Leap of Faith = Music Man?

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 7:27am

Maybe it's very late, and maybe I'm exhausted from the past 3 months of 9 show weeks...BUT:

Is it just me or does Leap of Faith's synopsis sound an awful lot like an updated version of The Music Man?

"When his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, part-time reverend and full-time con artist (Esparza) quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. The sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas' real challenge arises when he meets a pretty waitress (Shields) and her son, whose love forces an ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith."

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 8:26am

Music Man + Elmer Gantry = Leap of Faith

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 8:30am

Really though...just about any comedy/love story would be similar. It's a formula that works.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:42am

Also, Leap of Faith = Rainmaker/110 in the Shade.

Music Man = Rainmaker/110 in the Shade

and while we're on the subject: the movie SCHOOL OF ROCK = The Music Man.

Jack Black as a modern Harold Hill, Joan Cusack as a modern Marian. Only difference: he really does know about music, but he's not a teacher.
Updated On: 7/24/10 at 11:42 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:27pm

with Ashford directing it probably will be THE MUSIC MAN.
Did there appear any room for dance in the readings?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:51pm

CurtainPullDowner, I don't see how the story really lends itself to organic dance, but there are a lot of people cast in that ensemble who are dancers first and singers/actors second, so I imagine that's what Ashford is planning.

I find it really quite ironic that Alan Menken adapted both SISTER ACT and LEAP OF FAITH (and that both are coming to Broadway at the same time.) Both are about flamboyant performers acting as "phonies" in a religious setting who, by the end, are ultimately changed by the very people they're initially deceiving.

The musical idioms within both are completely different, but the parallels in the stories are very much the same.

Updated On: 7/24/10 at 12:51 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:57pm

Whatever

It looks very good & with Esparza very much worth a look.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 1:42pm

I'm with you Mr. Roxy...when I heard Raul was gonna be involved, I was sold.

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 2:15pm

Why has no one addressed how ugly-as-sin (lame pun) the marketing materials have been for this so far?

[QuiteSo]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 2:16pm

Sondheim put it best: "Musical comedies aren't written, they're rewritten."

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 4:32pm

"SISTER ACT and LEAP OF FAITH are coming to Broadway at the same time,"
Actually only SISTER ACT is coming to Broadway, LEAP OF FAITH could be a way-off, look how long it has taken CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.
You never know.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 4:57pm

I seem to recall that the ugly orange background for the LEAP poster has something to do with the Ahmanson season subscription materials?

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 6:20pm

With the preacher/tent revival aspect, I think we might see shades of VIOLET in there as well. At least, I hope we will.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 7:13pm

As others have said, yes, it fits into a formula, but the main plotline is grounded in some very big questions more than it is just the love story. It delves much more than the movie does into Jonas'... I hate this term, but for lack of one better, self discovery. He's more introspective in the musical than he is in the movie, and I think that lends itself to a big payoff. But that's the anchor of the story, to me, not "can he woo this hot girl?" somethingwicked captured it well, though obviously the specifics of each story are quite different.

Having seen one of the readings, I can't really imagine where much dance is going to fit in, let alone any big or flashy numbers. I'm kind of confused about that, since Ashford is directing and choreographing, as that leads me to believe there are going to be some. They didn't talk about that stuff at all at the reading I went to, but hopefully he won't go trying to shoehorn them in if they don't fit.

The artwork is hideous and I hope they change it for the eventual, fingers crossed, run on Broadway.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 7:21pm

The artwork is indeed hideous, and as advertising starts tomorrow, I'm afraid we're stuck with it at least for the LA run. *gag*

However, they did tone down the orange a bit. Here's what the logo looks like now, from the website.



There's still way too much orange for my taste.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 7:37pm

That's not as bad. The orange is still so odd to me. And the cloud thing is sort of generic, but not awful.

Whatever. Go team Esparza! Go mirror jacket.

