Soapdish The Musical updates?

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 7/5/13 at 5:38pm

I was wondering if anyone has heard any updates on Soapdish The Musical? Since the announcement of the reading, I haven't heard anything.

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 8:15pm

My lovely bride was at Ms. Chenoweth's show at the Royal Albert Hall on July 12, 2014 and Ms. Chenoweth mentioned she was workshopping the show. I wasn't clear whether she then sang a song from the score or not. I was confused when my bride said this, because I thought Ms. Chenoweth was doing the revival of On The Twentieth Century, but I guess rehearsals haven't started yet for that show. I would have thought Ms. Chenoweth would have plugged On he 20th Century.

[smidge]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:26pm

Cheno just announced on Watch What Happens Live that she will be doing Soapdish in London. No set date though.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:40pm

I love the movie and think it was grossly underrated, but I wonder how they will handle the ending now.

** SPOILER **

The film ends when the villainess, played by Cathy Moriarty, is exposed as transgendered (she used to be a man), and she runs away in horror. The villain, Robert J. Downey, who has been trying to get into her pants throughout the story, is mortified.

It's hard for me to see how this can do anything but offend theater audiences nowadays. (To be clear, I don't mean they will be bothered by a transgendered character, but the fact that exposing her transformation is the poetic comeuppance of the plot.)

Updated On: 4/18/17 at 11:40 PM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:57pm

What happened to the Tammy Faye Bakker musical?

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:59pm

Sadly, I think you're right, GavestonPS. ("Sadly," relating to my hope for the adaptation, not for the progress that has rendered it problematic these days)

I forget the details of the plot, but recall that the surprise was very much that, and not really part of the plot development to that point - and wonder if a different "live surprise" could be devised. I'm certain that such a thing is easier said than done, and that a finely tuned farce is one of the hardest things to pull off, but I agree that if it were to be mounted, a different reveal would need to be devised.

 

Updated On: 4/19/17 at 11:59 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 12:12am

In relation to my earlier post about changing the finale, I started thinking of Hairspray. The final scene has been different in the original movie, Broadway musical, movie musical, and TV broadcast. In none of them do all of the elements really stand up to scrutiny, but in all of them it still works. (For the last three, it's largely due to Marc Shaiman's masterful closing song)

 

Updated On: 4/19/17 at 12:12 AM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 12:26am

Mark, I've seen SOAPDISH many times and all the versions of HAIRSPRAY, and you are right about both. (None of the endings of HAIRSPRAY makes any sense to me, which cracks me up given how much I love the film.)

SOAPDISH's farce is based on the revelation of secrets, but that isn't to say they can't find another secret to "overthrow" the Cathy Moriarty and Robert Downey Jr. characters. Maybe Downey is the REAL "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO"!

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 2:19pm

broadwayboy, Tammy Faye is still in the works as well. It just looks like Soapdish might come together earlier. Personally, I'm just happy to see her originate a role again!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 2:33pm

In none of them do all of the elements really stand up to scrutiny

Is there a John Waters film where they do?