Elisabeth the Musical...when will we see it on Broadway?

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 4/20/05 at 8:07pm

I've heard lots of good things about this show and the music is good. Will this show ever come to America? Its been in Vienna along time. I hope it makes its way over here in the near future.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/20/05 at 8:09pm

doubt it will ever happen. It was wonderful, but I don't think an American audience would appreciate it....just like America didn't appreciate Dance of the Vampires, a smash in Vienna, and still a smash in Germany........

[exedore]

Posted: 4/21/05 at 8:22am

Elphaba:

Don't forget that the US version of "Dance of the Vampires" was completely rewritten to the point of being an entirely different show (it was turned from a philosophical gothic horror piece into a slapstick cartoon of a show).

I'd love to see more of the shows from Vienna done in the US. Elisabeth in New York and Barbarella in Vegas would be wonderful.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/21/05 at 9:44am

well true, exe...I had forgotten that

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 4/22/05 at 12:11am

I wish they would have at least recorded the OBC of DOTV.....sigh...

How long has Elisebeth the Musical been running over there and it seems like they put out a recording every year.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 4/22/05 at 5:09am

Each production seems to have slightly different songs and running order, so when a new production opens (Vienna, Hungary, Japan, Holland, Germany, back to Vienna etc) they produce a new recording. I'm not complaining Although I believe there are now about 6 recordings of the various Japanese productions, and I can't afford any of them!

I suppose the vital difference is that most productions of Elisabeth are fairly similar and make money, whereas DOTV didn't even come close to recouping and the Broadway production (and script) will never be produced again.

[LeapOfFaith2]

Posted: 4/22/05 at 5:35am

Pia Douwes has played the title role in nearly all the productions over here in Europe, and since she has already played on Broadway for a short time, chances are she will be Sisi on Broadway as well...
IF it ever opens over there.

Don't think it will speak to Americans as much as it does to Europeans, because of the whole history and stuff.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/22/05 at 5:52am

whereas DOTV didn't even come close to recouping and the Broadway production (and script) will never be produced again.


And thank heavens for that! It was a lecherous, indignant travesty of Carrien proportion

[exedore]

Posted: 4/22/05 at 8:42am

WARNING: Long Post

"How long has Elisebeth the Musical been running over there and it seems like they put out a recording every year. "

Trying to do this from memory, but..
Original Vienna Production - 1992-1996. Changes were made between the original and the closing, so it does warrant two CDs ("Nichts, nichts gar nichts" was originally just a verse and chorus before everyone else went chaotic).

Holland - 1996-7?. There's a CD, but I'm not sure about new material.

Budapest - Don't know, similar time frame. There's a new song that appears only in the Hungarian and Japanese productions sung by Death about how he's now in love with Elisabeth.

Sweden - Another unknown. No recording here.

Essen, Germany - 2001-2003. This is the first production to feature "Wenn ich tanzen will" and has (IMHO) a more fleshed out orchestration and some additional vocalisations which were partly worked back into the revival. Also, the structure of Act Two is different.

Vienna Revival - 2003-2005. Brings in the new songs from Essen.

Stuttgart, Germany - 2005 (Open Ended). Based on the Essen book, but not sure of any additional edits.

Please note that the Japanese productions aren't listed above, as they're rather difficult to classify. An attempt follows:

There are two groups that put on "Elisabeth" in Japan. One is Takarazuka, an all female theatrical company which is composed of five full casts. Each cast runs on a seasonal setup and bounces between each of the company's three theatres. As such, "Elisabeth" may have been run five or six times in the same number of years, but with a completely different cast each time. I have the CD with Ichiro Maki as Death, and it's an interesting interpretation of the show, although it lacks the cynicism and sarcasm of either the Viennese or already reduced levels of the German productions. The show is reworked mostly as a love triangle (being very in line with other Takarazuka shows), and dialogue has been added. I got my copy used for about $10 and it was worth it, but I wouldn't pay the $40 or so that these recordings sell for new. Takarazuka fans are OBSESSIVE and gladly pay up for any recording they can get their hands on. Most Takarazuka stuff is also released on DVD, but to the tune of $120 for a show.

There is also a more traditional staging by Toho Theatricals (yes, the same Toho that makes Ultraman...the beauty of Japanese companies is that they have a stake in EVERYTHING). The stage setup is different from any of the other productions, but the male roles are played by men.

Leap: "Don't think it will speak to Americans as much as it does to Europeans, because of the whole history and stuff."

Me neither, although the show was my first real introduction to the period - and this is from a historian. IMHO, the beauty of the show is that if presented the right way, full knowledge of the period isn't necessary to appreciate it. Many of the historical references are just that - quick references - and set the time period more than drawing heavily on them (ie the mentioning of the Crimean War during A1 S3). Of course, the whole bit about Hungarian independence is rather important and something that most Americans don't understand.

