Debbie Allen & Girl Group Time Travelers

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:27pm

Something Wretched This Way Comes ........

After all of the wonderful discussions about A Chorus Line and Glass Menagerie and Spamalot, just so we don't get too excited about how promising the future of Broadway is looking, beware because there's a dark cloud on the horizon.......

Debbie Allen is returning to Broadway!!! No, not as a performer (which might be OK), but as the director/choreographer of GIRL GROUP TIME TRAVELERS, a reworking of the revue BEEHIVE featuring 60s girl group music and scheduled to open here in July (just what Broadway needs -- another girl group trio).

Allen hasn't been seen in these parts since her last and only credit as a director or choreographer on Broadway -- the legendary fiasco CARRIE, that closed after 5 performances 16 years ago.

From Playbill:

"Two-time Tony Award nominee Debbie Allen will direct and choreograph a new musical Girl Group Time Travelers featuring songs made popular in the 1960s by female vocalists.

The work — which workshopped in New York City July 2004 under the Beehive on Broadway — is a reworked production of the 1986 Off-Broadway show Beehive. The new production is slated to reach Broadway in July, confirmed a production spokesperson.

Featuring a new book by Jim Geoghan (UG: A Stone-Age Musical Comedy), Girl Group Time Travelers follows the story a modern-day, teenaged girl with boy trouble who is whisked back in time to the 60s.

Among the songs that will fill the jukebox musical are hits made famous by such groups as the Shirelles, the Marvellettes, the Shangri-Las, the Chiffons and the Crystals as well as songstresses Petula Clarke, Connie Francis and Leslie Gore. Songs will include "My Boyfriend's Back," "Leader of the Pack," "You Don't Own Me," "It's My Party," "Where the Boys Are," "Dedicated to the One I Love," "He's a Rebel," "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman," "Theme From 'A Summer Place' "and "Downtown."

Director-choreographer Allen will be joined by music director Louis St. Louis and costume designer Bob Mackie. Jeffrey Richards and Michael Rothfeld will produce the Broadway run capitalized at $6.5 million-$7.5 million. The production will feature an ensemble of about 14 and a 12-piece orchestra."


Is there a petition we could start to stop this from happening?
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/90573.html

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:30pm

I'll sign, Margo.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:34pm

I'm fully against this.

She should be back choreographing the Oscars, where she belongs.

Anyone remember Savion Glover interpreting through tap the gunshots from Saving Private Ryan?

Now THAT is art!

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:35pm

I'm with you Margo- I HATE Debbie Allen- she is just awful. That dreck that she "choreographed" on many an Oscar was just pitiful. I never did see Carrie but friends did and just HATED the choreography.

Debbie stay away. I LOVED Beehive and I am not happy that you are touching it. Go Away...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:39pm

I mean REALLY.....

I didn't think you could get a second chance after a bomb like CARRIE.

Now THAT'S an idea! Scrap this crappy BEEHIVE FROM OUTER SPACE or whatever it is and have her choreograph a revival of CARRIE with Idina as Carrie and Liza as the mother. Now THAT I would pay to see.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:41pm

But it wouldn't be CARRIE without Gene Anthony 'F*ck You, Leroy' Ray!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:42pm

"...a revival of CARRIE with Idina as Carrie and Liza as the mother."

Margo, I want you. Now.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:45pm

Ooooh, and maybe Mary Bond Davis or Lillias White in the Darlene Love Gym Teacher role.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:47pm

I see.

No respect here for Leroy.

Well F*CK YOU ALL!

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:51pm

The only thing more abhorent than the idea of Debbie Allen at the helm of a Broadway Musical is the proposed title: "Girl Group Time Travelers"? Assuming that this capering monstrosity makes it to Broadway, wouldn't that be the single worst title for a show, ever?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:52pm

Joe, your limited posts here have won my respect and admiration. I like you, son.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:52pm

Awwwwwww, Robbie, I Loved Miss Gene ("What do you call that?" "Wicked") -- he's dearly missed .....

So who should play his part?

And I LOVE the Harvey Fierstein idea for the Gym Teacher.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:56pm

'So who should play his part?'

Someone who cuts as masculine a swathe as Gene.

Alec Mapa.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:57pm

Gavin Creel?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:58pm

Clay Aiken?

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:58pm

No, silly, Chad Kimball!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 5:02pm

Marc Kudisch?

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 5:09pm

Or maybe Marc's roommate, Danny Gurwin.

Gosh...I hope when I'm a constantly working actor, I won't need a roommate!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 6:00pm

Well, robbie, sometimes it is nice to have someone to come home to to share...expenses...yeah, expenses. That's it.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 7:39pm

Margo, I am both surprised and confused at your palpable disgust about this show, both here and on ATC...I've never "heard" you react like this. I, myself, am very excited and have been, about this project since its workshop back in August. I didn't see it myself, but it was one of the very few times that even my extremely jaded theater snob buddies, raved about a workshop across the board. I will agree, it's one the worst titles I've ever heard, but if you're in to starting petitions, why didn't you start one before Good Vibrations went in to previews and why not start one to keep All Shook Up, out of NYC? And I was under the impression that Allen only had the unfortunate duties of Choreographer on Carrie, no? And let's hope that she's evolved some, (as I wish for us all to have, in one way or another), in 10 plus years. My point is, how can this be ANY worse than what's polluting the boards as we speak?

[Al Dente]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 7:45pm

Did some checking Margo and yes, Terry Hands actually directed the "legendary flop", Carrie. Can't blame Allen for everything.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 7:48pm

I want Debbie Allen to go back to choreographing tap-dancing soldiers for the Oscars. I want the entire genre of "jukebox musicals" to die. NOW. I want them ALL to go away and stop taking up valuable theatrical real estate, insulting the intelligence of theatregoers, and turning NYC into Vegas East. I want them to ALL go back to the theme park from hell that spawned them. I want new, challenging, thought-provoking, smart, well-constructed new BOOK musicals with original scores written specifically for the theatre.

If that makes me a snob, then so be it -- guilty as charged.

Updated On: 1/12/05 at 07:48 PM

[Al Dente]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 7:51pm

While I share much of your sentiment, I'm still thinking "The real Margo" has loaned out her screen name :)

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 8:41pm

First, the title sucks. I really hope is changed before whatever (Broadway..regional).

But...I like and enjoy Ms. Allen. It seems only the narrow minded (or empty) can harp one on thing the lady did..Carrie. I did not think that choreography was great by any means. But lets not forget her excellent work on Tv's "Fame" for which she won Emmys. Plus her work in movies ("Armastad") and legendary broadway performances (WWS, Purlie). If we follow this one flop/never work attitude, then I guess we never need top hear from Sondheim, Berni Peters, Brian Mitchell, Marvin Hamlisch, Bernstein, Motzart, Twyla Tharp, Meryl Streep, Kristen Chenoweth, Terrance McNally, Chita Rivera, Lanford Wilson, and Neil Simon.