Boy From Oz National Tour???

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:02pm

Does anyone know if there will be a Boy From Oz national tour?? If so, is it possible that Hugh Jackman might be in it?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:04pm

I doubt it.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:14pm

I think they should do a tour of it, I would see it with any other actor.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:18pm

The show is only good with Jackman. I can't think of any triple threat male who could pull it off and sell tickets.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:20pm

There are a lot of talented actors in the world.

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:25pm

I agree there are many talented actors out there but no one is going to do any mainstream mounting of The Boy From Oz without Hugh Jackman. This show sort of belongs to him. It's not going to happen without him, period.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:27pm

Boy from Oz is an awful show. The only reason to see it was Jackman, and though there are many more talented actor, who is a triple thread movie star who can sell tickets?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:37pm

Ewan Mc Gregor and others...anyways...none Ewan or Hugh would do the tour...i think a known actor like Gregory Harrison (from the tour of Chicago) might be able to pull it off.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:38pm

Oh Yeah, Gregory Harrison really packs em in.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:06pm

well...probably you are right, but the show has a famous name , i didn't see it on Bway and i wanna see it even if John Smith plays the lead!

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:17pm

The show has a famous name due to Hugh Jackman's one-of-a-kind performance in the show, both names are just attached to one another and the show will not be done on Broadway or on tour without Jackman.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:26pm

Trust me, you don't want to see it without Jackman. It's like seeing Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life without Chita.

[Nanette Himmelfarb]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:33pm

well, right now the boy from oz is getting ready to go to oz for the summer (starring HJ) and there is talk that he wants to take the show to london...nothing about a national tour...yet.
we can only hope!!!

[jo]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 8:28pm

Unfortunately, Hugh's name is linked with a lot of movie projects for development or filming. He has also just been awarded the Male Star of the Year by film people and cinema exhibitors, which indicates that he is expected to be in many movies for release this year - 6, if you don't count the rumor that he has a cameo in the new Superman movie. That takes a lot of promoting work ( there's buzz that his FOUNTAIN movie is being considered for the Cannes Film Festival)... And there is the rumour that if he comes back to the theatre soon, it is likely that it will be in PAL JOEY.

The Australian tour (which starts in Sydney in the first week of August) is only for 25 performances as of now - and someone here has said that he only has time up to mid-September when the show returns to Sydney. The show will be an arena version of what we saw at the Imperial.

I do think, though, that a national tour in the USA is feasible even without Hugh. I enjoyed the show a lot and I think some other talented actor may be able to put on a fairly good performance. Of course, it would not be Hugh -- but it should be enjoyable, with its repertoire of familiar past pop music favourites and its biographical story-telling aspect.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 9:24pm

The best you'd get would be a series of arena shows like they are doing in Australia mid year.

The ticket sales are good despite the high price, at the moment there are, as Jo said, 25 performances. Jackman has committed to 40 but at this stage this seems unlikely. The show was a big hit here (despite its shortcomings) about 10 years ago without Jackman. I would imagine the strongest ticket sales would be in Sydney where he has never appeared onstage before (unlike Melbourne where he was in Beauty and the Beast and Sunset Boulevard).

[Dulcinea]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 9:54pm

Though "Boy From Oz" was not the strongest show to ever play Broadway, there were many reasons to have seen the show. Aside from Hugh Jackman being amazing, Isabel Keating, Stephanie J Block and Beth Fowler held their own and didn't fade into the backgrond. Those women were incredible. And even if there was a tour with Hugh, I wouldn't see it unless they were in it as well.

In fact, I thought that they were even stronger than him, performance wise.

[jo]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 11:46pm

Alterego -

Yes, I have learned of some performances in Sydney where the A$ 149- A$249 range are already sold out ( check Ticketmaster.au ticketing site) even if the show won't be till 4 months from now.

I know of some people who are from Brisbane ( where a few performances are also booked) who are also coming to Sydney to see the show, in addition to Brisbane. Is this usual there - for people to want to see the show as it moves around?

I'm looking forward not only to seeing the show again ( albeit it is an arena version) but also seeing a bit of Sydney as well!

Jo

[jo]

Posted: 3/17/06 at 11:50pm

Just a thought --

Would the producers consider bringing the arena version to Las Vegas for a very limited run ( like in Australia)?


Maybe with Hugh Updated On: 3/17/06 at 11:50 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 8:46am

I would think if he (Jackman) was to go near the show again it would be sometime (early?) in 2007 in London for a limited run only. He has too many more lucrative ventures to look at I would think. After all it is movie career which makes this show viable.

* Jo you are going to Sydney to see 'Oz' ? I thought you were going to come to Melbourne?

[jo]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 7:09pm

Yes, my original plans were to see the show both in Sydney and in Melbourne ( so I could see a bit of both cities). But on the day they sent out the announcement ( and the links to the ticketing site) a few days before pre-sale day, somehow I was excluded from the list ( and only found out about it from a friend). I had written to both Ticketmaster and Ticketek about it -- and only Ticketmaster Customer Service had assisted me to get the links so I can participate in the pre-sale. Eventually, Ticketek replied that perhaps I wasn't registered after all - which was not true, because I even have their email acknowledging my registration.

So, I ended up with tickets only for the Sydney show. Not bad because I have excellent seats for Opening Night and the last night of the first weekend. I hope the stage at the Sydney Entertainment Center is not too high because Row AA at the Imperial were the most coveted seats

Hopefully, I will eventually be able to see Melbourne in some other trip ( maybe one to see more of Australia). After all, we are only 2 time zones and one equatorial line apart ( not so, when going to NYC to get a whiff of Broadway - which I am also doing this year around TONY time). Thank goodness for frequent flyer programs and free tickets ( courtesy of QANTAS this time).

Jo





Updated On: 3/18/06 at 07:09 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 8:22pm

Jo, I've not seen the seating plan for these shows but generally they are in the round so you'll be looking down onto the stage area. Auditions for the 40 dancers were the week before last, I know a couple who had callbacks. So it's all happening!

[jo]

Posted: 3/18/06 at 11:18pm

Alterego --

The seating plan attached to the show indicates that the stage will be at one end and there will be full arena floor seating. It looks like I will be looking up instead of looking down

It's good to hear that it's all happening now. Do you know who is being buzzed for the role of Greg? I have absolutely no idea whether this is at all feasible -- but what do you think of David Campbell or Martin Crewes? Martin was in the Adam Brazier role, Walter Hartwright, in the original WOMAN IN WHITE at the West End - he is likewise a graduate of WAAPA and maybe around Hugh's age?

Btw and O/T -- are you a fan of Formula One? I wouldn't mind going to the Australian GP at Adelaide Park in Melbourne next month if someone will gift me with tickets - LOL!

Jo







Updated On: 3/19/06 at 11:18 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:25am

Jo, the Formula One Race is on Sunday March 30. It's at Albert Park Lake (actually it's around the lake!) here in Melbourne. It is normally early in March but this year it has been put back as th e Commonwealth Games are currently on. How do you get all these free air tickets?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:26am

Even if it was to tour, I highly doubt Hugh would tour.

[jo]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:26am

Alterego-

I meant Albert Park, not Adelaide Park ( I think that was the old venue?) - LOL. Yes, the Australian GP was usually the season opener for F-1, except for this year. The first Press conference starts on March 30 but raceday is on Sunday, April 2, for this year ( or two weeks from today's race in Malaysia).

I got the QANTAS round-trip ticket from my ASIAMILES Frequent Flyer program.

Jo