Interesting Facts You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Shows..- Page 3

[Jon]

Posted: 10/13/06 at 7:18pm

In the original London cast of OLIVER (which was before Broadway), the role of the undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, was played by Barry Humphries, A.K.A. Dame Edna.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/13/06 at 8:00pm

I have a copy of the OPENING NIGHT program for "Cantebury Tales" which is a full musical based on Chaucer's Tales. Not once, anywhere do they mention ONE THING about the music. There is no list of the songs, or who sung what. At first glance, I thought it was a straight version of the story, until I compared dates and cast. The composers and lyrisists are mentioned, but nothing about their work (and all pages are intact). Strange.......

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/13/06 at 10:44pm

Any other facts or stories about OLIVER! ?

I am directing the show right now, and this upcoming week is Tech Week. During tech week when we have to hold I like to tell the cast stories or facts about the show that we are doing.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/13/06 at 11:13pm

For Contact, there was to be only one story(the third/main one with the girl in the yellow dress). Susan Stroman thought the show needed to be longer and thus they added the first two parts.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/13/06 at 11:19pm

can't think of anything for the OLIVER! stage production, but I do know that the film version had a few interesting casting ideas. Richard Burton was originally rumored to have been cast as Bill Sikes, while Fagin almost went to Peter Sellers. Liz Taylor was mentioned for Nancy but not too seriously

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 5:17am

Yeah, lildogs, that's from Zadan.

A bit more about the genesis of "Anatevka": Originally, the music was for a song titled "A LIttle Bit of This," which was for a different situation. A peddler comes to Anatevka and when he's leaving, the people try to persuade him that it's a wonderful town and he should stay.

In the Dramatists' Guild discussion of the show among the authors it's a little unclear just how it became "Anatevka" because they don't make clear when they're talking about the version of the number with the peddler and when they're talking about what seems to have been a happier song, using that melody, that was for the moment when they finally sang the song we know as "Anatevka." In the discussion, it sounds like the melody was first used for the number with the peddler, then was moved to expulsion scene but was still uptempo (with the villagers using pots and pans and household utensils and tools as instruments), then finally was slowed down and became "Anatevka." But I'm not sure this is quite correct. I think that the Altman book on the show may be clearer about all this, but I don't have a copy.

Robbins was very concerned that there should be dancing in the second act. Originally, the "Chavaleh" ballet went on for about 10 minutes, with Tevye reeling about the town in agony. It was a big sort of nightmare ballet.

Anyway, about Oliver!: Barry Humphries (who can be heard singing "That's Your Funeral" on the original London cast recording) also did the show on Broadway and understudied Fagin. Years later, he did a stint as Fagin in the Mackintosh-Mendes production.

Lionel Bart later had terrible financial problems and sold his royalties to Oliver! for a flat fee just to get some money immediately. Mackintosh supposedly made sure that he got royalties for that revival anyway, which was good of him.

The original London production used about 12 musicians. The Imperial had a minimum of 25. Merrick didn't like the sound of the score with 25 musicians, so musical director Don Pippin just never had all the musicians play at once so that it was always the same number of musicians as in London at any single moment, but over the course of the show they all got to play.

[Colle]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 8:24pm

Broadway Matt, those Les Mis facts you shared are interesting. I didn't know a member of Rockapella was in Les Mis. I loved the "Where In the World in Carmen Sandiego?" game show, Rockapella sang the theme song and gave clues on it. Did anyone here get to see Kevin Wright when he was on for Marius?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 8:41pm

The team for 110 in the Shade wrote somewhere along the line of, like, 100 songs for the show- I believe.

[JLY's Jersey Gal]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 8:42pm

Two JERSEY BOYS facts that didn't know.

1. Frankie's daughter Francine dies at age 22 and the song Fallen Angel is about her death.

2. Joe Pesci introduced Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi ,and Frankie Valli to Bob Guadio.


An Avenue Q. fact I didn't know.

1. Rod and Nicky are based on the puppets Bert and Ernie

[SahDu]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 9:12pm

[Quote] Regarding the title song of Oklahoma!: I'd think that if it was encored 14 times on opening night, that would be mentioned in Max Wilk's book on the show and it's not. I don't think I've ever read it in any account of the opening night. So I kind of doubt that happened. Do you remember where you heard or read this? [/Quote]

I apologize for the lack of specificity. This was the London production in 1947, not Broadway.

"When he played Curly in "Oklahoma" the audience called for 14 encores and the curtain call of this stage musical lasted nearly one hour."

http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/06/08/fea15.asp - Scroll down to the part about Howard Keel. There are various other sources online. Again, I apologize for the confusion!

Updated On: 2/15/14 at 09:12 PM

[RICRoyal2010]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 9:22pm

West Side Story was originally entitled East Side Story and was about a Jewish girl and an Italian man at the time it was written the plot wasn't hitting home enough so it was changed.

