PRINCE OF EGYPT will finally premiere!- Page 3

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 4:07pm

It's premiering in Denmark, not the US.  This squabbling over racial casting is irrelevant.

And honestly, I've never found the film to be very interesting, anyway.  It the book and design involve an approach in originality and creativity, it might prove better than Anastasia, at least.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 5:07pm

Scarywarhol said: "Stephen Schwartz is again content to sink an entire show and everyone involved for the sake of patting his boy on the back. Hunchback had by far the worst direction of any professional production I have ever seen. And that incompetence ruined its chances. It's a disgrace that Scott has been handed this. Inexcusable. "

 

This is completely on the money...

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 5:16pm

Scott Schwartz isn't incompetent or talentless, per se. I think it's more accurate to say he has inherited his father's biggest artistic foible: an obsession with what you might call musical presentationalism, a theatrical form somewhere between pure "story theatre" and Brechtian "epic theatre." Schwartz the elder likes to shepherd the shows he writes into this form, and Schwartz the younger has had this as mother's milk for his entire artistic career.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 5:56pm

Mister Matt said: "It's premiering in Denmark, not the US.  This squabbling over racial casting is irrelevant."

 

How does this make the casting irrelevant?

 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 6:11pm

Mister Matt said: "It's premiering in Denmark, not the US. ."

It technically isn't. It's playing in October and November this year near San Fransisco 

 

Updated On: 2/16/17 at 06:11 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 6:12pm

It makes the racial issue irrelevant.  Racial issues are very different in European countries and views differ from country to country.  Some issues are indeed commonly considered "universal" with respect to human rights, but there are MANY historical, cultural and environmental differences, each unique to their own country, that play a part in how other countries choose to cast shows with respect to race and culture that have nothing to do with the American viewpoint and perspective, nor should they.  Arguing about a Broadway or American production?  Sure.  Canadian or British?  Maybe.  Otherwise, best stay out of assuming American views must be visited on other countries and cultures.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/16/17 at 8:10pm

You don't think Europe has a history of Jewish slavery and oppression? You don't think they understand racial genocide? The story of an entire race trying to flee their oppressors? And that they can't accurately portray that on the stage?

 

If we were talking about a European production of Parade or Caroline or Change, I could understand some racial issues being lost in cultural translation but not this.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 11:41am

Any casting news???

Also, telling from the theater's current show, those who are under 36 have $49 tickets. Sounds like I can do it!

[JennH]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 12:20pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Any casting news???

Also, telling from the theater's current show, those who are under 36 have $49 tickets. Sounds like I can do it!

 

"

Not at all. Granted I hope they keep that dude that's pictured elsewhere, he sounds wonderful and looks the part, regardless of being South Asian. He reads like he could be from that area, and it's a "PoC" so I'm not sure why the complaints about him. I know they're still currently in the process of casting this, appts were just last week. I can't imagine it's finished yet. Still just as "excited AND scared" (wrong show!) about this as I was before...I'm excited to see what was MY 90's childhood non Disney musical film finally come to life on stage. Don't get me wrong I adore Anastasia and was thrilled that it finally got it's stage debut (saw it last week finally, wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. It doesn't disgrace itself, but it's not super perfect either), but I didn't TECHNICALLY grow up with it 'in the house' but this one I did grow up with in the house.

Basically what Anastasia is to most others, is what Prince of Egypt is to me. It's MY 90's movie. I'm still planning on flying back home to Cali to see it unless I'm doing something else, and I know when I walk up to that theater and hear the first strains of that trumpet I'm sign to LOSE it (provided they keep that, and they BETTER!), but I'm also terrified about what Schwartz nepotism will do...I've never in my life have been this excited yet terrified about seeing stage adaptation of a film...it bears repeating that my expectations are as high as a damn kite, which usually means disappointment will follow, but because "Scott"....I'm trying my best to prep my heart for what I very likely will be in for  

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 1:38pm

I'm with you, JennH. Prince of Egypt is hands-down my favorite non-Disney animated film. I personally think (along with Hunchback) that it is Stephen Schwartz's finest work.

Forgive my ignorance, but why are folks skeptical of his son directing?

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 1:57pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I'm with you, JennH. Prince of Egypt is hands-down my favorite non-Disney animated film. I personally think (along with Hunchback) that it is Stephen Schwartz's finest work.

Forgive my ignorance, but why are folks skeptical of his son directing?

