Whitney Houston Musical In The Works

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 12:46pm

As part of a larger article about the future plans of Whitney's estate they've announced that they're already planning to create a Broadway adaption of the biopic that is slated for release later this year.

 

"Broadway and Vegas mark bigger destinations on the map. Mestel says Primary Wave has already started developing the Broadway adaptation of the Houston film with Sonia Friedman, associated with such Tony-winning productions as “The Inheritance,” “Book of Mormon,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and revivals of “Death of a Salesman” and “A Raisin in the Sun.”

 

I have to say I find this even less exciting than the usual biomusical stock. Something about Whitney being gone makes it feel even more ghoulish and unnecessary. We'll see how it turns out.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 12:51pm

I miss when I was mad cause every movie was getting adapted to a Broadway show.

This is somehow worse.

Also at a certain point I just feel bad for these artists (the ones still alive). They find out that their hardest points in life are gonna be fodder for producers to have a compelling second act of a broadway show. It's kinda icky. 

They also are never bringing to the table new themes. It's "the price of fame" over and over and over and over again.

Updated On: 2/15/22 at 12:51 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 12:59pm

I called it. Mariah, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross are next.

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:06pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "I called it. Mariah, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross are next."

I will be seated FRONT ROW ORCHESTRA for Glitter, the Musical. I'd actually kill for an original musical written by Mariah lol.

Aretha and Miss Ross the Boss are exactly why I find many of these bio-anythings so lacking. Aretha and Diana were both incredibly private people. So what exactly are you going to show me about them that's worth Broadway prices and two hours of my life I could spend listening to one of their albums?

In Diana's case, the part of her life that was semi-public and would make for interesting entertainment was fictionalized and turned into a musical 40 years ago.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:15pm

If I was a popular music artist I'd think "wow a BFA is gonna over exaggerate what taking coke is like pretending to be me on a broadway stage someday before they launch into a vibrato filled version of one of my biggest hits"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:16pm

Excellent point above about how all of these are a “price of fame” story. Can’t say I ever really thought of that before. 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:19pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Excellent point above about how all of these are a “price of fame” story. Can’t say I ever really thought of that before."

And if you're the everyman, a "price of fame" story is really not relatable. Sure these artists may have faltered, but their net worth certainly didn't.

How many times are we gonna be told to look at the deep humanity of multi millionnaire artists?

Updated On: 2/15/22 at 01:19 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:23pm

I know she’s working on a biopic right now but I’d still give anything for a Madonna jukebox show about her life, recreating those iconic moments from her career. I’d pay premium prices (and as a Jew, that’s saying something) to sit front row and see “Madonna” roll around in front of me in a wedding dress. 

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:37pm

If I wanted to hear Whitney's hits for the 11,987,336th time, I'd go stand in line at a CVS.

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:42pm

And of course Whitney’s estate is going to handle the show, so no mention of her alleged (confirmed?) lesbian relationship with Robyn Crawford and how Bobby Brown was basically a marriage of convenience.

[Tag]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 1:53pm

You're never going to find anyone that can sing anywhere near as good as her.  They should go the Mamma Mia route.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 2:00pm

^ And that’s the problem right there. 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 2:06pm

The problem with the Mamma Mia route though is pop music doesn't go anywhere. It's purposely repetitive and ruminative. It's supposed to be jammed on, not build lyrically the way theatre music does so it constantly stops the action. 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 2:24pm

True, but it worked for Mamma Mia, right?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 2:27pm

At least this should be better than that monstrosity of The Bodyguard, right? Or, at least I hope.

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 2:57pm

quizking101 said: "And of course Whitney’s estate is going to handle the show, so no mention of her alleged (confirmed?) lesbian relationship with Robyn Crawford and how Bobby Brown was basically a marriage of convenience."

Her relationship with Robyn is public knowledge now, but I would not categorize her relationship with Bobby Brown as a marriage of convenience. She did love him. Despite the fact that he was abusive. She also loved Robyn, but no, I don't think we'll ever see that addressed in any official Whitney Houston story. 

Updated On: 2/15/22 at 02:57 PM

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 3:02pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I know she’s working on a biopic right now but I’d still give anything for a Madonna jukebox show about her life, recreating those iconic moments from her career. I’d pay premium prices (and as a Jew, that’s saying something) to sit front row and see “Madonna” roll around in front of me in a wedding dress."

Madonna's upcoming movie is reportedly completely focused on the beginning stages of her career, and her early days in NYC. I think that's so much more of an intriguing angle than these "the woes of fame" tales.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 3:12pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "I miss when I was mad cause every movie was getting adapted to a Broadway show.

This is somehow worse.
They also are never bringing to the table new themes. It's "the price of fame" over and over and over and over again."

 

Agreed. Even if the film adaptations are sometimes unoriginal compared to their source material, at least they vary from EACH OTHER. These bio-jukebox shows/films are all copy-paste, and bad on top of it! 

 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 5:59pm

Tag said: "You're never going to find anyone that can sing anywhere near as good as her."

And good luck to the poor girl who has to try to get through all of those songs at least 6 times a week. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 2/15/22 at 7:56pm

All of these bio musicals are hot garbage mainly because they reduce a complex artist and person to a series of bullet points. It’s incredibly insulting if you ask me. So dramatically unsatisfying. I don’t go to the theatre for a Vegas show. 
 

They all inevitably suffer because they can’t replicate the icon they are celebrating. To me that is the most dismal aspect. That along with they are never truly honest. 
 

The last HBO doc on Tina was heartbreaking and it was her truth. It was so melancholy, yet so personal and beautiful. She was depressed much of her life and even when she eventually achieved great fame she was working longer than she wanted to ensure her financial comfort in old age. There is no way to monetize that truth for the stage. What gets produced is sanitized dreck. 
 

Whitney was emotionally and sexually abused as a child. She lived with emotional neglect and anxiety as she was pushed to stardom. She then felt the pressure of supporting her family and continuing to produce hit records. She was initially rejected by the black music industry which caused her more trauma. The trauma kept folding in on itself until her tragic and untimely death. How does one monetize that into a fun, pop filled Cinderella story. It’s just so gross. 
 

Also currently there is a concert in Vegas with a full band, back up singers and dancers and a hologram of Whitney. How garish is that? Her estate must be really hungry. Sickening. 

[BJR]

Posted: 2/16/22 at 8:55am

Jordan Catalano said: "I know she’s working on a biopic right now but I’d still give anything for a Madonna jukebox show about her life, recreating those iconic moments from her career. I’d pay premium prices (and as a Jew, that’s saying something) to sit front row and see “Madonna” roll around in front of me in a wedding dress."

Interestingly, the drama in her life wouldn't be price of fame, but more chasing unfulfilling fame and her own narcissism tripping her up, but also the thing the public (initially) wants.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/16/22 at 12:41pm

I so agree with this point some of these people went through really really tough times. And even when biopic films are formulaic they at least respect the reality of darkness. They aren't afraid to go there.

When the point of these shows is the CATALOGUE first and attracting fans of the artist, they neuter the people's story so the show isn't too dismal. And THAT I think is supremely gross.