Did anyone see "big, The Musical" on Broadway?- Page 2

[MusicalMan76]

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

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!

[lite2shine]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:33am

Unfortunately I didn't see it but I know Dan was great and he had a blast during the run. The sourvenir program is my treasure.

Little Josh, Patrick Levis is now 25 yrs old and formed a band with his siblings and friend, called Least Of These.

http://www.leastofthesetheband.com/

I'm wondering he was (and other kid cast members) were about 12 at that time, the same age as Henry and Katherine in Mary Poppins. I don't think they were double cast. Is that b/c they weren't in many scenes as Jane and Michael are?

[AtLeastIveBeenThere]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 2:39am

Have a fantastic sense of humor and don't take anything too seriously (or seriously at all)...and I think this show would be the most enjoyable theatre experience ever.

Seriously.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 5:58am

Little Josh, Patrick Levis is now 25 yrs old and formed a band with his siblings and friend, called Least Of These.

I'm wondering he was (and other kid cast members) were about 12 at that time, the same age as Henry and Katherine in Mary Poppins. I don't think they were double cast. Is that b/c they weren't in many scenes as Jane and Michael are?

The show was on Broadway in 1996, so if he's 25 now, he was 14 or 15 when it was on Broadway. The kids were not double cast. The double-triple casting of kids is a Disney thing. It's not the norm. CHITTY was not double or triple cast, neither was the kid who played Jo Jo in SEUSSICAL.

(Brett Tabisel was even nominated for a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for BIG, and he was only 14 at the time!)

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 05:58 AM

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:25am

The double-triple casting of kids is a Disney thing

It's also a UK thing as we have stricter rules about how long and often a child can work in a week. All shows featuring children here are double or triple cast - the Billy Elliot cast runs at about 50 or 60!

(end of threadjack. I haven't played the Big CD for years, but I now have Cross the line running through my head. Thanks for that.)

[winston89]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:46am

The only show that is not disney that double casts is Les Miserables. But, that isbecause if someone is sick the roles of young Cosette, Gavroche and Young Eponine can be interchangable. There have been loads of stories by people who played one of those three roles that talked about how they had to go on as one of the others because someone was sick. At that age The actor that is playing Gavroche has a voice that is high enough to pass for Cosette. So, they have four child actors not only to double cast but to be on guard in terms of standbys.

[MusicalMan76]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:09am

The son in "The Full Monty" was double cast as well...

[CompletlyNakedStatue]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:17am

I didn't see the Broadway production, but I had the cast album and saw a television special on the show and I fell in LOVE with it. (Granted, I was probably 14 at the time.) Some of the music is a little shmaltzy, but there are some beautiful songs as well: "I Want To Know" and "Stop, Time" are some of the most gorgeous musical theatre melodies out there. And I also love the catchy "Dancing All the Time" and "Cross the Line", "Coffee, Black" is also clever, as well as the song that Susan's friends sing to Josh in the second act. Ah, the memories, I'll have to pull out this cast album today.

I *did* see the post-Broadway tour, which was very scaled down, and I found it to be pretty underwhelming. Most of the Broadway score was still in tact, but it lacked the show's most positive aspect on Broadway -- the cast full of dancing kids who danced AMAZINGly. (I later ended up going to college with some of the Broadway "Big" kids, I always got a kick out of that since I wanted to BE them when i was younger.)

Anyway, it's a sweet show. It is flawed, but I can't imagine anyone not having a great time doing it.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:44am

I remember seeing it in NYC and enjoyed it. I remember thinking that this is a "small show" trying to be big. It's ultimately about just a few people and the expansion felt forced. The numbers are fun and it does have a large cast with contemporary ensemble dance numbers. I think it will be great for a High school to do. From what I understand, when they took it on tour, they changed it alot from the Bway version. I guess this is now the licensed version of the show.

Look at it this way, anytime you can be on stage is a learning experience, even if the show isn't the greatest. Learn your craft and how to make stuff work and hit your mark. And remember, lots of people watching WISH they could be on stage in your place. Honor your work.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:55am

Sorry for threadjacking but little boy and girl in Ragtime were double cast too.

>the most enjoyable theatre experience ever

Seriously?! I do like BIG music but I wouldn't say that.

[luke-h***]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 11:29am

the first ever show i was in was big :) i was only nine lol

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:55pm

When I first got the CD, I must confess that I didn't like the score. I put it away for a while and listened to it again. I liked it!!

I didn't see the it on Broadway, but I too read that book, "Making it Big". It's a facsinating read!

I disagree with some comments above - I think the touring version was a vast improvement over the original broadway produciton. The replacement songs make more sense - like "Big Boys" taking the place of "I Wanna Go Home". They kept the better of the songs and I thought it worked well on stage.

If you can read "Making it Big", please do - you will learn so much of the drama behind the scenes -- also who the person was that thought of making the movie into a musical!!! I think it's surprising since I felt I knew her from her tv show.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 1:00pm

Saw it and loved every second of it.

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 3:37pm

Also one of my first shows when I was like 10 or 11. My family loved it and my little brother and I made up our own dance routines to "Cross The Line" and acted out most of the show on videotape. My mother also used "Stop, Time" for the photo montage at the beginning of my Bar-Mitzvah video :o) Worked brilliantly if I do say so myself.