 

"

Because of Hunchback LOL. He kind of ruined it with his direction. I didn't see the show in person but I saw videos. I think the major complaint was all of the narration that was added. Someone who saw it live can probably better explain though

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 2:13pm

The short version: he tends to soft-pedal it on his dad's work -- my guess is he's not the greatest at saying no to awful ideas from kith and kin. He did a forgettable Godspell, a forgettable (and very poorly rewritten) Hunchback, come to think of it he did literally everything Schwartz recently that wasn't Wicked or Ken Davenport's attempt at Godspell, and it tends to produce mediocre-to-disappointing results. I don't know how he is on other people's work, but an argument can be made that he's not impartial enough to do his father's.

Updated On: 5/15/17 at 02:13 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 3:38pm

NEWS FLASH: I just contacted the theater and they replied back---tickets are out in the middle of next month. Fingers crossed that $49 tixs for people under 35 are applied here.

I'm just overjoyed that two of my dream shows/favorite non-Disney movies, Anastasia and Prince of Egypt are going to be on stage in one year and that I will possibly see them both. It just sucks that I was sick when I saw Anastasia in April (trying to come back when I have $$$.)

And that was Scott doing Godspell? What's weird is that I loved the direction because it worked in a show that was supposed to be cheesy and fun. It blew my 18-year old mind lol. For Hunchback, Scott did the bare minimum and sucked the life out of it and what made Hunchback so epic and large. The book, where the narrators literally fed spoon the audience what was happening in every scene, and the music, where they drastically lowered the keys and ruined Someday, did not help at all. 

Prince of Egypt is even bigger than Hunchback because this is a story that goes back millions of years and Dreamworks nailed the largeness and the emotions with the animation and the music. And with Hunchback and the concert fiasco, my expectations aren't high. I'm already cringing what Deliver Us, one of the greatest opening numbers in musical film history, will be like. Ruin the show, but don't screw up Deliver Us! 

JennH said: "I know when I walk up to that theater and hear the first strains of that trumpet I'm sign to LOSE it (provided they keep that, and they BETTER!)"

Same! :) Ha, when I walked to the theater for Anastasia in April and saw the curtain, I lost my s**t immediately. I barely got myself together when the overture, aka beginning notes of Rumor in SP, played. 

Updated On: 5/15/17 at 03:38 PM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 4:04pm

Clarification: Scott did the 2001 tour, not the 2011 revival.

[JennH]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 4:05pm

broadwayboy223 said: "Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I'm with you, JennH. Prince of Egypt is hands-down my favorite non-Disney animated film. I personally think (along with Hunchback) that it is Stephen Schwartz's finest work.

Forgive my ignorance, but why are folks skeptical of his son directing?

 

"

Because of Hunchback LOL. He kind of ruined it with his direction. I didn't see the show in person but I saw videos. I think the major complaint was all of the narration that was added. Someone who saw it live can probably better explain though

 

"

This is just answering to Ado Annie., which btw PofE is also my favorite non Disney animated musical, with Anastasia following EXTREMELY close behind. But anyway... This would be why. I saw it myself at Papermill and it was...misguided, borderlining on bad, I'm so sad to say. Scott is...not a good director. But my expectations were also sky high for that also. Sky high expectations in general are never a good thing, but add on that Scott is director... Hunchback is a very difficult piece indeed, but the movie was dark enough to get it's point across for both adults and children, and frankly it didn't need much adapting to be on stage to begin with. They changed things for sake of change and trying to get away from their film, in fact the show is even marketed as such and I don't understand why. It's like Disney is ashamed of it for some stupid reason, but it's a MASTERPIECE that gets hardly the attention it should. It already was a wonderfully working clock. Don't change the cogs if it already works. The story theater/narration by the entire cast was just strange as hell. That kind of format hardly ever works in musical. The script was mediocre at best and those poor actors were trying their best to get past it. I actually met one of the actors back then, and I could tell when I was talking to him, something was off. And this was why. Basically the epic largeness that the movie had was scaled down to what felt like high budget children's theater with an identity crisis. The dark themes and the whole point of the movie was gone, you didn't hear Clopin's riddle until the end...JUST NO. And since it was cast narration, Clopin was reverted back to an actual character, rather than the one person, everyman, narrator from the film. That was the BIGGEST mistake to me. Among everything else and other things. 

This is also why I'm "excited and scared" for PofE. Scott doesn't have a good directorial history. I'm super afraid that the same epic, sweeping largeness that PofE has that Hunchback also has as a film, will once again be scaled/dumbed down by Scott. Hunchback is Schwartz's best lyrics I think, but his best work OVERALL as composer and lyricist...is PofE by far and wide. like Hunchback, PofE doesn't need much adapting to work on stage. IT ALREADY WORKS!!! The movie is so damn perfect, that I don't to see it messed with too much. I now a few things must change in terms of stage flow, but I DO NOT want it to be changed for the sake of change, Ala Hunchback, and see what I believe is Stephen's magnum opus, be ruined by his own son (again)...I hope and pray they don't tool with it too much...It's already wonderful. But I'm trying to rein in my expectations for the reason, I almost know what I'm in for. Hence, why I want see it anyway because thanks to Hunchback not transferring, I don't assume one iota that PofE will. 

