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Post by chernjam on Sept 15, 2017 3:49:01 GMT
Im happy to see that ALW found his Gramercy Concert approach to School of Rock so effective that he's trying it with other things (one wonders if Love Never Dies would still be running in its original london production had he done something similar and gotten audience feedback like this)
Very curious to see if this evolves into some full-fledged revival. I could've sworn I had read in a recent ALW interview that Starlight would never be revived - which struck me as odd as it ran for so long in the UK and seemingly everywhere else other than here in the US. Will be curious about what comes of this...
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Post by chernjam on Sept 3, 2017 3:32:21 GMT
What ever happened with the 50th anniversary of Joseph that was supposedly coming
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Post by chernjam on Sept 3, 2017 3:28:05 GMT
Really glad this is happening and will be interested to check it out (although have to say the ones they did in the 90s had some shocking orchestrations and sounded very cheap). Quick question though - would they not need RUGs permission to do this? If so am surprised they've got it, is normally very hard. Most recently the German production of Love Never Dies (the European launch of the Australian version) wished to make a cast CD (as Stage Operettenhuas do for all their big productions) but RUG would not allow it. I believe they recorded it in May 2016 - right after Sunset closed at the ENO. There was enough press about Ria Jones, and more than likely RUG didn't expect a NY revival... very interesting - now that a UK tour with Ria Jones is imminent... but that means no Cast recording from that tour |
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Post by chernjam on Aug 24, 2017 3:05:07 GMT
really excited to hear news about this! Here's hoping for a highly successful tour... perhaps there will be a US tour or a return to the West End (ala the recent Evita return)
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Post by chernjam on Aug 23, 2017 12:42:37 GMT
Having seen Jake Gyllenhall in Sunday in the Park with George, I think he would do an amazing job as Joe Gillis. But I'm wondering if they'd go back to the Australian Sunset alumn Hugh Jackman?
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Post by chernjam on Aug 17, 2017 4:30:33 GMT
So obviously this finishes at the Phoenix on the 14th of October and then it's doing a Wednesday to Saturday engagement in Manchester at the beginning of December but what's happening in between? More tour dates? More engagements abroad? They wouldn't have a nearly two month break and then start back in Manchester would they? And I'm guessing the end of Manchester will be the end of the tour? It will have been touring nearly a year then. If I had to guess, they're keeping that on stand by for a possible extension? |
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Post by chernjam on Aug 15, 2017 5:59:06 GMT
ALW has been vocal about the lack of anything new coming up in the UK - and he credits School of Rock's "Grammercy Concerts" as one of the things that helped cement it to become the hit that it is, so I'm not shocked that he's taking this opportunity to revisit something that was a huge international hit, but that if it has any future, would need some re-imagination to be sure.
As for the resurgence of ALW's stuff, I'm thrilled! I only wish Aspects was somewhere in the queue for a new revival. Part of this is that ALW had said recently he hasn't any ideas for a new show - so this is a way to occupy his time and perhaps get the creative juices flowing for something new. And the reality with him coming close to turning 70, I'm sure he's hoping to have his works as "definitive" as he can as he gets older
I am curious though, wasn't there a Joseph revival coming this year for the 50th anniversary of the show?
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Post by chernjam on Aug 14, 2017 5:52:10 GMT
honestly as I've heard about this over the weekend, I've grown less interested in it. For all its flaws the recent Grandage revival in the West End and Broadawy at least moved the piece a bit forward - new orchestrations (which were beautiful) the addition of "You Must Love Me" - an attempt to actually define "Che" as a character (rather than he is Che Guevera/he's not Che Guevera). The original might appeal in a nostalgia sense and for those who are interested in a more minimalist staging of things... But to me, without the new orchestrations and "You Must Love Me" - it's more like going back to the workshop version of the show.
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Post by chernjam on Jul 17, 2017 2:23:30 GMT
Perhaps someone who saw it both in NY and London can add to this, but I believe that in NY they had added more traditional set elements to make the projections work a bit more effectively?
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Post by chernjam on Jul 16, 2017 16:03:20 GMT
Yeah I seem to remember that it got some good reviews... obviously enough for a Broadway transfer which never happened for Whistle Down the Wind (which I think would've been better received here than WIW was) Even here in NY, the initial reviews were ok, some equating it (at least musically) with Phantom - which in hindsight was an amazing stretch.
At one point in the last decade, there was a report that ALW and Zippel were working on a revised version called a "chamber version" - curious to see what changes to the story and score have been made
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Post by chernjam on Jul 16, 2017 3:57:32 GMT
What's it about? In a nutshell! A woman has a secret, she has a secret, she has a secret, she has a secret, she has a secret, she has a secret, she has a secret... We learn the secret. It was a crap secret. The End. (Oh, and there's a rat) I think Steve won the internet with that mic drop  |
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Post by chernjam on Jul 15, 2017 3:51:17 GMT
ali - I can tell you the 4 times I saw this live in NY there was absolutely no pre-recorded versions... Honestly I don't know who was peddling that, but there's plenty of stories of how Glenn's voice cracked or she re-did hitting a high note when she cracked singing As If We Never Said Goodbye.
