MCC developing WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE musical by Bandits on the Run and Christopher Sears

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 12:35pm

https://playbill.com/article/mcc-theater-developing-whats-eating-gilbert-grape-musical-featuring-songs-by-bandits-on-the-run-christopher-sears

A casting notice has revealed plans for a developmental workshop of a new stage musical adaptation of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, hosted by Off-Broadway's MCC Theater.

The project is being directed and features a book by Peter Hedges, writer of the 1991 novel of the same name and its 1993 screen adaptation; and songs by Adrian Blake Enscoe, Christopher Sears, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn. Enscoe, Shepherd, and Strayhorn are all part of Brooklyn-based indie-folk-pop-Americana band Bandits on the Run.

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 12:50pm

I wonder if the intention is to have Lucas star in it.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 1:25pm

Synecdoche2 said: "I wonder if the intention is to have Lucas star in it."

 

Who's "Lucas"? 

[willep]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 1:32pm

Lucas Hedges, son of the writer/director. I had no idea that connection until looking it up just now.

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 1:33pm

JSquared2 said: "Synecdoche2 said: "I wonder if the intention is to have Lucas star in it."

Who's "Lucas"?"

Hedges, son of Peter Hedges.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 1:53pm

Immediately my mind goes to Arnie and how there will probably be a social media uproar over that role. 
 

And then since it’s still one of the most egregious Oscar snubs of all time, I have to say I’ll never forgive them for giving Tommy Lee Jones the award over Leo, who to date has never given a better performance than he did in that film. 

[inception]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 3:13pm

Does anyone need another 30 year old film made into a musical?  

Also how do they cast Darlene Cates' character for a stage show?

I was a big fan of the film when I was young, but I just don't see this being any good.

 

 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 3:57pm

Jordan agree, the social media cry out about this will be huge. Agree that he should never have lost the Oscar. 

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 4:23pm

Having seen the Bandits perform songs from this at one of their concerts, I can say that the intention (at least as of now) seems to be to have a disabled actor as Arnie. When they played here in Hartford this fall, a performer with Down syndrome sang Arnie's solo.

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 4:30pm

I can’t imagine casting the Darlene Cates (Mother) character is going to be easy.

The options are going to either be cast a woman who is truly morbidly obese, and then there be concerns about her health and performance stamina, or have a regular able-bodied actress in makeup and a fat suit play the role and there be an uproar about how we aren’t casting actresses of size.

Its a double edged sword and everyone loses their head…

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 4:59pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Immediately my mind goes to Arnie and how there will probably be a social media uproar over that role.


And then since it’s still one of the most egregious Oscar snubs of all time, I have to say I’ll never forgive them for giving Tommy Lee Jones the award over Leo, who to date has never given a better performance than he did in that film."

 

Agreed. And I also agree regarding the Oscars. I remember watching and was so sure he would win. It was a performance that sticks with me to this day.

 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 5:26pm

Here comes the fat suit.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 5:56pm

Charley Kringas Inc said: "Here comes the fat suit."

 

Because there are MANY 600 lb people who can sing, act and dance a leading Broadway role for 8 shows a week!

 

 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 6:05pm

They can't cast a morbidly obese woman nor can they can a smaller woman and pad her - the optics for either would be negative for the production. My guess is they either re-conceive the character, or come up with a theatrical device that asks us to believe the the actress is overweight without physically representing it.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 6:17pm

JSquared2 said: "Charley Kringas Inc said: "Here comes the fat suit."

Because there are MANY 600 lb people who can sing, act and dance a leading Broadway role for 8 shows a week!"

I'm sorry that you don't know fat people who do things, but they do exist. Given the character, it's unlikely that they would be tasked with dancing, but fat people are perfectly capable of singing and acting, and are not at immediate constant risk of dropping dead at all times. We're more than happy to have actors onstage dealing with serious health issues or so old that it's entirely feasible they might not make it to the second act, but for some reason fat people are just a bridge too far.

[inception]

Posted: 2/9/24 at 9:49am

I don't if there is an easy way to search for old episides of Oprah? I remember that before the Oscars that year she had an episode about all the nominations and made a big deal about she was a voter & would be traveling to LA for the show.  She had on some critics and they were looking at clips of the nominees.  When they got to Leonardo in Gilbert Grape Oprah was all like who is this actor? What is this movie?  I remember thinking that if the movie flew so far under the radar of someone like her, then Leo probably didn't have much chance because probably good odds that plenty of other voters also hadn't bothered to watch the screener they got sent.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/9/24 at 3:27pm

QueenAlice said: "They can't cast a morbidly obese woman nor can they can a smaller woman and pad her - the optics for either would be negative for the production. My guess is they either re-conceive the character, or come up with a theatrical device that asks us to believe the the actress is overweight without physically representing it."

 

You mean they could never do anything like this??

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/9/24 at 4:12pm

Brendan Frasier's transformation was helped by 8 hours of makeup and CGI retouching. No I don't think they will do anything like that, nor what they did to Shuler Hensley Off Broadway in the Whale. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/9/24 at 7:56pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Immediately my mind goes to Arnie and how there will probably be a social media uproar over that role.


And then since it’s still one of the most egregious Oscar snubs of all time, I have to say I’ll never forgive them for giving Tommy Lee Jones the award over Leo, who to date has never given a better performance than he did in that film."

AGREED!!

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/9/24 at 8:01pm

Charley Kringas Inc said: "JSquared2 said: "Charley Kringas Inc said: "Here comes the fat suit."

Because there are MANY 600 lb people who can sing, act and dance a leading Broadway role for 8 shows a week!"

I'm sorry that you don't know fat people who do things, but they do exist. Given the character, it's unlikely that they would be tasked with dancing, but fat people are perfectly capable of singing and acting, and are not at immediate constant risk of dropping dead at all times. We're more than happy to have actors onstage dealing with serious health issues or so old that it's entirely feasible they might not make it to the second act, but for some reason fat people are just a bridge too far."

Chrissy Metz has to be being considered for the role, right? She isn't 600 lbs, but she is a woman of size who can really sing and is also a very good actress.