Remdiner Universal pushed back the film adaptation of Wicked for Cats
Dec 30
2019, 10:45:35 PM
I'm almost of the mind that they should just professionally film the original cast on stage (or perhaps an original staged version with their choice of cast/director/designers) and then do a limited theatrical release in theatre-friendly cities once the and release wide on streaming/DVD.
I mean, Wicked onstage was budgeted at 14 million. That amount is practically nothing in cinema terms. Even Shrek at 25 million onstage is pocket change for a movie.
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Remdiner Universal pushed back the film adaptation of Wicked for Cats
Dec 30
2019, 10:42:40 PM
I'm almost of the mind that they should just professionally film originally-staged musicals (or perhaps an original staged version with their choice of cast/director/designers) and do a limited theatrical release in theatre-friendly cities and go wide on streaming/DVD.
I mean, Shrek the Musical was budgeted at 25 million and was pretty intricately designed for a stage show. That amount is practically nothing in cinema terms.
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The Cats film will suffer a 100 million dollar loss
Dec 30
2019, 10:31:22 PM
"MollyJeanneMusic said: "I know this isn't the only reason for this news, but can someone tell movie companies to stop releasing movies on the day of big blockbusters (Star Wars, Marvel, etc)? It's getting old to always have to wonder if a movie could have done better if it wasn't pitted against a highly anticipated series."
I'm curious if the triangulation on this was "The audiences for Star Wars and Cats won't over
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Most Vocally Demanding Roles
Sep 26
2018, 05:18:22 AM
Snakeskin said: "I see a lot of people saying Eva Peron and Sweeney Todd and this confuses mebecause the most famous actors filling those roles was Madonna and Johnny Depp. Clearly you do not even need to be a good singer to be cast in these roles."
Honestly, if you've not seen Evita or Sweeney Todd performed on stage as written, I think I can understand that people might think they aren't vocally demanding roles. Eva requires vocals of steel (I believe it was the show that established required alternates for matinees so nobody ever had to sing it twice in a day), but Madonna sang in lower keys in the movie. Evita is almost a vocal stunt show, and if she's not going to aim for the roof, there's not really a point in doing it at all.
Sweeney's music is not incredibly high, but is demanding and intricate and runs through layers of intensity that make it a bit more conducive for an "actor who sings." Depp mostly mumbled his way through the score. Helena Bonham Carter approached her music as if she were feather dusting the piano and occasionally humming along.
Simplifying the music in those shows to accommodate a mediocre singer is like putting on a circus with the high-wire on the ground and a children's swingset for the trapeze artists.
Compare:
Johnny Depp: https://youtu.be/g5O9yLhEuTs - notice how intense and angry the orchestration is and Depp kind of warbles along. He yells a lot, but when he sings his acting drops out.
Michael Ball: https://youtu.be/quctDawu_bo - I have never seen this one before now, but it gave me chills three separate times.
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Most Vocally Demanding Roles
Sep 24
2018, 02:52:42 AM
kelsey1389 said: "I know that Frozen has seen... mixed reviews from people on this website but I have to argue that Elsa is rather vocally demanding. I'm certainly no expert, but between "Let It Go" and "Monster", as well as the occasional yelling that Elsa does, ..."
That reminded me of playing Rapunzel's Prince in college. They wanted an anguished scream for Rapunzel's death and I didn't want to give what the director wanted
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Most Vocally Demanding Roles
Sep 22
2018, 06:57:08 PM
I'm by no means a voice expert but I noticed the same thing with Judy Garland in her final concerts years. During slow numbers her voice would be all over the place with her having great difficulty singing softer passages. However when she had to sing full voice she could blow the roof off the place. So I wonder then if it takes more breath control singing softer than it does belting loudly?
Singing softly usual
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Unpopular Opinions
Sep 27
2017, 12:02:23 PM
I cannot stand Carousel. "The vittles we et/were good you bet" oh please god no.
I don't like Jerry Herman shows or songs (written to hit every musical theater nerve in order!), although La Cage is a'ight.
Les Miserables is long and boring, especially without turntable antics.
American Psycho should have had a long Off-Broadway run and cut Jean's stand-n-sing ballads.
I think Laurence
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THE GREAT COMET Announces September Broadway Closing; Final Performers for Role of 'Pierre'
Aug 9
2017, 10:27:39 AM
All the best to everyone involved. This is sad, but I think this show is going to have a huge post-Broadway life touring and regionally (especially in environmental/in the round/dinner theater settings) due to small orchestra and flexible cast and scenic requirements. This is so perfect for University stagings as well since it merges classical/literary/contemporary genres. I know many of my college theater professors who would be first in line to get a crack at producing this show.&n
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Most Vocally Demanding Roles
Jun 28
2017, 01:49:18 PM
ggersten said: "leighmiserables said: "
Also, if I'm being completely honest, I'll never understand why Kim from Miss Saigon needs an alternate, especially in a world where Elphaba, Evan Hansen, Dewey and Anatole don't.
I read the book Unnaturally Green which is a memoir written by an Elphaba standby. I got the impression that all productions of Wicked are very serious about being able to paint somebody green rea
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Most Vocally Demanding Roles
Jun 28
2017, 01:43:10 PM
Part of the training and experience of being a professional singer is pacing your energy. You have to hold back some juice. If you're on full-blast 100% of the time you'll dry out and die.
I was playing Che in EVITA and here is my nearly exact thought process during a performance late in the run: "And the money kept rol-lin iiin
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Riedel on the Tony Awards and Bette not performing
May 31
2017, 03:46:29 PM
Perhaps I'm naive about these things, but surely the RC stage is big enough that they could literally tape out the exact Hello Dolly stage deck on the floor, including where the orchestra pit and passerelle would be, then mask in the sides and literally nothing would need to be changed about the number (except cutting for time, which I'm sure they would have still had to do in their own theater). One rehearsal for camera.
Maybe they didn't want to haul a set and
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Casting for Chess Movie?
Apr 29
2017, 03:48:48 PM
I think Chess works great as a concert or a high-tech modern opera, but there's there's almost nothing really cinematic about it. Lots of standing and singing which is hard to make work on screen. The book written for Broadway is almost superfluous.
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Technical difficulties at Broadway shows
Apr 29
2017, 03:32:07 PM
Not a show-stopping moment, but I was at a performance of PHANTOM on Broadway back in the day (Timothy Nolen/Patti Cohenour/Steve Barton but there were some standbys on) and they got to the scene where the Phantom strangles Raoul with a noose. He's supposed to loop the actor's neck and throw the loose end in the air where it hangs magically (by an invisible wire), but the standby OG was a little overzealous and threw the noose so hard that it came completely off a
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