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Post by Mark on Oct 10, 2022 21:37:40 GMT
Ok, lovely to see all the enthusiasm about it but for those of us who haven’t seen this and don’t know much about it, please tell us why we should be excited? Because it’s a REALLY great show. The score is banger after banger, it’s a brilliant story and it has some great opportunities for the cast to shine. |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Oct 10, 2022 21:38:37 GMT
Caissie Levy - she’s Canadian? Someone mentioned somewhere close to America earlier on in this thread... ;-) Caissie has done Wicked, she's in that casting bracket for Diana (she was in Caroline, Or Change as the mother character for Roundabout) so there's a bit of a shift and it would make sense. I think it goes to show that there are so many talented women who'd pull of this role. Bet the casting director witnessed some incredible auditions. Just intrigued as to who else they will cast for the younger roles; will they be established within MT or grads? |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Oct 10, 2022 21:39:53 GMT
Ok, lovely to see all the enthusiasm about it but for those of us who haven’t seen this and don’t know much about it, please tell us why we should be excited? Because it’s a REALLY great show. The score is banger after banger, it’s a brilliant story and it has some great opportunities for the cast to shine. I have never listened to the score in full; but agreed - the songs and subject matter in particular resonate. It's kinda the same with Jagged Little Pill > feel like I need to see the show in context. |
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Oct 10, 2022 21:44:22 GMT
Caissie Levy? Canadian working in Broadway and London I’m pretty sure it’s her. She is following both the Donmar, the casting director and the artistic director. Her most recent like was the Donmar’s tweet announcing the show. I’ll do a few more checks and ask people who might know, but I feel quite confident it’s her. She worked with Longhurst on Caroline or change so that isn’t surprising |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 10, 2022 21:45:09 GMT
Ok, lovely to see all the enthusiasm about it but for those of us who haven’t seen this and don’t know much about it, please tell us why we should be excited? Because it’s a REALLY great show. The score is banger after banger, it’s a brilliant story and it has some great opportunities for the cast to shine. Most of my excitement is for my seeing it again - but a decent chunk is actually my excitement that other people get to experience it for the very first time. Laugh at those jokes for the first time. Cry those first tears. I want everyone to experience it because it’s just such a seminal work. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2022 21:48:33 GMT
Ok, lovely to see all the enthusiasm about it but for those of us who haven’t seen this and don’t know much about it, please tell us why we should be excited?
I don't share as much enthusiasm as some here, but the show features a plot line that rarely gets musicalized and some beautiful songs, the most memorable for me being I Miss the Mountains.
Ripley drew a lot of attention for her Broadway performance (and ran her voice ragged out during the run). Aaron Tveit also got a lot of acclaim.
I find it to be a solid show, but nothing groundbreaking.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Oct 10, 2022 22:01:11 GMT
I love this musical but I think a large part of that is nostalgia. It's not aged super well imo and I'm not sure how much a newcomer to the show will connect with it. In its exploration of mental health it may have been ground-breaking for musical theatre at the time (and considering the quality of musicals that have attempted to tackle similar issues since it may still be groundbreaking but that is less a point in this show's favour than it is a failing of these newer shows), but it feels pretty dated now and some of its messaging is pretty muddled and potentially misguided.
There are also some real clunkers in the lyrics ("I'm a bullet from a magic gun" anyone?) but it's also very heartfelt and raw and there are some really incredible moments in the show. With the right cast and direction it can be great but I don't think the material is as strong as some believe.
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Post by singingbird on Oct 10, 2022 22:20:59 GMT
I love this musical but I think a large part of that is nostalgia. It's not aged super well imo and I'm not sure how much a newcomer to the show will connect with it. In its exploration of mental health it may have been ground-breaking for musical theatre at the time (and considering the quality of musicals that have attempted to tackle similar issues since it may still be groundbreaking but that is less a point in this show's favour than it is a failing of these newer shows), but it feels pretty dated now and some of its messaging is pretty muddled and potentially misguided. There are also some real clunkers in the lyrics ("I'm a bullet from a magic gun" anyone?) but it's also very heartfelt and raw and there are some really incredible moments in the show. With the right cast and direction it can be great but I don't think the material is as strong as some believe. In many ways I'd agree with you here. That said, I'm still excited that it's finally getting a UK premiere, although it feels a bit like it was very much 'of its moment' and that moment has passed a bit now. Nevertheless, I just feel happy whenever 'serious' musicals get staged here, because it's happened very rarely in the last few years. Happily, places like the Almeida and Donmar suddenly seem to be programming more musical theatre again! |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 10, 2022 22:25:27 GMT
I love this musical but I think a large part of that is nostalgia. It's not aged super well imo and I'm not sure how much a newcomer to the show will connect with it. In its exploration of mental health it may have been ground-breaking for musical theatre at the time (and considering the quality of musicals that have attempted to tackle similar issues since it may still be groundbreaking but that is less a point in this show's favour than it is a failing of these newer shows), but it feels pretty dated now and some of its messaging is pretty muddled and potentially misguided. There are also some real clunkers in the lyrics ("I'm a bullet from a magic gun" anyone?) but it's also very heartfelt and raw and there are some really incredible moments in the show. With the right cast and direction it can be great but I don't think the material is as strong as some believe. She may have been slightly under the influence at the time of spewing forth that little gem.  I think the lyrics are generally superb. I’m glad they cut “Costco” and “Feeling Electric” from the original Off-Broadway tryout production though, the lyrics in those songs were dreadful. “Costco Costco, where the lonely and lost go…”. *Shudder* |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2022 23:14:44 GMT
“Costco Costco, where the lonely and lost go…”. *Shudder* But you never may know when two of the lonely and lost might simultaneously reach for a food sample at Costco and find true love ... or at least a great deal on frozen mini quiches. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 11, 2022 3:19:58 GMT
Apparently a wickedly talented MT icon was approached but decided not to take it on. If they were casting a Brit I said it should be Jo or Waddingham to friends. Jo looks great for her age, reads younger and I'd loveee to see her take on a role like this. Waddingham would have been amazing too and the show would have most likely transferred. Again let’s be realistic. Jo Riding does not have the vocal range for this role. Hannah Waddingham does , but I don’t see her dropping her US career to do this right now |
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Post by showtoones on Oct 11, 2022 4:08:16 GMT
Apparently a wickedly talented MT icon was approached but decided not to take it on. If they were casting a Brit I said it should be Jo or Waddingham to friends. Jo looks great for her age, reads younger and I'd loveee to see her take on a role like this. Waddingham would have been amazing too and the show would have most likely transferred. Idina would have killed it |
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561 posts
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Post by shownut on Oct 11, 2022 6:10:45 GMT
My dreamcasting would be Clare Burt as Diana.
