Strictly Ballroom Musical?
Hard to believe it's already been 18 long years since "
Strictly Ballroom" -- the first film from director
Baz Luhrmann's "
Red Curtain Trilogy" -- initially took the world by storm.
Yesterday came
news that the stylishly inventive Australian auteur has his eyes set on bringing that cult film to the stage via a new musical. Through "Strictly Ballroom," Luhrmann may have singlehandedly reinvigorated a flagging dance genre, well over a decade before the likes of "
Dancing With The Stars" and Broadway's
Burn The Floor.
Luhrmann is certainly no novice to the Great White Way, having produced and directed the magnificent
La Bohème, which earned both him and the show Tony nods back in 2003. For me, having been a fan of his visionary work on the silver screen, his reimagined
Puccini opera was the
single best show I had seen that entire season. And I'm still been raving about the beautiful, if unsung, design elements offered by Luhrmann's wife,
Catherine Martin to this day. I once wrote rather wistfully:
Credit Baz Luhrmann with the spellbinding genius for making one of the most enduring of operas into an accessible and excellent theatrical event. Not since Dorothy landed in Oz have I witnessed as glorious a transformation from black and white to full blown color as I did during this amazing production. In this case, it occurred when love was in full bloom. I only hope that Luhrmann won’t stay away from Broadway too much longer.
According to
The New York Times' Patrick Healy:
Mr. Luhrman said that while the plot, central characters, and some of the music from the movie would be transposed to the musical, he was approaching the design, atmospherics, and some elements of the score and lyrics with “an open mind and excited imagination.”
Since the creative workshops set for Sydney are still a few months away, audiences won't see
Strictly Ballroom - The Musical anytime soon. And as shows like
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert have demontrated, it can take years for a show to wind its way from Australia to Broadway.
But strictly between you and me, with Luhrmann at the helm, I have little doubt that it will be worth the wait.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Australia, Baz Luhrmann, Broadway, Catherine Martin, Film, First Word On New Show, La Boheme, Musical, Strictly Ballroom
Priscilla: Queen Of The PalaceAs
noted late last night, it didn't take long after
West Side Story's closing notice to be posted for producers of the international hit musical
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert to announce that the glittery show would occupy the newly vacant space at Broadway's
Palace Theatre come February.
Back in December 2006, I first caught
and enjoyed this ultra-campy disco jukebox musical version of the
film with music not too long after it enjoyed its world premiere in Sydney, Australia.
The show eventually moved on to
London (where it is still performing) and is now slated to come to Great White Way by way of
Toronto, where it begins previews October 12. The production will star
Will Swenson (
Hair) as Tick,
Nick Adams (
A Chorus Line) as Felicia, alongside the extraordinary
Tony Sheldon, who originated the role of Bernadette in Sydney.
But like many other shows, the road to Broadway -- to say nothing of the rocky roads within Australia -- provided a very bumpy ride that wasn't all sequins and tiaras. In July 2007, I
detailed the dramatic twists and turns as they were recounted to me from someone very close to the original production in Sydney.
Like I said just over three years ago, "At least when the day comes when
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical is about to open on Broadway, you'll have a greater appreciation for how it got so far."
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert begins preview performances at Broadway's Palace Theatre on February 28, 2011, and opens March 20.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Australia, Broadway, First Word On New Show, London, Musical, Nick Adams, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Tony Sheldon, Will Swenson
Which Original Cast Do You Wish You Could See?On Thursday,
I wrote about some of the extraordinary replacements I've had the pleasure of seeing on Broadway, including those who have superseded the original cast members.
But I concluded my post by discussing
August: Osage County and the superlative performances offered by both
Deanna Dunagan and
Rondi Reed. I noted how no other actresses I've personally had the pleasure of seeing in the roles the Dunagan and Reed created could surpass the originals.
It's at that point that I'd like to pick up.
Back in the summer of 2009, immediately after
I first wrote how Australia's
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) would import
August: Osage County for audiences Down Under, I heard from more than one Aussie friend about their deep-seeded resentment toward the STC. They were angry that the STC would dare to overlook the
2009 mounting offered by the
Melbourne Theatre Company (the first production of
Tracy Letts' excellent play to be mounted in Australia) or at least produce its own version using Australian actors and crew.
To those friends, I countered, "Regardless of where the production originated, wouldn't you prefer -- or at least be curious to see -- the actors for whom the playwright originally envisioned the roles performing the work?" I can certainly appreciate the legitimate desire to keep Australian actors working, but it is a rare opportunity to see most of the original cast perform, isn't it? Isn't there something innately magical about experiencing a production as originally intended, replete with nuances that subsequent productions inherently fail to replicate?
If I had the opportunity to go back in time to see any Broadway show with its original cast, I'd relish the chance.
I can only dream about how incredible it would be to have seen
Ethel Merman perform as Rose in
Gypsy or as Annie Oakley in
Annie Get Your Gun, to have swooned over
Chita Rivera as Anita in
West Side Story or alongside
Gwen Verdon in
Chicago, to have marveled at
Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman in the original
Death Of A Salesman, or to have witnessed
Uta Hagen opposite
Arthur Hill in the first production of
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?So, dear readers, if you had your chance to go back in time to see the first production of any theatrical work with its original cast, what would it be?
Also, please vote in the poll below.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Arthur Hill, August Osage County, Australia, Broadway, Chita Rivera, Deanna Dunagan, Ethel Merman, Gwen Verdon, Lee J. Cobb, Original Cast Members, Replacements, Rondi Reed, Uta Hagen
More August Down Under With American Original
When
August: Osage County posted its closing notice for Broadway a couple weeks back, those prone to parsing statements may have noted
I concluded my wrap-up saying:
But something tells me that you haven't heard the last of the original cast of August: Osage County. And with that, I'll just say so long for now.
Now I can reveal what I had only hinted at.
