What should NBC's next Live Musical Be? — Page 5

How to Succeed with maybe Nick Jonas reprising the role is a nice idea. I feel like Music Man and My Fair Lady would be colossal bores for most audiences.

Zadan and Meron state that The Music Man is not off the table. They also discuss why Peter Pan was the wrong choice.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/wiz-producers-how-oscars-turned-845893

jnb9872 said: "But Encores! could have aims for 1776 that would pre-empt NBC."

You really think a few thousand people seeing a production of a nearly 50-year-old musical is really going to be an issue for a show that bring in millions of people with celebrity casting?!

LizzieCurry said: "What would they do about the n-words?"

Can't someone in the ensemble cough every time someone says it?

A lot of people are mentioning "Little Shop of Horrors" and I think it would do well as a live production, but more down FOX's alley. Especially if they do it around Halloween. I know one of Ariana Grande's dream roles is Audrey, and she's a member of the FOX family, so it could work.

"Should be" is different than "Will be" because the musical that will be chosen will likely be the one anticipated to get the best ratings and demographics that would relate to the large parts of the country that have no knowledge of theater past. "Should be" to my mind might be either Pajama Game or How To Succeed...But it will likely be something overly familiar and childish which I won't be watching.

There has only ever been one stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz as most people are familiar with it, and even though it has the score from the 1939 film plus additional material by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, it's not anywhere near as good as the scores for The Wiz, Peter Pan Live and The Sound of Music.

There have been NUMEROUS stage adaptations of the 1939 film that pre-date Lloyd Webber's 2011 production including the 1945 MUNY version (including a new song, "Evening Star" that has been staged regionally and internationally for decades, my personal favorite, the 1987 Royal Shakespeare Company that reinstated "Jitterbug" (cut from the film) and the 1997 Madison Square Garden production that toured nationally.

All of you white theater queens are cracking me up with your suggestions.

Mister Matt said: "There has only ever been one stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz as most people are familiar with it, and even though it has the score from the 1939 film plus additional material by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, it's not anywhere near as good as the scores for The Wiz, Peter Pan Live and The Sound of Music.

There have been NUMEROUS stage adaptations of the 1939 film that pre-date Lloyd Webber's 2011 production including the 1945 MUNY version (including a new song, "Evening Star" that has been staged regionally and internationally for decades, my personal favorite, the 1987 Royal Shakespeare Company that reinstated "Jitterbug" (cut from the film) and the 1997 Madison Square Garden production that toured nationally.

"

Thanks for the corrections. The only stage adaptation I was aware of was the Lloyd Webber one, but I still don't think that the 1939 film - as much of a classic as it is - has the strongest score as far as theatrical staging is concerned.

And, for the record, I do like the Lloyd Webber stage version, even though I said its score isn't anywhere near the quality of what NBC's put forth so far.

I think whatever show they do needs to feel fresh, even if the material is dated. The reason The Wiz worked so well was not just because of the stellar cast, but because they were able to make it feel more new/fresh/contemporary than they could with Sound of Music and Peter Pan. And whatever they pick next can't be considered a classic to the general public. Titles in the vein of Sound of Music and the King and I have film versions that are too iconic to be touched (in the general public's eyes).

The only exception to this that I could see would be Annie Get Your Gun since it has the potential to cast someone like Kelly Clarkson in the titular role and another star name as her Frank. With The Wiz doing so well, I doubt it'll be as hard as it was before to convince star names to be attached. I could also see a show like Little Shop of Horrors work with a Jake Gyllenhaal (even though he's too big of a name) or Zachary Levi type star. There's a lot of star casting opportunities for the other roles as well. However, it's not necessarily a holiday family show so it'd most likely fair better at FOX.

I think what COULD work is something like Newsies. I think it has a lot of crossover appeal and has a lively, fresh feel to it. I don't know if the tour would conflict with a live broadcast, or if Disney would license the show out to a non-Disney asset, but there's a lot of star casting potential for it. The first person that comes to mind is Nick Jonas considering he's A+, has a musical theater background, and is in that weird position right now where his album really isn't selling and he's opening up for people like Iggy Azalea. Plus I think it'd be pretty darn cool to see the streets of New York built on a sound stage and have choreography that moves through it (á la Peter Pan).

Updated On: 12/5/15 at 02:00 AM

I am totally in the camp of Guys and Dolls. Preferably staged like a stage show and not just live on standing sets. Gaga as Sarah and Jane Krakowski reprising her role as Adelaide. You could get Betty White as General Cartwright.

Updated On: 12/5/15 at 03:33 AM

Megan Hilty and Andy Karl were adorable in Annie Get Your Gun at City Center. The Irving Berlin score is wonderful and it is something that could be done simply and would not be overly ambitious. I think it appeals to a wide spectrum of audience members.

They have to weigh so many factors and pick a quality show that is widely known, fun, family-oriented and contemporary cast-able. In this way I think The Wiz was an inspired choice. I really Iike the Charlie Brown, Birdie and Annie Get Your Gun ideas. Cinderella has been done so many times. Someone mentioned Hello, Dolly, and I think that, Mame, Music Man, Fiddler or The King and I are in the right direction and could benefit from strong TV productions. Same with She Loves Me, but I think that show is a little too delicate for blockbuster TV.

Updated On: 12/5/15 at 10:53 AM