Lloyd Webber's "Wizard of Oz" coming to Broadway? What do you all think?

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 11:11am

Looks like Lloyd Webber wants to bring "The Wizard of Oz" to Broadway along with "Love Never Dies." I know that the movie will always be better, but from what I've seen from the official pro shot videos, it looks like an intersting show. I hope he won't try to kick "Sister Act" out of the Broadway Theatre so soon like he did at the Palladium.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE WIZARD OF OZ & LOVE NEVER DIES to Broadway? CATS Back to London? Updated On: 6/25/11 at 11:11 AM

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 11:15am

I don't know..shows with songs about shoes haven't done too well lately. It's the new Vampire musical curse!

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 11:22am

Visually, the show is the most stunning thing I have ever seen on stage. While I did enjoy the show, the design was more interesting than the actual score/book for me personally. If it does transfer, Hannah Waddingham HAS to come with it. She was most definetely (sp?) the star of the show for me.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 11:41am

It's not gonna play. You saw the reaction on this forum alone when he suggested adding new songs to the score. The Wizard of Oz is like sacred writ to the American public -- you can do a spin on it like Wicked, but you can't add to it. He can bring it here, but I don't know who the hell it will play to. It changes too much. And cutting "If I Were King of the Forest" is the biggest dick move I've ever seen. Completely robs the Lion of his best moment.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 1:48pm

I can see it playing for 2 - 3 years tops. I think there are enough people who like Wizard of Oz and ALW to keep this show open for a few years. Besides, cutting "If I Were King of the Forest" is a plus for me. I would hope they would cast a well known american theater actress in the role of Dorothy.

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 1:51pm

Nathan Lane should be The Cowardly Lion!

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 1:58pm

Mr Lane will be too busy playing Hattie in the Follies revival and Herod in both the arena tour and Stradford transfer of Superstar.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 1:58pm

The set design looked amazing for this production but compared to Love Never Dies, I feel like that show has a better chance of having a longer running time given it has the "Phantom" name to give it an interest boost.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:06pm

It got tepid reviews and was arguably only sustained by ALW's inane reality show that went along with it. I don't see it materializing here.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:28pm

I think there are enough people who like Wizard of Oz and ALW to keep this show open for a few years.

Good luck finding them once they hear a) that there are new songs in the show and some of the classic ones have been cut, and b) that the new songs are by Andrew Lloyd Webber. You can lift every rock and split every stone, and you won't find enough to fill a theater for two to three years, especially when the tourists have had enough Oz and Wicked on the road to satiate their interest.

Besides, cutting "If I Were King of the Forest" is a plus for me.

Get out. Now. You're not an American.

Updated On: 6/25/11 at 02:28 PM

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:30pm

I t could be a tourist show. The public doesn't hate ALW like you guys say. My aunt worked at a theater and ALW shows were always her favourites. My parents have seen his shows too and love the music.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:31pm

This isn't a typical ALW show. It's one-part beloved American classic and one-part subpar ALW filler.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:32pm

See edited post above. The Wizard of Oz toured very recently in the traditional version in the major markets, and had a gimmick allowing local schoolkids to play Munchkins. I daresay the tourists have had their fill, and are not looking for a new twist on a 100-year-old American classic.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:39pm

Nathan Lane should be The Cowardly Lion!

He was.
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:40pm

That shows he can play the role well.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 2:51pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber's best bet right now is to just stick with his original productions and focus on bringing a couple of those to Broadway. The Wizard of Oz would maybe do well for a few months, but then I think it would just stop making money. I can't see this production being able to sustain itself for years on end, and it would need a huge house to accommodate the production.

[beagle]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 3:06pm

I'm American and I loved The Wizard of Oz film as a child. I have seen it many times, but I wouldn't call myself an Oz purist. To be honest, I had never been interested in stage versions of it before since they all seemed like museum pieces to me--just trying to stick the film onstage, for the most part. Also, I've seen clips of the much-lauded RSC version and was extremely underwhelmed. I have no problems whatsoever with the idea of adding songs to the existing ones, and cutting out some that don't work on stage(I don't miss "King of the Forest" one bit). If it works, then why not?

Still, I love the ALW casting shows--I know that makes me a minority here, but I do--and I was intrigued by the upcoming production. I watched Over the Rainbow online and Danielle Hope was my favorite from her first audition. So, when she won, I wanted to make another trip to London to see the show. I loved it. It's not super-innovative, ground-breaking, high art kind of stuff. It's just a really well-made "fun" show--or at least to me it was. I thought Danielle was wonderful as Dorothy, and the rest of the cast was excellent as well, especially Hannah Waddingham. The sets were also amazing, and I thought it worked well as a stage show and not a slavish replica of the film. It's not the best show I've ever seen, but I really enjoyed it.

