Next to Normal tour

According to the Chicago Tribune:

?Next to Normal? is planning a small national tour during the 2010-11 season, including a stop in Chicago, where producer David Stone did very well with a little show called ?Wicked.?

Woooooooo!
Source

So FREAKING excited!!!

I'm really nervous about the cast...it's the difference between me seeing it once or...well, more than once, let's put it that way lol.

If Miley Cyrus is cast as Natalie, or Zac Effron as Gabe, or anyone related to the Disney Channel is cast, I will send David Stone strongly worded letters until the get someone decent in the role lol. I think "Tony Winner" Alice Ripley would create buzz, or if any of the OBC continues with the tour, even the fact that they've been on Broadway would generate some interest. Fall of '10 seems soooo far away lol.

I have not heard that, but this board is really where I hear most things haha so I have no idea if that's true or not. I'd love to get a sit-down cast, though....please BIC? or whoever? lol

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I don't know, I think it could have a good little mini-run here. I think New York gets a lot more international tourists, and while Chicago gets its fair share of international travelers also, we do get a lot of local tourists as well, especially now that this whole "stay-cation" thing is taking off (thanks, economy!). I think between the hardcore theater fans here (raise your hands. all of you.), curious subscribers/tourists, and hardcore theater people who live closer to here than NY...it may not do horribly! I have nothing on which to base this though lol just my thoughts.

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I never heard anything saying BIC wanted to have a sit-down of N2N, and truth be told, that doesn't really make any sense. If BIC wanted to have a sit-down company of the show in Chicago why would they need to purchase the rights? And on top of that wouldn't getting the rights not be BIC's responsibility? I don't know if I'm wording this right at all, but that statement does not make any sense to me. lol. Anyone care to help?

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Ohh thats right, I read that article too. And I remember thinking it sounded very odd that a theater wanted the rights, even though it's still on B'way. I thought a show doesn't sell the rights to any regional production until it's closed? Or does it vary?

When WICKED was there it was produced (as are the tours) by the original NY Producers (NOT Broadway in Chicago). BIC was merely the "presenter" locally. The same will happen with NEXT 2 NORMAL.

As far as "buying" rights, that's impossible. You can (after Broadway, and tours have closed usually) get a license to produce the show for a set period of time.

"(after Broadway, and tours have closed usually)"

Is it standard that tours have to be closed as well? I know several schools/community theaters that got the rights for RENT almost immediately after it closed on b'way, even with the 'farewell' tour going on.

CERTAIN schools were granted RENT so that they could "tweak" it for High Schools. It was not RENT as it existed on Broadway, it was a "school edition" and even then the tour couldn't be within a certain radius (something like 100 miles) within a few months of the production at the school.

HAIRSPRAY, and a few other shows, are exceptions in that they've granted rights to certain regionals while a tour was still out, but only the tip top of regionals (California Musical Theatre/Music Circus, NSMT, etc).

The general rule is that a theatre usually can't license a piece until it's finished touring.

So, like I said, it's probably likely that BIC is looking at booking the tour, and presenting it, but any other theatre in Chicago looking to produce it themselves is likely out of luck until the tour ends.

lakezurich - that makes sense...I suppose it could be any theatre here.

Has anybody heard more about the potential for a Next To Normal Tour? I want it in my life.

I think the vote's pretty much unanimous on this one. If only that's all it took to make a tour happen...