Would All That Jazz work as stage show?

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 9:36pm

The film is extremely cinematic, so I think one of the main challenges would be re imagining it for the stage while at the same time staying true to Fosse's vision.

It would be interesting to see how a visionary director like Julie Taymor or Dianne Paulus would interpret this piece. With choreography by Ann Reinking?

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 9:42pm

It did. It was called Pippin, except Jazz made Fosse the central figure instead.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 10:25pm

For me, it would be pointless. Fosse's filmmaking can't be translated. The story, dance could be duplicated...but if you would do that, why bother? If you do something else...it's not ATJ.

Might as well revive NINE instead.

Updated On: 6/23/13 at 10:25 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 10:39pm

To do it without Fosse seems somehow disrespectful.

[broadwaybabe1234]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 1:41am

iT was so a part of fosse that i think any adaptation would be critically looked down on. I don't think it could ever be duplicated to have the same feel.

That being said, if anyone tries, i will be among the first to buy tickets.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 12:07pm

They did a few pieces from it in the show Fosse (Take Off With Us, Who's Sorry Now, and There's Gonna Be Some Changes Made)... they worked there, but I think that sort of thing should be the extent of it. Let the film stand on its own.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 12:31pm

I thought the ATJ numbers looked rather lackluster on Fosse, but that's mostly due to the production values.

This is one of my favorite movies, so I agree that if it's not done according to Fosse's vision then it shouldn't be done at all. But if done right, wouldn't it be a nice homage? John Napier would do wonders with this.

If they're going to keep adapting films for the stage, they should at least pick the great ones.

[dreaming]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 12:43pm

I think it could work, but the film is so cinematic in its approach to its topic that it might be very hard to translate. (They use certain cinematic elements to tell the story. Not saying it CAN'T be done, just that it would be hard.)

Also, the casting in that film was incredible. Who would you see as Fosse? (Gideon) Ryy Scheider's performance was incredible. (It would be really hard to top.)

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 12:58pm

Jack Davenport

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 12:59pm

"John Napier would do wonders with this."

Actually no-one's more equipped to design a stage version than the movie's actual oscar-winning production designer-- our own Tony Walton! No-one would give this show more of the original Fosse spirit than the man who designed the original broadway productions of Pippin and Chicago.

I actually think this is a script rooted on the broadway stage and would make a superb live show, but wish we still had someone like Kander and Ebb with us to augment the movie score with some much-needed new character-driven songs.

[dreaming]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 1:09pm

I think the flashback element is hard to replicate-the beauty of it was that they used the same actor (which I liked) as the present Gideon and the past one. (There wasn't enough of a time difference to put an alternate Gideon in-it's pretty recent.)

It could be really, really good. I think having someone from film team up to co-direct it with a Broadway director would be a smart move. (I know co-direction is hard, but it could work out and might resolve the problems/issues I noted with the cinematic qualities.) I love this film and think it would do really well under certain circumstances-and provided you can get someone who's right for Gideon.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 8:13pm

It did. It was called Pippin, except Jazz made Fosse the central figure instead.

With respect, I agree. But the show was called NIne.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/24/13 at 10:48pm

"Actually no-one's more equipped to design a stage version than the movie's actual oscar-winning production designer-- our own Tony Walton! No-one would give this show more of the original Fosse spirit than the man who designed the original broadway productions of Pippin and Chicago."

Oh, absolutely! I forgot about Walton. I was just thinking about Napier's work on Dave Clark's Time, and thought something along those lines could work beautifully for the finale.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 6/25/13 at 7:03am

slighty off track here but the opening on-going try-out sequence in ATJ is 100x better than anything A CHORUS LINE on film tried to do...all the excitement and work that goes into auditions is captured brilliantly in the film...can that be translated to a stage show..i think not...

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/25/13 at 11:41am

"It did. It was called Pippin, except Jazz made Fosse the central figure instead.

With respect, I agree. But the show was called NIne."

And the movie is really called 8 1/2.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/25/13 at 2:53pm

"the opening on-going try-out sequence in ATJ is 100x better than anything A CHORUS LINE on film tried to do"

Well in a way, that was what Gower Champion's opening of 42nd St also managed to do onstage pretty fabulously-- it's possible to get the blood pumping with the right director, choreographer, orchestrator and LIGHTING DESIGNER to focus the action and build it the way Fosse could do in the editing room on All That Jazz.

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/25/13 at 3:20pm

Problem is, it's not really a 'musical' until the third act. The spine of the show would have to be adjusted to make it be a musical throughout. Spinal surgeries are precarious at best... though it is one of my favorite films and I'd LOVE to see someone give it a try. Of course, you could stage it as is and see if it worked -- but my director-head doesn't think it would.