Whistle Down The Wind Tour coming to US in 07-08

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 9:17pm

Just read it and didnt see it here:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106272.html

Always happy for any ALW news, especially here in the states... Wish it was the Gale Edwards production (a little worried about it coming from Kenwright...) Hoping I'll be surprised with it - always enjoyed the score of WDTW

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 9:21pm

whoo hoo!!!

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 10:15pm

I posted a couple of weeks ago that it was coming to Detroit! I can't wait. I can't wait for the full list of tour cities to be announced. Anyone else know any Besides Detroit and TUTS(Houston)??


Here's some more discussion

Updated On: 3/5/07 at 10:15 PM

[phantomCA26]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:54am

I saw this show back in the late 90's in London. Can't wait to see it again.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 1:42am

"I posted a couple of weeks ago that it was coming to Detroit! I can't wait."

While I'm excited that Whistle Down the Wind is coming to Detroit, this means that Avenue Q, The Drowsy Chaperone and The Wedding Singer better all be coming to East Lansing!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 1:48am

This is good and bad news.

Good: "Whistle" finally goes to the U.S.

Bad: In the totally sh*tty piece of crap (IMO) Bill Kenwright bastardized version

*Cries hysterically*

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 4:02am

I really hope it comes near me. I freakin' LOVE the cast recording

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 5:13am

Hold onto your cast recording, Spider, because the Bill Kenwright show has been known to turn fans off "Whistle" for LIFE!

Updated On: 3/6/07 at 05:13 AM

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 9:48am

Thats what frightens me - I think I'd rather see the Hal Prince version...

[CarolynW]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:32pm

They are still looking for other venues


Yours,

Carolyn
Updated On: 7/24/07 at 12:32 PM

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 12:59pm

They probably talked to Kenwright since they credit him with it:
http://www.tuts.com/season07/Whistle.php

[CarolynW]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 1:09pm

According to my source it has "NOT" been confirmed yet.

I think TUTs sent the information to Playbill.


Yours,

Carolyn



Updated On: 3/6/07 at 01:09 PM

[Magdalene]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 1:14pm

I saw the show in Washington DC, and totally enjoyed it---I made my mom walk several blocks so I could find a review (The critic tore it to shreds, but I am convinced she didn't even see the show). I would love to see it again!!

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/6/07 at 4:54pm

Well from the sound of the TUTS website - it's a Broadway bound tour.

I always enjoyed the score from WDTW and felt that it's themes of faith - innocence - forgiveness - redemption would have been good theatre, and something audiences might have been looking for in post 9/11 NYC.

My reservations are that the Gale Edwards production in London, while it was successful in London, it still had some flaws in it. The Kenwright tour(s) (reportedly) had some changes to the score - dropping "Annie Christmas" for a new song but seemed to be more panned than the original London production.

I hope (but doubt...) that there would be some work by the creative team - Lloyd Webber - Steinman - et al before the US premiere of this production. With all the time since it first premiered (DC in 96 and London in '9 you'd hope that some perspective and distance would have given them some ideas on how to make it work more effectively.

Jim

Updated On: 3/7/07 at 04:54 PM

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 12:04pm

Kenwright to Direct Whistle Down the Wind Tour; Cities Announced. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109757.html

[CarolynW]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 12:18pm

Someone I know emailed me yesterday and said they would start casting soon. He is a stage manager for the tour. This could be both equity and non-equity casting my thought. I know in the past ALW musicals have had equity agreements with non-equity cast members too. The limited run at the Palace in London I believe was a union production.

I doubt it will stop in Las Vegas as we have not had a toruing show in a long time, plus if it goes to Los Angeles it will not stop here. Hoping to see it as I love the music. I am a big Jim Steinman fan. Even though they may use the new songs and take out songs like they did in the UK tour, the sogns I liek are still in the show.:)

Yours,

Carolyn

[Piercemn]

Posted: 7/24/07 at 12:19pm

I saw the movie with Alan Bates and Hayley Mills when I was a kid, and then again a few years ago. It's not available on dvd, but if you can find a vhs copy, you should see it, because it's terrific. The novel was written my Mills' mother, Mary Hayley Bell.

[turquoisefish]

Posted: 7/26/07 at 3:26pm

I saw the Kenwright version when it took The Palace Theatre, after The Woman in White closed. I have never seen the original version but I liked this production. I have listened to the original cast recordings and prefer the original songs (Annie Christmas).

Posted: 7/26/07 at 5:57pm

Chern did you see the Edwards production in London? I ask because I really think she did a *great* job with it--as I've said before when I saw it, I went partly because I thought I'd never have another chance to see Whistle anywhere else and was curious to see how bad it was (I only knew about the flop Hal Prince attempt and didn't know it was becoming a mild hit in London). So I had zero expectations which coulda helped--cuz I was pretty blown away. A few too many "cute" children (something I've heard the Kenwright version emphasizes further) and those accents are just as awful on stage as they are in the recording but otherwise I pretty much loved everything about it.

Even the actual design seemed to be a nice mix of ALW expected spectacle (two tier set like Sunset Blvd, the amazing fire effects) and yet, cuz of the small theatre and other reasons a real intimacy was achieved that is needed for the show. I now know I saw the second cast (Swallow was played by the girl who went on to play Mary Poppins) but everyone was note perfect, and in the theatre the score worked better than a lot of ALW.

I've not been able to even find aphoto from the Kenwright version but from all the reviews I don't think I'd like it nearly as much--I'm a bit bummed this will be the version so many will be critiquing on here.

E