Ave Q reduced??- Page 2

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 6:07am

Actually, Margo, Mamma Mia is playing in Vegas. It is playing at Mandalay Bay, or at least it was in December when I was there.

[ken8631]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 8:04am

I doubt great plays like "Doubt" and "Light in the Piazza" would go to Vegas. Not Vegas-type shows, but high quality nevertheless....

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 8:20am

Actually, it would be funny to imagine a Vegas-ization of PIAZZA. :)

(Does anyone remember LILY:SOLD OUT! A Lily Tomlin TV special of 20 years ago where she brings her 'Search For Intellegent Life In The Universe' Broadway show to Vegas - and its transformation? Scathingly funny stuff)

[YessicaB]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 8:30am

Hey Margo

Not all toursits are bad. Not everyone can live in NYC. I make the trip up there to see shows (and not to Vegas....lol).

[kyle33nyc]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 8:38am

Ah, Margo... "Wayne Newton -- At Liberty" is priceless. I'm saving up for a trip out west to catch Charo as Mama Rose.

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 9:04am

I saw FOOTLOOSE in Atlantic City last summer in a condensed version... cut most of the songs written for the show (Heaven Help Me, Let's Make Believe We're in Love, Learning to Be Silent). It was excellent.

Posted: 7/26/05 at 9:14am

To be fair, isn't there occasionally a time where you look at a musical and think, "if the three weakest songs were cut out to get this to 90 minutes, it would make this show stronger"?

Okay, maybe 3 songs cut doesn't get most musicals to 90 minutes. Still, though.

[bwayaddict]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 9:50am

I heard from someone in the cast that the show was not going to be shortened in Vegas. There are two complete casts plus understudies and 12 shows per week. John Tartaglia said in his interview with Seth that there would be a few changes to make it more relevant to Vegas but that would be all. He mentioned speciffically the metro card in the hat - it would be something specific to Las Vegas.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 9:51am

Avenue Q is staying intact, that's why they're getting two casts to do the strenuous schedule.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 9:53am

FYI - The new Phantom of the Opera which will be playing permanately at the Venetian in Vegas (spring 2006) is also being trimed to 90 mins. However they will be using more 'spectacular' in this show. For example they are going to be using an onstage lake and and an exploding replica of the Paris Opera House chandelier.

But alas, only 90 mins long.

http://www.venetian.com/corp/release.cfm?ID=88
Updated On: 7/26/05 at 09:53 AM

[bubba7753]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 10:39am

i'd be very upset if this happened. ticket prices for this show aren't cheap

[whitless]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 11:32am

Hey everybody -- it's your friendly neighborhood Avenue Q book writer here.

Just to give some inside perspective, the only changes to "Avenue Q" are changes that Bobby, Jeff, Jason, and I wanted to make -- there's been no pressure to shorten or otherwise "Vegasize" the show from anybody. After watching two years of the Broadway run, we all had some tweaks we wanted to make -- but those are the only changes you'll see on the Avenue. It'll be very much the same show, at about the same length.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 11:44am

I have to go down again as saying that I think it's great that these shows are starting to open in Vegas.

[bwayaddict]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 11:47am

Thanks ,Whitless, for your response. It is great to hear this news from the source and know people like you are willing to respond to our inquiries. By the way, love the shirt in your avatar! Have you been involved in the rehearsals going on right now.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 2:31pm

Prime seats in Vegas are $125. I have a friend in We Will Rock You who told me that they are trimming another 30 minutes off the show and raising the ticket prices.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 3:44pm

Thanks whitlis.
You have calmed me down.
Good Luck with the show in Vegas and don't lose yer shirt there!
Although i hear u r cute shirtless!