According to the
Tuesday, July 7 issue of The Age:
The biggest-selling stage show so far this year, the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of hit August: Osage County will be staged in Sydney next year. But audiences will not get to see one of the grande dames of Australian theatre, Robyn Nevin, in one of her most defining roles.
Instead, the Sydney Theatre Company is importing the original production by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company that has appeared in New York and London. It will be presented in the 900-seat Sydney Theatre and follows on from the importation of Alan Bennett's The History Boys by London's National Theatre in 2006.
It was the Steppenwolf production that Tracy Letts' play that won five Tony Awards in New York.
So, now you know more about this ever-evolving story that began just over two years ago last month in Chicago.
Anyone game for going Down Under?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Chicago, First Word On New Show, Play, Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company, Tracy Letts
Agosto Em OsageCan't wait for the
North American tour of
August: Osage County to get your fix of
Tracy Letts' landmark play?
Well, you actually have a couple options, albeit expensive ones.
First, you get on a play bound for Melbourne, Australia, where the Westons and Aikens continue to hold court at the
Melbourne Theatre Company through July 4.
In addition to those who already told me that they so the production by the time
I posted my story on the opening, several additional Aussie friends have taken my recommendation to see the production and all have raved. They've said:
AWESOME advice...
We saw it last night and were both BLOWN AWAY! Thanks for the tip - Robyn Neven as Violet was MESMERISING!!!
and
Hey Steve.. Just LOVED August: Osage County. It was so electric. Just loved the pace and performances. Especially the Violet role played by our Dame of theatre Robyn Nevin. Have you ever heard of her - she is amazing.
It really was astounding - if I could see plays like that every time I went to the theatre - I would feel as if I was in Heaven!
OMG - cannot wait to see that play again... Amazing...
and
I saw August Osage County in Melbourne last night and I loved it. Easily the greatest night at the theatre I've had this year - if not, for years. It's superb. Robyn Nevin's performance as Violet is transformative and magnetic to watch.
If Australia is too far (these days, it's not nearly as expensive as it had been) and you can speak Portugese, you might consider visiting Lisbon. That's right. There is a
production playing right now at the Portugese capital's
Teatro Nacional D. Maria II!
Imagine my delight this morning in receiving an e-mail from one of my friends who landed in Lisbon (Lisboa) yesterday. He wrote:
It seems to me that August: Osage County is playing here in Lisbon - we took a picture of the poster for you
West Side Story is here as well - perhaps they will hire Swedes to play the Jets!
The production began June 25 and runs through August 2. The Teatro Nacional's Web site includes the
following description of the play (you've got to love this very rough translation from Portugese, a language I do not speak):
All the happy families are identical and all the unfortunate families the Saints to her way. When, in a night, in the rural environment of Oklahoma, the alcoholic patriarch disappears mysterious, the big clan of the Weston unites immediately for consolation of the mother and for will hurry the motive of the disappearance of the father. Seeing forced it confront hidden truths and surprising secrets, the family ends up be involved in an argument with the matriarch Violet, an addicted woman in pharmaceuticals and unstable psychological state, that is found in the environment of this stormy family.
Oh to be able to see how this show translates, quite literally.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Lisbon, Melbourne, Melbourne Theatre Company, Play, Portugal, Robyn Nevin, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
August In AustraliaThis evening marks the opening night for the Australian premiere engagement of
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning
August: Osage County at the
Melbourne Theatre Company.
It's also the first time the play has been produced beyond the reach of the
Steppenwolf ensemble members, including
Anna D. Shapiro, who directed the show in Chicago, New York and London. Instead,
Simon Phillips takes the helm of a cast that includes
Robyn Nevin as Violet Weston,
Jane Menelaus as Barbara Fordham,
Deidre Rubenstein as Mattie Fae Aiken, Rebekah Stone as Ivy Weston,
Heidi Arena as Karen Weston and
Roger Oakley as Charlie Aiken.
For those of you who were fortunate enough to see
Cate Blanchett in the excellent 2005
Brooklyn Academy of Music mounting of
Hedda Gabler, you'll recall that Nevin was the director of that fine revival.
Steve On Broadway's eyes and ears on the ground in Melbourne have already told me:
What a fantastic play!
I can see why it would resonate so strongly with an American audience -- it resonated pretty strongly here as well -- audible gasps, cheers, laughter to dead silence. But what fantastic writing. Gifts to the actors -- beautifully drawn characters, etc., etc., etc., etc. (insert rave here).
So hooray for good theatre -- long may it reign! And replenish our souls!
My source also tells me that Robyn Nevin, who is also among Australia's favorite character actors, is marvelous and can "make the audience turn on a dime."
Another friend in Melbourne tells me:
EVERYONE is talking about Osage County!
I only wish I could be there, but I'm certainly letting all my other friends in Melbourne know that they should not miss this play.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Deidre Rubenstein, Heidi Arena, Jane Menelaus, Melbourne, Melbourne Theatre Company, Opening Night, Play, Robyn Nevin, Roger Oakley, Simon Phillips, Tracy Letts
August To Launch Summer Tour In DenverSomehow, this little piece of
news from Sunday escaped me.
Guess I was still a little verklempt from
Patti LuPone's
showstopping performance of "Rose's Turn" to take notice (
New York Post's Michael Riedel
writes about extreme phototaking today).
But if you're looking forward to seeing a leg of the upcoming
national tour of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Play
August: Osage County, it's worth noting that the Playbill story is
already obsolete in announcing that the tour will launch in San Francisco this August.
It won't.
According to the
A:OC Web site, the August 11 - September 6 San Francisco dates at the
Curran Theatre will actually be
preceded by the official tour launch in Denver at the lovely
Ellie Caulkins Opera House on July 24.
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play is scheduled to run there through August 8.
Casting for the tour has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, if you're one of my readers from Down Under, it's worth noting that the
Melbourne Theatre Company will be staging its own version of
August: Osage County beginning May 23, 2009 through June 27. As far as I know, this will mark the first time the show is not being produced in association with the original Steppenwolf mounting.
