HAIRSPRAY is next NBC Musical...- Page 28

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:34pm

ray-andallthatjazz86 said: "Kad said: "Yeah, I think people here really underestimate how much of a pull Underwood was."

I was one of them. Not being too familiar with her, I didn't think she was that much of a draw even though many on the board kept telling me she was (in my defense, people here have argued that Samantha Barks is a huge name, so...) Boy, was I wrong. Those numbers for THE SOUND OF MUSIC were spectacular, and it is clear that she was a huge draw unlike anyone they could get for these other shows. I will not underestimate Underwood's draw any time soon, now her acting...that's a whole other story.

 

It didn't surprise me when "The Sound of Music: Live" pulled in those numbers. Underwood has a pretty solid fan base - - - and rightfully so, she is very talented. I was underwhelmed by her acting though. That being said the cast of "Hairspray: Live" boasts not one, but several performers with very solid fan bases: Hudson and Grande being two and to a lesser extent Chenoweth and Hough throw in vets like Short and fan favorites Hayes and O'Donnell and you pretty much have the power to pull in a very broad demographic. That could mean big, big numbers for NBC come December. 

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:35pm

Grande's name alone will draw in large numbers. Her fan base is massive.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:35pm

Theater_Nerd said: "Liza's Headband said: "I would be shocked if any future musical broadcast surpasses the ratings from Sound of Music. It was "historic," in many ways, and simply cannot be recreated."

 

The rating for "The Sound of Music: Live" were pretty impressive but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if "Hairspray: Live" bested SOM's numbers.

It can be achieved. "Hairspray" just has to pull in more viewers than SOM and with that cast it's not an impossible feat. "

 

Since you seemed to just basically repeat your prediction without adding anything, I guess I'll repeat my take on your prediction and expand on it: it's not going to happen. Beyond the talent and the property, there's a major reason that broadcast attracted so many more viewers than the three live broadcasts since and Jeffrey has already said it, "It was the first live television production of a musical since 1957."

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:38pm

AKarp2013 said: "Grande's name alone will draw in large numbers. Her fan base is massive."

 

I really think you're going to be disappointed only because you fail to account for the critical importance of that one-time 'uniqueness' factor. You need only track the Sound of Music broadcast's hour-by-hour viewership (of total volume) to understand that. 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:41pm

Liza's Headband said: "Theater_Nerd said: "Liza's Headband said: "I would be shocked if any future musical broadcast surpasses the ratings from Sound of Music. It was "historic," in many ways, and simply cannot be recreated."

 

The rating for "The Sound of Music: Live" were pretty impressive but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if "Hairspray: Live" bested SOM's numbers.

It can be achieved. "Hairspray" just has to pull in more viewers than SOM and with that cast it's not an impossible feat. "

 

Since you seemed to just basically repeat your prediction without adding anything, I guess I'll repeat my take on your prediction and expand on it: it's not going to happen. Beyond the talent and the property, there's a major reason that broadcast attracted so many more viewers than the three live broadcasts since and Jeffrey has already said it, "It was the first live television production of a musical since 1957."

 

If you bothered to read my last post you would have seen that I did expand on my thoughts. Just because YOU say it's not going to happen doesn't make it so. Who the hell deigned you the BWW know it all or for that matter the know it all of anything, At the end of the day it's just your opinion and you know the old adage in regards to opinions right?

You are one nasty piece of work and I wish no longer to engage with you. You are extremely unpleasant, vile and odious to the nth degree. If you are anything in real life as you present yourself on these boards you must not have many friends. 

Now don't bother in replying as I no longer wish to engage with you on these boards. You will have the dubious distinction of being the very first board member I block. Congratulations.  

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:48pm

My apologies to the other board members for taking this thread into unnecessary territory but some people just really ask for it.

Onward and upward.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:53pm

Oh, lawd. What a drama queen. Child, get over it! 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:53pm

Kad said: "Yeah, I think people here really underestimate how much of a pull Underwood was."

 

I have very little familiarity with her, but it was very clear that the ratings were for her. Hairspray I'm sure will do better than Peter Pan, but I wouldn't expect it to do any better than The Wiz. Hairspray would need a megastar to even get close to TSOM's ratings. As said above, there were several reasons TSOM did as well as it did. 

  

My concern with these broadcasts is that while NBC is finally casting people who can perform the material, technologically and visually they are pretty bad. I remember the reason for the theatrical design was so that these aligned with their theatrical source material, but after TSOM they decided to not trust the source material. And the theatrical designs just don't work without the proper theater lighting. These look and sound more like musical soap operas as opposed to a special theatrical event. And now they are even devolving further by using the designs that will make it look more like a TV movie rather than a theater event. It's as if the powers-that-be don't grasp that Grease Live! wasn't successful because they filmed outdoors. But I'll wait and see. Hopefully Harvey doesn't screw-up the script as badly as he screwed-up The Wiz. 

