Just wondering if the likelihood the following shows are going to come to London soon?
Hair South Pacific The Color Purple Young Frankenstein Shrek The Little Mermaid Next to Normal In the Heights Gypsy A Chorus Line Passing Strange Xanadu Is he Dead? Curtains
Does anyone know anything? Has anyone heard a rumour?
I think any plans for Little Mermaid coming here will sink into the Atlantic when it announces its closing later this year. It hasn't and probably won't recoup, so why would Disney risk it?
I'd expect Next to Normal and Hair in 2010, and Shrek/9 to 5 in 2011.
Wasn't Gypsy briefly scheduled to come over but then David Ian decided against it, so unless someone else picks it up it looks like it won't be transferring?
Xanadu IS coming over with Ian late this year or at some point next year isn't it? I don't think Young Frankenstein, The Colour Purple or Curtains will be coming over here, though as far as Curtains goes I'd love to be proven wrong!
Hair, 9 to 5, Next to Normal and In the Heights I think will, and I'm very excited about all of them. I wish A Chorus Line and South Pacific would but does anyone know if they're likely to?
Very few of those will make it here. As has been said before 'Hair' doesn't work in the UK. 'South Pacific' was at the NT 6 years ago. 'The Color Purple' and 'Young Frankenstein' wont be seen here either, the former being too American for a wide audience here and as international as the latter's appeal is, its performance in New York isn't worth the risk in the UK. 'Shrek' has been penciled for 2011. I know the guy whos in charge of its wardrobe for the UK production. 'The Little Mermaid' -Disney wont gamble too much on the UK market after its biggest hit failed here. 'Next To Normal' may get a small production somewhere but its appeal to wide UK audience doesn't excist. 'In The Heights' may get to Hackney fro 6 months next year- major work already done on that one. 'Gypsy' is another show that doesn't work in the UK _even with Angela Lansbury in it and many others since! 'A Chorus LIne' had a major production by the almighty Michael Grandage just a few years ago but not one producer thought the show will work in London these days. 'Passing Strange' passed away quietly on Broadway and is certainly not suited for the UK. 'Xanadu' -the transfer of the original Broadway production fell thru and 2 others have since been mentioned but again have failed to appear. 'Is He Dead?' -why? 'Curtains' is not considered one of Kander and Ebbs best works, there work rarely makes it to the West End and 'Curtains' hasn't even been mentioned. It slipped quietly out of New York.
to be honest I cant see 9 to 5 coming over based on the assumption that next feb/march time I can see it lagging seriously on B'way. Has anyone noticed just HOW much the whole production reminds you of 'Witches of Eastwick'
3 female leads 1 male antagonist fairly inexperienced composer big budget 1 fairly known 'big name' actress on board only 1 woman gets nominated for a big award score is vaguely forgetable bad critical reception
Anyone who saw the original 'Witches Of Eastwick' and has seen '9 To 5' will know that '9 To 5' wins hands down in all departments. It the most likely to transfer to London.
Ive actually been hearing a lot of talk about Hair coming over which would make me estatic
YF not a chance Color Purple - Not a chance Next To Normal (i can see this coming for a limited engagment) Shrek (Its doing badly on Broadway with only around 4 weeks since its been on going in to profit) Mermaid - Will close at the end of the year in NY so it could go either way In The Heights - Please god
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
South Pacific, the production in New York is considered as stunning, which the National Theatre production was not, I thought this would be enough leverage to bring SP over, big Roger and Hammerstein fan base here, R&H most popular musical, would do well here.
Shrek, good reviews from hostile New York media, but has not found a big market, could find one in London with right theatre and marketing, would do well as a shortage of kiddy friendly shows.
The Little Mermaid, done suprisingly well considering the reviews, as Mama said Beauty and the Beast might be enough to put Disney off, could still do well.
Next to Normal, to young to tell if this will come across, differcult to say how a UK market would recieve this show.
In the Heights, thought it do better in the West End, than Hackney If it did come over I could see this struggling like Spring and Drowsy. Likle to see this come over.
Gypsy, a hardcore Sondheim contingent will give this legs, maybe better re-created by Mernier or Domnar.
A Chorus Line, really do not know how this would do, would take brave producers to bring this here.
Passing Strange, did not find its audience in New York, will suffer the same here.
Xanadu, did not have a massive run in New York, but might be a suprise over here, should make money.
Is he Dead, same as Passing Strange, both shows could get a limited run, best bet if they got reworked by the Mernier or Domnar as a limited run.
Curtains, great story, brilliant ending into the interval, music forgettable though, out of sight out of mind.
Young Frankenstein, great show be a travesty if it does not come over, will do well here, not as funny as The Producers, but the music is certainly stronger, would make a stunning production at somewhere, say Prince Edward or Dominion.
The Color Purple, done really well on Broadway, could do the same here, worth a punt at the West End market.
If I had money to produce, I'd love to see Gypsy to a limited run at The Adelphi or Prince Edward prior to Love Never Dies/Barnum ... however wishful thinking springs to mind. I think a limited run of this will have much more of a rewarding west end run then a hoped for booking period run.
I think 9to5 will jump over 2011 poss end of 2010 ... shame it was snubbed at the Tonys as I think it has the most commercial value.
Hair I think they will transfer this. It hasn't work on a huge scale here but it has been a long time since it was done on a grand scale and with the right marketing/theatre it could actually do well here.
Shrek I think will coem over as it seems to have a lot of money behind it. I'd love Little Mermaid and I heard from some creatives on it, its not West End dead!
First Wives Club when it opens may jump over too...
'As has been said before 'Hair' doesn't work in the UK.'
Didn't the original London production outrun the original Broadway one? I'd love Hair to be here too. New London anyone...
Also, why can I never see The Little Mermaid making it here?
THEATRE 2016:
Grey Gardens; SwkPlayhouse, Cats; London Palladium, Into the Woods; Royal Exchange, Show Boat; Sheffield Crucible, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Prsicilla Queen of the Desert; UK Tour, Narrative; RWCMD, Mojo; RWCMD, The Barber of Seville; WNO, Rabbit Hole; Hampstead, The Marriage of Figaro; WNO, Figaro Gets a Divorce; WNO, Tom: The Musical; UK Tour
Upcoming: Anything Can Happen; RWCMD, Cysgy'n Brys'ur, Long Day's Journey Into Night; Bristol Old Vic, Only the Brave, The Caretaker; The Old Vic, People Places and Things, Blue/Orange; Young Vic, Bernadette Peters, Carole King, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II
Because sadly Little Mermaid is a very flawed show. Without a new director, design concept and book (or at least major rewrites), I cannot see it convincing the London theatregoing audience that it's worth supporting.
When I first heard about it, I was really excited about a musical being made of another Disney's masterpieces. I followed the show's progress from workshops to Denver and hoped that after the Denver critics ripped the show to shreds that Disney would rejig the show with a new creative team. I admire a lot of George Tsypin and Francesca Zambello's other works, but they were just not right for this show.
I LOVE the cast album, but when I saw the show in New York and the giant glass bongs came out from the wings I nearly considered leaving. The whole aesthetic of the show is wrong - its more suited visually to a European opera house, not a Broadway theatre.
If Disney redid the show for London, directed by Jack O'Brien or Joe Mantello, with a new book by Doug Wright and set/costume designs by Bob Crowley then I would rush to see it. In its current form, I would never see it again.
