Toxic Avenger coming to Broadway?

[Kad]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 5:46pm

A casting notice just appeared on Playbill.

"1st Broadway reh: Early March 2012. Broadway opening: End of March/early April 2012. Note: Same cast will be used for the pre-Broadway production (Alley Theater, Houston TX (LORT, $765/week minimum; Artistic Dir: Gregory Boyd); 1st Houston reh: 12/13/11. Houston run: 1/20 – 2/12/12)."
The Toxic Avenger – Equity Principal Auditions

[Amanda15]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 6:13pm

I loved this show! Put it in the right theatre and get Nancy Opel to reprise her roles, and I'm there.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 6:38pm

I thought it was adorable, but why bring it to b'way? It lasted 9 months at New World, what kind of audience do they expect it to find. It's NOT family friendly, and the blue hairs will hate it.

[LegallyBroadway2]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 6:47pm

SO EXCITED.

This is great news. I can't wait to see their changes- I'm guessing they've made plenty by now. It has such potential if they are able to gain a wider Broadway audience.

Nancy Opel, please please PLEASE do this show again. .

Cannot wait

[Amanda15]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 6:58pm

I hadn't heard a peep about this show coming to Broadway so I'm pleased yet surprised.

They could do this show without Ms. Opel but I wouldn't recommend it at all. She's just soooo good. I think Nick Cordero was the original and only Toxie? If Nick can't do it or the producers want to move on to someone new I'm having a hard time picturing another performer who has the voice and height for the role. Getting Diana back as Sarah would also be nice. She was sooo hysterical.




Updated On: 9/1/11 at 06:58 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 7:36pm

This will do worse then Little Shop. It is a good show for a small venue. It is too esoteric though to work on the overly commercial Broadway venue. Actually I thought Evil Dead had a better chance then this!

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 9:45pm

I enjoyed the show, but I don't see this as a Broadway show. We shall see if it actually happens (if it does, Nancy Opel better be in the cast).

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 9:53pm

Except for Nancy Opel, I found this show to be unfunny and quite boring. I can't see it doing well on Broadway, but I wish it the best. Hopefully they've retooled at least a few things about it in the time it's been on hiatus.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 9:57pm

I really wonder about some of the things that open on Broadway, in defiance of all common sense. Here we have something that couldn't find an audience off-Broadway, so now they would choose to try Broadway?

Or maybe it's just about having the imprimatur of a Broadway run, and possible Tony Award nominations, as a selling point for future productions.

As for the show in question, I found it dreadful.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 9:57pm

Loved the album! I can't wait for this to come to the great white way! I and I believe that this will soon find an audience, especially those who saw it off-broadway.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:05pm

I never saw the show off-Broadway, so I have no opinion of it, but would just like to point that a number of shows which never became "hits" off-Broadway have found audiences on Broadway. In the Heights and next to normal immediately come to mind.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:09pm

Yes. Yes. YES!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:10pm

And while those two are wonderful examples, we can come up with so many more that didn't make the leap: Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson and Scottsboro Boys springs to mind.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:13pm

Maybe Nancy Opel is replacing in Memphis as a favor to the writers until this opens.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:30pm

Though it is interesting, with the examples that dramamama brought up, that both of those were (to the best of my recollection) smash hits off-Broadway that couldn't find an audience on Broadway, while the examples adamgreer brought up were, as he said, not real hits until they got to Broadway. So I guess you really never know. That said, I enjoyed what I heard from the recording of Toxic Avenger, though I wouldn't personally run to see it immediately.

[Marie2]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:31pm

They'll need to get the right theatre, meaning a smaller, more intimate one, versus something that seats 1800. Maybe the Brooks Atkinson?

If they can get the right sized and located theatre, and make the lack of family friendliness part of the marketing, they might be able to find a niche or attract the same audience that loved the irreverence and silliness in Book of Mormon.

I'll co-sign on the idea of the show NEEDING Nancy Opel. The person in that role will make or break the audience reaction to the show.
Updated On: 9/1/11 at 10:31 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:44pm

I know she'd never do it, but I would love to see The Pone play the mayor.

Is it a requirement to audition a role even if you have someone set up the play the role?

[Marie2]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:52pm

I'm wondering that as well, TheatreFan4. Surely they have their eyes on regaining a couple people from the off broadway run. If they do, and the actor is interested, do they still have to hold auditions for the leads or can they just use them to find the understudies?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 10:57pm

Until contracts are signed the role remains open. And it can take a long time for contracts to get signed.

[philly03]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 11:09pm

Doesn't the Alley rarely do musicals?? This will be their first non-Frank Wildhorn musical that will go to Broadway, if it does; the previous being Jekyll & HYDE (their first musical), and of course, the mega-flops The Civil War and Wonderland (both co-written/at one point co-directed by Gregory Boyd).

They are one of the most successful regional theatres right now, so perhaps they are gambling their luck on something that might make a hit on Broadway that's been "proven" in the New York scene, though I agree it does seem a bit random.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 11:27pm

When I went to see this, the theater was fairly empty. This was before Diana DeGarmo came into the show. It is a fun show, but I never felt the need to see it again after my first time.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/1/11 at 11:38pm

It's strange they're looking to Broadway after all this time.

I also wonder if this will the off-Broadway production exactly, or if there have been rewrites and general beefing-up.

[Tag]

Posted: 9/2/11 at 12:44am

Here's Louise Pitre's take on the role:

Jersey Girl Updated On: 9/2/11 at 12:44 AM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/2/11 at 1:06am

there were LITERALLY 10 people in the audience the night i saw it. i'm 100% serious. i counted.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/2/11 at 1:26am

I think the show is BRILLIANT. It has to have such a low overhead. And the music is wonderful and now they can tout it as "from the creators of MEMPHIS."

I'm sure it will be an uphill battle, but the show is great, and in this weak season of upcoming new musicals, it could be a standout.