The "Pretty" Return of ANDY KARL — Page 3

''Frankly I DO want this show to fail because maybe if enough movie-to-musical slogs flop hard, the trend will stop.''

Three of the 4 Tony nominees for Best Musical are movie-to-musical adaptations. And the 4th nominee is based on an animated TV show, so good luck with that. Movie-to-musical adaptations are here to stay. In order to be a hit, you need to sell tons and tons of tickets. You have a better shot at succeeding if your show is something with a title the public might recognize, especially since 61% of Broadway audiences are tourists.

There will be good movie-to-musical shows. And bad ones.

The ticket-buying public will figure out which ones they want to see and succeed. No need to root for their ''failure.'' Besides, you don't have the power to end this ''trend.'' Many more are coming.

Updated On: 5/23/18 at 08:40 PM

I completely understand wanting new and original works. I do. But it seems as though most people on this board have some vendetta against Pretty Woman specifically. And have from the get go. I hear excitement for success for Beetlejuice and Moulin Rouge specifically, and nothing but negativity for this show even when it was announced.

Shows are not perfect. This show has some problems, but it is fun night out, and some fantastic performances are being given alongside some fantastic songs.

The fact that it is opening in the summer does not bode well. Andy has a more recognizable name so maybe that had something to do with the cast change. It sounds like Steve is not missing out on much. Maybe he left on his own accord. I was sorry that Andy's TV series did not get picked up.

I'm actually curious about this. Many of my favorite musicals are book to musical adaptations so I have no issue with a musical being based on source material. I just feel like the movie adaptations are generally less transformed because the creative team/producers assume (probably rightly) that most audiences want to see the movie and not some clever interpretation of the movie. In terms of purchase power, I certainly get where the movie adaptations are coming from. For some reason the older crowd seems to be targeted with jukebox musicals while the younger crowd is getting those 80's and 90's movies. But I feel like keeping it to those two decades to target particular demographics, they might run out of steam sooner than they think they will.

What's left? I don't think anyone's getting the rights for any superhero properties or Star Wars anytime soon (except as a off-Broadway parody). So... E.T., Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Edward Scissorhands, Hook, Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction. Do those sound like good musicals? I think part of the problem is that speaking of representation, a lot of top grossing movies were very (white) male centric until fairly recently.

Exceptions to that which could actually be decent musicals... A League of Their Own, Death Becomes Her, Practical Magic, and Titanic... and maybe some of the 90's rom-coms that don't involve prostitution. I could also see a She's All That musical along the lines of Legally Blonde and Heathers and Mean Girls but I don't know if it has the same kind of fanbase and the original movie is real weird if you watch it again.

Man, this board is rough. I didn't realize so many people had such a low opinion of Kazee here. I know Andy Karl is one of the board's chosen favorite actors, but I wasn't expecting these sorts of posts. I hope this doesn't ultimately turn Kazee away from Broadway. I know working actors are tough and deal with these things all the time, but it's got to be a rough time all-around and I hope the situation is as gleek4114 described and not the alternative. If the problem audiences and critics had was with the way Edward was conceived and written (maybe thinking Kazee's strength lied in a more depressed and brooding Edward) then Andy Karl stepping in may give the creatives what they need to reconceive the character to make him somebody the audience and critics will enjoy seeing.

Not to speculate too much about a situation that we obviously have no personal knowledge of, but it may be a situation where he needs to be there for this father in person and on a regular basis.

I get that, but also, this show is $$, so why not make the $$ and also pay someone to take care of his father and take off a few days here and there? But, I suppose we're all different.

theaterdude2 said: "Steve Kazee is much more suited to a Richard Gere type than Andy Karl.

Andy is talented and charismatic, but wrong for the part.

Was looking forward to seeing Steve on stage again, it's been a long time since Once. Very sad news about his family, I wish him all the best.

Someone on this threadwrote that he was fired. Would they really use a tragedy like that as an excuse, instead of saying he was let go?

I highly doubt it."

I'm sure IF it were a "cover" (to help protect image) it was done so with permission.



I like Kazee, but am more apt to see it with Andy Karl.