Cause tonight is the nighttt when we cross the lineee
Cause tonight is the nighttt it's gonna happennn
You can wait on the side
There's a door open wide
And I tell you tonight's the night!

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 5:20pm

Wow, thanks everyone! I'm glad to know that it isn't a crappy show like we all thought, even if it is a bit flawed, i'm excited!

Also, ironically, I got a list of the songs that are in the show from my director today... there are SO many songs! I was reading some of the above posts, and apparently they cut "I Wanna Go Home" and put in "Big Boys"... well, as far as I know, both songs are included in this version we leased, because they're both on the list. There are two versions of "Fun", and a few other odd things...

But I got a recording of "Stop, Time"... its possibly the most beautiful thing i've heard in a LONG time!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:02pm

I loved the Broadway production. It was a fun show, though not revolutionary in any sense of the word. The tour was miserable, however. The changes in the score were just awful and in some cases, weakened the book considerably. And the design of the tour was very cheap and tacky. The original sets/costumes were brilliant, especially the FAO Schwartz set which rose out of the floor and expanded everywhere almost like a living pop-up book. The audience when I saw the show on Broadway was very enthusiastic and thought it might settle in for a decent run, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

[jasonf]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:04pm

I saw it on Broadway and really enjoyed it (I was about 18 at the time). I remember my father had a hard time parking and missed the opening number to it - only time that ever happened to us! Anyway, the show on Broadway was WAY better than the regional version I saw years later - I remember being very disappointed with the changes in the score especially.

The original score, though dated now (Myst? Really?) is pretty catchy in places. I'm a total sucker for "I Want To Go Home" -- don't know why, just love it. "Cross the Line" and "Fun" are very upbeat, and Barbara Walsh is great - from her screams at the start to Stop Time.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:54pm

Saw it and i really liked it. I like much of the score

It was a shame it did not make it

[morosco]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:20pm

This is a great read...especially if you're doing the show.
Making it big: The diary of a Broadway Musical

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 12/8/06 at 7:12pm

I did this how last season at my school. It was so much fun! Definately one of the best shows I've ever been in (the best being the production of "Little Shop of Horrors" which followed this show; I played Mr. Mushnik!) I remember our director telling us about the tour and how much he hated it in comparison to the B'way production. He hated it so much, in fact, that he and our music director spent quite a bit of time reviseing the score and libretto to be less like the tour. After listening to the MTI CD, I have to agree with some of his cuts. I prefer "Say Good Morning to Mom" instead of "This Isn't Me." I always felt like Mrs. Baskin needed more songs. Josh had plenty, his mother could at least get two! plus, the song shows the audience more of her character than what we would get without the song being in. The duet version of "Fun," however, was awful,a dn I'm glad our director got permission to use the original version.

My favorite memory of this show is the fourth scene in the second act. This is the scene with the song "The Real Thing." It's somewhat forgetable on the album, but the scene and the song work so well together, that the recording would have benefitted with some dialogue between the verses. I played Tom, the one who not only gets doused in the champagne Josh has failed at opening properly, he also gets his car totaled by Josh when he sends him out to move it for him. I had a blast with that scene and with that song. It's one of the few where I prefer the ong version over the original version. I just like the touring lyrics better.

Trust me, this is a highly underrated show. It did have a short run, but not because it was anything close to a bad show. It's a great show, and it's awesome to get young kids involved, many of which might be doing their first show. We had about...nine kids plus Billy and Little Josh, and the numbers came off perfectly. I believe the tour scaled down to an ensemble of four or five, but don't hold me to that. Our director gave us a number, but I can't remember it now.

Anyway: Great show, have FUN!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/8/06 at 7:16pm

There have been loads of stories by people who played one of those three roles that talked about how they had to go on as one of the others because someone was sick. At that age The actor that is playing Gavroche has a voice that is high enough to pass for Cosette.

All the Gavroches cover Young Eponine, but they don't cover Young Cosette. If any of the Young Cosettes are tall enough (there are regulations due to the size of the barricade), they cover Gavroche.

[javertjunky]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 10:21pm

I,too, was at that high school announcement. I have no idea what this is going to be like. Was it really that bad on Broadway?

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 10:56pm

The movie is a classic and Tom Hanks gives a fantastic performance.

I saw the tour when I was about ten and I remember throughly enjoying it. The only songs I really recall though are "Cross the Line" and "Stop Time".

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 5/27/07 at 8:22pm

How did they do the transformation from Young Josh to Adult Josh: Was it done a la Damn Yankees: fade to black on Joe Boyd and appears Joe Hardy in his place.

The movie is on and I was just wondering how it was done.

[AlwaysTheAssistantMD]

Posted: 5/27/07 at 8:48pm

Actually... In SEUSSICAL, JoJo did have two boys alternating in the role: Anthony Blair Hall and Andrew Keenan-Bolger (yes, Celia's younger brother) - although, I don't think it was a 4/4 performance split. And even though it was not set up as a double-casting, the kids in CHITTY were basically double-cast as insurance/back-up.

Additionally, the kids in the MSG A CHRISTMAS CAROL were not double-cast until the second year. The first year, the kids did all 12-15 performances each week - and got all that O/T pay too! However, from the second year on, there were two teams of kids.