Aida Revival?

[theatrekid3302]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 7:35pm

Hope so!
 

Tim Rice Is Ready to Revive Aida - Playbill.com
https://playbill.com/article/my-life-in-the-theatre-tim-rice

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 7:58pm

theatrekid3302 said: "Hope so!


Tim Rice Is Ready to ReviveAida - Playbill.com
https://playbill.com/article/my-life-in-the-theatre-tim-rice"

as long as Schele Williams is no longer attached to directing it.

[whatacharacter]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 8:15am

I just saw an older video the other day of Celia Rose Gooding, Antonio Cipriano, and Renee Rapp singing together and thought they would be great in a revival!!

[shomeika]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 9:15am

This is long overdue, and I am looking very forward to it (should it actually occur).  

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 9:18am

shomeika said: "This is long overdue, and I am looking very forward to it (should it actually occur)."

Doubt it would ever happen, but a Cynthia Erivo led revival would be insane. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 9:55am

ACL2006 said: "theatrekid3302 said: "Hope so!


Tim Rice Is Ready to ReviveAida - Playbill.com
https://playbill.com/article/my-life-in-the-theatre-tim-rice"

as long as Schele Williams is no longer attached to directing it."

I half-agree here. I think Schele Williams is a terrible director (I’ll never forgive her lazy hand on the Wiz revival), BUT she was also part of the original productions of AIDA, and so she may have some insight that an outside director might not.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 11:04am

Her production in the Netherlands was one of the dullest productions I’ve ever seen. Absolutely no vision. Whatever insights she had from being in the original production, we should ignore. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 11:24am

BroadwayNYC2 said: "Her production in the Netherlands was one of the dullest productions I’ve ever seen. Absolutely no vision. Whatever insights she had from being in the original production, we should ignore."

I somehow completely forgot that she actually staged it and wasn’t just attached.

I’d love another woman of color to come aboard to direct, but I’m trying to think of one. I know Whitney White doesn’t have a good track record with musicals. Maybe Lileana Blain-Cruz?

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 12:19pm

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it 

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 1:58pm

WldKingdomHM said: "If it ain’t broke don’t fix it"

I mean, it quite famously was thought to be broken upon arrival, propped up by a critically lauded leading performance.

Brantley opened his review with: PRETTY much everything that's right about ''Aida,'' the new Disney cartoon pretending to be a Broadway musical, can be summed up in two words: Heather Headley.

He then proceeded to trash every element of the production, including Pascal, only exempting Sherie because he thought the material they gave her was so awful she shouldn't be blamed for it. 

This was always going to be a revisal because Disney knows it's not a very good show without a star making performance or a name as Aida. They have no way to be sure of the first and they take no risks. They have little interest in the second option either. Ironically, Aida only stayed open because of star casting, but they stopped star casting their shows after Aida.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 2:00pm

quizking101 said: "BroadwayNYC2 said: "Her production in the Netherlands was one of the dullest productions I’ve ever seen. Absolutely no vision. Whatever insights she had from being in the original production, we should ignore."

I somehow completely forgot that she actually staged it and wasn’t just attached.

I’d love another woman of color to come aboard to direct, but I’m trying to think of one. I know Whitney White doesn’t have a good track record with musicals. Maybe Lileana Blain-Cruz?"

Also not a great track record post Purple Rain 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 2:42pm

Aida only works when it leans into the camp. Directing it as if it’s at the MET is always a massive mistake, as indicated by any production that has come of it since. 
 

It’s a musical soap opera with music by Elton John. Let’s not overthink it. 

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 2:55pm

I don't know what shape the script is in. The production I did back in high school (yes, whiter than it should have been) was with the David Henry Hwang script, which I believe came from the tour?

If it weren't for the fact that Elton John is not a quick collaborator and is by his own tongue-in-cheek admission a dying man, I'd say "the way this works is to CHESS it: let's add as much music as we can and push as close to sung-through as we can get this piece."

[somecheapfrenchthing]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 7:50pm

quizking101 said: "ACL2006 said: "theatrekid3302 said: "Hope so!


Tim Rice Is Ready to ReviveAida - Playbill.com
https://playbill.com/article/my-life-in-the-theatre-tim-rice"

as long as Schele Williams is no longer attached to directing it."

I half-agree here. I think Schele Williams is a terrible director (I’ll never forgive her lazy hand on the Wiz revival), BUT she was also part of the original productions of AIDA, and so she may have some insight that an outside director might not."

I’ve longed for an Aida revival more than any other. But if Schele Williams is attached again, I’ll skip it. The Netherlands production missed the mark so badly that it hardly felt like Aida. I hope a different director is given the chance. 

 

Updated On: 1/6/26 at 07:50 PM

[Quinn Wilson]

Posted: 1/6/26 at 10:56pm

Khaila Wilcoxon from Hadestown and Six feels destined for the role 

[okfromthetop]

Posted: 1/7/26 at 6:50am

darquegk said: "I don't know what shape the script is in. The production I did back in high school (yes, whiter than it should have been) was with the David Henry Hwang script, which I believe came from the tour?

If it weren't for the fact that Elton John is not a quick collaborator and is by his own tongue-in-cheek admission a dying man, I'd say "the way this works is to CHESS it: let's add as much music as we can and push as close to sung-through as we can get this piece.""

 

 

Yup. I love this musical. I have zero recollection of its book scenes. I still LOVE this musical.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 1/7/26 at 9:43am

Toss Schele Williams as director. 

Bring in Kayla Davion and I'd buy three tickets right now!

[theatrekid3302]

Posted: 1/8/26 at 1:35am

That would honestly be perfect casting!

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-stars-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-reunite-broadway-1236066738/

[SomeOtherMe]

Posted: 1/8/26 at 9:24am

Cynthia would be perfect, but there's no way they'd cast a white Amneris again in todays climate.

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/8/26 at 1:39pm

Who remembers the Beyonce-Xtina rumors? God that would've been a killer soundtrack to a surely dull movie.

And yes, there is much debate about Egyptians and race but no way could you cast blonde hair blue eyed Egyptians today. 

[theatrekid3302]

Posted: 1/8/26 at 7:54pm

Ke3 said: "Who remembers the Beyonce-Xtina rumors? God that would've been a killer soundtrack to a surely dull movie.

And yes, there is much debate about Egyptians and race but no way could you cast blonde hair blue eyed Egyptians today."

I think they would if they could get Ariana Grande opposite Cynthia Erivo but agree that in other cases they most likely would go with someone of Egyptian or Mixed descent such as Shereen Ahmed or Solea Pfeiffer

[Timon3]

Posted: 1/8/26 at 8:09pm

It is very similar to Chess where the book is trash, but the score is sensational. Don’t think Disney have revived a musical.

[shomeika]

Posted: 1/9/26 at 7:58am

Timon3 said: "It is very similar to Chess where the book is trash, but the score is sensational. Don’t think Disney have revived a musical."

This is coming from a 4 decade Chess fanatic:   Aida's book was much better.  Much.  I love Chess and am paying an insane price to see it again, but the story is now a comedy and is ridic.