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Post by Seriously on Aug 23, 2022 11:39:46 GMT
The trouble with Elton's music is you need a damn good music supervisor to wrangle it into shape.
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Post by Jon on Aug 23, 2022 12:23:37 GMT
James Graham being the book writer makes it a must book for me.
I would expect the music is going to quite gospel like and parodying the songs you get on the God botherer channels, I'm looking forward to seeing how they achieve the make up look on stage for Tammy.
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Post by distantcousin on Aug 23, 2022 14:06:37 GMT
Very curious about this! There is next to nothing getting me excited in the West End, so I might give this a go!
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 23, 2022 15:55:29 GMT
Very excited about this- that is one hell of a cast.
Here’s hoping Elton put a bit more effort into this than The Devil Wears Prada
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Post by Jon on Aug 23, 2022 16:01:39 GMT
Very excited about this- that is one hell of a cast. Here’s hoping Elton put a bit more effort into this than The Devil Wears Prada Elton is very hit and miss as a musical theatre composer. For every Billy Elliot and The Lion King, you get a Lestat and The Devil Wears Prada. I assume they're hoping for a further life after the Almeida run.
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 23, 2022 16:15:34 GMT
In fairness to "legendary songwriter" Sir Elton John, he's only responsible for the plinky plonky bits. It's someone else wot writes the words. 🙂
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Post by Jon on Aug 23, 2022 16:23:31 GMT
I'd never heard of her until I watched the recent movie which I enjoyed, but can't say I thought it screamed out to be a musical. Will be interesting to see how they do this I assume Andrew rennels is in the role played by Andrew garfield in the movie and I can see that being great castingJim Bakker, it's honestly solid casting, possibly even better than Andrew Garfield who was quite good in that role. I notice Amy Booth Steel is in it, I wonder if she might be playing Jessica Hahn?
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Post by Mark on Aug 23, 2022 16:38:48 GMT
Very excited about this- that is one hell of a cast. Here’s hoping Elton put a bit more effort into this than The Devil Wears Prada Elton is very hit and miss as a musical theatre composer. For every Billy Elliot and The Lion King, you get a Lestat and The Devil Wears Prada. I assume they're hoping for a further life after the Almeida run. Haven’t heard Lestat anywhere (is it available?) but I actually quite liked a lot of Devil Wears Prada
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 23, 2022 17:35:16 GMT
Haven’t heard Lestat anywhere (is it available?) but I actually quite liked a lot of Devil Wears Prada A cast recording of Lestat was made, but has never been released. Some of it is on YT. The young girl has a great song, called 'i want more' or something similar and Carolee Carmello has a great number too. A lot of it is very dull. It's hard to create a decent show when Elton just hands you some songs and says here's your musical, like he did with TDWP. He wasn't around for any of the rehearsal or preview period and so no changes could be made. How do you make TDWP and not give Miranda Priestly a decent number that stops the show?
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Post by craig on Aug 23, 2022 17:59:45 GMT
Very excited for this. It's nice to have something a bit more interesting to look forward to in terms of West End musicals.
Whether it's a big fat hit or a flop, it's going to be essential viewing. Very excited for Andrew Rannells too!
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Post by kathryn on Aug 23, 2022 20:20:04 GMT
Haven’t heard Lestat anywhere (is it available?) but I actually quite liked a lot of Devil Wears Prada A cast recording of Lestat was made, but has never been released. Some of it is on YT. The young girl has a great song, called 'i want more' or something similar and Carolee Carmello has a great number too. A lot of it is very dull. It's hard to create a decent show when Elton just hands you some songs and says here's your musical, like he did with TDWP. He wasn't around for any of the rehearsal or preview period and so no changes could be made. How do you make TDWP and not give Miranda Priestly a decent number that stops the show? I was sure I’d read something in the run-up to the premiere that stated songs *were* being changed at the last minute in rehearsal, but I can’t find it now so maybe I am misremembering. But basically it is Shaina Taub in charge of what the songs are actually about, as the lyricist and the one working closely with the book writer. She has been taking clutches of lyrics into the studio for Elton to set to music after they she and the book writer worked out what the songs need to do dramatically. Elton didn’t hand over a clutch of songs and say ‘here you go make a musical from this’. It’s been back and forth over the years. The more I read from TDWP creatives the more I think the problem is the attempt to update it to present day. The magazine industry just isn’t what it was in the 90s, in terms of money and influence, and the fashion industry at least pays lip service to body positivity and diversity. If you’re writing based on the industry now and not the insanity of what it was like back then you’re just not going to get the bite of the original.
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Post by westendcub on Aug 23, 2022 20:55:56 GMT
I’m excited!!
Do we think it’s going to be a tough one to get tickets for? Or I’m just a stagey bubble?!!
