There is no family appeal to MY FAIR LADY. I believe KING AND I might be more realistic option. Either way, we know the choice will be an older classic since Bob Greenblatt stated as much in an interview today. That eliminates such titles as ANNIE, GREASE, and so on.
King and I would be great too, although they may decide not to pull from the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon again so soon after Sound of Music. And the King's death isn't much of a happy ending.
Liza - that's not exactly what Bob Greenblatt said.
"In a telephone interview, the three men said they had begun work on selecting another musical. Mr. Greenblatt said they were 'circling a couple of titles' that fit their prerequisites: family-friendly Broadway classics with a lot of familiar songs."
That doesn't necessarily mean the show has to be ancient.
I mentioned here earlier (or in another thread) but I think THE KING AND I is unlikely. Pretty sure the Broadway revival scheduled for next season will be broadcast instead on PBS's LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER
No, please not Grease! The movie was amazing, but no one can beat John Travolta and Olivia! I hope they'll do a live version of A Chorus Line! (and I hope it will be better than the movie, which was awful!) But I also think that Singin' In The Rain would be a really good idea
Here is what I think fits the tv audience and has star casting options:
The Secret Garden Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat A Christmas Story How To Succeed In Business Big River
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.
"I don't think any of those fit the "family-friendly Broadway classics with a lot of familiar songs"
He's going to have to be talked out of that notion. The reason there are familiar songs is because they are over done. It's a difficult balancing act because you want to draw in both children and adults.
Out of the rest of the R&H catalog, I can see them doing Oklahoma or The King & I, but I think that might bore the under 18 crowd. I'd like to see Carousel, but I think it's a bit too dark.
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.
I also would like to see a good production of Oliver. However, is it too dark for the holiday season? I was hoping that the next professional production of the musical Oliver would be darker.
Everybody always thinks of pretty blue-eyed, blonde haired Shani Wallis leading a merry band of boys Peter Pan style. I want to see the drug addicted, emotionally dependent, abused, downtrodden Nancy.
If they were to do Oliver, I know she wouldn't do it, but I'd love to see Patti LuPone do the "I Shall Scream" number. Many productions cut this song now.
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.
I still want to see The Secret Garden with Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, Patrick Wilson and Laura Benanti.
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.
Interesting comment by Craig Zadan in the Times article:
"Social media played a pivotal role in the success of the show,” Mr. Zadan said, noting Twitter and Facebook traffic “that lasted the entire performance and beyond.”
In other words, Craig is saying that the fact that the snarky comments lasted for the whole length of the broadcast actually helped boost the ratings.
NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt, who also moonlights as a Broadway producer (9 to 5, The Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), told the news outlet they were "circling a couple of titles," adding that they were only looking for mainstream musical theater classics that contain familiar songs.
... in case anybody doubted this. "Mainstream musical classics with familiar songs." Only.
The problem I see with Oliver is that the star is a 10 year old boy. They can cast big draw names in the 3 adult supporting roles, but is there a 10 year old who can bring in as large an audience as Underwood?
Maybe whoever is famous on the Disney Channel at the moment.
Oliver is the title character, but far from the star and drawing role. You can plug any kid of talent into the part, because the showy drawing roles are the adults.
They won't promote the 10-year-old, except to perhaps have a nationwide search for him and make a reality special out of it.
As for the three "supporting" roles, they're almost as big as the role of Oliver. At least Nancy and Fagin are. And if you cast Adele, Hugh Jackman, and Collin Farrell (as we "dream cast" earlier in the thread), you would have your 18 million viewers again.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
"Mainstream musical classics with familiar songs." Only.
Familiar to whom? What people on this board think is familiar is not the same as what people in Idaho think is familiar.
"We Need A Little Christmas" is familiar, so do we believe that Mame will be the next title? I'm sure they will compare that to "Bette Midler Gypsy" but how many children are going to tune in to see a madcap old lady sing "If He Walked Into My Life." And is Mame family friendly?
"Annie" is already overdone.
I think they are going to have to change their thinking on the "familiar song" idea.
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.
I need Mame with Debbie Harry as Mame and Madonna as Vera and I need it now.
"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter