Sheridan Smith Staring in new Rufus Wainwright/Ivo Van Hove Musical OPENING NIGHT in London

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 4:07am

Based on the 1977 John Cassavetes film with music/lyrics by Rufus Wainwright, directed by Ivo Van Hove and staring Sheridan Smith, the musical follows a theatre company's preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway. But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady is rocked by tragedy, and her personal turmoil forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives.

 

Sounds fascinating, I can’t wait!!

“Opening Night”, the Musical

[yyys]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 7:37am

Portraying Gena Rowlands is pretty big shoes to fill. I'm sure there will be comparisons. 

Updated On: 11/10/23 at 07:37 AM

[binau]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 9:11am

Exciting!

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 10:06am

What an interesting mish-mash.

Ivo van Hove directing an adaptation of Opening Night isn’t that strange; it feels very much in the vein of his All About Eve adaptation. But a musical? By Rufus Wainwright? Starring Sheridan Smith? I’m intrigued, but it doesn’t immediately sound like the most natural fit.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 10:17am

I don't think many people will be thinking of Gena Rowlands, as the movie this is based on is not very well known.

Sheridan faced the pressure of filling Barbra's shoes in Funny Girl, so I imagine anything after that would be a piece of cake anyway.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 10:20am

ColorTheHouse, I remember Sheridan had to battle her own personal crisis during the peak of Funny Girl. Maybe this material resonates with her.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 12:01pm

This sounds interesting to me 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 11/10/23 at 12:17pm

Very intrigued by this. Wainwright has the ability to create really marvellous musical theatre moments, as seen with Robert Wilsons’s Shakespeare Sonnets and segments of his own Hadrian opera. He definitely needs an editor, so hopefully Van Hove’s strong voice can guide him successfully. Opening Night is a great movie but it’s a pretty loose narrative, even by Cassavetes standards, and reminds me of Wainwright’s first (and less successful) opera outing, Prima Donna, which was also about an aging actress. However it comes out, I think we’ll get some really amazing melodies.

[blasvader]

Posted: 2/29/24 at 7:23am

Sheridan performed one of the numbers on the radio. It definitely has me intrigued. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001wq47. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 9:30pm

Would love to know if anyone plans on catching this soon.

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 10:19pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Would love to know if anyone plans on catching this soon."

Early reports claim it's a disaster.

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:41pm

blaxx said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "Would love to know if anyone plans on catching this soon."

Early reports claim it's a disaster."

Well, one poster on theatreboard used that word. Others were mystified, confused, incredulous. I got sort of the same feeling that I had reading the first impressions of Spider-Man that were posted here. 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:47pm

Love the song.

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 11:56am

Here is the scene performed outside the theatre but then shown inside the theatre ala Sunset Blvd or any number of van Hove shows:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13154767/Sheridan-Smith-says-playing-actress-breakdown-like-taking-control-mental-health-struggles-pictures-new-stage-role-drunkenly-falling-over.html

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 5:41pm

Who's the credited lyricist in the Program?

Because originally Rufus was credited with "Music & Lyrics", but then at some point the "& Lyrics" was (bizarrely) dropped from ads & website: https://openingnightmusical.com/

Updated On: 3/7/24 at 05:41 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 7:46pm

The program credits Wainwright with music and lyrics. 

Updated On: 3/7/24 at 07:46 PM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 8:08pm

Jordan Catalano said: "The program credits Wainwright with music and lyrics."

Definitely a skip then. 

[binau]

Posted: 3/9/24 at 6:36pm

God, I wanted to love this given the artists involved but this was truly one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen. I never leave shows at intermission, but I just couldn’t bear to sit through act two and waste my time. I think the overall directorial vision and actors work, but the music does not feel tonally right for the show and at certain points, bland. The lyrics are trite, the script is terrible and cringeworthy at points. It just doesn’t work. I would not expect this in New York any time soon. 

[blasvader]

Posted: 3/11/24 at 9:13am

Can't wait to see the reviews for this. The one song she performed did not seem poor, so intrigued what the rest of it is like. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 8:21pm

Here’s one review so far. All I can say is OUCH! 

 

[Bobster159]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 8:37pm

It’s getting quite the spread. 1 star evening standard and inews. 4 stars Time Out, Guardian and Daily Mail. Quite a lot in between. I’m over in London in May and was going to skip this based on the early word but there’s clearly something worth seeing here!

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 8:38pm

NYT: ‘Opening Night’ Review: A Stylish Movie Becomes a Sludgy Travesty

Ivo van Hove’s stage adaptation of the 1977 John Cassavetes film, with music by Rufus Wainwright, turns a taut character study into a corny melodrama.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/theater/opening-night-review-a-stylish-movie-becomes-a-sludgy-travesty.html

Variety: ‘Opening Night’ Review: Sheridan Smith’s Turn Cannot Save Ivo Van Hove and Rufus Wainwright’s Monotonous Musical Adaptation

https://variety.com/2024/legit/reviews/opening-night-review-musical-sheridan-smith-ivo-van-hove-1235952695/

The Guardian: 4 stars

Opening Night review – Sheridan Smith’s boozy meltdown shakes up musical theatre

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/mar/27/opening-night-review-gielgud-theatre-sheridan-smith-ivo-van-hove-rufus-wainwright

TimeOut: 4 stars/recommended

Sheridan Smith is superb in Ivo van Hove and Rufus Wainwright’s deliciously odd not-really-a-musical

https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/opening-night-review

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 8:40pm

Boy that Times review is a show killer

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 8:41pm

Financial Times: 

Opening Night review — Sheridan Smith shines but the show struggles to connect

Multilayered musical by Ivo van Hove and Rufus Wainwright opens at the Gielgud theatre, London

https://www.ft.com/content/22e7c698-a97f-4417-9bb8-0026a02285b3

 

The Telegraph: 2 stars

Opening Night: Sheridan Smith enthralls, but this play is a pretentious, convoluted mess

This musical adaptation of John Cassavetes’s film 1977 film lurches from one so-so number to the next

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/opening-night-gielgud-theatre-review/

 

Independent: 3 stars

Opening Night review: Sheridan Smith exquisitely self-destructs in weird meta-West End musical

Rufus Wainwright’s songs reach new emotional heights, Smith’s performance is radiant – but Ivo van Hove’s stage adaptation of John Cassavetes’s 1977 film is sometimes misjudged

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/opening-night-review-sheridan-smith-b2518716.html

 

The Standard: 1 star

Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre review: even Sheridan Smith can't save this dismally muddled show

This take on John Cassavetes’ 1977 film is unsalvageable

https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/opening-night-west-end-sheridan-smith-b1147073.html

 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:20pm

Why people are really hating on it. It sounds like it would be right up my alley.  It sounds like a choose your own adventure psycho melodrama. Perfect!!