Audra McDonald to star in film version of HELLO AGAIN?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:17am

Talk about something coming out of nowhere!

I'm in a production of the show right now...it's brilliant but it's not for everyone. That being said I think it might be more successful as a movie musical (if they eliminate some of the sung dialogue).

I wonder who Audra is playing? I'd say either The Whore or The Young Wife (depending on the age of the Husband)




BWW Article

Updated On: 9/17/14 at 11:17 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:17am

She will be so great in the Shelley Long role!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:19am

Angela Bassett for Zelda!!!!

[tazber]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:20am

Scrap the whole idea and do a musical of Troop Beverly Hills instead.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:27am

Even though she's a bit too young, I think Laura Benanti would be an AMAZING Phyllis if they ever did that!!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 11:38am

Oy, I don't think this is a good idea for a movie at all. But who knows? It might be kinda interesting to watch.

Also, anyone else think of this thread when they saw this most recent headline?

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1067670&PageSpeed=noscript

[ajh]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 12:14pm

Thrilled about this news; love HELLO AGAIN and love Audra. I wonder which role she'd play. In fact, the first time I ever heard "Tom" (the Young Wife's song) was in Audra's cabaret show, and fell in love with it straight away. AM would be terrific as the Senator's Wife though I think.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/17/14 at 12:27pm

The Senator has a mistress and a whore, not a wife.

Put this on a double bill with the movie of The Last Five Years, and the room will still be empty enough to rent out for bar mitzvahs.

[LucyEth]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 4:14pm

Between "The Last 5 Years" and "Lucky Stiff," we're getting some awfully obscure movie musicals. The more they tank (assuming each film will, but let's hope they don't), the harder it will be for more worthy projects to get the green light. As much as I love a lot of "Hello Again," can you imagine a Friday night film audience humming Michael John LaChiusa? Now, if you said they were filming his version of "Giant," THAT I could get behind. A travesty that that piece didn't have more of a life in NY.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 4:56pm

Well, MAYBE Audra McDonald to star in film version of...

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 5:02pm

HELLO AGAIN.

Not sure if this would work, but what the hell? In a cinematic no man's land where one can predict every damned move, this could be outre and interesting. And any chance to bring Audra and LaChiusa's music to a bigger audience...well, I'm all for it.

Although I still say Ralph Bakshi would have had a field day making a THE WILD PARTY movie.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 6:41pm

Audra McDonald is such a wonderful talent, but it's a shame she's being wasted on such a show. It's far too slight and purposeless, in addition to lacking any quality music.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:04pm

Actually this is where PBS is missing it. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, they produced many shows that were not commercially viable put artistically interesting. That is where Hello Again belongs.

[Cuneas]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 5:48am

I'm not normally an admirer of Lachiusa, but I think Hello Again is the best thing he ever wrote, and it's certainly his only score accessible and catchy enough to have the slightest chance of succeeding as a movie musical, even if it _does_ only have two traditional songs in it.

But are we talking a big-budget mainstream movie or a smaller, more independent production in the vein of the 'Hedwig' and 'Repo' movies? Because those kinds of films don't have to be commercial hits to have a cultural impact, and they don't tend to hurt future prospects for musical movies because no-one expects them to be anything more than cult items anyway...

Yeah, for that kind of film, this could actually be really interesting.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 12:56pm

It's far too slight and purposeless, in addition to lacking any quality music.

Have you ever seen it or is this opinion based on the cast recording (which is missing much of the score and dialogue)? I performed the show almost 20 years ago and I still find it a complex rich and layered work. Not sure what you consider "quality music", but I find this score to be extraordinary, especially given the show's structure. His use of lyrics, lines and motifs linking the characters and situations across multiple scenes supports the central theme of Schnitzler's work and the subtlety to which he executes this prevents it from reaching Lloyd Webber laziness or gimmickry. Every scene, lyric and song is decidedly purposeful to the show's theme.

even if it _does_ only have two traditional songs in it

I'd argue it has four: Tom, The One I Love, The Mistress of the Senator and The Bed Was Not My Own, if by "traditional" you mean songs that can be performed as stand-alone numbers outside the text.