Changes to Beetlejuice?

[Alex M]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 12:55pm

I’ve heard from many people on here aswell as a friend who knows someone in the show that A LOT of things are being changed from the shows out of town try out. I saw it out of town and the show did need some changes, I’m wondering if anyone knew specifics on what might be happening?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 1:03pm

I think it’s safe to assume we will know after the curtain falls after the first Broadway preview performance on March 28, 2019.  

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 1:24pm

I also saw the show in DC (their second to last show) and I really enjoyed myself, but the show definitely could use some major trimming/cutting (Act Two especially) and a little bit of refocusing in places. 

Updated On: 12/14/18 at 01:24 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 1:35pm

Alex M said: "I’ve heard from many people on here as well as a friend who knows someone in the show that A LOT of things are being changed from the shows out of town try out. I saw it out of town and the show did need some changes, I’m wondering if anyone knew specifics on what might be happening?"

 

Why not just ask the "friend who knows someone in the show"?

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 1:51pm

Alex M said: "A LOT of things are being changed from the shows out of town try out."

See also: The reason why shows do an out-of-town tryout.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 2:10pm

they are doing a 2 week lab in mid January 

[Observation]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 2:38pm

Someone in another thread made mention that Norbert Leo Butz may be taking over the title role.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 2:59pm

Observation said: "Someone in another thread made mention that Norbert Leo Butz may be taking over the title role."

What?! Alex Brightman was not bad in the show. Why would they change that?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 3:02pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Observation said: "Someone in another thread made mention that Norbert Leo Butz may be taking over the title role."

What?! Alex Brightman was not bad in the show. Why would they change that?"

 

Maybe they want someone who is better than "not bad"?

 

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 3:08pm

JSquared2 said: "Maybe they want someone who is better than "not bad"?"

True, maybe Norbert has that special *something* like Ethan Slater and James Monroe Iglehart. It would still be super disappointing. I enjoyed Alex in the show and I thought he was a good match! Interesting they would replace the lead pretty late in the process.

Yeah, the show needs a lot of song cuts. Act 1 had a song like every two sentences. I don't know if I'll see the show again, but can't wait to hear about the changes. 

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 7:12pm

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "JSquared2 said: "Maybe they want someone who is better than "not bad"?"

True, maybe Norbert has that special*something* like Ethan Slater and James Monroe Iglehart. It would still be super disappointing. I enjoyed Alex in the show and I thought he was a good match! Interesting they would replace the lead prettylate inthe process.

Yeah, the show needs a lot of song cuts. Act 1 had a song like every two sentences. I don't know if I'll see the show again, but can't wait to hear aboutthe changes."

See and while you enjoyed Alex in the show, I have spoken with two friends that caught it in DC and they had an opposite reaction. Well, not TOTALLY on the flip said. They both gave an "he's okay" but they both lamented kinda the same note about the performance that many lamented his performance in School of Rock. That he was doing more of an imitation of the original then giving a unique or special performance. I would not be shocked to see them make the change if it just didn't work out OR if with whatever changes they are planning on making calls for a different interpretation of the role now. Personally, I would LOVE to see Norbert in the role. THAT seems like a must see casting.

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 7:48pm

Beetlejuice is a star vehicle role and they’re figuring what kind of role it should be. It’s very much like Genie in Aladdin, and the tryout period for that show went through a lot of takes on that role, including John Tartaglia as a “sassy gay friend” Genie.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 1:54am

It would be great to see a show actually make the necessary changes after a tryout. Far too often, as we've all seen, a show opens with the exact same problems everybody and their sister mentioned on the tryout.

As for replacing the leading man before Broadway, a great example is currently at the Nederlander Theatre. There were widespread comments that there was lack of chemistry with Steve Kazee. They replaced him with Andy Karl and the results were dramatic. (Of course, Andy is awesomely talented).

Fingers crossed.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 2:38am

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Interesting they would replace the lead pretty late in the process."

How is it late in the process? They have a lab coming up and haven't even started rehearsals for Broadway yet?

[brdwybound04]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 2:46am

Supposedly some of the investors are getting cold feet due to ridiculously low advance sales, and high overhead costs, and have threatened to back out of Brightman isn’t replaced... furthermore, the Broadway opening date is still tentative at this point even though it’s currently on sale, and the producers have decided to potentially postpone opening night until early fall to reworkshoo and/or play another out of town date depending on the outcome of January Lab Readings... and the outcome of Brightman being replaced... time will tell how successful the powers that be are... but I give them credit for trying to “fix” the inherent problems of this show, and taking the necessary time to “get it right” even if that means postponing their opening until next season...

