Tommy Tune takes over "Dolittle"

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Tommy Tune takes over "Dolittle"

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:07am

I'm just glad to hear that Tommy is back directing, choreographing and starring in a (potential) pre-Broadway production. The theatre scene is always a richer place with Mr. Tune around.

And with his imagination at work, I'm back to being interested in this show again!
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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:14am

Well, the word here in Sacramento is that the tour is coming for sure. The company hosting the tour here insists it will be here. We have a huge subscriber base and if there was any danger of it not coming, something would have been said by now. Love Dee! Hope that's a true rumor!!!!

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:16am

I wonder why they're doing this. For me, Tom Hewiit and the rest of the cast was the only really good thing about Dolittle.

I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:32am

TRAINWRECK

With Tune trying to direct himself, I think it will end up being a mess.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:34am

There is a story that is told in The Season by William Goldman.

I can't remember the book writer, but a show was in trouble out of town. There was a scene that wasn't working no matter how it was rewritten, but the scene had to be in the show as it made a lot of plot points and tied up loose ends. Someone asked the writer how the latest version of the scene was working and back came the brilliant reply, "The only trouble with washing garbage is that when you're done, its still garbage."

Doctor Dolittle = washed garbage

"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:35am

I think that quote about trying to wash garbage is attributed to Sheldon Harnick.

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:37am

This ought to be interesting...I enjoyed Tom Hewitt, but I also like Tommy Tune!

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:52am

Hewitt was really the only redeeming quality about the show. So, unless they rewrite the book, most of the score, redesign all of the puppets, and make the special effects a little more...interesting, the show could still be in trouble. Still, I am really interested in what they will change and how it will turn out. I'd be willing to give it another chance.

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:10am

From what we've heard its going to be "Tommy Tune and his tap dancing animal extravaganza".They're getting rid of almost all of the principals with the exception of Emma and Dolittle, both being replaced. Its really a shame, the cast was fabulous, especially Nancy Anderson,and Tom Hewitt.it might have needed a new book, but if you didn't see it in its final weeks of playing,you didn't see it more fine tuned. I watched it in Hershey and was surrounded by people who were enjoying themselves. Old, young, they laughed and the performers received standing ovations when the ensemble started coming out, not just when Tom came out. Maybe it wasn't the greatest show in the world but it had some great qualitys, the cast being at the top of the list.

#10

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:19am

That's interesting. I saw it in Philadelphia, the stop right before Hershey, I believe. The audience was pretty dead and I heard barely any laughs. There was no standing ovation, either.

#11

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:22am

Let's hope he does a better job with this than he did with Stagedoor Charlie/Buskers/Busker Alley...whatever! That show was a trainwreck.

Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#12

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:27am

"Grand Hotel" was actually a re-hauled show. The original creative team had tried several decades earlier to bring it to Broadway and failed on the road. Then Tune signed on, and they threw out over half the score, Yeston came in and wrote new songs, a new book was written, and a "new" show was born. And this one made it to Broadway with Tune's brilliant vision.

I hope the same thing happens now with Dolittle. Start building from the ground up!

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#13

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:30am

My friend Kyle is one of the puppet operators and he says they will know for sure today...hope he gets to keep his job! He's supposed to text me when he finds out.

#14

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:17pm

Stage Door Charley/Busker Alley was fun, not great, but fun. That's all I ask---to be entertained for a few hours...

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

#15

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:18pm

Does anyone think this might work if the animals were dancers, like The Lion King?

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

Updated On: 10/12/05 at 12:18 PM

#16

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:25pm

Ummm.. no. that's what they just attempted and it didn't work. they need to go back to the original Jim Henson creature designs from London. I will never understand why so many seem to hate the show so passionately. have you heard the score? how can you not adore it??? perhaps they should bring back Julie Andrews as the voice of Polynesia as she was in London and on the CD. that's one of my favorite parts about owning the CD, but the songs are so good, and it's not like they're pop songs, these are classic academy award winning Broadway quality songs... I will never understand the hate...

Updated On: 10/12/05 at 12:25 PM

#17

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:30pm

"When I Look Into Your Eyes" is an amazing song. So haunting an melancholy. Brilliant, really.

It stays with me for a long time, after every listen.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 10/12/05 at 12:30 PM

#18

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:35pm

Hey Goth,

I could not agree with you more. I think Tommy has done his thing, but to direct, star, choreograph and who else knows what he will do on the show, could be a disaster. I know that the only reason for doing this is $$$$. I worked with the original director of the tour some time ago and wished him the best on the tour. But sometimes, things just don't work out. I understand that...but at the same time, bringing some in like Tune, is only for money values, not artistic.

I have heard many horror stories from people who have worked with him, dont' respect the man, but do give him credit!

Jovie

"Now the best way to learn the theater, always, is to be a stage manager" -Stephen Sondheim

#19

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:38pm

"Where Are the Words" is also one of my favorite songs. How often do you get a legitimate duet between two guys that's not a gay thing? and it's beautiful!

#20

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:39pm

People are talking like they don't know what Tommy Tune is capable of... Tommy Tune has done spectacular things with not very good material... so don't count him out yet... that said... I'm not really sure why he's chosen this show to make his comeback... one that does seemingly have flop printed on the playbill... but at his best Tommy Tune is a fountainhead of creativity in a floor length mink... so maybe good things will come...

kc

p.s. Grand Hotel is not so much a reworked show as it was Tommy Tune taking pre-written material and FORCING it to work in his concept... he took the concept for the show from a dream he had before he even knew someone had written a musical of it. He chopped and rearranged and had Maury Yetson write new material at his whim... so really like creating a new show not so much reworking an old one.

Jesus saves. I spend.

#21

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:41pm

Jovie24---That's like saying "bringing in Fosse is only for the bucks, not the artistic value."

Tommy Tune is a brilliant and visionary director/choreographer.

Maybe it's before your time, but the original production of "Nine" was incredible. So was the play "Cloud Nine."

And "Grand Hotel," "Best Little Whorehouse," and "Will Rogers Follies" weren't exactly just pop-theatre, either.

The fact that he's successful doesn't hurt, but he's an artist, first and foremost.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#22

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:43pm

"People are talking like they don't know what Tommy Tune is capable of"

In this business, you are only as good as your last show. Tune hasn't been on Broadway in over ten years, and his last show Busker Charlie's Alley was a mess.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#23

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:45pm

KJisgroovy---sorry to disagree, but they definitely reworked the old Wright/Forrest "Grand Hotel" that was produced in Los Angeles in the 1950s and starred Paul Muni as Kringelein. It included many of the songs in the '80s Tommy Tune production, including "We'll Take a Glass Together."

They could have started from scratch, by all means, but they didn't.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#24

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:55pm

oh good..the negativity team on BBW has something new to bash before they even get a chance to view it.

I saw Stage Door Charley/Buskers in SF three times while they were trying it out. It was a good show, not great, but very enjoyable. Darcie Roberts had some great songs in it, and Marcia Lewis was very funny as a Busker. His one man show, Tommy Tune Tonite was also a delightful experience. I won't even go into his HISTORY with Broadway,a s it would take too long to assess the man's entire body of work. Suffice it to say, I, and mnay others, find it very enjoyable. Hell, I even listen to the Whorehouse Goes Public cast recording for it's fantastic score.

Posters here complain that there are people who have no background in theater working on Broadway shows, and taking away jobs from people who have been in the business their entire lives.

Here you have an example of a more senior Broadway director/actor choreographer coming in to doctor a show and now it's the opposite complaint. WTF do you want?

I hope the show does come to the Sacramento area; then I can watch it and form an opinion of the work Tune is doing on the production. I am just happy to hear that he is working again...and not on a cruise ship!

"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."

#25

re: Tommy Tune takes over 'Dolittle'

Posted: 10/12/05 at 12:58pm

Bringing in Fosse would be for the Artistic Value. Fosse did some amazing stuff that no one had ever seen before. Period! That is what made HIM an artistic genius.

Just this time around I feel the only reason for Tune at helm is for the $.Fact is, ticket sales are poor for the tour all around. I mean I wish him and everyone involved the very best, but I just felt forced when they announced he would direct, star and choreograph. Direct/Choregraph maybe, but to star in it too, that is a bit much for me. I am just speaking from what I know about him, that you probably dont!

All-and-all, I do wish the success of the show!

Jovie

"Now the best way to learn the theater, always, is to be a stage manager" -Stephen Sondheim

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