Official: GHOST THE MUSICAL to Open on Broadway April 23, 2012 at Lunt-Fontanne Theater- Page 2

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 9/30/11 at 1:58pm

Cant see Gavin Creel in that role at all. Cheyenne is the most obvious choice but I like the Jonathan Groff idea, and he is a bit of a name thanks to Glee

[ChiChi]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 8:41pm

I've heard the score and it is not good. How do such horrible things make it to the Broadway (or London) stage.

I only liked the overture.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 9:25pm

I've heard the score and it is not good. How do such horrible things make it to the Broadway (or London) stage.

I only liked the overture.

The show was hardcore fans. I saw it too and I thought it was the most cliched piece of trash, that happened to find some nice looking screens and projections along the way.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 9:30pm

I just hate it when a good movie adapted to the stage uses cookie cut score. "Ah, it's good enough. People will see any piece of crap on Broadway. Let's just leave it like this, get a beer, smoke some pot and then wait for the money to roll in juke box musical style."

Also, couldn't they have written their own song rather than bastardizing Unchained Melody?

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 9:35pm

Recent history has proven that new musicals adapted from old film hits tend to flop on Broadway.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 9:40pm

I believe it. I think was most people have a hard time recognizing is that not everything should be made into a musical. This would be one of them.

On the other hand, some movies work out well as musicals, but its like these composers watch T.V. late at night and watch old movies and say "Which one can I butcher with an uber cheesy score that takes ten minutes to write."

Updated On: 10/4/11 at 09:40 PM

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 10/4/11 at 10:58pm

So I'm guessing it won't be Aaron, now he's back on Gossip Girl.

[Jdsnyder88]

Posted: 10/26/11 at 8:21pm

I just heard that Ghost The Musical has been cast on Broadway with Erich Bergen in the role of Sam Wheat and Cassie Levy reprising her performance as Molly Jensen. Has anyone else heard this? I got this from a pretty good source, but ya never know with these things...

[steven22]

Posted: 10/26/11 at 11:10pm

I've only heard that Caissie is confirmed...hoping Flesshman (sp?) transfers as well!

EDIT: Google searched Erich and he saw he show in London on Oct 13 and tweeted to Caissie and Richard..so who knows...maybe he is playing Sam on broadway... Updated On: 10/26/11 at 11:10 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:09am

They won't sell 2 tickets between them.
I can't believe any Bway Producer would open a show with those two nobodies. (As good as they might be)

[Tag]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:20am

Didn't Book of Mormon open with "two nobodies"?

[binau]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:25am

As did Memphis.

[KylePKJP]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:31am

Caissie Levy is definitely transferring with the show. At the risk of perpetuating the "Canadians know all other Canadians" stereotype, I know her second cousin who said that Caissie is expected back Stateside in February to begin rehearsals for Ghost on Bway. No need to take my word. Wait for the official announcement.

Whoever called her a "nobody" needs to do some Googling of Levy's credits.

Chi-Chi: You need to get off your ass and see it before judging it. Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballard HARDLY butcher it with their music, and the original screenwriter of Ghost did an amazing job adapting it for the stage, rather than just throwing the original script out here and using it verbatim (9 to 5 anyone??). As for "bastardizing" Unchained Melody... it's worked into the show in ingenious ways in both acts. Again, see it for yourself before you make the call that anything has been bastardized.

As for Cheyenne, while he may do exceptionally in the role, I feel like he has done this sort of material a few times already and would pass on it. And Tveit, he has a great voice but looks no more than 19 y/o on stage.

I saw it in London and no matter the mixed reviews, it is a box-office smash. I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. When I first heard they were doing a Ghost musical I dry-heaved for a few minutes. I was proved wrong. The music and adaption of the story are incredible compared to recent movie-to-stage adaptations. It is beautifully and uniquely staged, but it works specifically for this show.

While "Ball of Wax" doesn't make me want to bust out dancing, I think it is a good piece to emphasize the confusion Sam's suddenly faces in his new "existence". "Life Turns on a Dime" also serves a great purpose. While Carl never intended to have Sam killed, it opened the door - in his perception - for a chance at Molly for himself. It cements how slimy he is, pushing Molly to move on, but also gives some beautiful laments by Molly, still holding on to Sam, in the face of Carl's advances.

My fear is that it will get lost in the sea of revivals coming this season.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 4:59am

I can't see Groff nor Creel in the role at all. (I like them both, I just cant imagine either of them here.)

Disappointing about Cassie not transferring, it its true.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 7:40am

It doesn't matter how many "credits" Cassie has, as far as name recognition goes, she is a nobody (it's not a slam. it's the truth).
MORMAN is a smash with no names except Parker and Stone, but that is the exception. And MEMPHIS is not raking in the dough, it's just been getting on.

Plus GHOST may be popular in the UK but they have mixed (and a pan from the NY Times)reviews to overcome. Having "real" names could only help this show. Just ask PRISCILLA and SISTER ACT.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 7:54am

Erich did tweet that he was going to be in London for a week and needed a working phone, so that is interesting.