Former
Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director
Robyn Nevin will star as Violet Weston. American audiences may recall that she directed
Cate Blanchett in the excellent 2005
Brooklyn Academy of Music mounting of
Hedda Gabler.
Nevin will be joined by Jane Menelaus, Robert Menzies, Deidre Rubenstein and Michael Robinson, among others. This production will be directed by Kellie Jones with
Simon Phillips serving as creative director. Take a look at the theatre company's promotional design for the show above -- they've certainly captured the essence of the play in the above artwork.
Finally, no
Chris, I have no plans to fly to Australia.
Yet.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Denver, Melbourne, Play, San Francisco, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
RIP: Rob Guest (1950-2008)
RIP: Rob Guest (1950-2008)Sad news for theatre lovers Down Under. British-born musical stage actor
Rob Guest died yesterday from a stroke suffered Tuesday evening.
While stateside audiences may not be familiar with him, he was considered one of the top performers on the Australian and New Zealand stage. Additionally, for fans of
The Phantom Of The Opera, it should be noted that he earned the distinction as the
world's longest serving star of the musical with 2,289 performances in the eponymous role over a period of seven years.
In late July, I had the unique opportunity to enjoy his terrific portrayal as the Wizard of Oz in the current Melbourne (Australia) mounting of the international hit
Wicked. He captured the essence of the role exquisitely.
According to the
production site:
Rob was taken to Melbourne’s St. Vincent’s Hospital late on Tuesday night after suffering a stroke and remained in a critical condition until his death 26 hours later. The Australian Producer of Wicked, John Frost said "His family -- his mother, his partner, his children -- and friends held his hand and told him how much we loved him."
Mr. Frost told the cast of Wicked of Rob’s lost fight for life after the Wednesday matinee performance. "It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in 35 years in the theatre," he said. "Everyone was very emotional because Rob was such a father figure to the company. Wicked’s cast looked up to him because of his vast experience.
"Rob Guest was one of Australian music theatre’s biggest stars, and the most easy-going of stars. He may have had top billing but at all times he came across to us -- producers, fellow cast members and backstage crew -- as an irrepressible, always cheerful optimist. An all round good bloke. All of us who knew him are shocked and deeply saddened."
Guest was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the New Zealand entertainment industry, where his career had its start. Guest's career capper would be as that "
Sentimental Man" in
Wicked. I join with others in expressing my condolences.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, In Memoriam, Melbourne, Musical, Rob Guest, The Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked
Theatre Under The StarsTwo days ago, I arrived smack dab in the middle of the Australian continent in the Northern Territory community of Ayers Rock. But this international tourism mecca is also one of the most sacred places for Australian’s indigenous population thanks to the gorgeous focal point now known by its Aboriginal name
Uluru.
To say coming to the Aussie Red Centre is a religious experience is an understatement. For the past couple days, I’ve had opportunities to get up close and personal -- in a very respectful manner, of course -- with Uluru. In fact, just last evening, I returned from an amazing viewing of the setting sun against this most majestic mountain.
The photo I took doesn't even begin to do it justice as my personal experience was truly indescribable. Dense cloud cover gave way to what surely ranks as the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, and it turned the rock, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower, from a deep red to an orange glow. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Two nights ago, I attended “
Sounds of Silence,” a spiritual experience if ever there was one. Seventy or so guests of Uluru’s nearby resorts at Yulara boarded two buses for a drive out on a red dirt road to a remote area where we could watch the sun set over both Uluru and the even larger
Kata Tjuta (a/k/a the "Olgas," another spectacular rock/mountain formation about 35 miles to Uluru's west.
We dined on unique Aussie fare under a clear sky of almost nothing but starlight. Once the meal concluded, we enjoyed the evening's true highlight when we were taken on a magical tour of the nightsky by a guide who pointed out one constellation after another. Among them are thousands of stars that are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere. We could also make out Jupiter, as well as the enormous expanse of the Milky Way itself.
Given the cloud cover the following evening, we realized how incredibly fortunate we were to view a clear sky and truly enjoy the sounds of silence in the Aussie outback. It's an experience I won't soon forget and would heartily recommend.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Ayers Rock, Special Messages, Travels, Uluru
Curse Of The Understudy: Part VAs regular readers know, I’m currently vacationing in Australia. One major impetus for this trip was to take in the Australian production of
Wicked, which opened earlier this month at Melbourne’s lovely
Regent Theatre. I caught this past Sunday’s matinee performance.
While I’ll provide my SOB Revisit on the actual show shortly, I was a bit disappointed to learn that this incarnation’s Elphaba, regularly played by
Amanda Harrison, was out of the show for my performance. In Harrison’s place was her standby
Jemma Stevenson, who delivered a mostly competent take as the green witch.
Given how decent she was, I was somewhat surprised when my friends informed me that in the two times they had now seen the Melbourne production -- first in previews and then with me on Sunday afternoon -- how vastly Stevenson’s performance as Elphaba had improved. (She may have simply been getting her bearings as
it appears she has portrayed the green one in the Japanese production). What struck me even more is that they had now seen the show twice in its relatively short run, but somehow had missed out on Ms. Harrison both times.
I took Harrison’s absence in stride and enjoyed the show. Well,
most of the show.
You see, about one half hour into the first act -- right smack dab in the midst of the engagingly funny “Loathing” number -- the Regent Theatre’s ushers elected to show the latecomers seated right next to me, in the second row center, no less, to their seats. Only problem was that there were but two seats and
three people.
The whole matter was incredibly disruptive, not only for those of us in my row who needed to constantly stand up to let the offending latercomers in, but even more so for the poor ticket holders in the rows immediately behind us.
There was a lot of standing and shuffling as the three individuals made their way in and out of the row, all while the usher tried to figure out who was really supposed to be seated there. Needless to say, this fiasco took away from the performances taking place less than twenty feet in front of us for everyone seated around us.
