Houdyshell to star in MCC's CORALINE

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 8:59am

Jayne Houdyshell will play 9-year-old Coraline in David Greenspan and Steven Meritt's musical adaptation of Neil Gaiman's CORALINE.

Greenspan will also star, playing the Other Mother.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/theater/09arts-ANOTHERCORAL_BRF.html?ref=theater

[exedore]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 9:13am

I want to see this. I love me some Neil Gaiman.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 9:17am

yeah, I love stardust!!
I'm still hoping for some sort of adaptation of Anansi Boys!!!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 9:21am

I admit, being a huge Gaiman fan (and of his original novel) and this weekend being amazed by the film (see it in 3D! and I don't usually even like 3D) I thought the idea of a musical version sounded rushed.

Then I realized David Greenspan of all people did the adaptation and Stephen Meritt, the man behind the brilliant synth pop of Magnetic Fields did the music. Now add to this this bizarre casting chocie and I'm officially intrigued and very excited. Even if it flops, I hope we get a companion album

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 9:39am

She's been with the show for a while now. Glad she's staying with it.

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 11:51am

I have no idea where they're going with this, but it sounds super exciting. Does anyone know how they're approaching the show?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 12:35pm

I'm trying to remember what they said in the MCC promotional stuff they sent to get subscribers. I almost want to say puppets in places...but I'm not positive on that.

I hope to god it's better than the crap they're showing now. I'm seriously considering not re-subscribing after the bait and switch they pulled this year.

[butterflyblob]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 12:39pm

Is this based on the book and not the movie? I haven't read the book but I saw the movie this weekend and, while excellent, I can't see it being easily transferable to the stage. I'm curious--I love the Magnetic Fields and the fact that Stephen Merritt is doing the score gives me some hope. Sounds like it could either be amazing or hilariously awful.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 12:43pm

Since I would imagine they've been working on this probably as long as they were on the movie I'd guess it's based on the book.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 12:48pm

It's based solely on the book.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 1:01pm

Saw the movie yesterday in 3-D, and was blown away by it- !

Felt like you were part of the movie. The only other movie that I can compare it to as far as the 3-D effect was "Monster House"-

Truly brilliant !

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 3:04pm

I'm excited! I'll have to see both!

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 5:29pm

Ummmm.... Jayne Houdyshell(55) is going to play a nine year old?

[ozbwayfan]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 5:51pm

"Ummmm.... Jayne Houdyshell(55) is going to play a nine year old?"

Ummmm....yes, its make-believe, not real, art.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 5:54pm

A 55 year old making believe that she is nine?

[ozbwayfan]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 6:02pm

IMAGINATION. Grow one.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 6:08pm

I'm insanely excited to see how this works out. I absolutely adore Jayne Houdyshell, so I'll see her in anything. And I also happen to adore "Coraline." It works out well.

[Yero]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 6:24pm

Hmm.. interesting. I'm seeing this in May with the drama club at my school and I'm insanely excited. Now I'm even more intrigued.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 8:30pm

Well and a man's playing a woman. They're obviously thinking outside the box (interesting both the songwriter and playwright/actor have a history of works about gender identity/sexuality. So does Neil Gaiman--most obviously in his awesome Sandman comics, but not so much in Coraline though it is a bit about finding your place in the world...)

It's based on the book but considering how closely the film was based on the book any thoughts about the film should fit to this--and I could picture puppets for some of the characters for sure.

Pianolin, Gaiman did a good radio playa daptation of Anansi Boys himself. a movie was meant to be in the works but they wanted to cast it with white actors and not black and Gaiman objected (quite rightly). Also Stardust was an expensive film that didn't do that well (much better overseas though), though I expect liek that other comic fantasy flop Princess Bride it will or has already recouped on DVD.

His next project is a film adaptation of Death: the High Cost of Living his awesome spin off graphic novel from his Sandman series about Sandman's sister Death--it should be perfect for movies (various screenwriters have tried to adapt various of the volumes of Sandman for movies--usually turning it into a dumb sounding horror film but thankfully none have been made)

[Kad]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 8:35pm

This is shaping up to be a very interesting adaptation. I can't wait to see how they handle the visual aspects of the show.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 8:39pm

"Pianolin, Gaiman did a good radio playa daptation of Anansi Boys himself. a movie was meant to be in the works but they wanted to cast it with white actors and not black and Gaiman objected (quite rightly)."

ok, I read it last summer, so I forget the names, but I, for some reason, pictured the main characters as White.. but I can see why he wants them black but I would LOVE for it to still happen!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/9/09 at 9:30pm

Well the fact they were sons of an African God (and there were mentions of race a few times) you skipped over those parts?

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 2:31am

I can't wait. I have tix.

Jayne playing Coraline? Fascinating.

Question: Does anybody know if the rights to the book were sold first to the musical peeps, or to the flicks?

It just seems strange that Hollywood and Off-Broadway would have access to the same property.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 8:20pm

Well the movie was in the making for a LONG time--the book is from 2001-2002 I think. So I suspect the movie was done first but ti's not like Disney or a big company--ti was made by a small film company and then sold to a distributor so they prob wouldn't have the interest or desire to pay for rights in other genres. Gaiman has a big love for theatre (musicals and opera too included) and probably was exicted to hear of a somewhat bizarre musical take wanting to be made of his work

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 8:21pm

"Well the fact they were sons of an African God (and there were mentions of race a few times) you skipped over those parts? "

Lol see I never put two and two together. Since they were from England, I assumed.. which I shouldn't have lol