Diana A True Musical Story- Page 2

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/25/20 at 4:28pm

Any word about a lottery??

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 2/25/20 at 5:25pm

I agree they've been quiet on social media and it seems like it took a long time for them to join Instagram. Maybe they need a new social media team? I have noticed they've been more active lately by posting key dates in Diana's life. It would be great if they could start tying some of those to the show. 

I'm excited to see this but as with anything royal family related, it should be taken with a grain of salt since they don't do personal interviews or write memoirs, etc. 

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 2:04pm

I saw a commercial for this last night and oh, boy. The song was generic beyond generic. 

[Kad]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 2:25pm

The imaging on the theatre itself seems to be pushing the costumes- the actors are all shown next to a costume of their character's (ie Judy Kaye next to one of Queen Elizabeth II's looks). It's very odd- photos of the actors out of character next to a costume, not in them. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 2:33pm

As I said, I have a friend in the cast, so I really hope I'm wrong, but this feels like the Amelie of the 2019-2020 season. A new musical telling a VERY European story transfers from California with some notable Broadway names, flies under the radar, and (perhaps) shutters on Broadway before too long.

[ellbellthomps]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 2:43pm

I follow shows coming, but I must've missed this one. I had NO idea it was even coming to broadway until literally walking by the theater last week. I heard nothing about it.

Maybe it was when I was on vacation and off this site for a month, but I bet it's because (like previously stated), there's almost no social media presence. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 3:00pm

Yeah, it's pretty bizarre that this opens in 5 days and there has been zero buzz about it. I am wondering the reasons why people just are not interested in it. Perhaps people are just burned out by royal family drama, I know I am. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 3:04pm

I agree. I Think this might be a colossal flop. There is literally zero buzz.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 3:05pm

I agree. I Think this might be a colossal flop. There is literally zero buzz.

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 3:07pm

Sutton Ross said: "Yeah, it's pretty bizarre that this opens in 5 days and there has been zero buzz about it. I am wondering the reasons why people just are not interested in it. Perhaps people are just burned out by royal family drama, I know I am."

For me, the whole thing feels cheesy and tacky. And also, I think the fact that the royals are so ingrained in pop culture might turn people away. We all know the story and the people, and people felt such a deep connection to the real Diana, that they might be turned off by seeing her be portrayed by someone else in a musical. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 3:43pm

This will probably be like Charlie and Summer. Open to solid grosses, ride the summer wave, then by September anyone who had interest in seeing this will have and they’ll pack it up by January to send it out on the road in fall of 2021.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 4:58pm

I remember very clearly, though I was very young, the morning Diana died, sitting around the living room as a family while we watched the news and ate breakfast. It was all my mom could talk about for weeks. She's not a royal fanatic by any means, but there was something about Diana she liked and connected with (as I'm sure many 30 and 40 something women did).

I asked if she wanted to see this for Mother's Day, and she hemmed and hawed a little bit because she hates going into the city. When I told her it was written by one of the guys in Bon Jovi, she said, "WHAT? THAT'S THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!"

So yeah.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 5:52pm

Sutton Ross said: "Yeah, it's pretty bizarre that this opens in 5 days and there has been zero buzz about it. I am wondering the reasons why people just are not interested in it. Perhaps people are just burned out by royal family drama, I know I am."

There was The Audience and King Charles III. I don't think it's just Meg-xit that's killing the mood. Maybe people are just sensing this won't be a very good take on the royals. It's not making a very compelling argument about having something vital and relevant to say. If I felt like a better creative team (NOT the guys who wrote Memphis and the director of Come From Away) was going to give Diana's life the Evita treatment complete with fabulous costumes, I might be more interested. Let's face it. You'd probably have a better time staying home and watching The Crown.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 7:11pm

I can’t think of anything tackier than a musical about Princess Diana.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 7:23pm

I’m not sure I find it as tacky or as bad an idea as everyone else - but I’ll admit I’m young and remember my mother being affected by the news of her death, but it didn’t quite register for me.

That said, Memphis was/is downright awful, so I’m sure this will be very bland and heavy handed.

Maybe it will appeal to the “boomers.” And I mean that endearingly.

[carnzee]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 11:13pm

This show just feels doomed to flop in the same way that Dr. Zhivago and Amazing Grace did.

And even if this show turns out to be a completely respectable and classy affair, many people will perceive it as a tacky cash grab and avoid it.

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 2/26/20 at 11:20pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "As I said, I have a friend in the cast, so I really hope I'm wrong, but this feels like the Amelie of the 2019-2020 season. A new musical telling a VERY European story transfers from California with some notable Broadway names, flies under the radar, and (perhaps) shutters on Broadway before too long."

Don't blame this one on California; it had the most tepid audience and critic reaction of any "Broadway-aimed" musical I can remember in San Diego since the Little Miss Sunshine debacle (and LMS probably had better audience response). Rumor was Diana was capitalized for Broadway before it even opened in La Jolla

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 12:41am

Well it has a proven team behind, so I can see why they'd invest. 

Sad Little Miss Sunshine never went anywhere. 

[jewishboy]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 2:00pm

I think a lot of the points made in this discussion hits the nail on the head. I wish they would change the name of the show to Prince Charles and Camila’s Journey of Love or the Love Triangle in Buckingham Palace, something that really fits with the cheesy/poppyness of the whole show. I am interested in the new material. I liked a lot of the music, but found the lyrics to be very very problematic.

Posted: 2/27/20 at 4:00pm

I swear the marquee looks like Amy Sedaris' character Jerri Blank from Strangers With Candy!

[Princeton2]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 4:23pm

Does it have a Che type character to give a more balanced critical view? or is it purely a simple diana was perfect and the victim etc etc. If so then it will be a very bland and hallmark movie type of show.

I first saw the movie of Evita not long after Diana died and it immediately struck me as so similar to Diana. so many moments/songs could be applied to her story

[BdwayLife]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 9:23pm

It opens in 4 days, and still, no major PR. Has anyone here ever observed a Broadway musical open so quietly? I'm perplexed!
 

Updated On: 2/27/20 at 09:23 PM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 9:27pm

BdwayLife said: "It opens in 4 days, and still, no major PR. Has anyone here ever observed a Broadway musical open so quietly? I'm perplexed!"

It starts previews in 4 days, it opens on 3/31. Hangmen starts previews tomorrow, and all the press was 2 days ago. In any event, the Diana TV commercial is on constantly.

Updated On: 2/27/20 at 09:27 PM

[BdwayLife]

Posted: 2/27/20 at 9:37pm

Thanks CT2--I recognize that it begins previews in 4 days, and apologize for using the word "opens"! :). I've not seen the tv commercial--I live in Atlantic Canada, and don't tend to tune into the American channels. I'm going to look online to see if I can find it, though, thanks.

[msmp]

Posted: 2/28/20 at 1:22am

Taking my mom to the first preview on Monday because we had a slot to fill on our trip and she's always been a huge Princess Di fan. I'm not super enthused but I'm going in with an open mind. Did I read/hear right that they have Judy Kaye play Barbara Cartland at some point in the show, not just QEII?