Shame on the Regent Theatre’s ushers for not finding a more appropriate time to seat their guests, as well as for not having the tickets properly sorted before venturing down the aisle.
And shame on patrons for arriving late. I’m reminded of what
Barry Humphries as Dame Edna once (and quite possibly often) said to a couple of latecomers to his
Broadway show in 2000. “Where are you coming from dears? Oh, across town? Well, I came all the way from Australia and still made it here on time.”
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Feeling A Little Wicked: On The Edge Of Oz (July 25, 2008)
Something Wicked This Way Opens In Australia (July 12, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part IV (April 24, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy - Part II (January 15, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy (October 2, 2006)
Labels: Amanda Harrison, Australia, Curse of the Understudy, Jemma Stevenson, Melbourne, Wicked
Feeling A Little Wicked: On The Edge Of OzAs regular readers will recall, the love of my life and I have more than just "our song." We have our musical. And our love affair with it began just months into our relationship -- now five years strong.
That show is
Wicked, which we've now seen at least fifteen times ... not only on Broadway or in its sitdown production in Chicago, or on its North American tour, but also in such far-flung places as London, Stuttgart (Germany) and Tokyo. We realize how extremely fortunate we've been to take in this production all over the world.
Now, the two of us find ourselves a bit like Dorothy in "
The Wizard Of Oz" en route along our very own yellow brick road known as A1 or the
Princes Highway. After a long and winding journey of over 950 kilometres from Sydney to Traralgon, we're finally on the cusp of our own Emerald City, anxiously looking forward to celebrating more than one fine day in it.
Our destination is the bright and glittery
Melbourne, where the eighth incarnation of the 21st Century's most popular new stage musical has recently opened. We're currently just 100 miles or so from Melbourne, and this Sunday, we'll be seated in this most Oz-some audience for
Wicked.
Making the trip even more exciting is that we'll be visiting our favourite Aussie friends, who have become family. And better yet, we'll all be in the audience for
Wicked together. It doesn't take a wizard to tell you that having friends like these make it easy to use our brains to recognize our hearts have the courage of their convictions.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked (Melbourne) tickets.Related Stories:Something Wicked This Way Opens In Australia (July 12, 2008)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
Labels: Australia, Melbourne, Travels, Wicked
Getting My Theatre OnEver go through withdrawals when you don't take in your favorite activities? Such is the case whenever I go too long without two essential passions: travel and theatre.
Fortunately, this week and next, I'm most certainly taking care of the first by virtue of my journey to Australia. This island nation/continent certainly ranks among my personal favorite places to visit, not only because of its sheer natural beauty, but especially because of its amazing people.
I even had a funny anti-American moment two days ago when a small group of U.S. youth, which had clearly gathered here for
World Youth Day, was embarrassing itself with an impromptu dance on the street. A woman standing next to me at the street corner said derisively, "Must be an American thing," to which I replied, "Oh trust me, we're not laying claim to
that." When she realized I was a Yank, the two of us had a great laugh. No worries, mate, we get that we're no longer admired quite the way we used to be, but more and more of us are in on the joke, too.
As for that other passion desperately in need of a fix, last evening, I had a chance to take in the Sydney production of
Billy Elliot - The Musical at the stunningly over-the-top Capitol Theatre. After seeing it in London nearly three years ago, I was glad to be able to see a performance again prior to it opening in New York, particularly since this mounting includes the immensely talented Genevieve Lemon as Mrs. Wilkinson. She did not disappoint.
While I'll have my SOB Revisit sometime relatively soon, let's just say that this incarnation that's already been around Sydney since December, and will be mounted soon in Melbourne, didn't exactly "Shine, shine, shine" or seem filled with quite the requisite amount of "Electricity" I experienced in London. But it was entertaining, nonetheless, and gave me an opportunity to get my theatre on.
William Shakespeare's
As You Like It introduced the phrase, "All the world's a stage." I realize how extremely fortunate I am to experience that in every sense of the world.
Post script: If you find no further postings through the rest of this week, it's because I'll be driving along the Australian coast for the next three days en route to Melbourne.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Billy Elliot The Musical, Genevieve Lemon, Sydney, Travels
Greetings From SydneyTwo nights ago, I arrived in gorgeous Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, for the first leg of my two week holiday Down Under.
Substantially easing the jet lag was simply taking a look out my hotel room window. I mean, how can you not love the view above? The
Sydney Opera House is there in all its glory. Not bad, eh?
I had not anticipated the streets of this city being so incredibly packed yesterday, but it was the final day of
Pope Benedict XVI's visit here for the World Youth Day, and his second to last speaking engagement was within a few mere blocks of my hotel.
But I zeroed in on that iconic Opera House, where I've previously seen two performances on earlier visits. This time, I settled for an actual tour of this fascinating facility that was originally supposed to be built in three years and less than $10 million. The actual time spent on construction would be closer to six times that number at a cost of over $200 million. Nevertheless, you just won't hear anyone here complaining about the delay and cost overruns now. If ever anything placed Sydney on the world stage, this performing arts facility was it.
Its name is a bit of a misnomer as there are currently five performance spaces in the building. Each year, the Sydney Opera House hosts over 1,700 different types of concerts, plays, circuses, competitions, musicals, and even the finale for the Australian Idol television show. The two most famous spaces include the actual Opera Hall (on the right), which seats 1,500, as well as the massive and acoustically sound Concert Hall (left) that seats 2,700.
On this visit to Sydney, I tried getting tickets for a performance of a new staging of
My Fair Lady, but they're all sold out. Another option would have been seeing
The 39 Steps, which enjoys its Sydney premiere here at the Opera House's small Playhouse Theatre on July 31. As much as I enjoyed the show on Broadway, I think I'll spend my time doing something else in terms of exploring and seeing friends. But if you live in Sydney, make every effort to go and see this wonderfully inspired show.
