Peggy Sue Got Married musical - West End

[bigbelterbaby]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:49am

I was reading about this musical based on the film that premiered on the West End in 2001 starring Ruthie Henshall. The show got great reviews and Henshall was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress but the show only ran for two months, producers blamed the 9/11 attacks that ruined out-of-town ticket sales. 

Anyone have any thoughts or comments about this? Not sure if there was a cast recording but I liked the clips that are on Youtube. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 1:13am

Oh man, this was a terrible show. Full disclosure - the movie is my all time favorite movie. My biggest problem with the musical is that they seemed to drop all the themes that made the film so wonderful in order to make it a "peppy" and "fun" show, when that's not at all what this is. It's a pretty heavy story (with some really funny moments in it) asking if you knew then what you know now... I think it was just a complete missed opportunity and one day if someone could find the right tone and balance, I think it would make a great musical. But the 2001 production wasn't that. 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 5:17am

It premiered in 1999 at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theater outside of Chicago and wasn't well received.  If the authors have reworked it since the West End engagement, you'd think it would have resurfaced by now.   

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 10:06am

Yeah, it's best to just let this one become a forgotten show. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 10:49am

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 11:47am

Agree 100% with Jordan - in trying to make it fun they took the serious themes away, and therefore the charm of those poignant moments. 

 

Although...Henshall did not disappoint.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:08pm

How much did the score sound like the Four Seasons' music, seeing as Bob Gaudio composed it?

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:24pm

This really is a kind of musical that should have been composed by the team who did GREY GARDENS and FAR FROM HEAVEN. It's a beautiful film with a lot of cerebral ideas behind the fun. The musical seems to want to be a cousin to GREASE.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:25pm

^YES. That's really a great way to sum up the feeling of this mess of a show. 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:32pm

I attended opening night of the West End production mainly because I wanted to see Ruthie perform, but I also had a friend in the ensemble.  Ruthie was wonderful and knocked it out of the park with the show's stunning power ballad This Time Around.  There was little else to like.  The pastiche 50s songs were mostly fun (with the exception of My Baby Has That New Car Smell...horrific title aside, the song was basically a lesser copy of Greased Lightning), but the rest of the score sounded firmly planted in the 80s, despite being written for many of the 50s scenes also including the 50s pastiche numbers.  The book was as flimsy as the design and the whole thing came across as a trite and cheap regional production in a secondary market.

Other than praise for Ruthie, the reviews were not "great":

The Telegraph

The Guardian

This Is Theatre

Variety

The Independent

BBC

I believe the Daily Mail gave it a positive review, but I couldn't find a link to the full article.  One thing I remember about that evening was before the show in the lobby, there was a table in the corner loaded with glasses of champagne.  There were no signs or anything, so out of curiosity, I walked over to the table to check it out.  This 20-something girl jumped in front of me, arms outstretched, blocking the table with a scowl and sternly said, "PRESS ONLY!"  I was a bit stunned by the hostility, but I chuckled and said, "Okay...I was just looking because there's no sign or anything.  I didn't know what it was."  She just stood defiantly still blocking the table with her whole body like I was trying to Red Rover my way through her or something and continued, "THIS IS FOR THE PRESS ONLY!"  I just looked at her the way you might want to tiptoe around a paranoid schizophrenic responding to the voices in her head and slowly backed away.   Apparently, the exclusivity of free cheap champagne didn't help with the reviews.  I do have my souvenir program that included a large silly paper cut-out of wedding bands with the opening performance date printed on them.  I believe I also have the 5-track promo CD and Ruthie also recorded This Time Around on her Pilgrim album.

Updated On: 11/22/16 at 12:32 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:36pm

How much did the score sound like the Four Seasons' music, seeing as Bob Gaudio composed it?

Very little.  Maybe 2 or three tunes.  One I remember in particular called Crown of Love that was charming, but did nothing other than establish the setting.  I believe it was the number performed by the boys at the party.

Can't See Myself Without You:

 

Updated On: 11/22/16 at 12:36 PM