Blood Brothers: Opinions?

"Want to shoot Marilyn Monroe after it?"



I saw it and liked it, but that was SOOO long ago. I'm hazy on details now. As I recall, it did get a bit repetitive in places, but the story came across as pretty powerful.

My ex was from England & dragged me to see it when it opened on Broadway. I fell madly in love with it. It touched me on every level. I eventually saw it 3 times, the best of which was with Petula Clark & the Cassidy brothers. The worst was watching a rolley polley Helen Reddy squeal out the songs I loved so much.

Favorite songs... "Easy Terms", "Tell me it's not True" & "My Child." I even liked the often reprised Marilyn Monroe song .
I wish it would come back to Broadway.

Best of luck theaterkid1015. Listen to the London recording with Kiki Dee. Even though I loved Petula Clark (still do) I think Dee's version is better.

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Updated On: 1/12/08 at 08:55 PM

I've seen the show in both London and New York. It's what I'd call an "unassuming" musical. Not a lot of flash, but with strong actors, the characters become very real.

It is a bit difficult for Americans to understand because we don't have the class system as evident as they do in the UK. But it's an interesting musical because the secret that the mother is keeping haunts her through the show. We Americans are very optimistic. We say things like "It doesn't matter where you start, you can be a success". I think this show asks the question "Does success come from nature or nurture?"

Quite a bit of the music is nice. I do agree that the Marilyn Monroe theme goes on one too many times. When the mother compares her son's getting out of jail to MM, that's gone one too far. But the songs "Easy Terms" "Bright New Day" "That Guy" "Tell Me It's Not True"

In New York I saw Stephanie Lawrence who had a really great belt voice. I also saw Carole King who really brought a tiredness to the character and a sad note of hopelessness.

I wish that some producer would open this in a small off-Broadway house without a lot of pizazz and let the material stand on its own.

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Updated On: 1/12/08 at 09:43 PM

I saw Blood Brothers in London a few years ago, and I absolutely love it. It is one of my favorite musicals. I love the transitions from childhood to adulthood. I love the themes of it. I love the feeling of it. It is one of the few musicals that can make me cry.

I noticed people mentioning the recordings. I have three of them, and my personal favorite is actually the 1995 London one. I think it has the strongest performances. In terms of favorite songs...Sunday Afternoon/My Friend, I'm Not Saying a Word, and Take a Letter Miss Jones are probably my three favorites.

Good luck with it, its a beautiful show.

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I had the honor to see it a couple of years ago in London. My Brother was spending a year there and a family friend told my brother that we should all see it. The irony is that it wasn't until the show started that my parents realized that they saw it on Broadway way back when.


I think that even though it is considered very British I had no trouble understanding it and it didn't bother me at all.


I can understand the class system. That those born in upper class tend to stay there and thoes on the bottom tend to stay there as well.

But, I do see how people might consider this show to be too British. It is true that in America there is a lot of stress on the whole "American Dream" idea. That you can work hard and be on the bottom and go to the very top.

I do think that this show is a bit too British. I wonder if they took the path that the creative team at Billy Elliot is taking. And that is numbing down the Thatcherisiam and making it more universal to under stand. I think that if they did that then they would have had more success with this show.

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Wickedboy2,


I know the show was on Broadway for two years at the music box.

But, it was considered nothing short of a miricle that it got by two years.

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Bill Kenwright went against Broadway tradition of a shows producer pulling a show straight after bad reviews. He held his ground and the show pulled thu to get a decent run it did make money but not much- for that you have to admire the man.

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The London production with Kiki Dee and Con O'Neill moved me to tears - knew nothing about it beforehand. One of the best theatrical experiences I've had.

The tour with Petula Clark and the Cassidy brothers in San Francisco . . . one of the worst evenings I've ever spent in the theatre.

The recording I like best is in Hebrew.

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The show has been on the road around the UK for the last 18 years without a break. Most theatres take it back year after year, some for up to 4 weeks at a time. It always sells out huge 2000 seat theatres like Southampton etc.

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Six narrators -that sounds interesting and different! There was a one night concert for its 10th birthday in London and they had 2 for that which really threw people who knew the show for one!

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Great show, but it makes me cry just listening to the recording. I saw it in London back in high school.

And for some reason I really dislike Eddie. Haha.

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Updated On: 1/13/08 at 01:49 PM

Winston! Im talking about nearly 15 years ago. A lot of publicity was given to the fact that Kenwright made it known straight away the critics wouldn't hound the show to close early. In most cases, and i say most, producers will run scared and close a show within days of it opening to bad press. Take a look at a list of Broadway closures and the number that shutter within a week or two. Most wil have healthy advances but the producers close them after opening night reviews- its Broadway fact! Of course there are exceptions.
Its very, very rare for a show to close within days in London due to bad reviews though it does happen. The latest 'Rent' had shocking reviews and is only being pulled after nearly 5 months!

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Updated On: 1/13/08 at 03:58 PM