Fame the Musical -1988 WOW

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/5/07 at 8:09pm

Just had to say that i know Fame has got a bad rap in the states but did anyone ever see the first ever production at the Coconut Grove Playhouse?

I managed to watch a copy of this the other day and WOW they were on the right track.

The set was interesting the score had a lot more of a Fame feel to it, the choreography was great and the show was a lot more grown up.

Sure it still had its campy moments but no where near what it is now.

Ive always defended Fame as i did this show for 2 years but i went to see it tonight on tour here in the UK and the show has just got Cheap and tacky.

Even when the show first opened in the UK it was a lot smarter and down to earth than the kiddy production its come now.

If they had it on track on its original try out why change it?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/5/07 at 8:25pm

I loved the Off Broadway version of this show. The dancing was fantastic. A top notch cast of triple threats.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/5/07 at 8:29pm

I never saw the Off Broadway show but from what we were told it was pretty much a carbon copy of ours(UK)

The 88 one though stands head and shoulders above them all, it plays a lot more like the Film than the campy TV show.

The act 1 finale in the 88 production was amazing with all the kids rioting on stage due to Tyrone been kicked out(lockers over turned ,papers flying everywhere and books ripped up)

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 4:52am

"I managed to watch a copy..."

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:24am

This version was written by David Da Silva, with a book by Jose Fernandez and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The music was by Steve Margoshes. I don't think they were all British, I could be wrong, but some names sound hispanic to me.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:31am

Steve Margoshes is a well-known American musician. He orchestrated "Big River", "Tommy", "Grease" (the 90s revival), "Smokey Joe's Cafe", "Tanz Der Vampire" in Germany, "Aida", "Taboo", "Good Vibrations" and "Lestat", among others. He first got his start as a musical director on "Rainbow", a sequel to "Hair" (the adventures of Claude in Rainbowland LOL). Then he and the singer Meat Loaf auditioned for "More Than You Deserve" where he became orchestrator to composer Jim Steinman's tunes. Margoshes is most known, outside "Fame" and his orchestral work, for his collaboration with Steinman, the father of gothic pop ballads. He arranged all the orchestral parts on "For Crying Out Loud", the last track of Meat Loaf "Bat Out Of Hell". Great, great, awesome guy.

It'll be interesting to see how "Fame Forever" goes...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 5:42am

Ok, Steve is American, but what about the other creators?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 6:55am

I think everyone on board is american but they have just done more with the show in the UK because of its success here 10 YEARS ITS NOW ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING SHOWS IN LONDONS HISTORY WOW.

Fame forever should be interesting, it opens in Edingbourgh in april then is doing a few more venues

I kinda hope the show is a bit grittier and more like the film but i doubt it will, it gets camper and cheaper with every UK tour grr.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 8:31am

I have a bizarre fad with musical sequels. I'm really interested in how this will go

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 9:27am

Saw the national tour of Fame several years ago. It was, without a doubt, the worst show I've ever seen and I've seen hundreds of professional performances on Broadway, off-Broadway, national tours, Stratford, the West End, etc. It's the only show where I seriously considered leaving at intermission. Painful.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 10:41am

I rather enjoyed the tour when I saw it in Fort Worth in 2004.

In the OLC, didn't the kid who played Peter in the BBC Narnia films play Nick?

Posted: 4/7/07 at 8:17pm

Was the 1988 version a different show or did it have the same songs, etc?

We did this show in a Summer theatre camp when i was 17 and me and most of the cast thought the writing was just so horendously awful to be embarassing. The only good thing was it gave us a lot of opportunities for dancing--but I mean from what I remember you have stuff like the main girl getting crushed by a subway train while high on LSD which is IMMEDIATELY followed, with no real aknowledgement, by the hopeful finale number, or the guy who for *three years* opeople think he's gay but it turns out he's just shy...

E

[jennelly-bean2]

Posted: 4/7/07 at 8:18pm

i remember doing the show
never saw it though which is really sad cuz i would have liked to