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

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

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

No, you named them all.

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.

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".