Apparently some other people besides Jsnyder heard this too. http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=2019277

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 8:18am

'While "Ball of Wax" doesn't make me want to bust out dancing, I think it is a good piece to emphasize the confusion Sam's suddenly faces in his new "existence"'

That's not the point, the point is the song is horrible and out of place, yes he does need something to explain what's going on....Ball of Wax is not it.

As for Cassie she has not been confirmed for anything yet.

CurtainPullDowner yes the show opened to mixed reviews (when they were all in it came out mixed to positive) but it's having zero effect on the box office and the UK one does not have a star nae in (Fleeshman is hardly a star). People are going because they love the story and have seen the fantastic trailers for the show.

As for the Pan in the Times, i wanted to shake him, i agree with him about 80 percent of the times, this was not one of those times.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 8:29am

s&dman; do you think the concept of "stars" in shows is more significant on Bway than the West End?

Good for GHOST for prevailing despite their reviews. Is the show selling out?

Knowing the show will probably be slammed again by Brantley, having new leads would certainly be a good idea to help change his mind.

[Donthatecongratulate]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 9:09am

It doesn't matter who they cast. The story is too cheesy & depressing for Broadway. The last musical that had mixed-good London reviews, high expectations, & was expected to make a big splash over here, ahem, ENRON, was a mortal disaster. (pun intended) That show had two huge names with mega talent who couldn't save it from it's cheese factor and horrible canned music.

The music that I heard from the Ghost preview sounded terrible. Unoriginal & emotionless pop/rock. Funny, because even though "Unchained Melody" was recorded by 2 white boys in the '50s, it's full of soul & passion. It would be a shame if a 60 year old song had more soul that any of the production's original music.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 10:50am

Your acting as if this is fact...its opinion. The real fact however is that people over in London are eating the show up and walking out in tears...which signifies the opposite of your claims about the show being "emotionless"

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 11:25am

The show is selling very well in London, and for someone to compare Enron to Ghost is beyond stupid. People are really loving the show and after seeing it a few times i can see why. The score got a mixed reaction here but apart from 2 songs i think it's a great modern score that pulls you in to how they are feeling.

As for the show being to 'cheesy & depressing for Broadway', are you kidding?
First of all yes it's a sad story but also with a very happy ending. Of course it's cheesy as are 80 percent of all Broadway musicals (Wicked for example). As for depressing well that did not seem to hurt shows like N2N.

West End of Broadway always like a star name but the simple fact is the show itself is the star name

Brantley will probably trash it again (after reviewing shows for many years I was shocked by his review as it’s far better than most of the musicals I’ve seen and reviewed over the years) but I think it will be critic proof. Plus their marketing team is superb

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 2:12pm

It doesn't matter who they cast. The story is too cheesy & depressing for Broadway.

You're kidding, right? It's a tear-jerker romance that is nowhere NEAR as depressing as something like Spring Awakening, which was also a hit on Broadway despite the lack of names in the cast. As for cheese, it is the foundation for the entire history of musical theatre. Without cheese, we would never have gotten to the point of developing any poignancy or irony in musical theatre at all. Personally, I'm glad we're getting this instead of Love Story, which could find success Off-Broadway, but I've always hated the story.

PS - ENRON was not a musical. The last musical that had mixed-good London reviews, high expectations, & was expected to make a big splash over here, ahem, Billy Elliot, was a hit.

[KylePKJP]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:29pm

CurtainPullDOWNER, you certainly are a downer.

You're just plain ignorant for referring to Caissie Levy as a nobody. I bet she sure as sh-- has more credits and name recognition than you do.

Furthermore, if she beat numerous well-known UK actresses for the role of Molly and to be the only North American in the cast, that says a LOT about her talent, abilities, and her name.

The majority of "names" in the Broadway community are known to relatively few people outside that community (and these boards), so I don't know what constitutes a "name" for you. Perhaps it is someone who has appeared on Glee. In that case, God help us all.

Priscilla does have Broadway "names". However, it's plainly a bad show that relies on it's music catalogue of pop/disco standards and flashy costumes. Ghost out does Priscilla ten-fold.

Spring Awakening opened without a "name" and did just fine, as did "next to normal". Yes, Ripley was known in the community, but she was hardly a box office draw. The show as a whole was.

For the comment about the show being too cheesy and depressing, cheesy is an adjective perfect for Priscilla, not Ghost. As for depressing, I seriously doubt the majority of the theatre going public patron shows that are solely happy and feel-good! If that was the case the majority of successful productions (The Normal Heart, next to normal, War Horse, etc.) would have flopped.

[steven22]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 4:25pm

The simple fact that a particular show may be happy or depressing means absolutly nothing. The show has to make the audience FEEL. Feel something. That's why NEXT TO NORMAL was successful.

[binau]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 4:26pm

Cassie Levy doesn't have any name recognition within the community, I don't think. CurtainPullDowner isn't commenting on her 'talent and abilities', but I think if we look at it realistically Cassie has about 0% box office draw. And on Broadway that can be risky. That's all he was trying to say.