Posted: 8/21/23 at 8:50pm
Jerry Mitchell has also been working on this for quite some time, and none of his past shows have been atrocious, so I’m cautiously optimistic. Pretty Woman wasn’t my favorite, but it was WAY better than shows such as Lightning Thief and Bad Cinderella in my opinion.
Posted: 8/21/23 at 9:04pm
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the plot of this show a reverse "Wizard of Oz"? If so, I wonder if they will suffer a comparison to the Barbie movie
Posted: 8/21/23 at 9:42pm
QueenAlice said: "Everyone thought a musical based on Orphan Annie was a horrible idea too."
That one about the serial killer that has his neighbor turn the bodies into meat pies too… That said, Little Orphan Annie premiered as a comic strip in 1924, remaining popular for decades, with the musical opening on Broadway 33 years later in 1977. Betty Boop was popular in the 1930’s but has been largely off the radar of the American public since then.
I wish everyone the best with this production, but the target audience for it died at least two decades ago (around the time this was first being developed with Kristin Chenoweth).
Posted: 8/21/23 at 10:35pm
Agreed. Not sure what the end game to this is? Revive the brand? But for what? Is there more to the brand? Like a TV show/movies/etc? Just seems and odd time to revive the brand.
Posted: 8/22/23 at 12:19am
BroadwaysBroad said: "Does anyone else think it's weird that the entire creative team are men, and it's a musical about empowerment?"
The lyricist is a woman (Susan Birkenhead).
Would it be better if there were some women under the age of 85 involved, and more people of color than music supervisor/orchestrator Daryl Waters? Yes. But let's see how this goes in Chicago and maybe we'll get some "special consultant" or co-bookwriter credits popping up.
Posted: 8/22/23 at 1:25am
The Distinctive Baritone said: "QueenAlice said: "Everyone thought a musical based on Orphan Annie was a horrible idea too."
That one about the serial killer that has his neighbor turn the bodies into meat pies too… That said, Little Orphan Annie premiered as a comic strip in 1924, remaining popular for decades, with the musical opening on Broadway 33 years later in 1977. Betty Boop was popular in the 1930’s but has been largely off the radar of the American public since then.
I wish everyone the best with this production, but the target audience for it died at least two decades ago (around the time this was first being developed with Kristin Chenoweth)."
A Boop musical was in the works long before that with Bernadette Peters as Betty.
Posted: 8/22/23 at 12:11pm
I wonder if Katharine McPhee will star in this.
Posted: 8/22/23 at 1:01pm
When she and David Foster were interviewed on Kelly and Ryan, McPhee said she was not going to appear in the show.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 5:03am
They may claim empowerment, but that cover illustration looks like a cheap 90's porno.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 6:55am
Impeach2017 said: "They may claim empowerment, but that cover illustration looks like a cheap 90's porno."
That’s what happens when you hire a bunch of crusty white guys to create a show about a female icon.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 4:49pm
Who do you think will play Betty?
Posted: 8/24/23 at 2:16am
RippedMan said: "I mean, I think Mitchell is perfect for this. It should be FUN. Depends on the book of course, but I think the team attached is pretty promising.
Pretty Woman was as good as it could get with a truly awful score. But not sure Mitchell could fix any of that."
If he was a good director - he’d have insisted the score was rewritten. But he’s not. Also worried Rockwell is designing this. Creator of the cheapest and ugliest sets on Broadway.
Posted: 8/24/23 at 10:55am
"I'll take Musicals We Don't Need for $800,Alex."
Updated On: 8/24/23 at 10:55 AM
Posted: 8/24/23 at 1:52pm
Dolly80 said: "RippedMan said: "I mean, I think Mitchell is perfect for this. It should be FUN. Depends on the book of course, but I think the team attached is pretty promising.
Pretty Woman was as good as it could get with a truly awful score. But not sure Mitchell could fix any of that."
If he was a good director - he’d have insisted the score was rewritten. But he’s not. Also worried Rockwell is designing this. Creator of the cheapest and ugliest sets on Broadway."
I don’t think that’s fair or even true. I mean at some point you’ve gotta go well this is what we’ve got to work with. I mean I don’t think Kinky Boots is a great score but they managed to make it work.
Posted: 9/18/23 at 4:29pm
When do you think we'll find out who is playing Betty Boop?
