Desperately Seeking Susan Musical Disaster

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/5/18 at 8:34am

I was the unlucky Yank who wrote the West End musical adaptation of the Madonna movie which used the hit songs of Blondie. It closed after a month. Whoops! So I wrote a solo comedy show about the experience, and now that true tale will be told with the help of Christina Bianco, Adam Feldman, Alison Fraser and more. If you love musicals, you'll wanna be at the show on May 19. Use discount code TOMATO and save $5. Info at www.seekingtheexit.com.

Updated On: 5/5/18 at 08:34 AM

[Dolly80]

Posted: 5/5/18 at 2:08pm

Well no wonder it flopped ..

“I was the unlucky yank who write the..”

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/5/18 at 2:13pm

Hahahah! This is what happens when I post before yoga.

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/5/18 at 10:01pm

Yankee or Yanker

[gypsy101]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:17am

i used to have a copy of a live audio recording (it must have been a bootleg i guess? but the audio was very high quality so maybe not) and thought the performances were fun but i was mostly confused as to like... why it existed? like, why the songs of blondie with that movie? was the only connection that they were both from the 80’s? i’ve only seen the movie one time but didn’t remember blondie even being on the soundtrack. maybe a score using madonna songs would have made more sense since she was the star of the film, but i guess that probably would have been to expensive to acquire the rights.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:24am

Madonna songs for a Madonna movie? Too obvious!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 12:00pm

The only Madonna song that appears in the 1985 film is “Dress You Up.” The film was released at the very beginning of Madonna’s career, before she even had a handful of hit songs.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 12:09pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "The only Madonna song that appears in the 1985 film is “Dress You Up.” The film was released at the very beginning of Madonna’s career, before she even had a handful of hit songs. "

No.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 12:21pm

I do think the plot fo the movie holds promise for a musical adaptation with an original score. This unfortunately was not it. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 2:47pm

TotallyEffed said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "The only Madonna song that appears in the 1985 film is “Dress You Up.” The film was released at the very beginning of Madonna’s career, before she even had a handful of hit songs. "

No."

It was “Into the Groove.”  Not “Dress You Up.”  

[geoffreyC]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 3:03pm

at least you can laugh about it now

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 3:06pm

Did they find Susan?

[DeNada]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 3:14pm

This was a truly bad show (DSS, not the author's evisceration of it which I know nothing about!).  The travelators... the ear-splitting sound... Andy Blankenbuehler at his overchoreographed, posiest worst... the nonsensical use of Blondie songs - the bit in the second act which solely existed to sing Maria where the maid cut loose...

Ouch, it was terrible.

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 3:59pm

The recording is available via the show website on the Soundcloud icon www.seekingtheexit.com

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:00pm

Yes! The intent was not to write a Madonna jukebox musical but a Blondie musical.

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:01pm

That is incorrect. The only Madonna song in the movie (and a snippet of which appeared in the musical) is Into the Groove.

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:02pm

Oh, yes. And that's why I wrote a comedy show about the experience! Ya gotta laugh after the pain subsides.

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:04pm

Sorry you had such a bad time. It was a challenge, that's for sure. My show about the show attempts to illuminate all that went wrong without placing blame on any creative in particular. We were all on different pages.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:15pm

Blackoutpete said: "Yes! The intent was not to write a Madonna jukebox musical but a Blondie musical."

yes but my question is why was that the intent? it doesn’t make sense to me

[Blackoutpete]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 4:18pm

gypsy101 said: "Blackoutpete said: "Yes! The intent was not to write a Madonna jukebox musical but a Blondie musical."

yes but my question is why was that the intent? it doesn’t make sense to me"

It was my intent to create a Blondie musical. I was inspired by the film DSS and upon studying the film and the songs of Blondie, it seemed to be a perfect match. And then producer after producer and even a Tony-winning director (the original one) seemed to feel the same way. After three intense workshops, it went into rehearsals and began to fall apart.

 

 

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 5:05pm

Well I'm just gonna jump in and say that I produced the Manchester, UK performances of 'Desperately Seeking the Exit' and for any fans of theatre or just great storytelling and comedy this is a must see. This play is a genuine treat.

I also liked Desperately Seeking Susan the Musical apart from the direction, choreography and a cast member, oh and the set

[perfectliar]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 5:43pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "The only Madonna song that appears in the 1985 film is “Dress You Up.” The film was released at the very beginning of Madonna’s career, before she even had a handful of hit songs. "

By the time Susan was released, she had 8 singles. Two were #1 on the charts and three others were top 10. Seven of the eight were top 10 on the dance charts.

So no.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 5:45pm

Brody makes things up all the time.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 5:58pm

Brody makes things up all the time.

[GhostXmasPast]

Posted: 5/6/18 at 8:34pm

Today’s stop in the way back machine.

https://youtu.be/hbGvv-IXO1Y

Avoid if you have aversion to strobes, cliches, crowds dancing with their hands above their heads, or Blondie in general.

Updated On: 5/6/18 at 08:34 PM