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
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #8 - La Bohème (2002, Broadway Theatre, New York City, NY)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. Credit inventive film director
Baz Luhrmann with a spellbinding genius for turning
La Bohème, one of the most enduring of operas, into a thoroughly accessible and excellent Broadway theatrical event, thanks in part to its unobstrusive overtitles.
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 ravishing production. The ingenious designs from
Catherine Martin,
Angus Strathie and
Nigel Levings popped at the very moment when love burst into full bloom.
The magnificent music from
Giacomo Puccini and libretto from
Giuseppe Giacosa and
Luigi Illica helped make believers out of those previously unitiated by opera and
Rent-heads alike.
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. I paid my own way for this performance.
Labels: Baz Luhrmann, Broadway, Catherine Martin, Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, Opera, Rent, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties
No Longer A Whack Job: Musicals Get RespectTaking note of how even characters from television's gritty powerhouse "
The Sopranos" are no longer afraid of being caught dead seeing Broadway musicals -- although one was killed off (by stroke) after seeing
Jersey Boys,
Variety's David Rooney makes it official in his story, "Mainstream Embracing Musicals": the artform is back in vogue.
Why the re-emgergence? Rooney notes that
Spring Awakening director
Michael Mayer "credits the flamboyant, realism-flouting aesthetic of
Baz Luhrmann films like
'Strictly Ballroom,' '
Romeo + Juliet' and '
Moulin Rouge' for helping to open the minds of a new generation to the language of musicals. 'There was a kitschiness to them that I think a lot of young people responded to,' he suggests."
It's certainly no coincidence that after "Moulin Rouge" made its way into theatres in early summer 2001, Hollywood once again realized the commercial potential of the musical artform and began looking in earnest at properties that had long been gathering dust, such as "
Dreamgirls" and the Academy Award winning "
Chicago." And the best part is that audiences have responded.
That audience response has resulted in, according to Rooney, musicals "once again becoming part of the pop-culture consciousness, exerting an influence on advertising, chart-topping songs and, of course, movies."
As Mayer so eloquently states, "There's a new chic to the concept of the musical that wasn't there before."
I'll drink to that!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Musicals Versus Plays: You Decide (January 5, 2007)
Labels: Baz Luhrmann, Broadway, Jersey Boys, Musical, Spring Awakening, The Sopranos, Variety