Also, an Italian opera singer was originally chosen as Maria (i'm not sure whether it was movie or bway) i do know that she had to decline the role i believe it was due to scheduling conflicts

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:31pm

Thanks for the clarification, SahDu.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 10:49pm

Colle, yeah Kevin was in the show for a short while but only went on as Marius a few times. I'm a major Rockapella fan (seen them live almost 10 times now, often driving several hundred miles and one time getting on a plane to make a concert). Kevin still talks about the show and his relationship with Ms Gibson during some of his between-song banter. And for everyone's benefit, it should be known that these guys are so much more than just the CARMEN SANDIEGO guys or the FOLGERS coffee guys. The group has had several member changes over the last few years and are actually better than ever- beautiful original material and delicious arrangements of old standards. Kevin is still there, but no original members remain. Of course even on CARMEN only 1 or 2 of them was in the original group that started at Brown University. In any case this is off-topic and I apologize. But I encourage everyone to pick up a few Rockapella CD's or see them in concert if u wanna hear some amazing vocals.

[alicia_11212]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 11:13pm

The touring Elphaba that was injured in a technical run was Stephanie J. Block. So they flew in the NY understudy (ensemble member) and she filled in for a show (or two). Then Jenna Leigh Green was Elphaba for a time. Something like that.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 12:40am

Carousel (Film):
Gene Kelly was originally offered the role of Billy Bigalow in the film adaptation of Carousel, but he turned it down. (I don't have a source but it was mentioned in a class lecture.)

Les Mis:
-The song that became "On My Own" originally belonged to Fantine, and was one of the first songs in the show. Fantine still sang what became "I Dreamed A Dream." Eponine had a different song in the second act. It's tune no longer remains in the show.
-Marius's father once appeared in the show.
-Frances Ruffelle was not originally offered the part of Eponine in the Broadway cast, however the actress they wanted turned the role down, and Macintosh made a plea to get Frances the role.
-In the original Broadway cast the same actress was listed as an understudy for both Gavroche and Eponine.
-Colm Wilkinson was originally offered the role of the Phantom in POTO before Michael Crawford, however he was also offered Valjean in Les Mis and had to choose between the two.
-Cosette had another solo song in the original London production called "I Saw Him Once." It came right before "In My Life" and I'm guessing it was cut because she's sings about the exact same things she sings about in "In My Life" and "A Heart Full of Love."

Phantom of the Opera (Film):
-Hugh Jackman was originally offered the part of the Phantom (but had to turn it down due to Boy From Oz). Anne Hathaway was originally offered the part of Christine (but had to turn it down because of her Princess Diaries II contract).

Wicked:
-Dancing Through Life replaced a song called "Which Way Is The Party."

Light In The Piazza:
-Celia Keenan Bolger played Clara, and Kelli O'Hara played Franca originally in LITP.

The Pirate Queen:
-Was originally supposed to preview and open in Dublin, Ireland.
-Originally had Colm Wilkinson attached as Grace's father


Updated On: 10/15/06 at 12:40 AM

[Act4ever]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 12:55am

I like the fact that "Tomorrow" from ANNIE was initially in the Charles Srouse musical CHARLEY AND I (or and ME or something based on Flowers for Algernon) But it was taken out of that because it wasn't working and shoved into ANNIE... now one of the most well known songs of all time (if I had to guess)

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 1:02am

ugh, FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON (1979). just another bad and unnecessary adaptation. what a waste of young Michael Crawford's time that was! I never knew the TOMORROW thing tho, thnx. do u know what character was supposed to sing it?

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 1:08am

In several productions, it is common that the title song to "The Phantom of the Opera" is not sung live...

Can someone remind me of that actress that was in two shows at once and ran from theatre to theatre?

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 1:52am

Cynthia Nixon, right?

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 2:34am

Yes, Cynthia Nixon was in Hurlyburly and The Real Thing simultaneously. She had just one scene in the latter and the timing worked out.

Back in the summer of 1972, Richard Dysart and Charles Durning would head up to the Delacorte to play the gravediggers in Hamlet after they were done in That Championship Season, and Raul Julia would run up to play Osric after Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Never heard that about Gene Kelly and fhe film of Carousel.

What is definite is that Frank Sinatra was signed to play Billy and walked off the set, I think on the day that he was to begin shooting. His stated reason was that he didn't realize that every scene was going to have to be shot twice, once in 35mm Cinemascope and once in a new 55mm process, and he refused to shoot two movies while getting paid for one. But many people believe that this was just an excuse, that he realized that, despite how well he could sing "Soliloquy," he would be miscast as Billy Bigelow.

[alicia_11212]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:09am

Eponine: I think it was "Which Way To The Party", not "which way is..'"

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:16am

oh, i heard that thing about Anne Hathaway for the POTO movie
she wouldve done great as Christine!!!

:)

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:19am

i was just reading on imdb, and i know this isnt really a Broadway fact, but Alyson Reed who played Cassie in the A CHORUS LINE film played Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher, in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
:)

[JLY's Jersey Gal]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:37am

Phantom of the Opera facts
1.The title song is lip synced (it's true)
2.They need a Phantom and Christine doubles for the boat scene so that the other Phantom and Christine can get to that scene by going backstage. that is true and that doesn't make any since to me one bit!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/15/06 at 10:45am

The Phantom and Christine don't lipsynch the entire song, really only the end.

And I believe they only use body doubles when they have to appear to be running across the bridge upstage.