Riedel on Frozen's new creative team

[10086sunset]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 8:12am

http://nypost.com/2016/09/23/broadways-frozen-already-has-a-new-creative-team/

If anything, hopefully this will stop the talk of Frozen not going into the St. James...

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 8:17am

Mixed feelings on Grandage (Love some of shoes he directed, hated others), but Oram's sets are quite beautiful (Evita being my personal favorite). 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 8:53am

Well, that's too bad that Bob Crowley left as well.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 9:16am

The director gets choice of designer.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 9:54am

I know that. Oram is a great designer, though.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 10:01am

Grandage is an odd choice. Not really someone known for directing large, splashy productions.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 10:25am

Surprised by Grandage...

I guess at the end of the day, it will run and sell strongly no matter who they selected...

[JennH]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 10:59am

Woah...what is happening in that office?? To clarify, I'm saying this out of mostly shock at this entire turnover. However...this turnover is making me quite intrigued and..kind of excited :) While think Daldry would have done just fine, I think it was an easy choice, but at least it's true that Disney courted him for it, but he turned it down, and heaven knows I want that Wicked film to be the best it can be.

I know I may be a bit nuts, but I've never heard of either of these gentlemen, but that actually makes me very hopeful for this again. I've been doing my research on them. I had barely started reading that article and was thinking maybe by hiring some lesser known people they might be going for a less 'tourist trap' show that's merely a cheap spectacle. And then I came across the paragraph where Riedel says the same. 

"By hiring Grandage and Oram, Disney is signaling that "Frozen" will not be a kiddie-theme-park-show (coughDCAcough). The company is aiming for the kind of success it had with "The Lion King", a family-friendly, hugely commercial title wedded to theatrical artistry."

I hadn't even gotten to that part yet, and I was thinking the same damn thing as Riedel...who knew ;P But when I read that he thinks along the same lines, that makes me thrilled because just for the mere fact that they went for lesser knowns who aren't known for doing big, splashy things tells me that this won't merely be a cash grabbing tourist trap for kids who only are there because adults have to bring them. Big spectacles can be artistic, and I've always said Lion King and Beauty and the Beast were great marriages/balances of the two. They are quite artful for being Disney musicals, but only happened to be hugely spectacular and the cash flow was just icing on the cake. It sounds like this will be the same, and that is thrilling to me. Now just get them to redo the writing and structure so it can flow on stage without being awkward and get some REAL character development that we can care about them, and this will have it made. Those musicals married everything very well with what people loved about the movie while adding and expanding on it without changing to much because they didn't really need to. Frozen needs a good chunk of rewriting to make it flow well and not be so clunky and episodic on stage, but if they do the above...I have confidence in it again.

And as if this wasn't viewed as Disneys version of Wicked already with all those parallels that are certainly undeniable, I can understand the concern about Grandage as he done more plays and certainly hasn't really done musicals that are big spectacles, but remember Mantello was in the same position. More plays than musicals, and certainly hardly anything along the line of the splash wanted for Wicked back then...and yet here were are 13 years later and it's still one of the biggest juggernauts in Broadway history. 

Riedel is quite right in stating that they're bold choices just for being more play oriented and being lesser known, and I know I already said it but it can be said enough. That alone says that this whole endeavor will a bold choice and will actually have some thought and care put into it. I can now be excited about it again. 

Now....can we get a full version of Tangled and Hercules now? (I know, I know....nerd I admit it)

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:05am

They're not lesser known just because you haven't heard of them. Oram was nominated for a Tony just this past season. They're quite well known, though unexpected choices.

Updated On: 9/23/16 at 11:05 AM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:07am

Is Daldry actually that big of a name, with Grandage being considered "lesser-known" with Broadway audiences? Grandage is a Tony-winner with nearly twice as many Broadway shows as Daldry. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:09am

Stephen Daldry is a four-time Academy Award nominee, so... yes?

[JennH]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:24am

neonlightsxo said: "They're not lesser known just because you haven't heard of them. Oram was nominated for a Tony just this past season. They're quite well known, though unexpected choices.

 

"

Fair enough :) That's why I'm shocked at myself for being so idiotic for not knowing their names before this. 

 

And yeah, I'd say Daldry is overall the bigger name in general if I had to pick the bigger name. Laymen audiences might not know who either of them are, but they will soon enough lolz

 

 

Updated On: 9/23/16 at 11:24 AM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:48am

Curious to see if the cast will be replaced too...

[JennH]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:54am

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Curious to see if the cast will be replaced too...

 

"

I was wondering that too...juts didn't want or feel the need to say unless someone else did, and it seems I'm not alone. If anyone in that cast should stay it's Betsy. As much I would love to see a whole lesser to unknown cast in general, I'm not holding my breath, but Betsy of anyone should stay. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 2:26pm

Kad said: "Stephen Daldry is a four-time Academy Award nominee, so... yes?"

Daldry's been nominated three times.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 4:50pm

I think it's an awesome choice. Crowley isn't my favorite designer. Aladdin looks very cheap. And I love how moody Grandage's productions are. I think it will be really spectacular. 

[Trish2]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 5:12pm

Is NEWSIE choreographer Gattelli still on board or did he jump ship too?

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 6:03pm

If Betsy doesn't remain, I won't give this any more of my attention. She's the biggest, and frankly, the only reason I'm excited for "Frozen" to be brought to the stage. She's perfect for it, and with her as Elsa, that Tony is hers. Of course, Disney Theatricals losing me as a supporter is hardly anything to fret over. But she really is the best person for the job. I desperately hope she stays on.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 6:04pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Kad said: "Stephen Daldry is a four-time Academy Award nominee, so... yes?"

Daldry's been nominated three times.

 

"

Eh, three times as director plus Extremely loud and Incredibly Close somehow managed a best picture nod. Technically speaking the film is what got nominated for that fourth award, and a producer collects the award, but it is a group effort and the director plays a major part there. I'm inclined to count that as a nomination for him, and I would go with four Oscar nominations.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 7:02pm

If he wasn't a producer on the film nor nominated for Best Director, then it doesn't count.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 7:10pm

Doesn't the director also get an award? I remember it was a big deal with Argo, because Ben Affleck didn't get nominated for best director but he still got an Oscar, because the movie won best picture where he received one.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 7:33pm

^That's because he was also a producer on the film.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 11:50pm

I wouldn't say Elsa = Tony. 

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 9/24/16 at 2:04am

I wouldn't either. But Betsy Wolfe as Elsa = Tony. In my personal opinion, of course.

[brian1973]

Posted: 9/24/16 at 4:53am

This is potentially a disaster. Grandages productions are leaden and grey and humourless. Couldn't imagine a worse director for this show than him. 

 

This Is is clearly a show in crisis. I suspect Grandage etc will also get replaced once Disney see initial ideas.