Fortunately, I have had two previous opportunities to take in performances in this wonderful entertainment center. Way back in 1992, I caught a musical revue of Cole Porter works called
Swell Party at the Opera House's Playhouse Theatre, but sadly, I no longer have the playbill, so I can't tell you who was in that performance. Then in 2001, I saw a wonderful concert performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes with one of Australia's favourite musical singers (I'm sorry I can't recall her name at the moment). Unfortunately, when I inquired yesterday as to whether the Opera House maintains a data base of all previous shows, I was told that they only keep information going back to 2005. For such an iconic and truly historic venue, I would have expected more.
Well, since I'd rather be outside enjoying Australia's Emerald City, I'll sign off for now. More to come from Down Under.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Musical, My Fair Lady, Play, Sydney Opera House, The 39 Steps, Travels
Something Wicked This Way Opens In AustraliaThis evening, the fourth international production of
Wicked finally opens in Oz! Taking the globe by storm, the eighth mounting of this decade's most popular new musical opens at the
Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.
While the creative team behind
Wicked remains the same as for the original Broadway production, including
Joe Mantello at the helm, the cast is very Aussie.
Amanda Harrison stars as Elphaba opposite
Lucy Durack as Glinda. The rest of the cast includes
Rob Mills as Fiyero,
Rob Guest as the Wizard,
Maggie Kirkpatrick as Madame Morrible,
Anthony Callea as Boq,
Rodney Dobson as Dr. Dillamond and
Penny McNamee as Nessarose.
Advance ticket sales Down Under
have been estimated at Australian $10 million (roughly on par with U.S. dollars), so strong that
AussieTheatre.com notes:
Wicked is likely to remain in Melbourne for 18 months, and while no tour has been confirmed yet, it is expected to be in Sydney either late 2009 or early 2010, depending on the box office performance of its premiere season.
In fact, another 60,000 tickets are going on sale for
Wicked Down Under on Monday.
With tonight's opening, there are now a total of eight
Wicked mountings playing throughout the world on four continents playing to a global audience of over
13 million people. The
worldwide gross box office has been about $1 billion -- more than the
take of all but three films: "
Titanic," "
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" and "
Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Man's Chest." Not bad for a little stage show.
Of course, there's the
Broadway production, which first opened at Rialto's Gershwin Theatre in October 2003.
Then, on March 8, 2005, the first
North American tour began at Toronto's Canon Theatre, and is currently playing
Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo through tomorrow before moving on to Michigan State University's
Wharton Center in East Lansing on Thursday. A
second touring company of
Wicked will begin performances on March 7, 2009, at Fort Myers' Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.
Then in June 2005, the
second sitdown production began at Chicago's Oriental Theatre after first hosting the tour. Having broken all box office records for any show in the history of Chicago theatre, this incarnation of
Wicked is now slated to close on January 25, 2009 after playing its 1,500th performance and raking in more than $210 million. The musical will depart Chicago while ticket sales are still very strong, so it may, as producer
David Stone says, "Go out with a bang."
The
third U.S. sitdown production began at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre on February 21, 2007. This production has been featured on television's "Ugly Betty" and "Deal Or No Deal." While it's been announced that this mounting will close on January 11, 2009 after 791 regular performances,
news broke shortly after that the entire production would migrate up the California coast to San Francisco's
Orpheum Theatre for the City by the Bay's own sitdown production.
Wickedphiles will know that this was the city where the musical first took flight in previews during June 2003, albeit at the
Curran Theatre.
Wicked's
first international production was launched in London on September 27, 2006 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre where it continues to play (
I caught a performance there the following April). The second international production and first in another language began on June 17, 2007 as
ウィキッド - The Broadway Musical Wicked at Tokyo's Shiki Theatre, where performances continue (
I saw this Japanese language version last December). The third international production and second in another language began on November 15, 2007 as
Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz at Stuttgart, Germany's Palladium Theatre (
I saw this German language mounting last November).
As if all this
Wickedness thrust upon us weren't enough, a
Dutch language version of the show is scheduled for The Netherlands in 2009. Personally, I'm hoping for versions in French and Italian, not to mention Spanish, so I can keep my globetrotting going.
And speaking of globetrotting, two weeks from Sunday, I'll be sitting in Melbourne's Regent Theatre with my favorite mates in Australia seeing this latest production. You can bet I'll have an SOB Revisit sometime thereafter. See you in Oz!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked (Melbourne) tickets.Related Stories:Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
Labels: Australia, First Word On New Show, Joe Mantello, Melbourne, Musical, Opening Night, The Netherlands, Wicked, Wicked Die Hexen Von Oz
Something Wicked This Way Comes...In The MailIt's not unusual for American collectors of original cast recordings to buy London versions of their favorite shows. But have you ever purchased a cast recording in another language?
If you're a regular reader, you know by now how much I enjoy -- OK,
love -- the Broadway musical
Wicked. I saw the original production on the Great White Way just two days after it opened and have since seen it at the
Gershwin Theatre at least another three times. I've seen its sitdown incarnation in
Chicago another four or five times (with another viewing coming there in April), as well as the North American
tour in both Chicago (prior to the city's sitdown) and Minneapolis.
Last year, I even went so far as to travel to
London,
Stuttgart and
Tokyo to see the first three international stagings of the show. And I already have my tickets to see
Wicked when it finally touches down in
Melbourne, Australia in July.
I've already worn out two of my original cast CDs and am now on my third. So when I learned that the German cast would come out with their own recording, how could I resist? A couple months ago, I ordered my copy from the German-language version of
Amazon, and once I had translated everything from German into English (courtesy of
this site -- the same one I used to maneuver through the German ticketing site to get my front-row seats for
Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz), I was all set.
Over the weekend, I began to wonder if I'd ever actually receive the CD. But then when I arrived home last evening, I had a real thrill. There it was in its plain brown
Amazon.de wrapping.
Without missing a beat, I immediately put the disc on, feeling a bit like a little kid at Christmas. When I listened to the absolutely breathtaking vocals from its two stars,
Willemijn Verkaik (Elphaba) and
Lucy Scherer (Galinda), I found myself soaring yet again. To see what I mean, click on the
site and tell me if you're not impressed when listening to "Heißgeliebt" ("Popular") or "Frei und schwerelos" ("Defying Gravity").
