Did anyone see "big, The Musical" on Broadway?

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 9:40pm

Oh Lord... where to begin... the musical director at my high school recently announced our Spring Musical...

He was so excited about it. He said it was revolutionary. He said it was incredible. He said no one had ever done it before. He said that it's music is superb. He said that it didn't deserve it's bad rap on Broadway... he said it was taken off of Broadway after only 24 weeks of performances... He said it was the opening of "Rent" that caused it to do so horribly.

He said... "Our musical will be: 'big, The Musical'!"

We said: "...wha'?"

So, if anyone could possibly tell me if this show is any good, if they saw it on Broadway, and what it was like, I would really appreciate it.

(Besides the piano scene, is the movie even that good...?)

[perfectliar]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:02pm

http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9404E6DE1739F93AA15757C0A960958260

I never saw it, but the New York Times review is pretty positive

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:15pm

I didn't see it, but I remember thinking that the songs I heard from it were energetic and catchy enough. Didn't the show make use of the giant piano dancing toy from the movie? I thought that was a great concept.

Also, not to rain on anyone's parade, but my recollection is that lots of folks were stunned by how positive the NY Times was about this show, given that most of the other reviews were mixed to negative.

[sundaymorning6am]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:33pm

I LOVED this show. I was 10, but I still loved it and love the music even now at 20.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:39pm

I was actually kind of surprised to see a positive notice from the NY Times. I've never seen the show, on Broadway or otherwise, but all the reviews I've read of community and regional productions weren't very kind to the material.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:41pm

Big was my first Broadway show. Believe it or not it was the show that got me to fall in love with Broadway.I saw it when I was young so I don't think it was bad. In other words. Usually if you see a something when your young like a show or a play and you love it at that age. It usually sitcks with you as being amazing. Even if everyone thought it wasn't that good. I think that it was good and had a great cast and had Susan Stroman sp? chorgraphing it. I think the problem for the show was two things. It played at the Shubert and I think that theatre was too big for the show. It closed because it had trouble selling out. Whereas if it played in a theatre that didn't have a balcony then there would not have been that problem. I also think that another problem for that show was that it opened up in 96. On Broadway that year we got Rent and Chicago. Rent got a lot of press because it was the first musical in a long time to win a pulitizer and it won the Tony. Chicago won best revival and both shows are still playing. I think that if it wasn't for those two shows being in the same year as Big it might have done better.

But yes, the music was great and catchy. I have it on my Ipod and still listen to it.

[BtMartin25]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:49pm

When I was 11 or so I played "Young Josh" in a local High School version of it. I'm not gonna lie.. the music is kind of cheesy.. but it's a FUN musical for high schools. Stay positive and enjoy it.

[LiTtLeDaNcEr729]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 10:54pm

I just did the show this summer. It is a BLAST! The show itself isn't all that fantastic, but its so much fun.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:10pm

I saw it! It's so coincidential that you created this thread today, as this morning I put on the BIG cast recording, since I hadn't listened to it in a while. I was 15 when I saw it on Broadway and I was a huge fan of the movie. I absolutely adored it. Daniel Jenkins (who is now Mr. Banks in MARY POPPINS) was *fantastic* as grown-up Josh, and Barbara Walsh (who is now Joanne in COMPANY) has a beautiful song as his mom. Brett Tabisel really stole the show as Josh's best friend. The show totally flopped unfortunately. Bad timing it seemed. The music is upbeat and I especially remember appreciating Susan Stroman's choreography. Pick up the cast recording and you'll fall in love with the music. I was actually surprised to see that the Times review was so positive, because for some reason I was under the impression that part of it closing so soon had to do with negative critical reception. But maybe it was because of RENT. Also, rent the movie if you haven't seen it. It's a really fun movie, and it garnered Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination. I absolutely love this show. I only wonder how a school would do it, given how the storyline specifically dictates that certain actors be children and others be adults. It kind of throws off the purpose of the story if you have all child actors. But regardless, get familiar with it and have fun!

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:18pm

I saw it as well. I know the Broadway version is different from the version they currently license, but I don't know how different.

I thought the show had a lot of charm. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever seen, but I really enjoyed it a lot and I thought Daniel Jenkins was great.

[Footlooser]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:20pm

I really like the music. I thhnk that it would be a great show for a High School because it really is a lot of fun.

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:21pm

I always thought "Cross the Line" was really catchy.

[Joelbeans]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:28pm

I remember seeing the show here in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox, and it was the Tour after the Broadway production and that is the version I think they send out now. THey cut some of the songs, so it isn't exactly like the CD. I remember I loved the song"I Wanna go Home" and it was cut. I was so disappointed. But the show is fun. I am looking at posibly doing that with my community theatre group I work with this next summer. THey just did it not too long ago at a professional company here in St. Louis and I heard it was a great production.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:34pm

Updated On: 12/6/06 at 11:34 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:35pm

Updated On: 12/6/06 at 11:35 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:36pm

Updated On: 12/6/06 at 11:36 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:39pm

I love this show in the way I love Bye Bye Birdie, purely and without irony.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:42pm

The broadway version was much better than the tour. The tour not only cut songs but it cut the heart out of the show by cutting out almost all of the childrens ensemble.

Hopefully your school gets the broadway version, but I fear you will be getting the sub-par tour script.

Posted: 12/6/06 at 11:48pm

That boardroom picture reminds me of THE WEDDING SINGER.

[Trina55]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:01am

Ditto to Carl's comments. I saw it on Broadway several times - guilty pleasure, cheesy as anything but I LOVED it. Saw it later on tour and was sorely disappointed. The whole book was changed, songs cut, and the dancing kids - who made it so much fun - totally gone. And yes, I'm pretty sure it's the tour version that's being licensed. Although perhaps if your director is saying no one's ever done it, he has something different.

Cross the Line is the best get-up-and-dance song ever. I'm going to listen to it next time I take a break from writing my paper (in about 5 minutes).

[Trina55]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:01am

dupe
Updated On: 12/7/06 at 12:01 AM

[Trina55]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:01am

Ack! Sorry!
Updated On: 12/7/06 at 12:01 AM

[MusicalMan76]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:07am

I'm a huge fan of the show... The only version of the show available for performing is the revised version, keeping many of the Broadway songs, but interpolating a lot of the songs inserted on the post-Broadway tour. (This is the version that the creators prefer.)

MTI licenses the show, and they will send you a CD of many of the tour songs recorded by the National Touring cast. (Performers include Daniel Jenkins, Barbara Walsh, and Jacquilyn Piro.)

A great resource is "Making It Big", a book covering the PRE-Broadway tour of "Big", showing that a lot of the songs the cut before the Broadway run were put back in after the show closed.

For more information, feel free to shoot me a message! I'm a big fan of the show, but it's not without it's flaws.

Cheers!

[MusicalMan76]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:08am

Triple post, sorry! Updated On: 12/7/06 at 12:08 AM

[MusicalMan76]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:09am

I'm so sorry! Updated On: 12/7/06 at 12:09 AM