Updated On: 9/18/23 at 04:29 PM
Posted: 9/18/23 at 5:34pm
Dolly80 said: "RippedMan said: "I mean, I think Mitchell is perfect for this. It should be FUN. Depends on the book of course, but I think the team attached is pretty promising.
Pretty Woman was as good as it could get with a truly awful score. But not sure Mitchell could fix any of that."
If he was a good director - he’d have insisted the score was rewritten. But he’s not. Also worried Rockwell is designing this. Creator of the cheapest and ugliest sets on Broadway."
Insofar as Pretty Woman was director-driven and not driven by the money people. (I hesitate to use the term "producer."
Posted: 9/18/23 at 8:00pm
Dolly80 said: "worried Rockwell is designing this. Creator of the cheapest and ugliest sets on Broadway."
Every general manager on Broadway just did a spit take laughing at your implication that anything about David Rockwell is "cheap."
The Tony voters who gave him an award for SHE LOVES ME over HAMILTON might also take fault with "ugliest" (considering he probably should have won for that spinning revival of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, too.)
Sure, he's designed a handful of not-great shows. Every talented person has a stinker now and then.
Posted: 9/24/23 at 9:37am
Enough secrecy about the casting; already.
C'mon.
Posted: 9/24/23 at 11:02am
Didn't he do Legally Blonde and Hairspray? I think the issue is maybe Mitchell isn't the great with design / eye for design. I thought Kinky Boots was pretty hideous and Pretty Woman.
Posted: 9/24/23 at 12:17pm
RippedMan said: "Didn't he do Legally Blonde and Hairspray? I think the issue is maybe Mitchell isn't the great with design / eye for design. I thought Kinky Boots was pretty hideous and Pretty Woman."
Rockwell designed those both, Mitchell directed one of them and choreographed the other. (Hairspray was a very good design that fit the show, imho)
It may be that Mitchell values a stage that can be cleared for musical numbers and let the costumes shine, like Michael Bennett and other director/choreographers before him.
I think all of Mitchell's shows have been competently designed, if not stunning to behold. I'll be interested to see what Tim Hatley does with DWP, and what Rockwell does here (assuming BOOP is a period piece?)
Casey Nicholaw is pretty hit-and-miss as a visual stylist, too. I think SLIH looks good, but THE PROM and MEAN GIRLS looked dreadful. Stroman and Marshall's shows often look pretty. I'll be interested to see how Chris Gattelli's shows look, because he has at least 4 shows aimed at Broadway that he's directing/choreographing (among them DEATH BECOMES HER). He's choreographed for some excellent directors and big shows (Bart Sher, Tina Landau, Michael Greif, Newsies, etc)
Updated On: 9/24/23 at 12:17 PM
Posted: 9/24/23 at 12:50pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "(Bart Sher, Tina Landau, Michael Greif, Newsies, etc)"
was that Calhoun shade intentional?? Lmao
Posted: 9/24/23 at 4:35pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "RippedMan said: "Didn't he do Legally Blonde and Hairspray? I think the issue is maybe Mitchell isn't the great with design / eye for design. I thought Kinky Boots was pretty hideous and Pretty Woman."
Rockwell designed those both, Mitchell directed one of them and choreographed the other. (Hairspray was a very good design that fit the show, imho)
It may be that Mitchell values a stage that can be cleared for musical numbers and let the costumes shine, like Michael Bennett and other director/choreographers before him.
I think all of Mitchell's shows have been competently designed, if not stunning to behold. I'll be interested to see what Tim Hatley does with DWP, and what Rockwell does here (assuming BOOP is a period piece?)
Casey Nicholaw is pretty hit-and-miss as a visual stylist, too. I think SLIH looks good, but THE PROM and MEAN GIRLS looked dreadful. Stroman and Marshall's shows often look pretty. I'll be interested to see how Chris Gattelli's shows look, because he has at least 4 shows aimed at Broadway that he's directing/choreographing (among them DEATH BECOMES HER). He's choreographed for some excellent directors and big shows (Bart Sher, Tina Landau, Michael Greif, Newsies, etc)"
Female Troubles, Death Becomes Her, and what are the other 2 projects Gattelli has aiming for Broadway??
Posted: 9/24/23 at 6:05pm
markypoo said: "Enough secrecy about the casting; already.
C'mon."
They seem to have done a promo / key art photoshoot last week; I imagine an announcement is soon.
Posted: 9/24/23 at 11:34pm
It's the merchandise that will make a killing with this one, especially with the young Asian girls. They just love this logo. It should open in Japan.
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