Joker's Song from Batman: The Musical — Page 2

"BAT OUT OF HELL: THE MUSICAL (to premiere in the West End) co-written with TERRY JONES of Monty Python fame."

Okay, is there anybody in any way involved with this who has the guts to say out loud: "DON'T BOTHER. IT'LL BE A HUGE FLOP!"?

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A show this size, which Jim has mentioned has got backing (there are producers working on it in the West End), will not happen over-night. But it will happen

Jim has been trying to do NEVERLAND since 1969

The versions of the show that are out there expresses something very bold and frightening, The Clockwork Orange of the musical theatre, very weird stuff. And of course most of the songs have gone on to become his greatest hits

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Both. BAT OUT OF HELL: The Musical *is* NEVERLAND

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It's not aimed at that traditional Broadway audience. Look at what happened when they tried that with Tanz Der Vampire, it scarred Jim for ages.

This is going against every tradition EVER. Whether it succeeds or fails is up to the public. Personally, I'd like nothing more than to see Jim's ultimate vision out there at last

And, if not, we'll always have the rest of his work, because all of it (in his words) is somehow tied to Neverland

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Updated On: 7/8/06 at 06:07 PM

The reason they won't use Neverland is because The Great Ormond St. Hospital wouldn't like the idea of Peter and the Lost Boys being horny teenagers

EDIT: Yeah, I know that seems like just a title-change. It is Peter Pan, in spirit, but it's also very Steinman... Completely different to the traditional story, only it remains the same essentially... that Peter falls in love with this girl called Wendy, she joins him on an adventure. His heart is broken when he comes back to her, one last time, and find she's a 60-year-old woman

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Updated On: 7/8/06 at 06:14 PM

So would I, to be honest, but... it will be interesting.

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LOL,

I find that viewpoint intriguing. And I have told the story of "Dance of the Vampires" oft' times.

Michael Crawford was an absolute monster when it came to D.O.T.V. He alienated everyone, including the creative team, (you should track down the interviews with author Kunze, they are REALLY interesting), to the point that Steinman felt rejected, watching his masterpiece torn to shreds

Tell me, if you were in the same position, when you're so obsessed with your work, would you not run? When it's something that passionate, and something you've been fighting for for thirty years, I'd go public and damn the guy to hell.

Crawford and his moronic changes, and all the hack producers, were the fault of that travesty. I say good luck to Steinman, he never deserved that stain on his career

EDIT: And I don't see why this thread has to become yet another "memory" of THAT show. That's not what I brought up at all

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Updated On: 7/8/06 at 06:48 PM

So, you think the most successful commercial musical to have come out of VIENNA (and that's the origins of civilized music, the Baroque era) is a MESSterpiece? I'm sorry, I must disagree.

Steinman did not approve of ANY of the (Broadway) changes wholeheartedly. He was manipulated and bribed by his management. Example, he wanted Chuck Wagner and Rob Evan for the role but, in the end, it was all about the mighty dollar.

And if Roman hadn't have been an escaped rapist he would have been in America directing the show and cutting out all the nonsense. Remember that Roman's work, too, is highly regarded - even won an Oscar (to which half the audience gave standing ovations and the others were seriously p!ssed).

As for the hacks, just look at the campaign. They should have closed after opening night.

I feel this was a learning experience for Steinman and one of the rare incidents of a "failure" in a career that has generated timeless hits, all of which have appealed to millions of lives worldwide (and saved them: I speak to people like that every month or so, and their stories are fascinating).

But I didn't come here to discuss Dance Of The Vampires. I came here to discuss the future, and to pass a long a recording that Jim so GENEROUSLY gave to us

Cheers,
R.L.

EDIT: No one laughed at Total Eclipse in Vienna. There, it was a powerful love song. On Broadway, it was Comedy Channel meets American Idol

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Updated On: 7/8/06 at 07:07 PM

I don't think I described it very aptly, to be honest. There's been so many different spins and interpretations of Jim's script (a transcript and bootleg of the 1977 production is available). The original production didn't even have anything to DO with Barrie's story, aside from the bizarre re-use of the names Tink and Wendy (Pete's name was Baal).

Later, as time went on, and it went around film-studios, they wanted a more traditional Peter. Steinman kept changing it. Then there were legal troubles. He changed it back to this show about a pack of "lost boys" escaping the metropolis of Obsidian.

Peter never loves Wendy, you're right - there is no element of him exactly "loving" her in the Steinman script, just constant rituals (the "wolf with the red roses" speech started out in Neverland), but it's hard to describe.

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Updated On: 7/8/06 at 07:20 PM

I assure you I am NOT Mr. Steinman. I am a simple fan, my fansite: www.freewebs.com/lordsteinman chronicles the achievements of Jim Steinman

Don't believe me? Trace my ISP

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YOU make me want to jump into an open grave and pull in the dirt behind me

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Oh LORD... There are not words... "Where does Venezuela get all that heat?"? I'm in shock...

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