Oliver Broadway Revival?

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 5/18/10 at 3:43pm

Would it work considering the last production on Broadway only ran for 17 performances? After all, Ben Brantley said about the current London production ' It's hard to top, this extravagent, eye-dazzling new Oliver! '

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/18/10 at 3:55pm

Probably too expensive to mount on Broadway in this economic climate. The way to go would be a starry concert version.

Chris Colfer as Oliver
Kevin Jonas as Dodger
Johnny Depp as Fagin
Macy Gray as Nancy
Lady Gaga as Bet
Jon Hamm as Bill Sikes

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/18/10 at 3:58pm

I enjoyed the current London production (mostly for Jodie Prenger's performance), but given it was originally successfully produced in 1994, why would Mackintosh wait this long to bring it over now? We barely got a glimpse of the beautiful 2001 revival of My Fair Lady, which sort of toured the US, but inexplicably hasn't landed on Broadway. I wouldn't hold my breath for this particular production of Oliver, either. I believe there was a non-Equity US tour a few years ago that borrowed its logo, but that's about it.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 5/18/10 at 4:13pm

Macy Gray as Nancy Jon Hamm as Bill Sikes
Or maybe Mandy Gonzalez and James Barbour?

[BobRandomGuyMan]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 2:06pm

The US tour actually was the Cameron Mackintosh staging and script, scaled down for touring. It was probably the best non-Equity tour I've seen. I still have no idea why a) they didn't bring this production in, and b) why they don't license this version, which is far better than the original.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 3:08pm

^ It wasn't non-equity, unless Marni Nixon, Lisa O'Hare and Tim Jerome lost their Equity cards.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 3:52pm

Oliver was non-equity. My Fair Lady was equity.
Updated On: 5/19/10 at 03:52 PM

[theatreguy]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 4:02pm

Mackintosh wanted to bring Oliver to Broadway back in the 90's but he couldn't reach a deal with Equity to make it financially viable - especially for a show that is not quite as popular in the US as it is in England.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 4:04pm

Here's a playbill article from 2003 where Cameron Mackintosh talks about why his production of Oliver! didn't transfer in 1994...

"The problem was, quite frankly, the sheer cost of it on Broadway. Because of the union rules on children — and it's a show that's powered by children — and the physical production is so enormous, we just couldn't afford to do it."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82659-Non-Equity-Oliver-Inspired-by-Mackintosh-Revisal-in-London-Starts-US-Tour-Nov-11

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 4:12pm

"It wasn't non-equity, unless Marni Nixon, Lisa O'Hare and Tim Jerome lost their Equity cards."

Why did they hire Marni Nixon? Couldn't Oliver sing Who Will Buy for himself?

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 4:20pm

Broadway doesn't have a stage deep enough.
Its a worn out old production anyway, only got re-staged due to a damp reality talent show.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 5:01pm

The Palladium isn't as deep as Drury Lane, is it? It certainly didn't seem that way to me. From what I heard, the current sets were only expanded to fill the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, but I could see it in several Broadway houses, easily in the Hilton, but the set could be scaled down to fit several other theatres. And I don't think it has many more children than Billy Elliot.

I guess it may seem like a worn out old production to someone who has seen it around a while, but when I saw it for the first time last year (which was my first time ever seeing Oliver on stage), it appeared remarkably fresh and vibrant.

Incidentally, I thought I'd Do Anything was the best of the Lloyd Webber casting series and I had Jodie Prenger pegged to win from episode one. Love her!

Updated On: 5/20/10 at 05:01 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 5:06pm

Just knock down the wall between the Shubert and the Booth. Problem solved.

[D2]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 5:10pm

I agree with Matt - when I saw it last year I was expecting something lavish but lifeless, and I was pleasantly surprised at how vibrant and alive it was. (My first time seeing the show onstage as well.)

[actionjaxson91]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 5:12pm

Bring. Over. Kerry. Ellis.

Don't care if she can't act. Bit*h can blow.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 5:45pm

The Palladium is barely a third of the Drury Lane depth. For the type of shows the Palladium hosts it has one of the shallowest stages in London for its size. Its very very wide but with no wing space.
They used to, may still do, build complete sets on the rear part of the stage while a show was playing at the front. 3 or 4 major shows were built there during the run of '42nd St'.

[slmlbl]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 6:07pm

the three billys can be doger

[maggiemar142]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 6:54pm

(as to the original question) the last production only ran for 17 performances not because of the show itself, but because of timing. obviously that production had lots of potential, it just wasn't the right time for a b'way revival of any show.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/19/10 at 6:59pm

The last revival sucked, based on the bootleg clips I've seen, despite LuPone and Ron Moody as "surefire" casting choices. Everything about it was "off."

Blame it on a bad production, not on timing or the musical itself.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/20/10 at 9:32am

The last revival had a musical director that was on speed. The tempo of nearly every song was off. I wonder if the producers told him to speed it up to bring the show to a close before overtime kicked in.

Don't believe me? Look at the commercial with Patti LuPone. Listen to how fast she's singing "I'd Do Anything"

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 5/20/10 at 10:10am

You may be right in general, Goth, but I don't recall that particular song sounding sped up in the bootleg.

But it certainly makes sense that it might be in a 30-second commercial.

[sondhead]

Posted: 5/20/10 at 10:15am

"Don't believe me? Look at the commercial with Patti LuPone. Listen to how fast she's singing "I'd Do Anything""

That's a commercial, and a medley in which all the songs are at in the tempo of the first song, "Oliver!" Making a judgement on the music direction based on a 30 second commercial is ridiculous.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/20/10 at 10:44am

What if Disney got their hands on this and hired dogs and cats and used the voice talents of Billy Joel and Bette Midler? Then Justin Bieber can make his Broadway debut as the voice of Oliver.

Or not.