Mask: The Musical

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:23am

Should we be afraid!


Pasadena donning 'Mask'

The world premiere of the musical adaptation of the film "Mask" will take place March 14 at the Pasadena Playhouse.
With a book by the pic's screenwriter, Anna Hamilton Phelan, music and lyrics are being penned by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill, one of the longest-running songwriting teams in history. Their hits include "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "Walkin' in the Rain," "He's So Shy" and "On Broadway."

Premiere was originally scheduled for winter in Arizona, first in Tucson and then Phoenix, in a production by the Arizona Theater Company. The Phoenix company replaced "Mask" with "The Pajama Game," citing scheduling problems with Mann and Weill.

The Pasadena run ends April 13.

The Playhouse also added Austin Pendleton's "Orson's Shadow" to its schedule, running Jan. 18-Feb. 17.

"Orson's Shadow" is based on the true story of a 1960 meeting between Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier in a West End theater. Critic Kenneth Tynan proposed that Welles direct Olivier and Joan Plowright in Ionesco's "Rhinoceros," which turns absurdist once rehearsals begin.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:27am

Mask. As in the movie starring Cher? Not sure I see that as a musical...

Of course the same could be said for The Mask. Hmmm...

Updated On: 8/27/07 at 01:27 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:30am

I would be going with the Cher one.

What do you think the big 11 o'clock number will be called?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:31am

Not a clue. I can't even think of HOW that could be turned into a musical.
(I mean, obviously I know HOW literally ~ someone made it into one. I'm just not seeing HOW in the broader sense. But then again, having napped through watched a certain documentary, I wouldn't have seen how that could have been either until I saw it on stage.)

Updated On: 8/27/07 at 01:31 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:37am

LoL

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:52am

Oh my. I want to mock this, but I'll go to hell for it.

But can the opening number be "Mommy, What's Wrong With That Boy's Face?"

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 4:31am

The 11 O'clock number = You idiotic, green faced, hyperactive weirdo! It's a nice slow ballad...

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 4:58am

Wrong show Dramarama2,

I think they are talking about doing the Cher movie "Mask"




not the Jim Carrey one which is called "The Mask". Unless of course Rusty Dennis is channeling (sp) some untalented hack in Wicked.

Updated On: 8/27/07 at 04:58 AM

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 5:50am

Oooooooooohhhh! I'm with you now...

I was getting worried!

[Studmuffn520]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 12:38pm

they should do moonstruck! i want to see that hah

[me2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 5:17pm

Notice the press release avoids the mention of the movie. Perhaps they are using the true story as their only jumping off point.

I remember seeing this movie when it came out to theatres (I was about 7 or and really enjoying it. I bet it could make for n excellent musical.
Broadway Blog: Toward the Future, From the Past AND 50 Amazing Broadway Performers . . .

[tazber]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 10:10am

Any updates?

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 10:31am

I don't really know much about the Cher movie. Basic one sentence synopsis?

[tazber]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 10:34am

From IMDB:

A boy with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempts to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.

Eric Stoltz as her son:

Updated On: 7/29/09 at 10:34 AM

[SingingCats]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 10:44am

Wow...I mean, I guess it could be good. I can't tell how serious of a movie it was though, and I can't really picture Cher as a biker gang mother.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 10:51am

It's a good movie, and a drama. It's also a true story.

I can never see it working as a musical though. Maybe that's why there's been no news......

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 11:01am

I heard a few songs from it, and it actually had some nice songs.

I don't remember any reviews though.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 11:05am

"and I can't really picture Cher as a biker gang mother."

Incidentally, the real Rusty Dennis (Cher's part) was killed in a freak motorcycle accident in 2006.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 11:54am

"and I can't really picture Cher as a biker gang mother."

Cher was fantastic in the film. Has she ever really given a bad performance in a movie? Even her less than stellar films have great performances from her in them.

As for MASK: The Musical, the score (at least the version of it from about 4 years ago I know) isn't bad at all. There are a few really nice songs in it and just going by that demo, it could work nicely.
Updated On: 7/29/09 at 11:54 AM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 4:28pm

A friend of mine saw this and said the opening sequence was right up there with "In" from CARRIE.

Apparently a group of impossibly femme chorus dancers were made up in full-throttle S&M leather biker gear (complete with moustaches) and the show begin with them entering on fake motorcyles (like in WE WILL ROCK YOU) and singing a bizarre adult contemporary pop song. He said the combination of the performers, costumes and song created "the HIGHEST of camp", in his words.

I think someone on ATC was involved with it in some way because a post showed up a few months ago about this over there with some really interesting stories.

That's all I know about MASK, really.

P

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/29/09 at 4:33pm

There is a musical of The Mask, by the way. There's a cast recording and it's actually not that bad. "The Conga Cha-Cha Rhumba Samba" is a definite highlight.

http://castalbumcollector.com/recordings/7546