She would nail it.
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Post by apubleed on Oct 11, 2022 8:15:56 GMT
Having just seen this in Barcelona with Alice Ripley I personally think the show resonates just as well now as it did when it was first mounted (which I also saw on Broadway several times). The show has ALWAYS had clunky lyrics and a few questionable themes around mental health even at the time (though many other issues around mental health were and are still done well - it’s clear they have had professional input into the script). No need to miss the forest from the trees though. The audience will be weeping through Light, I am sure. .
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Post by jaggy on Oct 11, 2022 9:57:30 GMT
Apparently a wickedly talented MT icon was approached but decided not to take it on. If they were casting a Brit I said it should be Jo or Waddingham to friends. Jo looks great for her age, reads younger and I'd loveee to see her take on a role like this. Waddingham would have been amazing too and the show would have most likely transferred. Again let’s be realistic. Jo Riding does not have the vocal range for this role. Hannah Waddingham does , but I don’t see her dropping her US career to do this right now Neither of them are doing it. This was just a fan casting. The person who is doing it isn’t British. I saw Jo in Gypsy and she has a very very good belt but she’d probably need the keys altered. Yes, Waddingham is too busy in the states reaping the benefits from her Emmy win and it’s lovely to see. I imagine she’ll return to the stage just not anytime soon. |
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Post by jaggy on Oct 11, 2022 10:03:41 GMT
Apparently a wickedly talented MT icon was approached but decided not to take it on. If they were casting a Brit I said it should be Jo or Waddingham to friends. Jo looks great for her age, reads younger and I'd loveee to see her take on a role like this. Waddingham would have been amazing too and the show would have most likely transferred. Idina would have killed it I get so excited just thinking about it. Such a shame she didn’t want to do it but I can see why. Everyone would have gone nuts if it was her. |
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Post by apubleed on Oct 11, 2022 10:19:05 GMT
Is there any chance Alice Ripley could come back again?
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Post by inthenose on Oct 11, 2022 11:00:38 GMT
Idina would’ve been amazing.
Caissie Levy, if it indeed is her, really looks like Diana.
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Post by apubleed on Oct 11, 2022 11:21:46 GMT
Caissie Levy? Canadian working in Broadway and London I’m pretty sure it’s her. She is following both the Donmar, the casting director and the artistic director. Her most recent like was the Donmar’s tweet announcing the show. I’ll do a few more checks and ask people who might know, but I feel quite confident it’s her. Also, it may have been mentioned, but she did just work with the director on Broadway in Caroline, or Change. I mean, that would also explain why she could be following the news. But it all makes sense. |
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Post by actorsinger on Oct 11, 2022 12:30:09 GMT
Beside myself at this news. Saw it on Broadway years ago with the late great Marin Mazzie and her husband Jason Daniely. They were amazing. We’ve got a few couples here that could do it, the most obvious being Rosalie and Hadley, but also maybe Caroline Sheen and Michael Jibson or Celinde Schoenmaker and Richard Fleeshman.
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Post by JJShaw on Oct 11, 2022 13:41:54 GMT
Beside myself at this news. Saw it on Broadway years ago with the late great Marin Mazzie and her husband Jason Daniely. They were amazing. We’ve got a few couples here that could do it, the most obvious being Rosalie and Hadley, but also maybe Caroline Sheen and Michael Jibson or Celinde Schoenmaker and Richard Fleeshman. Ooh Rosalie and Hadley, always a luxury casting with either one of them, let alone both! (Monthly plea to please bring back city of angels, even if its a concert one night staging that is recorded like the used to do in the US quite often!!) |
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 11, 2022 14:16:05 GMT
Hadley is the ideal person to play Dan
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Post by inthenose on Oct 11, 2022 14:17:20 GMT
Hadley is the ideal person to play Dan Yes please! |
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 11, 2022 14:20:05 GMT
Would also love to see someone like Grace Mouat as Natalie.
I have no suggestions for Gabe though - we don't have an Aaron Tveit equivalent (plenty of pretty boys who can sing, but without an ounce of charisma)
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Post by inthenose on Oct 11, 2022 14:36:17 GMT
Would also love to see someone like Grace Mouat as Natalie. I have no suggestions for Gabe though - we don't have an Aaron Tveit equivalent (plenty of pretty boys who can sing, but without an ounce of charisma) I suspect both will be fresh recent grads or even final year students. I also think the doctors will be female. Just hunches. |
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I think the lyrics are generally superb. I’m glad they cut “Costco” and “Feeling Electric” from the original Off-Broadway tryout production though, the lyrics in those songs were dreadful. 
