Just For One Day: The LIVE AID Musical - Reviews, News and Discussion Thread

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 6:52pm

A couple of my friends in the UK saw this recently and have had nothing but PRAISE for it. Has anyone on here seen it yet? It sounds pretty good!

Updated On: 4/29/24 at 06:52 PM

[yyys]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 6:55pm

Another jukebox?

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 8:01pm

yyys said: "Another jukebox?"

Yeah. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 8:06pm

Seeing it early next month and I’m looking forward to it. Reviews have ranged from 1 star to 5 stars so i have no clue what to expect. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 9:22pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Seeing it early next month and I’m looking forward to it. Reviews have ranged from 1 star to 5 stars so i have no clue what to expect."

One of my friends who saw it said that it's one of the best things he's seen since SIX blew up. I also saw someone post on their social that said to think of this show like Come From Away but with "all of the most famous songs every written." Just hope we can get a cast album or even a West End transfer. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/29/24 at 8:03am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rialto-Chatter-LIVE-AID-Musical-JUST-FOR-ONE-DAY-Will-Transfer-to-Toronto-Is-Broadway-Next-20240429

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/29/24 at 9:19am

jacobsnchz14 said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rialto-Chatter-LIVE-AID-Musical-JUST-FOR-ONE-DAY-Will-Transfer-to-Toronto-Is-Broadway-Next-20240429"

Interesting. I thought they would've worked on it more, then do a West End run before going to North America. Heard the reviews were mixed, so I hope they've made the necessary improvements. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 4/29/24 at 10:58am

Unless this is something truly spectacular, I feel like this should be a BCEFA concert. 🤷‍♂️

It sounds like they are aiming to have at least Toronto and West End running for the 40th anniversary next year. Do we think it’ll come to New York by next July? 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 4:57pm

The show will transfer to the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre next summer after Doubtfire closes in April. Previews are expected to begin on May 15 with a special Gala night on July 13, the 40th anniversary of the original LIVE AID concerts. 

https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/just-for-one-day-to-transfer-to-the-west-end-with-lead-casting-revealed_1631090/

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 5:13pm

Hope this makes it to the U.S. I so remember that day. I was living in Philly. Couldn't get a ticket to see the Philly concert at JFK Stadium so a bunch of us sat at my place and watched both concerts live on TV. 

For anyone who has seen the musical, is it about the concert itself? It says it is about the day and the people united around it. So is there a story outside of the concert itself as part of the show?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 5:32pm

Ten percent of profits will go to the Band Aid charity.

That’s great, but shouldn’t it be more? Perhaps even all?

Famine has not gone away.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 5:46pm

It was about putting it together and the behind the scenes of getting it done. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to seeing it again. I also think it could do very well over here. 

[bway1430]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 5:53pm

In our house we call it JUST FOR ONE ACT because we fled at intermission. Awful book, badly concieved and nothing more than a jukebox musical pathetically aiming for relevance. 

The show will make a killing in bar receipts given the sort of crowds it attracted at The Old Vic but God, what a waste of a decent theatre.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 5:56pm

Sounds like that time Domhnall Gleeson played Bob in a TV movie telling the same story. Sounds good. Did Live Aid make as big an impression in the US as it did in the UK?

 

[William12]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 8:26pm

uncageg said: "Hope this makes it to the U.S. I so remember that day. I was living in Philly. Couldn't get a ticket to see the Philly concert at JFK Stadium so a bunch of us sat at my place and watched both concerts live on TV.

For anyone who has seen the musical, is it about the concert itself? It says it is about the day and the people united around it. So is there a story outside of the concert itself as part of the show?"

Others can probably explain it better than I could. It mainly focuses on the leadup to Live Aid, and the various challenges that Bob Geldof (among others) faced putting the event together. It's somewhat told through a modern day perspective, where people look back on Live Aid. Many of them were at Live Aid in various capacities and reflect positively about it, while there's a teenager who is more critical of it. Towards the end of the show, "Live Aid" the event does happen but it's not a major focus.

It's not perfect, but I enjoyed myself. The story probably isn't the strongest but it is fixable (assuming they do that), but the music is the star. They use all the songs from Live Aid but nobody impersonates the actual artists who were there, except for Bob Geldof and Midge Ure of course. For the most part, though, the songs are reinterpreted. So, there's nobody impersonating Freddie Mercury or David Bowie, etc.

I think this will do very well in England, and I could see it having some success in the US.

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 12:25am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Ten percent of profits will go to the Band Aid charity.

That’s great, but shouldn’t it be more? Perhaps even all?

Famine has not gone away."

You're right -- world hunger certainly hasn't gone away.

But this production isn't a charitable endeavor, like the Live Aid concerts were. And perhaps one could question the ethics of a commercial venture that's focused on the creation story of a charitable one (no irony lost there!) but Just For One Day isn't trying to accomplish what Live Aid (and Band Aid) set out to do. And after running costs are subtracted, there's most likely not going to be much for anyone, unless it becomes a huge hit. But that's still more than most productions contribute to charity from their profits. 

[William12]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 12:57am

TheatreMonkey said: "Jay Lerner-Z said: "Ten percent of profits will go to the Band Aid charity.

That’s great, but shouldn’t it be more? Perhaps even all?

Famine has not gone away."

You're right -- world hunger certainly hasn't gone away.

But this production isn't a charitable endeavor, like the Live Aid concerts were. And perhaps one could question the ethics of a commercial venture that's focused on the creation story of a charitable one (no irony lost there!) butJust For One Dayisn't trying to accomplish what Live Aid (and Band Aid) set out to do. And after running costs are subtracted, there's most likely not going to be much for anyone, unless it becomes a huge hit. But that's still more than most productions contribute to charity from their profits."

I agree with this. I'll also add on that in his article for Deadline, Baz noted that Band Aid gets 10% of every ticket sold. In addition, if/when the West End production recoups, Band Aid gets 50% of the show's profits.