What went wrong with Viva Forever?
What went wrong with Viva Forever?
What went wrong with Viva Forever?#1
Posted: 11/1/14 at 12:46pmSome of my friends and I were talking about different musicals that we hoped would come to Broadway and both of them suggested Viva Forever. I told it probably wouldn't, but you never know. However, it did get me thinking. What went wrong with Viva Forever? I found videos of it on Youtube and my god it looked cheap. The only redeeming quality was Sally Ann Triplett.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
What went wrong with Viva Forever?#2
Posted: 11/1/14 at 2:26pm
I think what went wrong is that it wasn't really the Spice Girls story and there weren't enough familiar songs to fit two and a half hours. Some thought it would be Spice World on stage but it was a different story about four friends who audition for an X Factor type show, then one is chosen and has to leave her friends behind; there was a subtext about whether Viva was adopted or not which was so silly. There were five Spice Girls so having only four girls who weren't called Sporty, Ginger, Scary, Posh or Baby didn't make sense or hold anyone's interest for long.
Regarding the music, the songs used were mostly album cuts and even Geri's solo hit, "Look at Me", which turned out to be the best staged number. "Wannabe" was originally left for the end, which was fun, then when the show was rewritten and restructured it was moved to the beginning as a public audition song. One they got Wannabe out of the way early I doubt anyone really wanted to sit through the rest of the show.
What went wrong with Viva Forever?#3
Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:09pmIt happened is what went wrong.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
What went wrong with Viva Forever?#4
Posted: 11/2/14 at 6:06pm
I don't think it's a bad idea in the fact that I think they're hugely popular songs that are fun and catchy - a lot like Mamma Mia.
I don't think it matters that there are 4 girls or not. I think having 4 girls be the leads is what went wrong because people, like you, expected it to be there story.
Were people disappointed when Mamma Mia wasn't about Abba? Apparently not. It's a huge hit. The story just has to be interesting. I think it needed love angles and love triangles, and some drama. It sounds like a pretty sappy show to me that could still work, it just needs an entirely new idea.
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