2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting "Zhivago"?
2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting "Zhivago"?
Hawker
Featured Actor Joined: 2/23/04
#02007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting "Zhivago"?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 8:43pm
Des McAnuff has struck serious gold three times at LaJolla with "Jersey Boys", "700 Sundays" and a Pulitzer Prize winning play in "I am my own wife". Without giving anything anyway, "Zhivago" as staged at LaJolla's from "Page to Stage" program was a very serious, extremely well-crafted adaptation. The music is far superior to that of "Bill Elliot" (Lucy Simon can write music for the stage, in my opinion, far better than Elton John). McAnuff has the hottest hand on Broadway these days after Joe Mantello. It runs for six weeks in California wrapping things up in June which gives NcAnuff almost a year to gear up for a transfer to Boradway next spring.
There's also the question, too, one that has had producers's and investors concerned, whether or not "Billy Elliot" will transfer to the U.S. well. Choerographically, I don't think it was the equal of Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" and while that did take down four Tony's, I believe, the show will really have to deliver the goods to live up to its pre-broadway hype. If I had to guess, I'd bet something else jumps up and beats it for the brass ring at the tony's next year.
BSoBW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
#1re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 8:44pm
Less we forget DRACULA. Another McAnuff/La Jolla. I enjoyed it (username named after it)...but he has his failures.
But I am excited for THE WIZ.
Hawker
Featured Actor Joined: 2/23/04
#2re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 8:51pm
Yeah, like Rogers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Lowe hit home runs every time. "Dracula", however, was not the fruit of the "From Page to Stage" process which has been incredibly successful.
McAnuff also had "Big River" and "Tommy", two additional runaway hits.
"Zhivago" will be much closer to either of those than "Dracula".
#3re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 9:15pmI'm intigued by Zhivago. If it's based on Dr. Zhivago (which I'm assuming so) then it's a glorious story and really an awesome one to put to music. I hope it's good. =)
#4re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 9:36pm
...You're predicting Tony nominations for a season that hasn't even started yet. Shouldn't we get through this year's Tonys first?
And if it's anything like the movie, they'd have to pay me to sit through it.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
#5re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 9:38pm
just outa curiosity...why are we compaing Zhivago to Billy?
not arguing, just wondering
"Picture "The View," with the wisecracking, sympathetic sweethearts of that ABC television show replaced by a panel of embittered, suffering or enraged Arab women" -the Times review of Black Eyed
Hawker
Featured Actor Joined: 2/23/04
#6re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/3/06 at 9:41pmYou should not be disappointed. The music is lush, sometimes sometimes soaring. If you're not familiar with how brilliantly Lucy simon can score a show ckeck out "Lily's Eyes" and "How could I ever Know" from "The Secret Garden". The pieces are stirring and exquisitely poignant at the same time.
alterego
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
#7re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 9:03amThis musical doesn't excite me at all at this point in time.
#8re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 9:37amIs there still a revival of THE WIZ in the works for Broadway? I thought that idea was let go.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#9re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 10:46am
Hawker
Featured Actor Joined: 2/23/04
#10re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 11:54am
First off, someone referred to "Billy Elliot", I believe, in a way that was a tacit prediction about next year's awards.
Second, if the musical is ANYTHING like the movie, you might not have the chance to sit through it: there are PLENTY of Zhivago fans who will queu up for seats. The past 40 years it's attracted devotees in the tens of millions--much like "The Color Purple".
Hey, there are those who woudldn't be caught dead at "Mama Mia" but that didn't stop it from becoming a billion-dollar business.
Hawker
Featured Actor Joined: 2/23/04
#11re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 11:57am
Not comparing it, just mentioning the fact that there has been considerable apprehension about the success of its transfer on the part of its backers which could adversely affect its Tony possibilities.
Quite a few people have already conceded next year's Tony
award to "Bill Elliot" which I think is a bit premature--just as discussing next year's awards may be.
Labashier
Stand-by Joined: 10/9/04
#12re: 2007 Tony's: Is everybody forgetting 'Zhivago'?
Posted: 4/4/06 at 10:33pmI, too, have no idea why we're discussing NEXT year's season. But while we're at it, I saw last year's Page to Stage of the show, and I thought the score was much stronger than Secret Garden, which is saying something. The book was not without flaws, the opening number wasn't that great, and the cast ranged from ehh to great, but the score was phenomenal.
