Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production

[Yankeefan007]

Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#1

Posted: 11/16/09 at 10:08am

Beginning April 1 at the Gielgud in advance of an April 14 opening.

http://www.theatermania.com/london/news/11-2009/broadway-company-of-hair-to-transfer-to-londons-gi_22851.html

[mywonderwa11]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#2

Posted: 11/16/09 at 10:24am

Wow. Has this ever happened before?

"Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is but it is gonna be great!"

[bjh2114]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#2

Posted: 11/16/09 at 10:48am

So are they going to close the Broadway one or just completely re-cast it? I am leaning towards the former.

[Marquise]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#3

Posted: 11/16/09 at 10:49am

Isn't there a thread already covering this topic?

[givesmevoice]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#4

Posted: 11/16/09 at 11:17am

Wow. Has this ever happened before?

Yes. Both The History Boys and Hamlet transferred here with their full cast intact.

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#5

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:27pm

They're completely recasting the Bway production. Should be interesting.

[AC126748]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#6

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:30pm

The Hamlet cast, while all British, isn't the same cast from The West End. Geraldine James replaced Penelope Wilton as Gertrude, and there might have been a few other changes, as well.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#7

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:33pm

I wonder if they'll snag Eden Espinosa the second time around.

[LizzieCurry]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#8

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:33pm

That seems expensive.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#9

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:38pm

Mmm, I could do without Espinosa as Sheila.
I think it's insane that they are re-casting the whole Broadway company and I really do wonder who they are going to get. Was Hanke a good Claude at the park? I'd love to see him in the role.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#10

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:41pm

MAYBE they'll be able to get Groff now? Just a random thought.

[AC126748]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#11

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:44pm

They didn't want him the first time around. Why would that change now?

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

[perfectlymarvelous]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#12

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:56pm

AC, I know they also replaced the Laertes...I'm not sure who played the part before Gwilym Lee but it wasn't him.

[millie_dillmount]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#13

Posted: 11/16/09 at 12:58pm

"They didn't want him the first time around. Why would that change now?"

I thought he didn't want it so he could do other projects.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[Robert Taylor]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#14

Posted: 11/16/09 at 1:00pm

Boo for us, yay for them.

[AC126748]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#15

Posted: 11/16/09 at 1:02pm

I was told (by someone who is usually very reliable) that Groff wasn't offered the role, and the whole scheduling conflicts line was a patent courtesy. This could, of course, be inaccurate, but this friend has never been wrong in the past.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#16

Posted: 11/16/09 at 1:12pm

I have heard, from very, very reliable sources, the complete opposite. The "conflicting schedule" story was true. The producers were waiting on Groff and wanted, very much, for him to be a part of the Broadway production.

[jeffmiele]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#17

Posted: 11/16/09 at 1:37pm

new cast coming to broadway

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/completely-new-cast-join-hair-broadway-march-2010/

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#18

Posted: 11/16/09 at 1:47pm

I thought Groff declined to be part of the Broadway production due to the poor salary they were being offered given the financial issues the production encountered when they were trying to transfer.
Either way, I wonder who will be playing Claude. Also, I can't imagine this production of HAIR without Will Swenson's Berger...any ideas for his replacement?

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[sgv123]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#19

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:11pm

I am sad they they are all leaving (and in 1 performance at that). I cannot imagine what the show will be like come March 9th.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#20

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:12pm

I agree. I'd love to fly to NY just to see them perform on Broadway one last time. I'm sure that final performance will be even more electric.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[sgv123]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#21

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:17pm

Does anyone have any guesses on when the final performance might be? March 8th or will there be a small gap until the new cast starts?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#22

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:23pm

If they're recasting the ENTIRE show and if the ENTIRE cast is leaving on the same day, then I don't think they'll be a pause in between unless they cancel the performances.

[Luv2goToShows]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#23

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:27pm

March 8th is a Monday, unless they are planning a special finale for the Original Cast. Wonder if there will be any preview shows with the new cast before the March 9th debut. Going to be interesting.

[mywonderwa11]

re: Entire Broadway company of HAIR to star in London production#24

Posted: 11/16/09 at 2:28pm

givesmevoice - I know things have transferred HERE before with the full cast in tact, but have things from Broadway ever transferred THERE before with the full cast in tact?

"Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is but it is gonna be great!"