What do I care if I don't exactly remember the German I learned in high school? With this CD, I just might learn it all over again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz (The SOB Revisit) (December 2, 2007)
Some Of The Names May Have Been Changed To Protest Das Wicked (November 15, 2007)
Labels: Australia, Broadway, Germany, Japan, London, Musical, Original Cast Recording, Wicked, Wicked Die Hexen Von Oz
Priscilla Vies To Be Queen Of The West EndRegular readers will recall
what a guilty pleasure it was for me to see the outrageously over-the-top stage adaptation of Aussie fave
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert while in Sydney last December.
Even as the Australian production is just now preparing to open at Melbourne's
Regent Theatre (which, next July, will become the home in Oz to
Wicked), now comes
the news that
Priscilla will ditch the bus (figuratively speaking) and fly to London's West End. Despite
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Really Useful Group serving as co-producer, the production that will land in the United Kingdom late next year promises to be "true to its Australian" roots.
Additionally, there are talks of bringing a touring production to the United States sometime in 2009. What would be really useful to know is whether American audiences are really ready.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Melbourne ticket information.
Related Stories:
Tick, Tick, Bernadette (And Mitzi, Too) (July 25, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Musicals (May 22, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical (The SOB Review) (December 30, 2006)
Priscilla Opens Down Under (October 14, 2006)
Finally! Stage Musical Version of Priscilla - Queen of the Desert to Roll into Sydney (July 5, 2006)Labels: Australia, Film, First Word On New Show, London, Musical, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Touring Production
Tick, Tick, Bernadette (And Mitzi, Too) So
Michael Riedel of the New York Post has gone Down Under. Taking in the enormously popular stage version of
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical, everyone's favorite theatre gossip tells us that its producers have begun prepping the show for runs in the West End and on Broadway.
But Riedel also hints at the show's inner turmoil with its book, which he personally recommends remedying for the Great White Way by bringing in
Harvey Fierstein or
Douglas Carter Beane.
Now playing in both Sydney and Melbourne (on September 2, the show will close in Sydney, where it premiered last year), I've heard plenty about the behind-the-scenes difficulties along the way. As you may recall,
I even took in a rather early version last December and found it to be a campy hoot -- even better than reigning Broadway camp darling
Xanadu.
After creating the
film version in 1992,
Stephan Elliott experienced a bomb with his next and fourth flick in 1997 ("
Welcome To The Woop-Woop"). He sold the stage rights of his true hit to Englishman Alan Scott. Still, Elliott was asked to write a stage version and created an entirely new script that was a complete departure from the plot of the film.
But that version was trashed, and instead, the team headed into the first workshop with the film script in hand and
Tony Sheldon and director
Simon Phillips handling most of the dramaturgical work.
For the second workshop the script, Scott added most of the detail surrounding the storyline involving Tick's son, including a Lego scene. By that time, Philip Scott was brought in to "joke up" the script. Entering the workshop, he reworked much of the script to maintain character consistency while adding more humor.
It was at that stage that Elliott absolved himself of the show and turned on the production by saying publicly that it was ill-conceived.
Unfettered, the production team headed into rehearsals, with Philip Scott handling one-off rewrites, and surprise! The show opened to mostly positive reviews and built a head of steam through excellent word of mouth. The buzz I was hearing from Australia was tremendous -- even despite difficulties during the first week of previews when the pivotal bus literally broke down the show.
With the original film being one of Australia's all-time favorite movies, the stage adaptation already had a built-in audience. So it wasn't a surprise when opening night was described to me as being "extraordinary with such goodwill."
Suddenly realizing that they had a hit on their hands, Stephan Elliott reasserted himself back into the picture (with the assent of the producers) and slowly began altering the script and reincorporating dialog he had written. Those changes have been described to me as "changes for changes sake rather than making it better," and began to appear on the stage shortly after I saw the production in December.
Among the alterations was a speech by Bernadette after the bus was defaced in which she said, "So much space and yet no room for us out here." That was changed to what's described to me as a "rant against how vile suburbia was and the only place gays were safe was the city."
Last I heard, the film speech was back.
And if all that background isn't enough, Philip Scott himself authored his own behind-the-scenes story, "Scripting Priscilla" that appeared in
SX, a gay Australian publication. While the story is no longer available online, my sources have provided me with the copy for publication here:
“SCRIPTING PRISCILLA”
When Stephan Elliott’s movie "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" was released I knew very little about drag. I remember being turned on by Guy Pearce’s pumped pecs peeking out from under a feather boa; steroids had done their work well, I was later told. (If you don’t believe me, take another look at "Memento.") I recall being slightly turned off by Terence Stamp’s grumpy Bernadette, thinking her unsympathetic as a person and uncomfortable as a drag performer. I preferred Stamp when he was blonde and boyish in Ustinov’s 1962 movie of "Billy Budd." In fact, as a young man Terence Stamp looked rather like Stephan Elliott.
In late ‘94 I appeared in the Tilbury Hotel’s Christmas Panto, Pavlova, Queen of the Dessert, which sent the movie up. One night, Stephan Elliott’s parents came to see the show and his dad made an impromptu speech from the stage. “He didn’t get all this from my side of the family,” his dad insisted.
Twelve years later, I had dinner with Stephan at the home of his friend and sometime investor Rebel Penfold. Her house at Bondi is built on a cliff and looks directly across to Icebergs. She owns a lampshade from the original Broadway production of The Pajama Game. Serious money; serious wine cellar.
Stephan was sussing me out to be a co-writer on the stage version of Priscilla. He grilled a gigantic steak and we chatted about the project (but not too much, as there was no deal in place). I’d watched the DVD again that afternoon, and realised the camera did all the work. A close-up of Terence Stamp or Hugo Weaving shows us a life story without anyone having to say a lot about it, but on stage these characters would need to talk (or sing) to make us care about them.
