Would anyone want to see Oliver! 2009 West End revival transfer to Broadway?

[rorschach37]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 3:38pm

I have a friend who saw the show in London and just adored it. Having seen videos of the production I now wish I could have seen it. It looked like an incredible production. Would anyone have liked to see this on the Great White Way?

[tazber]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 4:05pm

I would!

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 4:06pm

Though I highly doubt it would happen, I'm all for an Oliver! revival. I really love that musical!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 4:28pm

I saw it in Sept. and it was terrible. Every song was sung at neck-breaking speed devoid of any emotion. The design is lavish but totally unatmospheric. Fagin throwing in a Lady Gaga joke didn't help. OLIVER is one of my fav shows and I was extremrly disappointed.

[DeNada]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 4:39pm

Trust me, you weren't missing much save a sumptuous physical design. The whole thing was directed far too big, not a moment of subtlety or truth in the entire production. It was much better last time round when Sam Mendes did it - I failed to see what Rupert Goold did on the show, frankly.

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 4:56pm

Did the one that was at the Palladium back in the 90's ever play on Broadway?

I saw that one and thought it was rather good.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 5:05pm

I know she got very mixed reviews in the show, but I was a huge fan of Jodie Prenger on I'd Do Anything and was rooting for her to win from the very beginning and very glad when the public agreed. I'd love to see her do Oliver in New York - although I would think Equity would have some problems with it, and I'm a Union backer.

Posted: 7/16/11 at 5:24pm

For some reason I always assumed this was simply a remounting of the big Cam Mackintosh 90s production. Had no idea it was a brand new one... Please tell me that that's a joke that Fagin made a Gaga reference??

I saw that 90s Mendes/Mackintosh production, and while I undeniably enjoyed it, and it was often spectacular, I'm not sure the new songs and dialogue added much, and for me, on stage, Oliver! works better in its original more melodrama style. I get though that they wanted it to be both spectacular, and to appeal more to people who knew the much different in tone movie, which it was much closer to. (and I will grant you *as a movie* Oliver! is better than its stage version in many ways). Updated On: 7/16/11 at 05:24 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 5:40pm

Eric, I wish it was a joke but, no, at one point Fagin made a reference to "Lord and Lady Gaga".

[Dubliner]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:41pm

I also saw it last autumn and thought it was utterly dreadful. Huge amounts of spectacle and no heart. I was so disappointed as when I was a child I saw a replica of Peter Coe's original production in Dublin with a magnificent cast of Irish actors. Sean Kenny's design was used and it was so magical and atmospheric. How someone could re-imagine this wonderful, dark, edgy show as a Dickensian theme park is beyond me.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:42pm

Networks toured the Palladium Revival in the US in 2003-05. I now wish I could have seen it when it came through.

[willep]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 7:21pm

Only if it brought Rowan Atkinson back to the NY stage.

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:05pm

I assume the fact that it has Rowan is one reason Fagin would make jokes like the Gaga one. Oy - it's one thing to adlib like that in some shows, but... I mean look at Zero Mostel, while I know the authors understandably found it annoying it was one thing when he adlibbed in Forum, but when he apparently started doing it in Fiddler?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 8:40am

Eric, I believe Rowan left the show in summer 2009. I saw Omid Djalili in the role, and he had his own little ad-lib moment as well. I guess they all do? I was there during some Jewish holidays, so he threw in some yiddish/jewish material, which got a mixed bag of audience reaction.

I thought it was a gorgeous production, but I agree with all who said it was all done very big and lacking in real emotion. But I just chalked it up to just playing it big for the family audiences. I happened to see Jodie's alternate Tamsin Carroll, who I read was actually better, and she was probably the real highlight of the show, performance-wise.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 9:20am

Any pictures of these revivals? I love design, so I'd love to see the "overblown" design of the current revival, and then the others as well?

[hhaarriissoonn]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 9:53am

With the exception of the Lord and Lady Gaga joke I thought this was a pretty excellent revival of a classic musical. I saw it last August when I went on vacation to England and I would love to see this come over to Broadway!

[mikey2573]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 10:38pm

As I recall, Macintosh tried to bring OLIVER! to Broadway with his 1995 revival, but he had some problems with Actors Equity. I think it had something to do with the pay scale for the Workhouse orphans who only appear in the first ten minutes of the show and then they are done. AE insisted that Macintosh pay those kids full Broadway scale, he said that would make the show cost way too much. Equity would not budge so did not bring it in. Instead he gave us the non-equity touring company, which I saw and liked.
I don't think Macintosh has brought a show into Broadway since then, has he?
I also remember the Broadway revival from back in the 1908s. It had the original director with the original set plus movie-Fagin Ron Moody and Patti Lupone, fresh from her EVITA Tony win. The show closed after a few weeks.
Right now I would say it is VERY unlikely. Perhaps he will give the USA another tour?

[theatreguy]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 10:43pm

Mackintosh has brought several shows to Broadway since then - Swan Lake, Putting it Together, Oklahoma, Les Miserables revival, Mary Poppins.

He didn't produce the US tour, though. He licensed it to NETworks.

[lordtubbington]

Posted: 7/18/11 at 10:53am

I really don't know what to say at this point.