[curel1]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 1:43pm

Fosse76 said: "
 

 And now they are even devolving further by using the designs that will make it look more like a TV movie rather than a theater event. It's as if the powers-that-be don't grasp that Grease Live! wasn't successful because they filmed outdoors. But I'll wait and see. Hopefully Harvey doesn't screw-up the script as badly as he screwed-up The Wiz. 

 

That's why I enjoyed Grease Live, it seemed more like a live movie musical while still being theatrical which I thought was really cool. 

Screw up The Wiz? He improved it

"

 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 1:55pm

curel1 said: 
 
"Screw up The Wiz? He improved it"

 

Lines like "You some kind of Eddie Murphy or something?", or the dialogue with her "mother" just before being attacked by Rumpus Cat rejects from the latest production of Cats? That improvement?

 

 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:04pm

I re-watched "The Wiz Live" a couple of weeks ago and I was severely underwhelmed with it. 

Their were glimmers of promise in some of the ideas and changes but the final execution of these ultimately fell flat. 

Their were also some extremely cringe worthy moments and that very line that Fosse76 cited was definitely one of them. 

The broadcast was inherently stage bound and lacked energy in several spots. 

It's going to go down with "Peter Pan" as one of the least remarkable of the live musicals produced.

Is it any wonder Zadan and Meron saw what the team of "Grease: Live" was able to accomplish and decided to go that route. It's evident that FOX trumped Zadan and Meron at their own game per se.

Yes, they may have been responsible for reviving the live TV musical, but with "Grease Live" FOX redefined it. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:16pm

^You do realize you're only in a minority opinion, right?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:16pm

You really need to learn how to properly use Their / There / They're.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:23pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^You do realize you're only in a minority opinion, right?"

Jeffrey, care to go into details? Just curious what the majority opinion is. I don't think anything Theater_Nerd said was extremely different from the opinions previously heard on this board.

He said (I'm encapsulating) - that Peter Pan sucked, The Wiz's new book was underwhelming after all the hype, The Wiz didn't work as conceptualized because it lacked the energy which an actual on-stage performance of the show should have, Grease Live elevated the standard of TV Live Musicals.

 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:25pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^You do realize you're only in a minority opinion, right?

 
Being in the minority or majority of opinions isn't of any importance to me. 

Updated On: 8/22/16 at 02:25 PM

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:26pm

Valentina3 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^You do realize you're only in a minority opinion, right?"

Jeffrey, care to go into details? Just curious what the majority opinion is. I don't think anything Theater_Nerd said was extremely different from the opinions previously heard on this board.

He said (I'm encapsulating) - that Peter Pan sucked, The Wiz's new book was underwhelming after all the hype, The Wiz didn't work as conceptualized because it lacked the energy which an actual on-stage performance of the show should have, Grease Live elevated the standard of TV Live Musicals.

 

Yes Valentina3. That is truly it in a nutshell. 

 

Updated On: 8/22/16 at 02:26 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:30pm

For one, The Wiz Live! has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes (the highest of any NBC musical at this point). Second, there was barely any hate-watching for it.

I rarely take any opinions of the BroadwayWorld forum posters into account because I think those opinions can sometimes be quite deceiving.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:36pm

How do you gauge "hate watching" though? Isn't that simply hearsay on forums? I'm not denying the sheer talent and some brilliant ideas which went into reimagining The Wiz, but out of the limited number of Live TV musicals we've had (what, 5?), it wasn't the best - subjectively speaking.

 

To bring the conversation back to Hairspray - I LOVED Martin Short's jacket.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:45pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "For one, The Wiz Live! has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes (the highest of any NBC musical at this point). Second, there was barely any hate-watching for it.

I rarely take any opinions of the BroadwayWorld forum posters into account because I think those opinions can sometimes be quite deceiving.

That may very well be Jeffrey, but you see, that's where you and me differ. I never have and never will base my personal opinions off of polls, internet web sites or for that matter the likes and dislikes of other people.

I base my opinion solely on my personal experience with the subject and/or material at hand.

I'm not asking anyone on here to like or dislike my opinion, or even to agree with me. I am stating just that: my opinion, and my opinion is that "The Wiz Live" was not up to snuff regardless of what's posted on Rotten Tomatoes. 
 

 

Updated On: 8/22/16 at 02:45 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:54pm

I'm not saying what to base your opinion on, I'm just saying that more people like it than dislike it.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 2:58pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "I'm not saying what to base your opinion on, I'm just saying that more people like it than dislike it.

I'm aware of that, but thanks for the info. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 3:01pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "I'm not saying what to base your opinion on, I'm just saying that more people like it than dislike it."

 

Fair enough :)

 

[Kad]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 3:15pm

I thought The Wiz was the best of this crop of NBC broadcast musicals, but that's not saying much. I think it was assessed on a generous curve.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 3:19pm

Did I miss who's playing Seaweed?

[degrassifan]

Posted: 8/22/16 at 3:56pm

Personally, I don't think Hairspray will surpass Sound of Music's numbers (I doubt anything will to be honest), but I think it will still do well.