Perhaps an American production should do as the Viennese did, and include a couple pages in the souvenier programme that cover the life of the actual Empress.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 7:04pm

This thread is OLD, however, I just wanted to bump it today because I was lisetening to the show last night and this afternoon...how I wish it would come to NY or London...it's absolutely thrilling and brilliant!

Has there been any more talk about this show coming to NY? Or is it currently a lost cause?

[exedore]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:08am

It is still a lost cause.

However, there is a rumour that Kunze and Levay's new show "Rebecca" may be going to the west end in a couple years.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:12am

I thought it finally opened on Broadway. They rewrote it and call it The Pirate Queen. And you are right, Americans don't like it very much.

[exedore]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:52am

Wrong Elisabeth - this is Elisabeth of Austria, not England.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:54am

No wonder it doesn't make any sense!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 4:29am

What I find interesting is this...

Vienna and Germany produce faithful replicates of Broadway musicals spanning all the way back to "Oklahoma!" and Rodgers & Hammerstein.

But the moment America/New York comes to return the favour, they completely trash "Dance Of The Vampires"--a cultural phenomenon in Germany--and turn it into one of the worst Broadway shows in (nearly) 20 years. It was a mockery of a lot of people's hard work and invention; they took a beautiful iconic piece and turned it into something like "The Producers".

I can (pretty much) guarantee that if THAT happened in the upcoming German "Wicked" you'd never hear the end of it. Because they decided to rewrite the show to appeal more to Germany's tastes.

My 2 cents anyway.

I wouldn't expect any Kunze show on Broadway soon.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 11:14am

But the moment America/New York comes to return the favour, they completely trash "Dance Of The Vampires"--a cultural phenomenon in Germany--and turn it into one of the worst Broadway shows in (nearly) 20 years. It was a mockery of a lot of people's hard work and invention; they took a beautiful iconic piece and turned it into something like "The Producers".

Well, the blame really lies in the producers of the show, not on the whole of Broadway or America. American producers have done the same with Asmerican shows as well. Look at what happened to Jekyll and Hyde. Meanwhile, many shows from the UK have transferred virtually untouched.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 11:22am

I heard that now that she is pregnant she is not only going to have step down from The View, but also scrap plans for her musical. Which is sad because apparently Rosie had Tony nomination rumors surrounding her.

Akiva

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 11:41am

I absolutely love Elisabeth (and Pia Douwes), but I have to agree...the story is so rooted in European history and lore that I just don't think the general American public would buy it -- especially now. One could argue the same thing about Les Mis, but the current cutlure on Broadway is dominated by brainless, self-referential, spoof comedies. The time just isn't right for a show of Elisabeth's tone and type of score, regardless of the subject matter.

Meanwhile, the demo CD of "Rebecca" was recorded in English, so that's at least a positive step. And while I don't find Rebecca's score to be quite as distinctive as Elisabeth's, it's still a great listen.

[Urban]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:46pm

It is hard to imagine hearing this show not in German, having only heard the German recordings (I really have no grasp on the German language but I LOVE German Musicals - go figure). Still it is a nice dream to think of an English broadway album.

[SisiBelle]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:49pm

Rebecca is not nearly the show Elisabeth is. It's a lot more of a generic love story and lacks the excitement and originality of Elisabeth. Watching it, I almost felt like the creators were intentionally trying to create a lavish show that would be more accesible to foreign audiences. However, I think it would be even more likely to be killed with the current climate which favors light comedy, as has been stated... If an English language version of Rebecca were to fail, it would means even less a chance for Elisabeth to be done in English.

(I actually loved seeing Rebecca and I listen to it constantly... but it feels like a guilty pleasure)

The funny thing to me is that all the Kunze/ Levay shows have been quite successful in Japan (so successful that their lates show, Marie Antoinette, premiered in Japanese); it would seem that Japan would have less knowledge of European history than the US.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 12:51pm

With a hot well-known American star in the lead, I think the show could sell on Broadway. Either that, or some rather amazing staging that would generate must-see buzz. Other than that, it would be incredibly tough to get current American audiences interested in a European historical figure that is so little-known in this country (unlike say, Queen Elizabeth I or Marie Antoinette).

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 1:40pm

Pia sings Ich Gehoer Nur Mir as an "unplugged" balad version in English on the 10th Anniversary Concert cd. It's gorgeous, and he she almost no detectable accent at all.

[WordedGrace]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 1:42pm

Sigh...I thought it was about Elizabeth I without the shrill voice!

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/4/07 at 2:34pm

Phantom05: You pm'd me, but I can't respond...you have your pm feature turned off.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 3:36am

I have read the original English libretto of "Dance Of The Vampires" before it was translated into German. It was written in English for the American composer Jim Steinman. Once he had composed the score, Kunze translated the lyrics into German (what is *most strange* is that the English lyrics are very Steinman and, for all we know, he could have pitched in with a lot of them.) With that said, whoever *did* write the first English lyrics, they weren't very good. It sounds much better in German anyway; whoever does tackle the English lyrics for any future production will have to be good.