ALMOST FAMOUS On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread — Page 9

KevinKlawitter said: "Do shows typically undergo workshops so soon after their Broadway run? This seems weird."

It's def unusual but there are no rules. If Kitt & Crowe are available and have ideas, there's no time like the present if licensing or touring is the main goal now. I assume they also intend to do an Australian production considering Michael Cassel was one of the lead producers on Bway.

BIG FISH closed on Broadway in December 2013 and its revised edition started in March 2015 in Boston. ADDAMS FAMILY was revised after Broadway and before the tour but I don't know if they did workshops to test the new material. The difference here may be that it's being announced & underwritten by the O'Neill.

Not a perfect show by any means, but there were some good tunes in the score and it was a lot better than some shows that have run longer. A smaller, scrappier presentation might benefit it.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Interesting:

ALMOST FAMOUS is being revised and is being presented at the O'Neill Center in CT. Perhaps ahead of touring or licensing. BIG FISH and some other poorly-received Broadway shows have done this, too.

No mention of Jeremy Herrin, who directed the show on Broadway (or any director for that matter).

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Workshop-Residency-for-Tom-Kitt-and-Cameron-Crowes-ALMOST-FAMOUS-to-Take-Place-at-Eugene-ONeill-Theater-Center-20231017"

This is... weird. What's the point in further developing a Broadway flop? That already had development at The Old Globe? Honestly, I feel it takes the place of a newer, emerging musical or writer. Not rehashing something that already failed miserably.

The cast album is fire. I’m not convinced further tinkering will help the show. Just because it wasn’t a success on Broadway doesn’t mean there is something “wrong” with the piece that needs to be “fixed” before they license it. It just means not enough people were willing to pay Broadway prices to see it during a troublesome time for the industry as it struggled to return after the pandemic.

I did not see this coming.

Hope this bodes well for licensing or any sort of future life for this title.

CATSNYrevival said: "The cast album is fire. I’m not convinced further tinkering will help the show. Just because it wasn’t a success on Broadway doesn’t mean there is something “wrong” with the piece that needs to be “fixed” before they license it."

We don't know the extent of the revisions! It could be 2 or 3 new songs and some tightened book scenes and they just want to hear them out loud.

We all know the Sondheim adage: musicals aren't written, they're rewritten.

It's very likely they still had work they wanted to do, or weren't able to do for various reasons, on Bway. If someone is giving them the space to try some things out, good.

No different than someone doing it 10 years later for a revival, which is common.

Has this happened before post-Broadway?

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "macbeth said: "Has this happened before post-Broadway?"

If you scroll up and read the thread you'll see multiple examples cited.

Among the many shows that have been revised after the initial Broadway run:

MERRILY

ADDAMS FAMILY

BIG FISH

FOOTLOOSE

GOLDEN RAINBOW

I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE

COMPANY

FOLLIES

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

SHOW BOAT

CABARET

ON A CLEAR DAY"

The difference is though, that to my understanding, none of those shows were developed in spaces like The O'Neill, which specifically caters to new works and development for a public audience.

I'm positive there were private table reads/workshops for all of those revisions but The O'Neill is a public entity solely for development for a paying audience with the intention of highlighting new work/adaptations that hasn't been staged.

Perhaps I'm being overdramatic, but I say shame on The O'Neill for this. Someone pointed out Yorkey is on the board, so that's definitely how this happened, but it angers me that the space they're occupying could've been given to a new, greener team with a property that was either a) original or b) adapted from obscure, under-appreciated material. I guess I don't really understand the purpose, other than O'Neill benefitting financially from the short-term and the long term with licensing agreements, as to why this is happening. So many talented people I know with original projects in the industry have to all but sing for their supper to get anyone to give a rat's ass about their work and these guys already had a Broadway run.

If they get rid of the original songs in the first act and the second act and recast it and rewrite the book it might work in a small dinner theater somewhere.

Did anyone go last night?

Sutton Ross said: "Damon better be Russell because he's the only attractive man who can play guitar in that group."

From what I hear, Alex Boniello is Russell and Damon is Jeff.