New ABBA guys' musical replacing Color Purple at Broadway?- Page 2

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 1:52pm

I am ALL for Kristina finally making it to Broadway! I just hope it won't be too-quickly branded as "too big" or "too serious," since it's not one of those infamous "feel good musicals." I love Chess -- it has both camp value and some great scoring. But Kristina is in a class by itself -- it's, well...others have said it -- gorgeous.

Posted: 3/27/07 at 2:00pm

Kids repeat after me: All. Shows. Close.

Someday, the Color Purple will close and that theater will be hunting for a new tenant. Someday, Wicked will close and the Gershwin will be available. There is nothing morbid about speculating.

Oprah can pour her millions into CP until she is broke and postpone the inevitable, but it will close someday.

[bobby_luvs_bway]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 2:17pm

Oprah can pour her millions into CP until she is broke and postpone the inevitable, but it will close someday.

That show may close, but Oprah will never go broke. She could wipe her a$$ with hundred dollar bills and still have crocks of cash to burn. And I think the score to Kristina is simply breath-taking. I hope Alice Ripley gets to perform that role.

[sweeedboy]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 2:27pm

As sad as this would be, I think Ms. Ripley might be a bit too mature to play the role. Kristina starts the show as a teenager and ends the show only in her late 20's/very early 30's if I am not mistaken. The original, and incomprable, Helen Sjoholm was only 25 when she did the role.

[bobby_luvs_bway]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 2:37pm

Oh...I'm only going by the music I've heard. I'm only vaguely familiar with the story. Still, I love the way she sings that song on Raw at Town Hall.

[sweeedboy]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 2:43pm

you should really listen to the original "Du Maste Finnas."
The strings are absolutely incredible. And Helen Sjoholm sings the song to perfection.

Posted: 3/27/07 at 3:36pm

If People stopped going to see Color Purple and Oprah decided to pay full expenses so that she could sit and watch in the otherwise empty theater, she could only afford to do that for 13 years or so. At least how I figure it.

And it would go quicker if she decided to say, buy lots of Twizzlers at the refreshment counter.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 3:58pm

The story tells a relevant chapter of American history. However perhaps it might be seen as to centered on the european immigrants and their harsh life as farmers first in Europe and then in USA and not dealing enough with todays big issue, namely the relationship between immigrants and majority cultures in the western world. Now the Europeans were already in majority in USA when the large swedish migration took place so these issues didn't really come up. So even though the musical deals with immigration it is probably more relevant as a story about poor living conditions and religous faith.



Updated On: 3/27/07 at 03:58 PM

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 4:03pm

Alice Ripley said at the concert she did a workshop for "Kristina' and she did not play the title role, but played Ulrika...who is "the town wh0re"

But she loved the son "You Have To Be There" and wanted to sing it.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 4:09pm

In the book and movie the main character is Karl Oskar, who is the optimist and realist and the one most resembling perhaps the american ideal. However in the musical the main character became his wife Kristina who is the melancholic and nostaligic character who sings songs about the first light days in the swedish spring. I think it might be wise to give Karl Oscar more of an emphasis when the musical is presented for an american audience. One problem might be (at least on a prestige level) that the manuscript of the writer who Benny and Björn recently won a lawsuit against, put more emphasis on Karl Oscar. Now the name of the musical is Kristina and she has most of the great songs so obviously she has to be the main character. However a little bit more emphasis on the more opitimistic characters like her husband or her children, would I believe, benefit the musical.

Updated On: 3/27/07 at 04:09 PM

[javero]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 5:00pm

Perhaps Fantasia will be cast in KRISTINA!

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 6:50pm

"How many times are you folks going to ask that question? You sound like broken records. You don't think she can sing? Don't buy her albums. You don't think she can act? Don't tune in to her tv movie or go see her star on broadway. If you do none of that then we don't have to hear all the complaining. You're probably just jealous because you can't act or sing and never will be an extra on broadway let alone a lead bringing in 2 million dollars before you even step on the stage."

Love ya Virgo! :)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/27/07 at 7:25pm

Sounds interesting to me. I really like Chess.

I don't see the Color Purple lasting THAT much longer. It's not doing incredibly well, at least not as well as it had been doing, and with the tours going out and the Chicago company, I don't think group tours will be flocking to the show as much as they did in the past.