Kristina Fran Duvemala

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:48am

Last I heard this was supposed to go into the Broadway Theatre after "Color Purple."

Is a Broadway or any kind of NYC run completely dead in the water now? Dug my Swedish cast album out last night and fell in love with the music all over again.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:24pm

More info on the subject...

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:28pm

Does that show have the song "Du Maste Finnas"? I heard it on Elaine Paige's radio show & loved it.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:31pm

Yup--and there's a video of Helen Sjoholm (Kristina) singing it on YouTube...

[Salene]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:20pm

Alice Ripley recorded an English version.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:50pm

The show has been delayed as B & B were engaged in a lengthy court battle, in which they eventually prevailed.

I cannot imagine B&B would put themselves through such a legal purgatory if they did not intend to see the show performed.

The last I heard was that preparations were being made for a concert on Broadway
in the fall to gauge how much tweaking it would take.

(Checkout "Guldet Blev Till Sand" sung by Peter Joback. it's on youtube also. I'd prefer the live concert version. There are three--one even employing the song in a "Brokeback Mountain" sort of tribute to the late Peter Duell.)

The piece is pretty heavy and American investors believe it's on the sad side for U.S.
audiences (as if "West Side Story" was "Hairspray") but that won't stop B & B who could finance the thing with pocket change.

I've got the three-C.D.-set and have been burning copies for friends as fast as my iMac can crank them out.

The reviews have been unanimous and echo Trevor Nunn's sentiment that it is far and away the best music produced for the theater in at least a decade.

Sorry, "Billy Elliot" fans. By any standard, musically it's a masterpiece.

Updated On: 6/24/08 at 05:50 PM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:59pm

"Sorry, "Billy Elliot" fans. By any standard, musically it's a masterpiece. "

What does this remotely have to do with "Billy Elliot?"


I'd love to see a full English production of this show. The score is so...score-y.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 6:58pm

The score's a triumph. Would love to see it here...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:33am

I've got the three-C.D.-set and have been burning copies for friends as fast as my iMac can crank them out.

Not a good idea to announce that here.

Sorry, "Billy Elliot" fans. By any standard, musically it's a masterpiece.

Are the shows competing against each other? Did someone make a comparison? Was there a Billy Elliott fan who told you Kristina sucks? What the hell are you talking about?

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 10:40am

Hope the concert actually happens..I've been a fan of the music for over a decade and would love it see it in some way, shape or form...it even inspired me to read the books its based on!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 10:49am

The music is great, but the story will not sell here, imo.

Somehow B&B managed to recreate the failure of Chess...best score in a decade with a book that doesnt work...at least in the US.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 11:39am

Re: What has this got to do with "Billy Elliot"?

Since "Billy Elliot" hasn't arrived here yet and I can only go by what I've heard in the U.K. from so many people , I would have thought Billy Elliot, across the board, was the greatest thing to his the stage musical since Rogers and Hammerstein.

That was the reference.

Five or six years ago "Jerry Springer the Opera" was though to be a work of consumate musical theater having taken down all those Olivier Awards and today you can't find it with two pairs of binoculars.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 11:45am

The time and emotional arc of the 4 novels from which it is taken is INTENSE. I'd be interested to see how they condensed it. I adore the one song I've heard from it though.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 11:47am

Re: Recreate the failure of Chess... .

Did you see the show in Sweden or the concert in Minnesota?

Do you have any inside information on how they are reworking the book?

If you had heard the original concept album of "Les Miserables" you would have buried it. It was almost unlisteneable.

Most of all, you are ignoring a critical factor in this show's potential success.

The collective power of Abba fans.

Now, you could say that they were there, too, for "Chess" but Chess was undone by the book.

I've dished out enough of these C.D.'s along with synopsis and not one person has sadi, "The music is gorgeous but I wouldn't go see it."

Furthermore, find a recording of Alice Ripley doing Du" Maste Finnas" and listen to the ovation. She doesn't hit a home run with that song and the audience still goes wild.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 11:56am

If the song you're talking about is "You Have To Be There" (I've only ever heard the English title)... If that's not a home run, I'm scared to see what is. If you want to hear Alice do it even better than on "Raw At Town Hall" let me know via PM. :)

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:04pm

"Du Maste Finnas/You Have to Be There" is the showstopper...tried to search out Alice's version on YouTube but found nothing, but look for Helen Sjoholm's version...that's a grand slam.

Found Alice's version...very impressive, but I still prefer Helen's. Helen's performance is more defiant, if that's the right word, and I like her voice more. Updated On: 6/24/08 at 12:04 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:39pm

Since "Billy Elliot" hasn't arrived here yet and I can only go by what I've heard in the U.K. from so many people , I would have thought Billy Elliot, across the board, was the greatest thing to his the stage musical since Rogers and Hammerstein.

But that still doesn't explain your apology to Billy Elliott fans and the Kristina score being a masterpiece. I still don't know what you were getting at. Did Billy Elliott fans imply that the Kristina score is terrible or something? It makes no sense. I saw Billy Elliott and it is indeed a nearly flawless show (this from someone who originally had no interest in it whatsoever). But I also love the Kristina score.

Five or six years ago "Jerry Springer the Opera" was though to be a work of consumate musical theater having taken down all those Olivier Awards and today you can't find it with two pairs of binoculars.

There was the production in Chicago and the concert at Carnegie Hall, right? I mean, I don't think anyone really thought it would automatically wind up in a commercial Broadway production to begin with. Especially since it is an entirely different type of show that is considered highly controversial. And I dn't remember Jerry Spinger being considered consummate musical theatre at all. Most of those who raved about the show admitted it had flaws (especially in the second act), but it does have a gorgeous score.

I've dished out enough of these C.D.'s along with synopsis and not one person has sadi, "The music is gorgeous but I wouldn't go see it."

Are you asking to get this thread deleted?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 1:20pm

I was in the audience you are hearing on the recording of Alice Ripley's concert performance of "You Have to Be There" and it was quite good...she explained that she is workshopping the tagalong whore part, not Kristina, so it was her opportunity to tackle the showstopper...

Eagleman, if you are one of the producers, I didnt mean to offend, and it could have a good book, but it seems ponderous and not a story the American audience will take to...sure, I could be wrong...I thought Chess was going to be great, but I didnt know they were going to make the original book even worse.

Les Miz = one novel
Kristina = four novels = too much

just my opinion...you dont have to like it.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 2:51pm

No offense taken, Doodle.

I suppose I'm afraid you might be right in the long run. The street is fickle. Who would think "Ragtrime" would have a shorter run "Buddy"?

For what it's worth the Trilogy is shorter than Les Miserables; it might have been as long but the fourth novel was not included.

As far as the copying business goes, the fair use doctrine is going to be tested and the
initial ruling will eventually be reversed. There is so much to this story the general public doesn't know--in a legal sense--that won the day for the recording industry but which now has them on the clock.

Updated On: 6/24/08 at 02:51 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 3:59pm

Who would think "Ragtrime" would have a shorter run "Buddy"?

Wait..what? Ragtime had nearly 4 times the number of performance of Buddy on Broadway. Or are you talking about the West End?

she explained that she is workshopping the tagalong whore part

It's like poetry.

Updated On: 6/24/08 at 03:59 PM

[Eagleman]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 5:12pm

The West End run at the Novello which ran for seven or eight years.
Updated On: 6/24/08 at 05:12 PM