Annie gets a West End run?

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 4:49am

Jeeves coming off early at Harold Pinter, curiously in line when Annie Get Your Gun finishes it's UK Tour...

I heard Jason Donovan only agreed to star or if came into West End and had it in his contract so I was curious where this could land..
Updated On: 7/28/14 at 04:49 AM

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 5:36am

Got excited there, but wrong Annie . Was hoping more curly red haired orphan.

[Pharoah]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 6:06am

You mean Duke of York's. But yes, seems Jeeves is now shutting 20 Sept and Annie's last date is Oct 4th, so could well happen.

But I agree Mark... was hoping for a transfer of the Broadway revival of ANNIE!

Incidentally, Rabbit Hole has been postponed at the Vaudeville, and Forbidden Broadway is coming in for an 11 week run instead.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 9:21am

Guessing sales must have been not great or they couldn't find a replacement cast. Did hope another play would come in.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 11:41am

I was hoping Annie was coming in too.

Saw Annie Get Your Gun without Jason Donovan which I guess is a bonus at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley and was enjoyable.

I was hoping for a play too, a Theatre Royal, Bath's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woofe or Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, but got a feeling that this may follow Charles III at the Wyndham.

[Pharoah]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 11:48am

Assuming both Tim P-S and Clare Higgins stay on, WAOVW can't come in 'til end of March 2015 at the earliest.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike has been mentioned several times, but it's all gone quiet recently. But who knows? Still hoping Pressure will transfer from Chichester.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 12:05pm

Virginia Woolfe will probably be Spring or Summer 2015 if it transfers.

Given the strong reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if Amadeus ends up transferring but not until next year

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 12:27pm

Don't disagree with you, think Virginia Woofe will be put on ice until Clare Higgins returns from Broadway, so will more than likely be in the spring.

Amadeus will transfer, what was the play that got all the rave reviews from Chichester earlier this year? Wonder if that will transfer too.

However 3 play houses have now been snapped up by musicals - Harold Pinter/Sunny Afternoon - Apollo/Urinetown - Garrick/Scottsboro Boys however I don't really see the last 2 running that long 6-8 months. Sunny Afternoon I could see running for years and could be the British Jersey Boys.

[Pharoah]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 1:06pm

I know it's a smaller catchment than London, but WAOVW didn't sell well at all in Bath. Only stalls open on the Sat matinee I went, and it was a 3 week run too. Bu it's stonkingly good.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 1:18pm

The Importance of Being Earnest which is a different production starring David Suchet is going to the West End from June 2015 after its short UK tour, given it's being produced by Nica Burns, I'm guessing it'll go into a Nimax theatre.

Amadeus I think somewhere like the Wyndham's, Haymarket or Gielgud would work but none of them are available

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 1:30pm

I cannot see Great Britian running after its 3 months booking period at the Haymarket, not sure how long Curious Dog will run at the Gielgud, but don't think it will run forever also.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 1:31pm

Musical in playhouses happens because we have few intimate spaces for smaller scale musicals. Putting Sunny Afternoon in th Adelphi, for example, would just be ludicrous. It seems to happen in large numbers every now in then, only a few years ago we had large plays in musical houses so it's swings and roundabouts ...

I of course mean Duke of Yorks not HPT.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 1:40pm

The Pinter has hosted musicals before, Sunny Afternoon wouldn't work as well in a bigger theatre although there's not many of those available either.

Curious Incident doesn't seem to selling as well at the Gielgud compared to the Apollo, I think not reopening until six months later has affected sales. Agree about Great Britain, I imagine three months and that's it.

[Pharoah]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 5:31pm

Billie Piper's not doing GB. Will be interesting to see who goes in her place. It's an odd transfer; the reviews have been mixed, and it's hardly tourist fare.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 6:30pm

Agreed about Great Britian, don't get the move myself.

Agreed Sunny Afternoon is perfect for the Harold Pinter, as was Sunset Boulevard, such a small theatre should guarentee the longevity of the show and also the show should get a high ticket yield, smart move.

I am half hearted as I love musicals but they have taken over traditional playhouses, where plays traditionally do their business, such as;

Annie Get Your Gun - Duke of York
Sunny Afternoon - Harold Pinter
Scottsboro Boys - Garrick
Mamma Mia - Novello
Thriller - Lyric
Woman On A Verge of a Breakdown - Playhouse
Beautiful - Aldwych

Which is bad news for the not-for-profit theatre as transfers are their bread and butter. Goes to show London can do with two new theatres around the 1800 seat mark. With the Ambassador being returned to a playhouse, this will give other options, don't know when this is happening though?

With all these new show, plus Motown rumoured for the Dominion. Something positive might come out and that is Thriller will finally call it a day and the Lyric will be restored to playhouse.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 6:54pm

The Aldywch and Novello are both musical and playhouses because of their capacity. Indeed Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies has been hugely successful at the Aldwych but I imagine most plays would struggle to fill it.

The Ambassadors returning to plays is good IMO, if only because I think Stomp has run its course.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/28/14 at 9:18pm

Hope Thriller has run its course too.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 2:54am

Thriller isn't going anywhere. It's currently playing to its busiest ever houses, it's here for a long stay,
Lyric, Novello (Strand), Aldwych have long been used as musical houses as they larger audience capacity so appeal to musicals.

If plans get approved for Cameron's redevelopment on Ambassadors to be Sondheim studio theatre, it will be used for all variety or purposes and most certainly for musicals from places like Southwark, Menier etc...

Great Britain will do ok buisness for a while but I agree I don't this being a solid hit like recent NT shows. Curious is doing good in Gielgud still, I think that will be at least another year.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 11:36am

What a shame with Thriller doing so well. Hoping the collective opening of Memphis, Motown, Beautiful and Sunny Afternoon would severly handicap their box office. I suppose Japanese tourists need something to go and see.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 1:33pm

Alao think now that Shakespeare in Love will wrap up in 3 months as plays do.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 7:50pm

Would be great for London to have a few more Broadway-style larger musical houses. There's a big gap between 1,000 and 2,000 seats. Especially between 1,500 and 2,000. That said, you do need the shows to fill them.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/30/14 at 2:50am

Motown won't be happening for a while. I believe the Dominion is off now and the waiting on Shaftesbury and Adelphi to open up.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 7/30/14 at 9:31am

Guessing the producers of Motown don't see either Made in Dagenham or Memphis being hits.

Updated On: 7/30/14 at 09:31 AM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/30/14 at 10:05am

Motown is the big hit in the Nederlander protfolio on Broadway right now, that hasn't transfered, so with the Adelphi being owned by the same people. jointly with the Really Useful Group, so this is probably why Motown will get the Adelphi.

If Made in Dagenham doesn't hit the weekly box office targets, I am sure Nederlanders wouldn't hesitate to finish this show up, but if it does do well, then I am sure Nederlanders will equally be happy having another hit on their hands. Either way Nederlanders cannot lose here.

Good to see that Motown has taken the hint that the Dominion is simply too big, I still think this is the case with the Adelphi and would be better off in the Aldwych or Savoy.