FINDING NEVERLAND: The Musical Back on the Radar (Musical Team Announced)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 1:18pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114295.html

WOW! A superb choice for the project, I think!

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 1:19pm

Yep, yep yep. :)

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 1:31pm

This makes me sooooooo excited!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 1:35pm

Great choice for team.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 2:54pm

Very nice.

If I had one wish for this project, it would be that the musical be less overtly manipulative and more original than the film. I don't know if it'll happen, or even if it could happen, but I'm gonna' hope.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 2:58pm

^Eh?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 2:59pm

^Eh?

[tazber]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:01pm

I'm excited for a new score from these guys, but the idea doesn't thrill me. I thought it was a bland movie and will probably make a bland musical.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:07pm

^Eh?

I thought that the movie was very good, especially Johnny Depp's performance.

SPOILERS!





My only problem with it is that the story of J.M. Barrie was changed in many places, which wouldn't be a problem normally, but it was changed to make the story an obvious tearjerker. The most irritating of these changes (to me) was to let Sylvia (Kate Winslet) die at the end of the film, providing an easy emotional reaction, when, in real life, she lived for six more years after PETER PAN premiered.

I have no problems with the film being an optimistic portrayal of J.M. Barrie (at times, it feels as if the entire movie is portrayed in the world Barrie would have liked to live in), but just make it a little more original, and change some of the obvious "tear-up" buttons.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:16pm

Several historical innacuracies in the film. The most overt is that there were FIVE children, not four; the timing of Sylvia's death; the timing of Arthur's death; Michael being Barrie's 'favorite' - not Peter; etc.

However, I think Knee got the spirit right. He told their story in a very imaginative way (which Barrie would have loved), and sparked mainstream interest again in Pan.

[nitsua]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:22pm

Either way, the woman dies and either way, Barrie would've been there to comfort the children, so I don't see a problem with changing the timeline.

The last 10 minutes or so (Kate seeing the play, funeral, bench scene) tear me up every freakin' time.

It's one of my favorite movies and I can't wait for this! Here's hoping it previews on the West Coast!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:32pm

The film was largely fiction. Just the broadest of brushstrokes were true and the tale hardly had a happy ending.

There have been several books written on J.M. Barrie, and he sounds at best like a peculiar person and at worst like a child molester. At least one of those boys died a suicide, another drowned as a young man and another died in WWI. The surviving ones wouldn't talk about Barrie or Peter Pan.

Barrie looked nothing like Johnny Depp and more like a gnomish Danny De Vito which sounds like an overstatement, but find the book "J M Barrie and the Lost Boys" published 20-25 years back. There are photos as well as text.

The whole story is just creepy.

[ohjustjake]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:37pm

I actually didn't watch the movie completely - I remember putting it in but didn't watch the whole thing. But the idea of the team makes me excited for it :)

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 3:40pm

Well this pretty much owns anything else.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 4:36pm

This movie made me sob. I don't care how cliche it may be, I think I cried like 5 times. Even though I have it on DVD, I'm afraid to watch it again.

Can't wait to hear this score!!

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 4:42pm

J. M. Barrie folks.

And I just remembered that the only oscar win for this was for Score.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 5:21pm

WOSQ,

The biography was reprinted in an updated edition for the 100th anniversary of Pan.

And I wouldn't go as far as saying a LARGE amount. A LARGE amount of details, yes, and a few major plot points - but the story generally remains the same. I see no harm with what they did with the film.

[stupidmansuit]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 5:58pm

God I hope this doesn't suck.
I adored the movie, historical inaccuracies aside, it got the Peter Pan spirit right and thus rocked.
I didn't love Grey Gardens, and would like maybe someone known for a more "heart on sleeve emotional" composing, like a Stephen Schwartz or somebody, but I'll cross my fingers.

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 6:03pm

"and would like maybe someone known for a more "heart on sleeve emotional" composing, like a Stephen Schwartz..."

You'd rather see Schwartz adapt this than Frankel & Korie? Wow.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 7:02pm

Thank G-d this is happening!

It is going to be beautiful.

[me2]

Posted: 1/16/08 at 7:12pm

I always felt like I wanted to feel more emotion from the film. They tried so hard to avoid the obvious route they were going down that they cheated me.

I am excited for this. Entertainment first, accuracy second on this one, I say.

Broadway Blog: Advice to American Idol on Broadway Night Updated On: 1/16/08 at 07:12 PM

[stupidmansuit]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:02am

"You'd rather see Schwartz adapt this than Frankel & Korie? Wow."

The condescending tone is not called for.
But yes. It's a free world and we're all entitled to our own opinions. Have F&K done anything else? GG is nice, but the music, for me, is nothing memorable. I'd rather listen to "Wicked" or "Rags" over that most days. I'm sure you thinks that makes me have bad taste-- but for me, it's the reverse.
And, someone with a more schmaltzy/blockbuster tone/track record would be better for this. If this were a musical about J.M. Barrie's actual life, they'd be more appropriate, imo.

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:04am

I can't wait for this!

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:07am

The movie is FAR from schmaltzy or blockbuster. If you want an bio-musical about Barrie from Schwartz, please don't use "The Man Who Was Peter Pan" or "Finding Neverland" as the sourse material. Schmaltzy is nice, but hardy the flavor I would like in a bio-musical. Real people, real emotion.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:08am

stupidmansuit, did you see Grey Gardens live? Out of curiosity?