Top Hat Development Lab

[TommyFlanagan4]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 6:01pm

Just saw this and got excited :)
Christopher Gattelli is listed as Director and Choreographer and I have heard that Chad Beguelin is attached. Anyone know anything else??

http://www.ovrtur.com/production/2902178

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 06:01 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 6:08pm

Wasn't this just done successfully in London? Why does it need a development lab?

Posted: 3/7/14 at 6:13pm

Won three Olivier awards in London including Best Musical. It was a good show, so not sure how much work should be done to it.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 6:45pm

I know Michael Urie was involved in a reading a couple of months ago.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 7:38pm

Rats! Deceptive thread title. I thought the scientific community had made some major advancement in the development of top hats. Crestfallen.

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:01pm

Looks like they started rehearsals today. I'm curious who might be playing the Fred & Ginger roles…Any word?

[Dessie]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:22pm

Top Hat, Gigi, Cac Can, On the Town-will be a great season for the classics.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:31pm

I'd love to see Top Hat on Broadway!
Top Hat

[Nick Murphy]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:43pm

I thought Tommy Tune was going to do this. What happened?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:48pm

Is this not the London Production?

If not I don't understand, it was a big success here why not take the UK one? They did this before, instead of taking the hugely Succesful production of Guys and Dolls from London a new production was done on Broadway and was a disaster. It don't need a lab, it already works great.

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 1:59pm

Don't know what happened to Tommy Tune, but he sure seems like the right choice for this type of old-fashioned extravaganza. Susan Stroman or Randy Skinner would be other likely choices, so it should be interesting what Gattelli does with it if it indeed has a life beyond this workshop. He's also been given the director chores as well, which seems a bit odd given the pure size and scope of this piece ( in comparing the recent London production ).

It's also interesting that although winning Olivier awards for best musical , best choreography and best costumes, that it only had a short run: May 9th 2012 to October 26th 2013. It actually closed prematurely as it was supposedly extended to April of 2014. There are now plans for a 2104-15 tour.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 3:30pm

Trish, why do you think a 17 month run is short? Seems pretty good to me.

[sweetTb'way]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 10:10pm

From what I've heard, the show as it was in London was basically the movie onstage. Apparently it did well but partially due to a weak season. It appears the powers that be want to work on the show including developing the book more. The lab is just a choreography lab to start developing a couple numbers. I've heard there may be a reading of the new script in the next couple of months also. Excited and looking forward to this though!

[TommyFlanagan4]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 6:03pm

Samantha Sturm and Evan Kasprzak were both involved.

Updated On: 3/21/14 at 06:03 PM

[yfs]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 10:04pm

The London version would never have survived on Broadway. It was simply dreary, and its semi-success in London, like the semi-success of the London Singin' in the Rain had nothing to do with what would have happened to it here.