I'm hoping that if they do remount this in Australia and film it that they would auto-tune-correct or whatever it is they call it to clean up the vocals.
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Post by chernjam on Jul 15, 2017 3:45:08 GMT
I saw this twice in NY... There was some beautiful music in there (Trying not to notice to me is the most beautiful) and Friedman was phenomenal (her All for Laura where she held the high note brought a huge ovation both times I saw it) That being said, the story was amazingly clunky. If I remember correctly they changed the ending several times here and in London - musically and dramatically - even up till the last month. Obviously they recognized there were issues that they weren't able to fix. The sets - well they were kind of weird at first, but I thought some of the criticisms were overblown. And it amazes me how ever since, so many shows have followed suit using projections in their productions. I wish I could find the interview where ALW said he thought the show didn't work because in the end no one cared about the story. |
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Post by chernjam on Jul 1, 2017 4:53:02 GMT
You would think that with Paramount's recent difficulties (http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-jim-gianopulos-paramount-20170321-story.html) they'd be a bit more cooperative... I can see making a full blown movie musical version might be a bit too difficult to pull off/make it financially viable. But Universal had great success with Love Never Dies - a far less known entity in the ALW canon... Just foolishness
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Post by chernjam on Jun 29, 2017 22:00:16 GMT
Would Paramount black ball a filming of the stage production?
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Post by chernjam on Jun 29, 2017 6:11:44 GMT
mosiemo - there was some australian press reporting this as well. I doubt the entire broadway company would make the move (hence the ensemble not being confident) but I'm hopeful as it seems that would be the best chance of it being filmed. Perhaps the costs/union rules etc make it easier to do so there - as they did Love Never Dies. I'm just really hoping this happens. I saw Sunset for the 4th time about a week before it closed (was out of town for the final performance otherwise would've definitely been there) and noticed those subtle changes as well - Norma looking more disheveled... which made it work even more. The human/vulnerable Norma is much more heart-wrenching and Xavier grew so much in the role balancing cynical/manipulative/empathetic all in one. Loved it each time more than the time before. And I left the theatre thinking "they literally put every ounce they had in that performance" - absolutely wonderful. So - I'm crossing my fingers that somehow Australia will materialize as well as a film. Otherwise I might have to make my first trip to the UK to find the Ria Jones Tour |
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Post by chernjam on Jun 15, 2017 3:29:00 GMT
1 - They are giving the website for the broadway revival - was that a mistake or in two weeks do you think they're shifting it?
2- Wasn't there a notice somewhere that Ria Jones had recorded songs from Sunset and Evita? I'm sure I read it, but have never seen it sold
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Post by chernjam on Jun 1, 2017 4:30:59 GMT
The show is a tiny bit different than the ENO in London. There is a art deco backdrop behind the orchestra whenever we are in Norma's mansions. Also, some parts of the set are lit differently in Norma's mansion than they were in London. During the car chase scene, when the Sunset Boulevard street sign is projected, the ENO version only had that single logo/street sign enlarged, whereas in this version there are multiples of it flashing all across the screen. They use a new car on Norma's return to Paramount. Some orchestral changes from ENO...On Norma's journey to paramount, the music is now more march-like than the normal sounding theme ("if you're with me, next year will be.."). Also, the Joe/Betty scenes at Schwab's and pre-Too Much In Love to Care are slightly re-orchestrated. Overall the show is fabulous. I think Xavier was by far more tolerable here than he was in London. He's less jazz hands and tress less hard to be funny. Siobhan is gorgeous looking and sounding. Max is great as always. I think the London ensemble was a bit stronger, and I liked the ENO DeMille a lot better. Standing ovation for As If We Never Said Goodbye. I should add that this was the former final performance prior to the extension to June 25th. I would have loved to see it again, but I'm fully committed to other shows during the week. Can't wait to see the UK tour though. Have to figure where and when to see it as soon as I go back home. Ali - loved reading your review/comparing it to ENO. It really does seem ALW did a lot of work on the orchestrations. It's breaking my heart that they're not re-recording this with that lush new sound...I've already gone three times and hope to hit it at least once more before it leaves NY (although there's some strong rumors that there might be a return engagement in LA after New Years) Honestly found the entire cast superb... which was a pleasant surprise after reading some review on here Perhaps the extra time really gave them the opportunity to grow into the roles. As for Glenn's final note being recorded - I really don't believe that to be the case. The third time I went to see Sunset, she was still fighting her sinus infection. Coughed/cleared her throat at one point during As If We Never Said Goodbye and definitely talked-sung more than she did the other two times. And her ending was a bit more restrained. So, I don't know - I don't really think that's happened. |
