We all speculated...THE BOY FROM OZ ARENA PRODUCTION 2006 WITH Hugh Jackman

[stage_door76]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 4:10am

you heard it here first...FACTUALLY, anyway...


here we go ladies and gentleman...fasten your seatbelts and book your plane tickets...

cos we're in for a wild, wild ride.


so, what does everyone think? exploitation for financial gain? overkill? or just an opportunity for musical theater to touch a wider audience?


THE BOY FROM OZ ARENA SPECTACULAR STARRING HUGH JACKMAN

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 04:10 AM

[Urban]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 6:35am

Héhé. Everybody knows my opinion. Overkill and dumbed down.

I will still be seeing it though. But I will be annoyed if some fat housewive from Moonee Ponds sits next to me and sings loudly.

[Fan2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 8:22am

Yeah, this was announced on 10/16 and a lot of people have already registered on the site for e-mail updates when tickets will be available (you can bet a few Ozalots will be going). It's an arena production, not an intimate theater (I heard one of the venues might be the Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open is held - which holds 15,000 people) plus it's for Australian audiences so I'm wondering how those factors change anything (in any case, Hugh singing "I Still Call Australia Home" will probably get a huge reaction). Since the rumor is it will be in five Australian capitals - Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth - it will be interesting to see how long in each capital the show is staged - couple of days in each before moving on? Also wondering if this is the one that might be recorded since it's "produced in association with Seed Productions" - which is Hugh's production company.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 9:48am

It will lose something going from an "intimate" Broadway theater of $ 1,200 or so to a 15,000 seat arena

[jo]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 9:06pm

I saw the show at the Imperial a number of times. I do not expect to see exactly the same show in Australia ( but I will be there!) - I imagine it will emphasize more of the performances aspects of Peter's career and his "if you're going to live, live!" philosophy. I'm sure it will depart from the original Australia production as well. Let's just imagine we are going to a big party

Jo

[lfae]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 9:20pm

...and as long as a bratty little kid eating hot chips and kicking a plastic bag doesn't sit next to ME.

Ugh. Hate arena shows. Don't really want to go. Wish they'd bring over Stephanie J. Block as well as Hugh

[alterego]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:09pm

As long as Jill Perryman is there playing Marion I'll go!

[Urban]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 1:39am

Yay lfae! Another Arena show hater.

Is it only me but I cannot help but think any rendition of "I still call Australia home" will be met with grones and eye rolling? Australians don't that lemming sense of patriotism Americans have and any 'forced' patriotism (including several times I have heard that song) on us is normally met with resistance.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 2:01am

I'll celebrate when Aussieland invests in one of its youngins' and puts on their musicals.

Good for Boy for Oz: but there are people out there who are far too talented and are being ignored

It's off-topic, soo... I'll be leaving

[lfae]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 6:01am

Oh, arena show LOATHER. Saw Grease earlier this year and it was just...well, not IT, but the whole atmosphere. I do not want a six year old next to me eating chips in act 2. And squabbling with his sister, and their father ignoring them, and the people behind me singing along. And those horrible seats at Rod Laver. Although Grease had fabulous people in it and if I could block out everything else, I loved it. But I also vowed, never again. And I love Hugh, but I don't know if he's enough of a draw-card for me to sit through all that again.

And actually I Still Call Australia Home always stirs me a bit...that and most of the songs from Eureka...I get all pseudo-patriotic

[glenwj]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 7:02am

IT IS ALL ABOUT FINACIAL GAIN.
but then we all like money because we can buy pretty things.
Like a third mortgage and renovations to the house. And some Prada shoes.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 7:45am

It's a pity.

Everyone out here complains that Australians don't do new musicals. But, man, and I could go on about this topic forever: you have no idea how wrong some people are.

I'm in a community where I know, at least, four people: who have written stuff that have totally blown me away (I've written enough in my lifetime as well).. and only to have it ignored TIME and TIME again by (even) local amateur groups who complain a) "it hasn't been to Broadway" and b) "it's not popular. We won't do it. We won't take a chance on you"

Which is really really really really sad. I won't be supporting this show (even though it does't really matter that I don't, so no complaining here) because it's been done in a million times, it's had its success: it's time to get out your pockets and cash and send an original new musical to Broadway, by an Australian, or anyone else: because there is so much talent out there it's PHENOMENAL why they aren't getting a chance: because the stuff I've seen is (like) WOAH!! Why isn't this on Broadway?

But I guess a writer accepts these issues when he pursues this career-choice. And thankfully I have other things to do, myself, and other dreams to pursue. But still, re:and I find this hilarious: people say "it's not worth aiming for Broadway. Get it done with an amateur group." If they only knew that all amateur groups are 10 times more difficult, and close-minded, that even the most ruthless Rockefeller-of-a-producer on Broadway! It's hysterical!

My point however: GOOD FOR OZ! GOOD FOR ALLEN! GOOD FOR JACKMAN! Now get over it and let those youngins in!!!

[JenD512]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 9:17am

I am seriously supposed to be working right now...but I had to chime in about this "youngins" thing.

About 10 years ago, I was at a Billy Joel/Elton John concert at Giants Stadium. Awesome show. But during Billy's set, he went off a little about a news article (can't remember from where), called "The Piano Men and the Paupers" that ripped the both of them for doing this big tour when neither of them had new albums to promote, while lesser-known artists were struggling for an audience.

Billy pointed out that 20 years earlier, he and Elton had been playing clubs, just like this new guys were now. They were looking for a record label to pick them up--just like the new guys. Nothing was handed to them to become the successes they were now.