More wine appeared. Stephan talked about his serious skiing accident. He had busted his pelvis and had learned to walk again from scratch. His life is like that; kind of on the edge.
I would be arriving late in the show’s creative process. There had already been an early workshop in Melbourne, home of the director Simon Phillips. It had utilised the talents of Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, Jeremy Sandford as Mitzi, Spencer McLaren as Felicia, and John Wood as Bob the mechanic. Two script drafts had been used, radically different from each other and both miles away from the movie -- especially Stephan’s quirky, tangential rethink, which the producers rejected.
Stephan had sold the stage rights of Priscilla to an English scriptwriter named Allan Scott, whose credits include "Dante’s Peak." Since then the two had had a falling out. Allan is one of the producers of the stage musical, and later told me he had invited Stephan to participate, even though he need not have done so since Stephan no longer had any legal claim on the work. No way was I buying into that argument!
Eventually I was on board, and headed off to Melbourne for the second Priscilla workshop. By this time, I had acquired a working knowledge of drag, having written dialogue for the DIVAs and spent many nights at the Imperial hotel (some of which I could even vaguely remember).
As we sat around on day one to read the existing script, Tony Sheldon tapped me on the arm.
“Well?” he asked, “Where are all these jokes you’re supposed to be putting in?” I freaked. “Stop it!” I said. “I’m here under false pretences! Don’t you ever feel like that?” He smiled. “Always,” he whispered.
I was nervous because part of my job was to work with Allan Scott, and basically to be liked by him. I would be the trusted middleman between Allan and Stephan (who was not coming). Me, a diplomat? I couldn’t see it. Luckily I found Allan genial, receptive and -- like any professional writer -- anxious to fix things that weren’t working. I discovered he had been a stand-up comic in Australia, appearing on Graham Kennedy’s show in the 1960s.
My first contribution was a gag about Azaria Chamberlain. It got a roar from the cast but also a few “ooohs.”
“Is that going to be offensive?” Simon asked. “No,” I assured him, “it’s hysterical”. (He shouldn’t have asked me: I’m always amused by things that upset other people.) The joke stayed in for opening night, although it remains in brackets in the official script.
We retained iconic lines from the movie, because punters would expect to hear them and because they were punchy, then added new gags and specific character-driven moments. I think Stephan was worried the producers might tone down the gay content -- though it’s hard to imagine how, without completely altering the whole premise. A more pressing problem was language: there are a fair few “f***s” in Priscilla. It’s hard to believe people get worked up over swearing when there’s so much else in the world to worry about.
Still, we wanted their money so we walked that tightrope. By week’s end the script was almost as advanced as plans for the opening night party.
When rehearsals began for real, casting was complete. Daniel Scott had been extracted from Dusty to play Felicia (a tricky manoeuvre because he’d signed a run of show contract). My Wharf Revue mate Genevieve Lemon was playing the Broken Hill “mullet.” Sydney drag identity Trevor Ashley had lobbied everyone in sight for a role: he impressed the producers so much at his audition, a new part was created for him (Miss Understanding). Bob was to have been played by Bille Brown, a brilliant actor best known here for his Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss. Bille dropped out for reasons unknown and the role went to an actor who epitomises the Aussie everyman: Michael Caton. Michael and Jeremy Sandford immediately demanded more comic lines.
In early September I met up with Stephan in London. Having blown hot and cold about Priscilla, the musical for months, he now seemed happy or at least accepting of it. “As long as they don’t ask me to do any interviews,” he warned. (Later he told an ABC TV interviewer the stage version wouldn’t work!)
With the first performances approaching, the show was beset by technical problems. The bus, a computer-driven nightmare, was taking forever to get right. One of its problems was an over-sensitive safety mechanism: too easily activated, it repeatedly shut everything down, requiring a complete reboot. First and second previews were scrapped, but the Friday preview was to be a sold out charity night with proceeds going to ACON. The producers had to decide which was the best-case PR scenario: cancel altogether or go ahead, explain what was missing, and hope for the best.
In the foyer of the Lyric Theatre that evening I bumped into the show’s publicist, Judith Johnson. She looked stressed. “The show has never been run straight through,” she complained. “Act 2 hasn’t had a technical rehearsal and the lighting’s not finished!” I urged her to relax --though if Darlinghurst turned against Priscilla her job would be hell.
An excited and very queer audience took their seats as Simon Phillips came on stage to flag that the show might stop in its tracks. Did it what! We heard his amplified voice echo throughout the theatre: “Actors! Get out of the way or the bus will take you out.” The audience giggled but the situation was genuinely dangerous.
Fortunately, there was enough goodwill from the crowd to get us through. During each breakdown they applauded encouragingly (little realising the wait might be half an hour or longer). The cast were tremendous under these testing circumstances. For the first time, we saw Tony Sheldon’s witty, human, utterly believable Bernadette.
The bus went back to the depot for the next few performances. Meanwhile, I got a text message on the Monday night: Judith Johnson had collapsed and died that morning of a ruptured aorta. She had been a pillar of the Sydney theatre scene for decades. Everybody was stunned. Judith’s face kept popping into my mind for weeks afterwards.
As technical difficulties were ironed out, further changes were made. Act 2 was too long. I’d always felt there was a traffic jam of slow tempo numbers just when the pace needed to pick up. Clearly Simon felt the same, because he cut one: Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself.” Daniel sang a short reprise of that song at an important dramatic point in Felicia’s story, but now, without the earlier rendition, the reprise got an unexpected laugh and Daniel was furious! On opening night, a reprise of “Go West” appeared in its place; the moment worked properly and Daniel nailed it.
Opening night: Terence Stamp was there, Barry Humphries, Carlotta and, well, the gAy-list. At the after party, Stephan turned to me with a gleam in his eye and announced: “Now we can start to tinker with it!” My heart sank. Didn’t we owe the actors a few weeks to settle in? In any case, Simon and I were moving on to other shows. (Much smaller ones).