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Evita
May 27, 2017 0:55:28 GMT
Post by chernjam on May 27, 2017 0:55:28 GMT
The Broadway revival was pretty good overall - and I agree, the new double CD recording was very well done to capture the ALW score and new orchestrations. Ricky Martin was fine on stage. The criticisms were that Che was being directed to be more of a narrator so there wasn't the tension between him and Eva as in the original. Sadly the other problem was Elena. The early word was that her voice was shot - and I'm not quite sure if she was out for an illness as well. When I saw her, she was "OK" - but when you're playing the title role, you're expecting a lot more than simply "OK" The funniest rumor floating in NY was that the producers (since it wasn't a RUG production) tried to get Patti LuPone to take over the role. Don't know if people were joking or what - never would've happened. Too bad they didn't try to get Eden Espinosa. She did a regional production about a year ago - and the clips and reviews of her were pretty stunning |
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Post by chernjam on May 23, 2017 1:08:22 GMT
Ali - you crack me up... Honestly, I was asking myself with all sincerity "Who is Cynthia?" when I saw the headline on BWW today and then when I read it, I just shook my head. People seriously look for stuff to be pissed off about. Close has demonstrated what an amazingly classy woman, unassuming and incredibly supportive (I mean, she literally forced the producers to bring her ENO counterparts over for this show) why some no name wants to somehow chime in and make an issue...who the hell knows |
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Post by chernjam on May 22, 2017 5:09:11 GMT
For those who want a glimpse of the Overture - with the "altered" note that ALW added a year ago (wonder if this change will be in all future productions)
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Post by chernjam on May 18, 2017 5:17:01 GMT
From what I heard from people at the theatre on Sunday, yes there was some disappointed people - particularly because it was Mothers Day, and Sunset was a particularly hot ticket for Mothers Day... and because Sundays are a strange day theatre wise (which shows are performing/which aren't), there wasn't a lot of other options available. But all that being said, while some asked for refunds/new tickets, there was a pretty full theatre and Nancy really did win them all over.
Will be returning (see what I did there) for my third visit this Saturday afternoon. Will let you know how Glenn sounds by then!
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Post by chernjam on May 10, 2017 18:25:15 GMT
To be honest I think Patti calls other people out because it's part of the caricature of who 'Patti LuPone' is now. I think she's a very gifted woman, but boy does she use the fact she can hit certain notes to look down on others. The movie version of Evita isn't brilliant, but it did well at the box office at a time movie musicals weren't really being made - and I much prefer Madonna's score to Patti's... Yeah honestly reading her bio, is there anyone (other than Sondheim) who she's worked with who hasn't wronged her, didn't know how talented she was/how incompetent they were; etc. When "War Paint" closes/flops, wonder if she'll turn on Christine Ebersole. Was kind of shocked that she actually made it seem like her and Glenn are okay. Then again, if anyone could cut Patti down to size, my money's on Glenn Close. What's sad to me - if she did reconcile with ALW and maybe took over for Glenn in NY for the revival, it would be the theatrical story of the year. "Patti LuPone as Norma in NY". (Although, I doubt she'd ever want to follow Close... Yeah she can out-sing Close, but acting wise, she has only one approach which is very much like her off-stage persona) |
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Post by chernjam on May 8, 2017 6:53:20 GMT
ALW talking about the film of Sunset on EP's show today. Said it was out of his hands but there is a possibility of it and he would love Glenn as Norma if it happened I wish they would just record the damn thing on stage as they did Love Never Dies or Phantom of the Opera (25th anniversary). It's hard to imagine Paramount agreeing to a full-blown re-doing of the film, and I'm not sure it would even work. But to have this preserved with a well shot filming of it would be phenomenal. Interesting that Oliver Stone, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg have all been to the Palace Theatre to see it though. |
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Post by chernjam on May 4, 2017 21:51:52 GMT
I can't confirm if it's true or not, but it's possible. And normally I would think that if they do have a click track, it's probably there to boost her up and not to completely substitute her vocals. So she probably starts the big note, but somewhere in the middle a click track is introduced and her actual live vocal faded out. The person who told me claims she did it fully live in London, but they decided to be on the safe side in New York. ali - I've seen Sunset live twice so far in NY - in February during previews and two weeks ago... doubt very highly there was a click track - both times sounded natural and different... And there was a live video floating of As If We Never Said Goodbye where you could hear she was "talk-singing" more than the times I saw it. As for recording this/filming this - for those of you who saw it in London, didn't they have a Q & A with Lonnie one evening and he said that it was being recorded? We're hoping that the producers here might be pissed about the obvious slight of the Tony Awards and decide to film and release it, but... |
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