If you already hate ALW, Oz is not going to make you like him. As for me, I like some of ALW's music but not all of it, even though I respect him as a person and as someone who has done a lot for musical theatre. I used to hate him, but seeing his casting shows made me re-visit his shows and decide that I actually do like some of them. I have to judge his shows on a case-by-case basis, and I liked Oz a lot, and the new songs, especially "Already Home" and "Red Shoes Blues" work for me.

As for Broadway, I think it has the potential to do very well there. ALW is actually well-loved by the general public as far as I have been able to tell. The vast majority of my friends who have a casual interest in musicals love his shows. His name is a draw, and I also don't think Americans are going to be that picky about his adding extra stuff. Nobody I've mentioned the idea to has even batted an eyelash at it. If it's well-done and looks good and has good publicity, people will see it. ALW has also thought about doing the Dorothy search on TV here as well, which would also create interest. I personally wish he'd just bring Danielle with the show to Broadway, but (sadly) I doubt he will because of the great potential for publicity that a US casting show can bring. I do expect Michael Crawford to transfer, though, and possibly Hannah Waddingham as well.




Updated On: 6/25/11 at 03:06 PM

[RH1234]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 3:32pm

I actually think it would do better on Broadway than here in the West End. With some good casting, I do think it would be successful on Broadway.

I understand that the film is far more appreciated in America than in the UK. But will people really be so averse to some new songs as much as you seem to be Gvendo2005?

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 3:43pm

@beagle: Hi, shill!

@RH1234: There are some things you don't screw with in America. The Wizard of Oz is one.

Updated On: 6/25/11 at 03:43 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 3:48pm

"My aunt worked at a theater and ALW shows were always her favourites. My parents have seen his shows too and love the music."

So, the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree then...

[degrassifan]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 4:04pm

Honestly, I think Wizard of Oz will do well. The general American public likes Webber (there are people out there who regard the movie version of Phantom a classic. Yes, someone has said this to me) and I don't think they will care if new songs were added. Most people understand that new songs need to be added in order to expand the story. Also, I'm pretty sure the general public is not tired of Wicked as of yet. In fact, a friend of mine just told me yesterday that she's getting tickets to the Wicked tour soon.

[beagle]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 4:12pm

@gvendo2005 I am not a shill. I am theatre fan who just happens to like a wide variety of things, including the ALW casting shows (but not all of ALW's musicals). Because I said I liked Oz and I am a fan of Danielle's, does that make me a shill? I've been a member of this board for two years, and I've posted in a variety of topics. I did not join to plug Oz. I saw Oz in London and I liked it, and I think it would do well on Broadway, so I added my opinion to this thread.

I personally do not think Americans will be, in a general sense, averse to the idea of new songs in Oz. I wasn't, and none of the people I've mentioned the idea to have been either. I am not a shill or an ALW fangirl (hardly!) I just like to judge shows individually as I see them rather than pre-judge them based on who wrote them.

[slmlbl]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 4:27pm

I would really like to see it transfer.
I completly understand people's mixed feeling on it, but it's a production I'd like to see. I think it would run well, especially in peak tourist seasons.
Plus has there ever been a major Broadway mounting (not sure if MSG counts)

Let's cast this sucker:

Dorothy- Danielle Hope is lovely, though I don't think they would transfer her. The other one that came to mine was Jennifer Damiano. Perhaps an unknown...

Glinda-My gut instinct would be someone who's done Glinda in Wicked. Too much?!!? Megan Hilty perhaps? LBB? could even see Kerry Butler.

Wizard- would love Crawford to cross the pond, but think that is unlikely.

Witch- Would love Hannah to transfer. Kritzer? Could even see previous Elphba's being up for it...

Scarecrow- Andrew Keenan Bolger?!

Lion- Chris Seiber

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 4:40pm

I don't know why, but I can really picture Emily Skinner as The Witch.

[beagle]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 4:45pm

ALW has said in the past that he would like to do a TV show to cast Dorothy, so I don't think they will bring Danielle over, even though I think it would be great if they did.

My vote for Glinda would be Kate Baldwin, and I think if Crawford doesn't transfer as the Wizard, perhaps Joel Grey? But he was the Wizard in Wicked, and I'm not sure if there would be that much crossover. I personally don't like the constant comparisons between Oz and Wicked. I like both, but they are different shows and I think too much cross-casting might get confusing. I think Leslie Kritzer would be a good choice as the Witch, only I suspect Waddingham is the most likely of the London cast to transfer.