Posted: 5/9/17 at 12:21pm
Finally!! Disney fans will be happy to know that Bedknobs & Broomsticks is being developed into a stage musical at the Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater with direction by Rachel Rockwell, a new book by Brian Hill and new songs by Neil Bartram. It will also include familiar favorites from the film and some lost Sherman Brothers gems not heard in the initial release.
Posted: 5/9/17 at 12:39pm
I LOVE THIS FILM! Is it too early to submit a headshot/resume for the role of Eglantine?
Posted: 5/9/17 at 1:26pm
It is about time. I love the movie, and I think the Sherman brothers did some of their best work on it. It could be wonderful on stage.
Updated On: 5/9/17 at 01:26 PM
Posted: 5/9/17 at 2:00pm
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is one of the Disney films that went through the most cutting and removing before initial release, and had later versions that were also edited further. There are tons of cut songs and scenes to choose from to add to the stage version, and I look forward to seeing it play out. This could be wonderful! I do hope that "With a Flair" and "A Step in the Right Direction" will be among the cut songs that get implemented into the stage version.
Posted: 5/9/17 at 2:06pm
I wonder if it's going to be a full feature production or one of their children's theatre shows (usually a 60-70 minute production for daytime audiences in the summer...for 2017, it's Madagascar, based on the animated film). Sounds like it's been in development for at least 6 years. There have been three staged readings at Chicago Shakes from 2014-2016, so I guess they're getting close?
Posted: 5/9/17 at 2:16pm
Oak2 said: "Bedknobs and Broomsticks is one of the Disney films that went through the most cutting and removing before initial release, and had later versions that were also edited further. There are tons of cut songs and scenes to choose from to add to the stage version, and I look forward to seeing it play out. This could be wonderful! I do hope that "With a Flair" and "A Step in the Right Direction" will be among the cut songs that get implemented into the stage version."
Even with all those cuts the "Portobello Road" sequence is still like 30 minutes long.
(Also I love this movie and am so excited that it is making the jump to the stage.)
Posted: 5/9/17 at 2:59pm
I remember seeing Emily Rohm was apart of one of the stagins at Chicago shakes so I hope she comes to Broadway with this.
Posted: 5/9/17 at 3:11pm
Call_me_jorge said: "I remember seeing Emily Rohm was apart of one of the stagins at Chicago shakes so I hope she comes to Broadway with this.
Broadway? I don't think that's the goal here.
Posted: 5/9/17 at 3:22pm
1. Source? Their website doesn't list it...yet? Plus I've searched and didnt find anything.
2. Weirdly enough, this is probably the ONE Disney film I can honestly say I never liked much, if at all. And I'm the Disnerdiest Disnerd you'll ever meet. But I do recall thinking it could work on stage with a good chunk of reworking, regardless of how I feel about the film.
Posted: 5/19/17 at 12:55pm
Also mentioned in Bartram's Bio on the Chicago Shakes website.
Posted: 8/7/17 at 11:14am
Erika Henningsen, who's playing Cady in Mean Girls, played the Angela Lansbury part in the workshop
http://www.playbill.com/article/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-mean-girls-musicals-cady-heron
Posted: 3/14/18 at 6:42pm
Posted: 3/15/18 at 12:36am
Ugh! I hated the movie - a poor man's Mary Poppins. It's right on par with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Maybe they can improve it.
