everyone else's in rehearsal. He and director Elia Kazan - yes, the very same Hollywood legend - called Cobb the "walrus" and eventually added that descriptor into the script. Cobb, the burly man who was eventually cast, "seemed to lack the size of the character, even if they fit the body," Miller wrote in his autobiography Timebends. Miller envisioned Willy as a physically small man, to emphasize the large weight of the world and his failings on him. One way the production differed from his vision, however, was in its lead casting. Miller also wanted softer, warmer lighting for scenes in the past than in the present. In his vision, the walls of the Loman house were transparent, and you'd know whether a scene took place in the present or the past depending on whether the characters were walking through or around the walls. Miller himself was heavily involved in the production: Jo Mielziner designed the sets and lighting to his precise specifications. Opening night was on February 10, 1949, and after rave reviews, the show ran for 742 performances in just under two years. Learn fun facts about the casts and what makes each production, especially this one, stand out among the rest.ĭeath of a Salesman was all but an instant classic when the show premiered at the now-demolished Morosco Theatre on Broadway. To commemorate the latest revival, we're looking back on all the Death of a Salesman productions from 1949 to today. Now, he must reckon with his failure and the fact that he is partly responsible. He's chased the American Dream of prosperity for decades and failed to achieve it, keeping himself afloat with delusions. Reprising an acclaimed London performance, Wendell Pierce stars as Willy, a salesman at the end of his career and his life. The fifth and latest Death of a Salesman revival on the horizon is set to open in September at the Hudson Theatre. That's unsurprising, though, for a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that's often called one of the best of the 20th century, and which many celebrity actors have flocked to. What's even more remarkable is the show's impeccable track record: Nearly every production has won at least one Tony Award, and each one has received critical acclaim. But with six Broadway productions as of 2022, it's certainly revisited more than most shows. Arthur Miller's 1949 masterwork Death of a Salesman may not be one of the most revived plays on Broadway compared to even older works, like those of Shakespeare.
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