Updated On: 7/24/10 at 07:37 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 9:01pm

Well Ashford has hired dancers for something and anyone who can stick businessmen in suits exercising into a solo number is capable of sticking anything anywhere.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 9:08pm

Exactly. I'm curious to see where it's going to go, and just hope it doesn't seem horribly out-of-place.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:09pm

Well...I'm assuming there will be some big "Feel the Spirit" number if he's an evangelist. That seems like the opportunity for some serious dance break time.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:16pm

Yeah, there is a big "stage the tent revival" number. I didn't really feel like it was built for a dance break, but the reading was very minimally staged, and if it could fit anywhere, I guess it would be there. I just picture it like they do gospel numbers in the movies, not something with random theatrical choreography, but, well, it is a musical.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/24/10 at 11:20pm

(Wtf, what happened to the "edit post" option? Was hoping to word that a little more clearly, but oh well.)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 1:12am

I'm not against the formula...there are only so many actual plotlines: it's the telling that makes it good or not. I'm rooting for this one.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 10:44am

So, doing the math. realistically the earliest this show could reach New York is Summer of 2011, and more likely later in the 2011-2012 season. Once the LA run is done Ashford goes into preproduction and is tied up till end of March with HOW TO....

Iwas very excited about this show when I first heard the score, I am not a Raul fan but I do believe he is a good fit for the role, (I, and probably the producers would rather have Hugh Jackman) I like Brooke Sheilds, but I can name 5 or 6 Broadway actress/singers who I'd rather hear sing it, I hope Sheilds proves to be more than just a "known" commodity. The rest of the cast seems very strong.
Ashford is a big problem for me, he has yet to show me he is a good inventive, creative director rather than a band leader.
I know Taylor Hackford was reportedly all at sea, but I think the show could use an edge he might have brought.
It appears they are going more and more commercial and less artistic, and that could cause inner conflict as well.
We shall see, I guess I have to call Jet Blue or wait a year or two to see.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 11:51am

You make a lot of good points, CurtainPullDowner. Their best bet would be an immediate fall transfer (November preview period/ December opening,) but I have a feeling theater availability is going to make that option an impossible one.

I'm not Raul Esparza's biggest fan either, but this is a role that very much plays to his strengths. He has a lot of charisma that he utilizes quite well, which is a key component to the character. If he keeps that jackhammer vibrato under control, he'll be more than fine.

I also agree with you on Brooke Shields. Her role isn't all that complex, so I'm sure she'll be fine, but it's a real shame they didn't keep Elizabeth Stanley- she was wonderful in the workshop she did (and retained her fabulous chemistry with Esparza that was on full display in COMPANY.)

As far as Rob Ashford goes, between his stagings of PARADE and PROMISES, PROMISES, I've yet to be convinced he's anything but a skilled choreographer who's in over head when it comes to directing actors. I completely forgot about all of his conflicts with HOW TO SUCCEED..., but considering the LA production for LEAP OF FAITH has already had a couple delays in scheduling itself, I'm sure they're well aware of the logistical nightmare in front of them.

Updated On: 7/25/10 at 11:51 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/25/10 at 11:56am

Yeah. The last "current" tentative dates I heard now conflict with the set dates for How to Succeed. If he went right from freezing How to Succeed into rehearsing Leap, they would be severely pushing the Tony deadline. I don't remember the exact dates offhand, but even that might be impossible. Once the H2$ dates were confirmed, I definitely became skeptical of Leap being able to happen this season. They could theoretically shift around their dates again somehow, but that's going to depend on how it goes out in LA, and on what theaters open up, because right now they don't really have many options anyway.

I am somewhat skeptical of Ashford, too, but I think I would much rather have him steering this thing than Hackford. I also feel like he hasn't really proven himself to have much strength as a director yet. The reading was really all about the material, there wasn't much of a way to tell how good or bad what he is going to do with it would be, other than that the performances, mostly, worked. Hopefully he will surprise us on this one, I really want it to come together well. The Raul factor, as it were, is no secret, but I really like this show. I was sort of indifferent to the idea having only seen the film, but I really like this show. I think it has a lot of potential, some interesting things to offer, and a damned good score.

(Oh, and Elizabeth Stanley was the only person I wanted to play the role. Oh well. And the out-of-town try-out of Leap of Faith has experienced several delays. The LA production itself has only been pushed back once, about a week. Just to be fair.)

I keep sort of idly looking at plane tickets, but I have huge ongoing schedule conflicts during the run and don't think it's going to be doable, or advisable in good conscience. I will have to be on the other side of the window for a change.

Updated On: 7/25/10 at 11:56 AM