haven't both of these musicals been on the West End now? has anyone seen them? are they Broadway worthy?
I'm a huge fan of the movies and I've seen clips from both shows that look like a good ole' time. I know there have been rumors about both and I just realized it's been pretty dead hasn't it? are they touring somewhere?
Dirty Dancing is done. I don't think its coming anywhere soon. It was suppose to tour the US before it made its way to Broadway (The Neil Simon was the rumoured theatre). It played in Chicago, Boston and LA, and the tour folded. It did get a sit-down production in Toronto where it played for a little over a year. And, its now kinda faded into no where.
Flashdance didn't do so well in London, but it is moving to North America with Sergio Trujillo, directing and choreographing (he didn't work on the London production). Its going on tour, and will launch in Pittsburgh in January 2013, and is rumoured to hit 25 different cities. The show will "preview" for a month in the summer in Toronto. So, Flashdance could happen.
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok. Have you guys heard about fidget spinners!?" ~Patti LuPone
Flashdance is supposed to be on Broadway in October... A national tour is set to launch in 2013. The theatre I work at is getting the tour, and the director explained how the show will open on Broadway in the fall, and will tour beginning on January 1, 2013. Janet Dacal actually sang some songs from it at our season preview event. Not sure if that indicates her involvement or not... Anyways, that's what I have been told about Flashdance.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)
Word on the Flashdance workshop was that it was pretty great - particularly the lead, who blew everyone away. There were substantial changes from the London version.
Emily Padgett played the lead in the workshop. She also did recent promotional appearances for the show alongside Janet Dacal and a few others.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
It was kind of controversial in London (not in the least because it had such a short run), but it toured the UK first and was very successful. However, when it came to it coming into town, changes were made (I can't specify what they were as I never saw the show) and the cast had a generally unhappy time as the show was "not the same" as the tour. Of course, the West End production then turned out to be a huge flop.
It's also interesting to note that the best reviews of the whole production went to Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (recently in the UK's new revival of Gypsy) in the lead role.
I saw Dirty Dancing on tour and it was fun, but I could not imagine the show on Broadway. The critics would rip it to shreds and I don't think the word of mouth would be so sensational as to get people to flock to see a recreation of the film on stage, especially with the amount of solid hits it would have to compete with on Broadway currently.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
I saw Flashdance on the UK tour and thought it was pretty poor, and also boring.
Dirty Dancing, set design wise I thought was pretty good, but otherwise there is nothing original or special about it. The current UK tour is getting VERY mixed reviews, especially the casting.
Dirty Dancing is currently dead. Flashdance is from the same producing team as Leap of Faith, and is so so. Just my opinion as I attended the workshop, and in full disclosure, I left at the interval feeling completely unmoved. Approximately three elevators full of people left at the interval.
Hopefully both of these will go the way of WE WILL ROCK YOU and not make it here.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
Dirty Dancing opened at the Aldwych with the highest advance in London history, £6 million ($US12 million)...it then ran for five years followed by a two year national tour. Doesn't sound like a flop to me.
I stand corrected! I guess I was thinking of its Canadian run which was cut short. I know it's been said it wasn't really a musical in the traditional sense...
Flashdance did run short in London though, right? After a successful tour?
'I attended the workshop, and in full disclosure, I left at the interval feeling completely unmoved. Approximately three elevators full of people left at the interval.'
That's not what i heard at all.
Flashdance did huge on tour in the UK, i enjoyed it, not brilliant but enjoyable. I preferred the London version to the tour, apart from a few odd choices i thought they got it in to shape. Whilst not the best book in the world it was much improved from the film. The show just did not catch on in London, the reviews were mixed but i guess it was just not destined to be there. Oh and it stood head and shoulders above We Will Rock You or Dirty Dancing