"Heather Headley didn't really get a great reception in the role. It wasn't until Alexandra that people took notice of the show. "
The reviews were unanimously favorable of her. It was her continuous absence that really ticked off a lot of the audience. The show did quite well during her tenure, but really picked when Beverley Knight joined once Heather left. It also did well with Alexandra, although she was only in it for three months.
Now that a CD is coming out (I would guess they finally got all the rights and licenses sorted), we might expect foreign recordings from the German company that will open towards the end of the year and the Dutch company (altogether a completely different version with a different director and creative team), which will open in September.
@ Tag I saw it in London with HH and she blew my socks off. I was thinking I have heard WH do all the song 1000's of times, how good could it be? It's different. The arrangements, the use of the songs. It all worked. I saw it in previews there, not sure how much has changed, but I am looking forward to this.
Wildcard, that's not true about it not taking off until Alexandra took over. The show really took off with Beverley Knight; she raised the profile of the show and the box office boomed. Alexandra has just about managed to sustain it.
"@ Tag I saw it in London with HH and see blew my socks off. I was thinking I have heard WH do all the song 1000's of times, how good could it be? It's different. The arrangements, the use of the songs. It all worked. I saw it in previews there, not sure how much has changed, but I am looking forward to this. "
The post-previews show with Heather and the OLC was more or less the same as the preview version you saw. Book/song/content wise, it remained the same (the only huge difference I noticed was the Frank/Tony scene about security). Otherwise, I think they used the previews to iron out technical elements rather than content elements.
A slight tweak in some scenes and dialogue happened when Beverley Knight took over, but also mainly on a technical front with the projections.
The tour version does have significant changes with new songs, some scenes being omitted and replaced and some characters completely removed (Frank's father and the older detective). I have a feeling that they will come back in the newer version that will run in the US. I feel that US productions have bigger capabilities and budgets than UK ones.
Their social media account said it will be up shortly after. I would imagine they'd want to get it up ASAP given Alexandra Burke's followers are probably more digitized than your everyday musical theatre nerd who would rather own the CD.
How do they cut out Frank's father in the new version!? I guess it's not a pivotal character (they could go to the cottage without having the father there), it just seems so familiar from the film. I'd miss the character.
The only performance of Heather Headley's I saw from this was I Will Always Love You from some awards show, and I thought she was phenomenal. I wish she was on the album.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
What an awful cast recording this is. Just listen to Whitney's greatest hits albums to hear these songs sung much better. There's just no point to this cast recording without Heather Headley, to me.
I actually really like this cast recording. Yes, I wanted to hear Heather or Deborah (since she's touring the US) but just have to deal with it. I don't have actual "singers" on my itunes, just cast recordings. When they make these jukebox musicals.. it's my only way of hearing these songs, so it's great. I love all the songs. Last night I bought Finding Neverland and this.. THIS definitely made me happy.