Billly Elliot after Thatcher,Ave Q post Gary Coleman, Ghost after Whitney

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:20pm

The audience at the Billy Elliot on the West End last night, after former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died, voted to keep the song “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher” despite the line: "We all celebrate because it's one day closer to your death."
This got me wondering what shows have changed lyrics in similar situations. Avenue Q after Gary Coleman's death.
Others mentioned Ghost after Whitney Houston's death.
Somebody said Cole Porter constantly updated "You're The Top"
Any other examples?


Billy Elliot AFter Thatcher Updated On: 4/9/13 at 10:20 PM

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 11:34pm

I'm told there was a line in the original "Ghost" --
I could end up just like Whitney did" -- that was changed to "Britney" after Whitney Houston's death, and then eliminated completely when the musical came to Broadway.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 12:13am

I wish there was a link to your website in your second post that I could not click on and ignore.

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 12:25am

Well, you clearly have a sharp wit, but you also obviously know your theater. Can you think of any other examples of shows that changed after somebody died, or there was some other change in the outside world?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 12:26am

No, you named them all.

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 1:59am

I think "Diva's Lament" was changed in "Spamalot" re: the line about her having no Tony Awards since she in fact did win a Tony Award...

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 2:03am

Springtime for Hitler was changed to Springtime for Bloomberg after they heard about Hitler's passing.

OK Thatcher's not Hitler--but I think in the case of Billy Eliot it's a different matter than in the case of Ave Q or Ghost. Billy Eliot has a political theme that is specifically and historically about characters who want Thatcher dead. I can see some people thinking it's insensitive to sing the day after she died, but whatever--that's what it's about. A line that comments, kinda as a joke, about a perhaps troubled but hardly politically charged celebrity, IMHO is pretty different.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 3:51am

The Britney line from Ghost was only in the first preview on Broadway, it was then cut after first preview.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 4:27am

Considering that Billy Elliott is set during Thatcher's regime, the line should stay.

Avenue Q, on the other hand, doesn't really have a time frame. Its set in "present day".

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 4/10/13 at 7:47am

What did they do with that line in I'm Outta Here after it was cut then? In London the music was also slightly changed to so we heard a small phrase of "Toxic" as she sang the Britney line.