Actually, it would be funny to imagine a Vegas-ization of PIAZZA. :)
(Does anyone remember LILY:SOLD OUT! A Lily Tomlin TV special of 20 years ago where she brings her 'Search For Intellegent Life In The Universe' Broadway show to Vegas - and its transformation? Scathingly funny stuff)
I saw FOOTLOOSE in Atlantic City last summer in a condensed version... cut most of the songs written for the show (Heaven Help Me, Let's Make Believe We're in Love, Learning to Be Silent). It was excellent.
And if she'll say, "My darling, I'm yours!" I'll throw away my striped tie and my best pressed tweed, all I really need is the girl...
To be fair, isn't there occasionally a time where you look at a musical and think, "if the three weakest songs were cut out to get this to 90 minutes, it would make this show stronger"?
Okay, maybe 3 songs cut doesn't get most musicals to 90 minutes. Still, though.
I heard from someone in the cast that the show was not going to be shortened in Vegas. There are two complete casts plus understudies and 12 shows per week. John Tartaglia said in his interview with Seth that there would be a few changes to make it more relevant to Vegas but that would be all. He mentioned speciffically the metro card in the hat - it would be something specific to Las Vegas.
"The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends." - Shirley MacLaine
FYI - The new Phantom of the Opera which will be playing permanately at the Venetian in Vegas (spring 2006) is also being trimed to 90 mins. However they will be using more 'spectacular' in this show. For example they are going to be using an onstage lake and and an exploding replica of the Paris Opera House chandelier.
Hey everybody -- it's your friendly neighborhood Avenue Q book writer here.
Just to give some inside perspective, the only changes to "Avenue Q" are changes that Bobby, Jeff, Jason, and I wanted to make -- there's been no pressure to shorten or otherwise "Vegasize" the show from anybody. After watching two years of the Broadway run, we all had some tweaks we wanted to make -- but those are the only changes you'll see on the Avenue. It'll be very much the same show, at about the same length.
Thanks ,Whitless, for your response. It is great to hear this news from the source and know people like you are willing to respond to our inquiries. By the way, love the shirt in your avatar! Have you been involved in the rehearsals going on right now.
"The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends." - Shirley MacLaine
Prime seats in Vegas are $125. I have a friend in We Will Rock You who told me that they are trimming another 30 minutes off the show and raising the ticket prices.