Then, Billy said "So if they expect us to just curl up and die now because we're successful, they can go **** themselves!"

HUGE response from 55,000 people at Giants Stadium, and I think we all agreed with him.

It's true...just because something is successful, doesn't mean it should step aside just because someone else hasn't been noticed yet.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 9:24am

Yes, there is always that side to the argument.

But everyone knows that Rodgers and Hammerstein are some of the greatest musical composers / lyricists to have ever lived: and their shows ran for (like) two years, at the most, each. And that was that. They moved on...

But Les Miserables has been around for twenty years, that's most of my life, not to mention Cats and The Phantom of the Opera and everything else Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh cooked up to take over the world and stop the competition thriving (then to have them whingeing in the 90s about no one producing new theatre: they've got no one else to blame butthemselves. Whowants to produce a new musical these days when it's all about excessive production values, millionaire budgets, (in 20 years they'll probably be as big as Hollywood), and only a few 'independents' to have emerged: and all of them stunning, but under-rated.

It's sad. While those shows deserve all the success they get, we know about them. We all love them. Stop beating them for the umpteen time. Let the children come in and shw that they've got what it takes, like bac in the old days, and let it be as big as the mentors that inspired them to do this in the first place

I do understand and appreciate your argument, I really do, but me and my friends feel passionate with our opposition. There's a lot of talent out there that's not being heard: and the idea that Wicked and etc. are being brought over, and that one horrendous musical tells everyone that we're not worth the time doing our own stuff, you really start to worry. But there is talent and they need their chance

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 9:27am

I personally think this is great! I didn't much care for the show, but I thought Hugh was beyond amazing in it! Glad "down under" gets to experience too!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 9:30am

Wonder how Todd McKenney feels? Poor bastard

[ken8631]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 10:30am

Saw it 27 times (mostly from Row AA seats) at the Imperial, don't think it would be anywhere near as good in an arena. And travel all the way to Austrailia for an arena show? Don't think so. Would buy a recording though.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 11:43am

I think it's overkill, but I'd see it in a heartbeat.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 11:49am

I thought Grease was overkill too. But hey, they've been shoving that one down our throats for twenty years...

Bare in mind, forevery revival that's been done in the "great southern land" it's lost 90 new musicals. Revivals are amazing, I love them, but keep THAT in mind

[Fan2]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 11:51am

I think it's a matter of Hugh wanting to do the show, about a popular Australian entertainer, on his home soil in front of his fellow Australians so they can see why he won his Tony. He's also a producer (Seed Productions is his production company). I've read some of the Aussie news reports on this and a lot of them call it a "homecoming" and "the last time he performed in Australia was when he played Joe Gillis in Sunset Blvd. eight years ago." I think it will be special for him. It will be interesting to hear the attendance at these shows.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 11:53am

Well, if he wants to reconcile that filth he was in eight years ago he's going the right way about it. In that case, I hope he does well. But I do not distract from my original argument

[JenD512]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 1:20pm

That "filth" was Sunset Blvd...which I believe not only kicked off his career--it got him cast in Oklahoma (Trevor Nunn directed both)--which got him the audition for X-Men.I think we all know the rest (and I know I've enjoyed all of it so far).

The argument still doesn't hold up. I saw Les Miz for the first time in 1989, when I was 15, and for the last time in 2003, when I was 29. Yes, it was around forever, but it was a great show and I loved being able to revisit it as often as I did (8 times between NY and London).

Remember, it's called show BUSINESS. You can't take a show as successful as Les Miz and Phantom and just close it while the tickets are selling out every night. I remember when those shows first opened, the wait for them was ridiculous.

Everybody knows Jonathan Larson's story. What if he had lived? Would it not have been acceptable for him to write another musical, since he got his success with "Rent"? Of course not.

It's the same reason I see Billy Joel concerts, even though he hasn't had a new album in 12 years--I like his music. I'll go to see new bands and try out new music any time. But if Billy and Elton are going to be Giants Stadium again, I'll be there in a second.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 2:13pm

"Ugh. Hate arena shows. Don't really want to go. Wish they'd bring over Stephanie J. Block as well as Hugh. "

I'd love to see Isabel Keating in the show again too.

[jo]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 7:22pm

>>>...which I believe not only kicked off his career--it got him cast in Oklahoma (Trevor Nunn directed both)--which got him the audition for X-Men...<<<

...which got him cast as THE BOY FROM OZ on Broadway eventually

[alterego]

Posted: 10/24/05 at 8:39pm

Some interesting thoughts on this thread about the show and Arena shows.

I personally don't care for them, I don't like seeing shows in 2000 seat venues either (1,500 seats is plenty) I want to be able to see the cast's faces. While 'Oz' will make money I wouldn't be at all surprised if it doesn't meet expectations (financially). The recent Australian arena tour of GREASE lost money, and other than SUPERSTAR back in 1993(?) not too many of these shows have succeeded. The first failure was back in the 80's, remember STARLIGHT EXPRESS? Then came the first GREASE tour (success), then HAPPY DAYS (the arena spectacular, not) big failure.

I doubt if 15,000 Aussies a night will again return to see THE BOY FROM OZ again just because Hugh Jackman is in it. They flogged this show to death in its original production. While he may get a good crowd in Sydney (where he hails from and has never been seen on stage before) in Melbourne he has been seen in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and SUNSET BLVD.The show wasn't anywhere near the success in Melbourne that it was in Sydney.The rest of the country, who knows?