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 3:20am

Brightman isnt being replaced, people need to stop with this uninformed gossipy nonsense. Also WB is putting up most of the money so any rumor of investors walking over Brightman staying is nonsense

[LuPita2]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 3:59am

^  Thank you, people are ridiculous.  If ANY group of people would know about Norbert's upcoming film schedule for the hugely anticipated show Fosse/Verdon, it's people on this website. The man is busy. Jesus Christ.  

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 8:14am

MarkBearSF said: "As for replacing the leading man before Broadway, a great example is currently at the Nederlander Theatre. There were widespread comments that there was lack of chemistry with Steve Kazee. They replaced him with Andy Karl and the results were dramatic. (Of course, Andy is awesomely talented)."

Oh yeah, that's right! But, Steve was going to drop out in the first place because of a giant family emergency. So, I don't think that's a fair example

Updated On: 12/15/18 at 08:14 AM

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 8:37am

Steves fathers house burned down like right after they closed in Chicago, it had nothing to do with lack of chemistry, again people talking about stuff they clearly dont know the whole story about.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 12:14pm

brdwybound04 said: "Supposedly some of the investors are getting cold feet due to ridiculously low advance sales, and high overhead costs, and have threatened to back out of Brightman isn’t replaced..."

That's not how it works. Once an investor sends their money in, they can't get it back/back out.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 2:06pm

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "brdwybound04 said: "Supposedly some of the investors are getting cold feet due to ridiculously low advance sales, and high overhead costs, and have threatened to back out of Brightman isn’t replaced..."

That's not how it works. Once an investor sends their money in, they can't get it back/back out."


Yes, but they could have verbal "gentleman's agreements" with people who are actively trying to raise money. The deadline for capitalization is often the final preview performance.

Also, whoever said WB was putting up most of the money: It's a $21 million musical, so that money's going to come from a lot of different places –– and Peter Marks' review, other buzzy spring titles (Tootsie, Hadestown, Ain't Too Proud, Be More Chill, even Oklahoma), and the failure of CHOCOLATE FACTORY should be cause for anxiety. The DC production had 15 producing entities above the title, according to the VARIETY review (Warner Bros. Theater Ventures, Langley Park Prods., Steve Traxler, Broadway Asia, IMG Original Content, Ben Lowy, James L. Nederlander, Warner/Chappell Music Inc., in association with Mark Bell and Jeff Hollander, Pierce Friedman Prods., John Gore Organization, Ruth & Steve Hendel, LHC Theatrical Fund, Networks Presentations).

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 12:52am

LightsOut90 said: "Steves fathers house burned down like right after they closed in Chicago, it had nothing to do with lack of chemistry, again people talking about stuff they clearly dont know the whole story about."

That's right. I had forgotten that. However, I DO recall lots of complaints about lack of chemistry and later reports how it worked much better with Andy.

But your point is correct. Thank you for the correction. (...And has anyone heard anything about how Steve Kazee is doing these days?)

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 1:46am

Does anyone really think that Warner’s is going to make changes to this, that won’t make it worse. Charlie is a perfect example,  beyond awful in the West End , a turd of a show on Broadway.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 10:19am

LuPita2 said: "^ Thank you, people are ridiculous. If ANY group of people would know about Norbert's upcoming film schedule for the hugely anticipated show Fosse/Verdon, it's people on this website. The man is busy. Jesus Christ."

Sweets, FOSSE/VERDON has been filming since October and will be wrapped up in a few more weeks.   Also, Butz isn’t playing Bob Fosse but a small role which would take 1-2 days to shoot, if it hasn’t already.  FOSSE/VERDON is also filming in NY so he could easily have filmed his role between performances of MY FAIR LADY.  

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 2:23pm

rosscoe(au) said: "Does anyone really think that Warner’s is going to make changes to this, that won’t make it worse. Charlie is a perfect example, beyond awful in the West End , a turd of a show on Broadway."

I have a lot more faith in Alex Timbers than I do in Jack O'Brien, and if they are indeed doing a 2-week lab, that's a good sign. But I have more faith in the CHARLIE writing team that I do in the BEETLEJUICE writing team. So choose the lesser of two evils?