Posted: 5/24/23 at 8:09am
That’s exciting! Signed up for pre-sale for that concert. While the show itself isn’t perfect, I still think “Beneath a Moonless Sky” is one of the most gorgeous songs in any ALW show
Posted: 5/24/23 at 9:44am
^ As lovely as it is, have you heard the parody lyrics? They're a hoot.
Posted: 5/24/23 at 10:19am
binau said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I'd welcome a new ALW show because he still has good melodies in him, but I think he has lost the ability to collaborate. He sucks the air out of a room. He needs to work with coauthors who challenge him, and he needs to work with strong directors. But I don't think he's willing to do that. Don't be composer + producer + arranger + orchestrator + don't put your name above the title.
As I've said before, it's almost identical to the problems that Richard Rodgers faced in his later career."
I totally agree but I wonder if this has been happening for decades. If Hal Prince had directed Sunset I wonder if it would be ALW's best show...it has such good material but so much crap I just don't believe a very strong director would have let it go to rehearsal in that form. The whole marketing around "ALW's Cinderella" is super cringe. Ultimately this man doesn't even write words, just music - and I always feel he is so inconsistent in this. Can someone please whip ALW into shape because I genuinely believe he still has it in him. "Only You, Lonely You" is as great as anything in Phantom, Evita or Sunset.
One problem I see is I just don't know if there is a Director alive today that has enough stature for ALW to consider himself below the hierarchy of that person. I can't think of anyone he'd listen to.
"
The only person who ever challenged ALW was Tim Rice, and that pretty much came to an end (as I understand it) during the L.A. rehearsals for Evita. Even Hal Prince never really did (ALW ignored most of his suggestions from the get-go). But I don't think this is the issue anyway (and I don't think it was really an issue for Rodgers--alcoholism hurt his post-Hammerstein career more than anything, but even there, I don't think a sober-and-"challenged" Rodgers would have given us anything comparable to Boys from Syracuse, Pal Joey, Oklahoma!, Carousel that late in his career). What Broadway composer just keeps writing perfect scores/melodies for their entire career? Powers wane, ideas become more scarce. It's sort of how things go.
Posted: 5/24/23 at 11:01am
I linked to it; they're in blue.
Posted: 5/24/23 at 11:10am
g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "I linked to it; they're in blue."
Sorry, didn’t notice that. That’s hilarious - would love to hear that with the full orchestrations lol
Posted: 5/24/23 at 11:18am
While I think there's merit to the philosophy of Tarantino and others that creative people don't do their best work later in life, ALW's composing output has mostly remained consistent through the years, and he's comfortable writing across rock and more "classical" styles. There are some great tunes in BAD CIN. The issue is that he's the overwhelming creative force on his show. He's not working with top-flight directors, he's the lead producer, he has an outsized influence on the book & lyrics (even if he isn't writing them), he does his own orchestrations & arrangements, etc.
Even if Hal Prince or Trevor Nunn & Gillian Lynne weren't having much impact on the written material, they could deliver a physical production that elevated the show.
BAD CIN is probably at minimum 35% better with a different director (a Jerry Mitchell or Casey Nicholaw type) who could lean into camp, calibrate the show in the way that it needed to be, deliver WOWs in the dance department, and bring a better performance out of the young actress who needs to carry the show...even if much of the writing remained the same.
Updated On: 5/24/23 at 11:18 AM
Posted: 5/24/23 at 2:02pm
Lot666 said: "chernjam said: "Love Never Dies - from what I remember, on the tour it had a very successful run (and most definitely better than Bad Cinderella). I'd have to go searching for the articles, but it was a better sell on the road as the sequel to Phantom then it would've been in NY. ALW doesn't ever seem to reference it anymore though. And now in the UK they've released it for regional/amateur productions."
Norm Lewis Will Lead LOVE NEVER DIES IN CONCERT at Theatre Royal Drury Lane This Summer
"
The timing is pretty hysterical that I would just write this yesterday and they announce the concert today.
Also love the press release calling the score "iconic". There's much I love about the score, but that's an interesting descriptor for it :)
Posted: 5/24/23 at 2:15pm
Legitimately curious for those that want to see Love Never Dies on Broadway, is it just that you've never seen it before? Or do you just want it to reach Broadway as a milestone? I don't hate it as a show (agree that there are some gorgeous songs in there), but I would probably rather see it as a concert just to hear the songs rather than a full production, so I'm not sure how much value would be obtained from getting it to Broadway (and it also toured a bit a few years ago).
I would love to see Sunset at some point, as that's probably the major ALW show that I've never seen (maybe I'll make a trip to London for it), and it seems to be his most well-regarded piece after the Tim Rice era. But I think By Jeeves could be fun to have on Broadway (or off), as it's generally light fare but still has some nice tunes and a fun story. And I love JCS so I'll take that whenever and wherever it happens.
I'd also be really interested to see ALW go back to a more rock-based score as well. I feel like with things like Cats and Phantom, he really tried to lean into the more "neo-classical" style (though I know Phantom was originally more rock). Like I said, I love JCS and that style, and think some of his more recent rock-esque songs have been standouts (Beauty Underneath and even Beauty Has a Price). Though I haven't listened to Whistle Down the Wind, but I think it could be the case for that as well?
Posted: 5/24/23 at 2:52pm
chrishuyen said: "Legitimately curious for those that want to see Love Never Dies on Broadway, is it just that you've never seen it before? Or do you just want it to reach Broadway as a milestone?"
I saw the original London production three times and the "Australian-ized" US Tour production twice. I'd happily see the show again and would love for it to "reach Broadway as a milestone".
However, I think the best version would combine the original London visual design with most of the book and lyric edits from the Australian production. Also, the original London "Prologue/The Coney Island Waltz" staging should be reinstated as the opening number and "Till I Hear You Sing" should be moved back to mid-act (I don't think it works well as the first scene, and that position dispenses with what is arguably the most wide-recognized song right out of the gate).
Posted: 5/24/23 at 8:04pm
chrishuyen said: "I'd also be really interested to see ALW go back to a more rock-based score as well. I feel like with things like Cats and Phantom, he really tried to lean into the more "neo-classical" style (though I know Phantom was originally more rock). Like I said, I love JCS and that style, and think some of his more recent rock-esque songs have been standouts (Beauty Underneath and even Beauty Has a Price). Though I haven't listened to Whistle Down the Wind, but I think it could be the case for that as well?"
Check out School of Rock. Having worked on a production of it last summer, I think he did a really good job at blending some more of his rock style into that score, especially with "You're in the Band" and "Stick It to the Man." I think it's also the only one of his shows to have recouped on Broadway since Phantom (maybe the revival of Cats did as well?)
