Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Hazel is Broadway Bound?
#1Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 7:24am
I saw the reading of Hazel and have my opinions about it. I also wonder how Reidel got so much power in the theatre world. He works for the NY Post which is a rag.
Riedel on Hazel
#2Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 8:41amI would call Hazel's Broadway-boundedness aspirational at this point. As to Riedel, I am not sure I would agree he has "so much power" but he is the best theatre gossip columnist in NYC, and he writes for the quintessential source of gossip in the city.
#2Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 8:50amAlthough I agree with you, it seems like he is reporting this as fact.
#3Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 8:58amwhat is it that he says that is not a fact? It is a fact that it is a Broadway-bound musical. That doesn't mean it'll get there. A show can aspire to Broadway all it wants, but as we know even some shows that book theatres don't make it to their destination.
#4Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 9:56amI really hope this makes it for the single reason that Klea Blackhurst needs to be on Broadway.
#5Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 9:58amKlea is a powerhouse! I wonder which of her musical vehicles will make it first? Hazel or The Nutty Professor?
#6Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 11:01am
Klea was wonderful at the reading, but the material is not as good as she is. If anything, I could see it Off Broadway but even there it's going to have limited appeal. I am a big fan of the show Hazel. There were lots of problems with the script. For instance... Hazel was Missy's nanny. That one reason she is so dear to the family. (Hazel never calls her Missy once in this production). In this script they spend the first half hour interviewing Hazel for the job. It's nonsense. There is a lot of storyline about UFO's which is just silly, and not in a fun way.
Yes, Klea deserves to come to Broadway but bring her back as DOLLY! Something worthy of her talent.
The first act of Hazel was nonsense. I would have left but I didn't want to seem rude. The second act is better. Hazel has two great songs but they give Harold a song, and this kid practically stole the show with it. It was the most exciting number in the evening. The whole show also ran too long. It seems it was close to 3 hours if I remember. 2:45 maybe.
Again.. it's not ready for Broadway by any means. Maybe The New World Stages. It's going to have limited appeal. I think people my age are going to have problems with it and it's not going to have much appeal to any other generation.
#7Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 11:16amone would think that the creators of shows exploiting existing material from other genres would have caught on by now that this is not an especially bountiful demographic. I agree it seems like something that might make more sense off-B, maybe even a notch down from NWS. Or in Florida.
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#8Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 11:31amI never even heard of this show-and I used to watch old television shows with my grandparents. That doesn't bode well. I would rather see Lucie play the title role as well.
#9Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 11:33amLucie is not even close to being right for Hazel. No matter what you do with this piece, that actress is going to be compared to Shirley Booth. I understand it was a comic strip before but most people who think about Hazel are thinking about the TV Show. It was quite a popular show in it's day, and of course SB won an Emmy for it.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#10Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/14/14 at 11:33am
Florida dinner theater should be its ideal spot
If Broadway is going for the young demographic, it would make no sense to bring this in.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#11Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/15/14 at 12:13amSo this is far off? Not like a surprise to be squeezed into the season? Though I guess if "Soul Doctor" can happen, anything is possible?
#12Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/15/14 at 5:54amI'm vaguely familiar with Hazel (thru reruns). I'm 53. I think the demographic for this show would be fairly limited. At best, it is viable possibility for off-Broadway. Although the character is lovable and endearing, I feel that Hazel's commercial prospects are questionable if you're talking about a Broadway run.
broadwayrocks2
Stand-by Joined: 1/10/08
#13Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/15/14 at 9:43amremember when Riedel actually put in print that Sting was doing the music for Spidey ?I do ... Hack, no fact check !
#14Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/17/14 at 5:17pm
All I can think of is this.
Hazel reviews Les Miserables
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05
Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28
#15Hazel is Broadway Bound?
Posted: 11/17/14 at 7:54pmThis reminds me of the late 90s when Broom Hilda was being developed for Broadway. There just isn't an audience for it. Why musicalize this property? Shirley Booth was the ONLY reason for watching Hazel in the first place. The "situation" of the "comedy" was never that interesting and didn't age well.
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