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 23, 2022 21:21:56 GMT
But basically it is Shaina Taub in charge of what the songs are actually about, as the lyricist and the one working closely with the book writer. She has been taking clutches of lyrics into the studio for Elton to set to music after they she and the book writer worked out what the songs need to do dramatically. Elton didn’t hand over a clutch of songs and say ‘here you go make a musical from this’. It’s been back and forth over the years. The book has been re-written since the songs were written and the songs have barely changed and no new ones have been put into the show. They might have changed some lyrics but it's still the the songs from the demo. A melody doesnt fit every situation. After the reviews it received in the press and from comments from people on the production, the show isn't going anywhere near Broadway for a very long time.
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Post by JJShaw on Aug 23, 2022 21:31:36 GMT
A very exciting casting! Wonder if it has eyes on going somewhere post Almeida if it does well?
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Aug 23, 2022 22:27:18 GMT
It will have eyes on everything. and I expect everyone will want a piece of it.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 24, 2022 7:11:37 GMT
But basically it is Shaina Taub in charge of what the songs are actually about, as the lyricist and the one working closely with the book writer. She has been taking clutches of lyrics into the studio for Elton to set to music after they she and the book writer worked out what the songs need to do dramatically. Elton didn’t hand over a clutch of songs and say ‘here you go make a musical from this’. It’s been back and forth over the years. The book has been re-written since the songs were written and the songs have barely changed and no new ones have been put into the show. They might have changed some lyrics but it's still the the songs from the demo. A melody doesnt fit every situation. After the reviews it received in the press and from comments from people on the production, the show isn't going anywhere near Broadway for a very long time. I will bow to your apparent insider knowledge. I am sure the whole show would be overhauled before any attempt at a Broadway run.
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Post by jacob on Aug 24, 2022 9:26:22 GMT
Loving the £5 ticket offer for under 25s (as well as the plethora of other discount options!). looking forward to hopefully seeing this one soon + Mr Rannells!! 😍
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 24, 2022 23:58:04 GMT
Do Almeida productions have logos, because this show is crying out for a great logo. Get Dewynters on it.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Aug 25, 2022 10:28:24 GMT
A very exciting casting! Wonder if it has eyes on going somewhere post Almeida if it does well? Iirc the original deal was for it to open straight in the West End, but RG negotiated for the Almeida to have a run first.
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Post by Jon on Aug 25, 2022 10:34:27 GMT
Opening it at the Almeida first also gives them time to make any changes during and after the short run before a potential transfer. There are a few theatres available from January onwards.
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Post by austink on Aug 25, 2022 10:54:17 GMT
Let’s just hope they don’t do what they did with American Psycho and think it better fits Broadway and leave the West End without
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Post by Jon on Aug 25, 2022 11:07:03 GMT
Let’s just hope they don’t do what they did with American Psycho and think it better fits Broadway and leave the West End without It's a mostly British creative team and producers so I think a West End run is likely.
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Aug 25, 2022 11:58:43 GMT
Bernadette Peters played Tammy Faye in a 'ty movie of the week' called Fall From Grace. It also starred Kevin Spacey as Jim Bakker. She sings in it too. It's a fun watch if you can find it.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Aug 25, 2022 12:09:53 GMT
Let’s just hope they don’t do what they did with American Psycho and think it better fits Broadway and leave the West End without No risk of that, though I think a future life on Broadway has been discussed. The only way it won’t go to the West End is if it flops.
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Post by Jon on Aug 25, 2022 12:22:57 GMT
I wonder if Tammy Faye will be portrayed quite sympathetically or if James Graham might try and make her someone who knew the dodgy dealings that were going on but chose to ignore it.
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Post by austink on Aug 25, 2022 12:56:54 GMT
Doubt that. You can easily make her sympathetic like they did in the Eyes of Tammy Faye and doubt that collective would seek to have a production musical turn on a antihero
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Post by Jon on Aug 25, 2022 13:06:44 GMT
Doubt that. You can easily make her sympathetic like they did in the Eyes of Tammy Faye and doubt that collective would seek to have a production musical turn on a antihero I don't know, shows like Evita and Here Lies Love have proven successful and their leads are not totally sympathetic.
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Post by austink on Aug 25, 2022 13:39:38 GMT
Agree but based on source material that isn’t sympathetic for either of those characters while Tammy Faye has an easy redemption arc.
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Post by kathryn on Aug 25, 2022 17:50:18 GMT
Doubt that. You can easily make her sympathetic like they did in the Eyes of Tammy Faye and doubt that collective would seek to have a production musical turn on a antihero Creative team will I am sure be heavily invested in Tammy’s support of people living with HIV - which really was incredibly unusual at the time - and thus in portraying her sympathetically.
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Post by austink on Sept 2, 2022 9:55:44 GMT
Indeed the content warning makes it seem that way “ This production contains the use of homophobic language and references to cancer and HIV/AIDS.” preparing to book at noon today Doubt that. You can easily make her sympathetic like they did in the Eyes of Tammy Faye and doubt that collective would seek to have a production musical turn on a antihero Creative team will I am sure be heavily invested in Tammy’s support of people living with HIV - which really was incredibly unusual at the time - and thus in portraying her sympathetically.
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