Per ATC: WHITE CHRISTMAS on Broadway rumors- Page 2

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 2:34pm

I saw it in L.A. Great show! So...CRY-BABY, a very anticipated musical, might be closing sooner than later...

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 2:51pm

anticipated?

hhmmm...

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 2:58pm

So...CRY-BABY, a very anticipated musical, might be closing sooner than later...

^^^

Yeah.. that was the rumors for the past few days here and at ATC, though still no confirmations.

J*

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 4:46pm

Very few people like CRY-BABY, and almost nobody has anything good to say about the score....yet was also said about LEGALLY BLONDE, which is still chugging away....

But I so hope the WHITE CHRISTMAS rumours are true. Good, solid, old-fasioned entertainment with great Irving Berlin tunes and show-stopping dancing. Beautifully designed, and with an outrageously talented cast, it was one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen all last year.

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 8:25pm

How many seasonal shows can New York support? I got the survey from The Grinch that mentioned they would be coming back this season, if White Christmas makes it, that would be 4 with Radio City and Cirque at MSG theater.

What theaters are likely to be open for The Grinch anyway?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 8:28pm

The only large theater that I can see being open for the Grinch this fall is the Palace.

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 12:06am

The Danny Kaye part is usually played by Jeff Denman - a fantastic dancer/actor.

Changes: The lady who is the general's housekeeper is a former Broadway star with a voice as big or bigger than Merman's who nearly steals the show.

The grand daughter is now a young teen ager and had some good musical numbers.

There is none of the "I saved your life" stuff between the male leads. They are simply guys who met during the war and became a show business duo after the war.

There is no longer the parts in Florida, the train goes right from NYC to Vermont. The "Sisters" song is used later in the show.

It may seem like it will spoil the memories of the film, but it all works on stage. The "I Love A Piano" dance is an old fashioned actual show stopper.

It is a great family show with a terrific score.

It should be a limited holiday run. Look what happened to the musical of Miracle on 34th Street - HERE'S LOVE. It was pretty much a sell out around the holidays, but lost most of it's box office after January.

[justme2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 1:25am

puppetman, regarding the regional version you saw...Didn't Calhoun add on some weird "filming within a film" scene change thing for his version? I remember reading posts about it and wondering what the hell he was thinking messing with a "just about perfect" show (IMO)!

Do you remember this?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:52am

This is probably going to sound ridiculous, but when I think of some iconic theater in NYC, I think Radio City...is that it Jaystarr?

I also see you are going to Chicago...HAVE FUN! LOVE it there!

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 11:07am

Yes, there was the "filming the show" concept, but it was used mainly as a scene change idea and was effective. The sets were moved in and out by "stage hands" and there were lights on stands at the sides of the action. The sets were great. I wasn't sure that the idea would work when I read about it, but it did.
At the end of a scene, the actors would walk off the "film set".
One great effect was that during "White Christmas" there were snow machines on the front of the balcony and it "snowed" on the audience during the number. I was right under the machines and got "snowed on". It was some fast drying liquid - not bubbles.
The CD of the show is GREAT. Wonderful music and great performances from D"Arcy James and Jeff Denman.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 11:07 AM

[justme2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 4:02pm

Yeah, I saw the world premiere in SF in 04 and then the return engagement in 05 in SF. That show is what made me join this board. I was joining to post a review in response to people wanting to know if the show was any good.

Boy was it! I suffered through 06 and 07 as the show (the Walter Bobbie/Randy Skinner version) was shown in other cities and never in SF again. I keep hoping it will return to SF, but it does deserve its chance on Broadway. It was easily the best show I had seen in years.

I don't get how the regional houses can mess with the concept though. There's no need to add another dimension with the filming within a movie thing! The show is great already. Is that just a director trying to put his or her own stamp on the material?

Oh, and I saw the show 9 times and could never afford to sit in the orchestra, where it would snow on people. A beautiful effect though!

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:07pm

When I saw the show in Boston last year, there was no 'filming' jazz at all.

Justme, If I had seen the show for two years running then been denied it for another two years, I'd be aching in pain too. I went to Boston to see it last year thinking I had to because I had no idea if and when it would ever get to Broadway.

Frankly, part of me was expecting a sweetly creaky movie-to-stage paste job. WOW - was I wrong. I was unexpectedly knocked out by its lavishness, delightful performances and non-stop song and dance going off like fireworks. It's simply the best movie to stage musical ever. As a pure, old-school song and dance extravaganza WHITE CHRISTMAS can't be topped. Only CURTAINS - which I liked very much - has the same old-fashioned extravagance with an equally terrific cast - but nothing can beat those evergreen Irving Berlin standards. And while Jeffry Denman, Meredith Patterson and Kerry O'Mally may not have the name recognition of co-star Brian D'Arcy James, WHITE CHRISTMAS demonstrates they are all BROADWAY stars of dazzling talents.

I hope to Somebody the rumors are true.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 06:07 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:34pm

TulitaPepsi, I flew up to Boston from DC specifically to see this production. I liked it so much I went again the next night! I hope these rumors are true.

[justme2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 7:17pm

tulitaPepsi, you didn't see the filming within a film stuff because you saw the Walter Bobbie/Randy Skinner version, not one of the regional productions that starting springing up in 2006 I believe.

I had the same pre-conception of the show going in as you did...I never liked the film and only went cause a friend had free opening night tix. By intermission, I was thrilled with what I had seen, and the second act opener of "I Love a Piano" had me hooked!

Now I am just bummed that SF has been completely left out of production stops since 2005. There were a couple of regional productions in Sacto and LA, but I knew they would not be the (for lack of a better term here) "original" production and didn't want to see a scaled down version.

Dottie, I went 4 times the first year, with different friends each night! It was a show I HAD to share. I Hadn't experienced that feeling for a show ever before.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 7:24pm

justme2, I think in my review of the show I said that, "I Love a Piano" was worth the price of admission alone. I loved that number and did not want it to end.

[justme2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 7:44pm

me neither! I remember thinking...THIS is what a musical is supposed to be!

I also fell in love with all the performers, and watch their careers still in hopes to see them performing live again sometime.

If the rumors are true, I am hopeful that the original cast will reprise the roles for the Broadway production. Then they could hawk the same cast recording in the lobby!

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:30pm

Justme, did you see only Anastasia Barzee or did you see Kerry O'Malley in any of the versions? I had never seen Kerry before and she knocked my socks off. When she sang "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" in that breathtaking nightclub set with the huge white drapes, high window and silver potted palms I gasped - it was 100 times more glam than the movie!

And I too did not want "I Love A Piano" to end...and when Jeffry and Meredith went uptapping on the ascending stage I was teary with joy - no foolin'!

[justme2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:15pm

I saw Anastasia Barzee in 2004 and Kate Baldwin in 2005. Both were wonderful and had great vocal chops for the Betty Haynes role. Both also did fantastically with the Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me" number as well.

My heart will always belong to Barzee though, as she was the first one I saw in the role.

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 12:18am

In the version that played here, Marla Schaffel - from the Broadway "Jane Eyre", "Titanic" and "les Miz" was Betty and did a terrific job with "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me".

They did sell the original cast CD in the lobby.

I had already gotten it as I wanted Jeff Denman's vocals. I had done a couple shows with him while he was still in high school here. I sure hope he is in it if it gets to Broadway.

Updated On: 4/7/08 at 12:18 AM