[JennH]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 4:14pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: 


Prince of Egypt is even bigger than Hunchback because this is a story that goes back millions of years and Dreamworks nailed the largeness and the emotions with the animation and the music. And with Hunchback and the concert fiasco, my expectations aren't high. I'm already cringing what Deliver Us, one of the greatest opening numbers in musical film history, will be like. Ruin the show, but don't screw up Deliver Us! 

JennH said: "I know when I walk up to that theater and hear the first strains of that trumpet I'm sign to LOSE it (provided they keep that, and they BETTER!)"

Same! :) Ha, when I walked to the theater for Anastasia in April and saw the curtain, I lost my s**t immediately. I barely got myself together when the overture, aka beginning notes of Rumor in SP, played. 

 

"

AAAAALLLLLL OF THIS!! There are a great many movie musical openers that are fantastic, but Deliver Us....I just...I can never hold my emotions!! And like when the movie was made, they used Deliver Us as the jumping point for the rest of the film. I pray they do the same on stage. Make Deliver Us work and make it good and the rest of the show should be able to follow and fall into place. 

And oh lord yes...I mean I was misting up at Anastasia while my friend with me, was outright ugly crying! But again, since I didn't actually have the movie in the house was a kid, but have seen it so much since then, I FEEL like I did "grow up with it" in the literal sense, but I did literally literally grow up with PofE and had it in the house. GAH that lone trumpet beginning is an emotion wrecker. I may have misted up at Anastasia but will 1000% ugly cry when I see PofE...IF I see it....Nothing is set in stone yet Thank God I'm from that area, otherwise there's no way in hell I'd make it.

[JennH]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 5:17pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said:

I'm just overjoyed that two of my dream shows/favorite non-Disney movies, Anastasia and Prince of Egypt are going to be on stage in one year and that I will possibly see them both. It just sucks that I was sick when I saw Anastasia in April (trying to come back when I have $$$.)

 

"

I forgot to respond to this...RIGHT?? The two most well know non Disney musical films are finally getting to the stage in the same year!! WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE FOR US 90'S CHILDREN! 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 4:13pm

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 4:18pm

Interesting how it's only Hotep/Steve Martin and not also Huy/Martin Short. And it's weird if the Pharaoh is cut out completely

[JennH]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 5:15pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Interesting how it's only Hotep/Steve Martin and not also Huy/Martin Short. And it's weird if the Pharaoh is cut out completely

 

"

I said the same. I love both of those guys, but honestly that's the least of my worries. Pharaoh Seti however, if they're sticking with doing more movie and less "let's change **** for the sake of changing ****" (heaven forbid...) then he'll be a minor role. But Tuya also s pretty minor in the film as well so...who knows. Also....why are they putting this out again? They already had rounds of calls for this so...what's going on? Also, is this found anywhere else other than this site? It's not on their FB or the S/W site.

Updated On: 5/30/17 at 05:15 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 2:21pm

Got the e-mail: Tickets are now on sale, despite it not showing on the website. Don't know yet if I'm going b/c of a) money reasons and b) Scott Schwartz.

Updated On: 6/14/17 at 02:21 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:01pm

So it's premiering in Denmark, but in English? 

Heres the cast: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jason-Gotay-To-Star-As-Ramses-in-PRINCE-OF-EGYPT-Musical-Full-Casting-Announced-20170823

[JennH]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:10pm

Call_me_jorge said: "So it's premiering in Denmark, but in English? 

Heres the cast: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jason-Gotay-To-Star-As-Ramses-in-PRINCE-OF-EGYPT-Musical-Full-Casting-Announced-20170823

 

"

No it's going to be in the Bay Area in California first. That's where Theatreworks is. Denmark is next year. And PRAISES for Diluckshan continuing. I recall a clip of him singing, he's sounds lovely, and look exactly as I imagined a stage Moses in this! I've been waiting for this cast announcement! Now, I am indeed going to be seeing this (by a stroke of luck) is anyone else here going???? I'll repeat how terrified yet thrilled I am about this, Dear Schwartz, DO.NOT.MESS.THIS.UP! 

Updated On: 8/23/17 at 04:10 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:12pm

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:49pm

I'm glad I didn't get tickets. The flight to CA & back was very exhausting for me and it's too soon for me to come back down there.