BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
#1BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:09am
"Tony Award-nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane has reconceived his stage musical Dancing in the Dark — based on the M-G-M picture "The Band Wagon," and seen earlier this year in San Diego — as a vehicle for Broadway leading man Cheyenne Jackson.
Playbill.com has learned that a late October New York City industry reading is expected to explore the rewrite of the backstage musical comedy about oil-and-water stars of a troubled Broadway-bound musical. Xanadu star Jackson plays the freshened lead role of a Hollywood bad boy named Tony Hunter leaping into the legit realm.
Gary Griffin (The Color Purple, The Apple Tree) remains attached as director. The property is no longer called Dancing in the Dark, as it was at the Old Globe in San Diego March 4-April 20, 2008. The new title is the old title — The Band Wagon, which will please fans of the 1953 movie musical that starred Fred Astaire as a song-and-dance man Tony Hunter paired with Cyd Charisse as a ballet star Gaby Gerard. They're teamed in a pretentious musical version of Faust that is sinking on the road until an injection of show tunes saves the day.
Both the classic film and this stage version (which is being shepherded by producers Barry and Fran Weissler, of Chicago fame) are packed with songs by golden age Broadway writers Howard Dietz (lyrics) and Arthur Schwartz (music). They wrote "That's Entertainment" for the '53 movie; the rest of the score was pulled from their catalog of classics (think "Dancing in the Dark," "New Sun in the Sky," "Triplets," "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan," "By Myself" and more)..."
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122426.html
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Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
#2re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:20amCheyenne Jackson and Tony Yazbeck on the same stage...........
#2re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:34am
This could work! I like how they're trying to adapt it. Sounds like a very different "Tony Hunter" than Astaire's, but that could work well for Jackson, and still serve the story.
"The Band Wagon" remains one of the funniest classic film musicals ever made, perhaps second only to "Singin' in the Rain." I do hope they keep the humor!
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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timote316
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/04
#3re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:41amWith Beane involved, I'd assume they humor will be kept, if not enhanced. This is very exciting news!
#4re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:46am
More surprising than Cheyenne and Yazbeck combined....
Are the Weisslers really producing this? It doesn't seem like their cup of tea (i.e. there are no celebrities, and its somewhat of a risk). Good for them for not resting on their laurels...
Trekkie2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/7/06
#5re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:50amSmart move. I'd love to finally get to see Cheyenne. Maybe they'll find a reason for him to take his shirt off... Oh, and I hope the material is good, too (but I don't really care, I'd watch Cheyenne read the yellow pages).
"I think of avant-garde as downtown shows where you rub waffles and chocolate on yourself."- Hunter Bell
#6re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:56am
This delights me to no end.
Cheyenne, Tony, Mara Davi, and Beth Leavel??
Sign me up 
#7BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:01am
I'm soooo happy about this.
I saw Douglas Carter Beane at the final XANADU performance and asked him about DANCING IN THE DARK and he told me Cheyenne would be doing the 1st reading for it but asked me not to post it on the board. I've been bursting at the seams ever since.
And I'm glad it's happening so soon 'cause I might have imploded otherwise. I have faith it will make it to Broadway.
With a cast like that and DCB's comic genius writing it's bound to happen
< Patty Duke (the original Neely O'Hara) & me (March 8, 2010)
Updated On: 10/17/08 at 01:01 AM
#8re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:02am
What I like most about this already is that they're not just going to take the classic MGM musical and throw it up on stage. They're stepping away from the characters a bit, finding new ones (for Tony Hunter and Paul Byrne) and making it work for today's audiences.
This is the sort of adaptation I can get behind. Because they're actually ADAPTING it.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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#9re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:10amWord!!! If DCB could turn a horrible movie like XANADU into something fabulous, just imagine what he can do with this.
< Patty Duke (the original Neely O'Hara) & me (March 8, 2010)
#10re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:35amI dare say its easier to make a horrible campy movie better on stage than a film that was perfection the first time around...
#11re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 4:59amI have really mixed feelings about this. The proposed reconception of The Band Wagon definitely has possibilities and could be a lot of fun. But I love the movie and especially Fred Astaire's Tony Hunter portrayal. So imagining someone else in the role, even totally reconceived, is hard.
#12re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 7:32am
As excited as I am about this I have to feel a little bad for Scott Bakula. I saw him in concert here in Washington DC doing his song and dance. (He was excellent...)
BUT... I have to say I think Cheyenne is the bee's knees so anything he does is wonderful to me.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
MarkK
Featured Actor Joined: 5/8/05
#13re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 7:50amI'm very excited for this!!!
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#14re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 9:21am
I'm excited about this too. I'm assuming that the part of Tony will be modified to suit Cheyenne's particular talents. I ADORE Cheyenne, but dancing, at least so far, hasn't been his strongest suit. I imagine the rewrite will emphasize the singing, comic and charm aspects of the role, unless Cheyenne has some tricks up his sleeve that he's been hiding.
BroadwayEd
Updated On: 10/17/08 at 09:21 AM
#15re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 9:56am
Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Yazbeck, and Mara Davi all in the same show?
It already sounds great.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
#16re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 9:57am
This is good news for the show. As presented in San Diego, it didn't quite come together. It was close -- maybe 75% there. I'm glad they are still working on it. The script needed some polishing, especially the end (in my opinion).
Scott Bakula was fine in the role, but didn't really shine as a "star" should. I felt they needed someone with a bit more pizzazz in the song and dance department. Cheyenne Jackson could be the ticket.
I loved the rest of the cast, so that they are keeping almost everyone else is good news. Great roles for Beth Leavel, Mara Davi and Patrick Page. All could be up for Tonys if the show gels.
#17re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 10:01amOh, also, for those of a mind...if the costuming stays the same, Tony Yazbeck will be performing his opening dance number without a shirt and in tights.
#18re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 10:08amBeane and Jackson together again after such a short amount of time? Best early morning new possible!
#19re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 10:38amWhile I am super excited about this piece of Cheyenne Jackson news, I am almost equally as thrilled to hear that Patrick Paige is also attached to this project!
#20re: BAND WAGON Reconcieved as Vehicle for Jackson
Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:14pm
The Band Wagon is my favorite MGM musical, more than Singing in the Rain or Meet Me in St. Louis.
But I'm not sure the "pretentious musical adaptation of Faust" idea is so funny any more.
Nevertheless, the cast sounds fun, especially if they put Beth Leavel into the mix.
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