BEACHES The Musical (or, musicals that replaced the composer & score)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 10:50pm

I noticed that BEACHES: THE MUSICAL –– currently running in Calgary featuring Kelli Barrett & Jessica Vosk –– made the unusual decision to replace its composer after its first two out-of-town engagements in 2014 and 2015:

For those two productions, David Austin was the sole credited composer. Now, 90-year-old Mike Stoller (of Lieber & Stoller) is the sole credited composer. Interestingly, Iris Rainer Dart has remained as lyricist and bookwriter (and source material author) throughout all 3 versions of the show. She and Stoller previously collaborated on People in the Picture. The show also had a change in director: Eric Schaeffer originally, now Lonny Price.

The show was previously announced to be opening on Broadway in 2016, but obviously that didn't happen. The Calgary production has a lengthy list of commercial producers attached to it, so perhaps they will get it to Broadway if the response is rapturous and the money is there.

Was the score really that awful/unsalvageable that they had to start again from scratch after two different out-of-town engagements and the announcement of a Broadway production? And, for those who've seen it in Calgary and elsewhere, is it significantly better now?

Aside from Harvey Weinstein's antics on FINDING NEVERLAND, what are other examples of shows that replaced the score after a full production of the show?

[Meyerschultz]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 12:17am

“A Christmas Story” was produced at Kansas City Rep in 2009 with a score by Scott Davenport Richards. He was replaced with Pasek & Paul when the production was mounted in 2010 at 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 8:40am

I'm unsure if this is apocryphal, but I remember hearing "Little Women" was a composer/lyricist generated show, but when a producer picked it up he fired those original writers from their own show and hired Dickstein and Howland.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 9:58am

Owen22 said: "I'm unsure if this is apocryphal, but I remember hearing "Little Women" was a composer/lyricist generated show, but when a producer picked it up he fired those original writers from their own show and hired Dickstein and Howland."

It's not apocryphal, it's true.

"Producer Randall L. Wreghitt (The Beauty Queen of Leenane) has replaced the songwriting team of the new tuner five months before its Boston tryout. Little Women, a Richard Rodgers Development Award-winning project, had been shaped for years by lyricist Allison Hubbard and composer Kim Oler, who apparently initiated the project, but producer Wreghitt replaced Hubbard and Oler with composer Jason Howland and lyricist Mindi Dickstein following a March-April workshop and reading."

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 10:50am

Didn't know that about Little Women! Howland's score is fine, it's the book and lyrics that are the huge problem (and the bookwriter never changed, according to that Playbill piece).

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 12:41pm

That video they put out for this looks insane, almost like a parody. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 1:10pm

Jordan Catalano said: "That video they put out for this looks insane, almost like a parody."

This song is awfully generic and the lyrics don't really match the music!

The video of the authors isn't much better (in which Iris describes girls coming up to her and saying "she's my Beaches" about a friend).

I'm usually of the belief that authors of any age can create a compelling musical about characters of any age and in any era. BUT. On paper, this is a property that BEGS for a woman under the age of 40 as a writer or director. Not an 80-year-old female bookwriter/lyricist and a 90-year-old male composer (who have never written a successful stage musical), alongside a 65-year-old male director. Maybe it's actually magical and wonderful in person, I'm only going by the press materials and show's rocky production history.

Updated On: 5/24/24 at 01:10 PM

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 6:04pm

Saw the out of town tryout in Chicago years ago and it may be one of the worst musicals I have ever seen.  Shoshana could not save that ****.

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 8:02pm

Does anyone actually think this will make the transfer to Broadway?   I don’t know. I think it’s quite “under realized” or maybe it just doesn’t work as a musical.  Like the stuff that I’ve seen coming out of this version has been unfortunately lacklustre.  Yet I think. Somehow they are going bring it and it’s going to tank

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 2:08pm

Jessica Vosk as Chappell Roan as CC Bloom