I returned a week later as part of a regular audience, all average mums and
dads. Some of them found aspects of Priscilla confronting: mostly the language, sometimes the sexuality. Women responded more readily than men, who seem to regard transvestism as a mysterious and possibly exciting threat.
By the end, the spectacular cossies and set, the music and the performances had won everyone over. Whether that crowd took their newfound tolerance home with them is debatable, but I’d like to think so. Priscilla is a family show -- for a 21st century family.
As Paul Harvey used to say, now you know the rest of the story. But of course, the final chapter hasn't even been written. At least when the day comes when (not if)
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical is about to open on Broadway, you'll have a greater appreciation for how it got so far.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Melbourne tickets.Click here for Sydney tickets.Labels: Australia, Background, Broadway, Film, London, Michael Riedel, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
Sondheim: Kookaburra's Company No Laughing MatterMemo to production companies around the world: Don't mess with a
Stephen Sondheim show.
According to
Variety, Australia's fledgling
Kookaburra -- The National Musical Theatre Company in Sydney -- landed in hot water with the esteemed composer
and the general public when it was revealed that it had jettisoned 20 minutes worth of material during a Wednesday performance of its current revival of
Company.
Apparently, there was no understudy ready to take the place of Christie Whelan in the role of April when she fell ill. So rather than cancel the performance, Kookaburra excised two songs and dialogue without even notifying the audience.
The Thursday performance
was canceled after a big brouhaha (and early denials that anything was amiss), and then a replacement was brought in: Chloe Dallimore. But Friday's performance was also canceled when Pippa Grandison called in sick. Not only did Kookaburra have a bit of bird do on its face, but it
could very well have had its license to perform Company taken away due to its egregious lapse in judgment over its initial decision to cut numbers from the show.
Fortunately, audience members who saw the shortened
Company are being treated to free tickets for another performance. For amends, a very apologetic Kookaburra is also
sponsoring a special benefit performance of the show on July 31 in support of
Oz Showbiz Cares and Actors Benevolent Fund.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Labels: Australia, Company, Kookaburra, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008According to Melbourne, Australia's Herald Sun, the Aussie state government of Victoria is touting its role in bringing the international musical hit
Wicked to its stages.
Indeed,
Victoria's Premier Steve Bracks (pictured with
Kerry Ellis and
Helen Dallimore from the U.K. production) was in London yesterday for the announcement that the show would finally land in the place nicknamed Oz in July 2008. Readers will recall that
I reported that an Australian incarnation of Wicked was a certainty a couple months ago.
The
smash hit Broadway show, of course, already has four sitdown productions currently playing: on the Great White Way, in
Chicago, in
London and in
Los Angeles, as well as a successful
North American tour. Additionally, a Japanese version of
Wicked opens next month in
Tokyo, while a German version opens this November in Stuttgart as
Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz.
To date,
Wicked has raked in close to $500 million. To put that into context, if it were a film, it would be the top grossing one of all time were it not for a small flick called "
Titanic."
Wicked's
landing in Melbourne ahead of its chief Australian cultural rival Sydney is certainly a major coup, one that was acknowledged by Bracks: "
Wicked has received worldwide critical acclaim and it is a real testament to the strength of Melbourne's reputation as the theatre capital of Australia that the producers have chosen to premiere the show in Victoria."
Although casting has yet to be announced --
The Age reports that Dallimore is "keen to return to for the Australian production but producer (John) Frost says it is too early to confirm casting," and readers will recall
what a poor fit I found Dallimore to be in the role of Glinda --
Wicked has been confirmed to play the beautifully restored
Regent Theatre in Melbourne.
After Oz, can
Wicked's journey to the silver screen be far behind?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked Broadway tickets.Click here for Wicked Chicago tickets.Click here for Wicked London tickets.Click here for Wicked Los Angeles tickets.Click here for Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz Stuttgart tickets.Click here for Wicked Tokyo ticket information.Click here for Wicked U.S. Tour ticket information.Related Stories:Wicked (The SOB Revisit) - London (April 17, 2007)
Theatre For A New Age (April 8, 2007)
Wicked World (March 19, 2007)
Were London Critics Mourning West End Wicked? (September 28, 2006)
West End Wicked Opens Tonight (September 27, 2006)
Wicked Witch of the West End Takes Flight Tonight (September 7, 2006)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, London, Musical, Wicked
M-G-M: Movies-Going-MusicalDon’t expect to see an end anytime soon to the ongoing phenomenon of films being transformed into stage tuners. Despite some recent backfires (read:
High Fidelity, among others), many more movie-to-musical metamorphoses are already underway.
This Broadway season will see yet another silver screen comedy hit the boards of the Great White Way's Palace Theatre in
Legally Blonde with
Laura Bell Bundy come April, and it’s been all but confirmed that
Mel Brooks’
The Producers will make way later this year for the stage incarnation of his
Young Frankenstein. As previously mentioned, it’s also been announced that
Desperately Seeking Susan is being prepped for the West End.
The trend will surely continue well beyond these few titles. Indeed, when perusing my program from Sydney’s stage musical version of
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, a special message appeared from
Darcie Denkert and
Dean Stolber, veteran film and theatre executives who conceived, developed and run
MGM On Stage, “the industry leader in developing and licensing film properties for live stage presentation.”
In fact, according to the program notes, 25 new projects are already in the works, including the aforementioned
Legally Blonde, along with
The Pink Panther,
Marty,
Moonstruck and
Where's Poppa?Of course, MGM has a breathtaking catalogue from which to select. There will almost assuredly be some missteps along the way. But as long as the batting average remains fairly decent, particularly among audiences enthusiastic about revisiting some of their favorite characters, this twist in adaptations will be here to stay.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Broadway, Desperately Seeking Susan, Film, High Fidelity, Legally Blonde, Musical, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, The Producers, Young Frankenstein
