SOUL DOCTOR Tour?

[thebookofwhizzer]

Forgive me if this already has a thread but..

http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-nominee-josh-young-will-head-cast-of-soul-doctor-tour

[TheGingerBreadMan]

I have one question: why?

This show should have died before it hit Broadway. Though the Playbill article makes it sound like it won't be a full national tour, but rather it will just play a few engagements in select cities.

[fashionguru_23]

We get tours of BOTH "Soul Doctor"  AND "Amazing Grace"! As we know, all good things come in threes! So, let's hope "Moose Murders", "By Jeeves" or "In My Life" announce their tours asap!

[Scarywarhol]

Delusionally committed producers of horrible shows do crazy things.

[thebookofwhizzer]

fashionguru_23 said: "We get tours of BOTH "Soul Doctor" AND "Amazing Grace"! As we know, all good things come in threes! So, let's hope "Moose Murders", "By Jeeves" or "In My Life" announce their tours asap!"

Still holding out for Glory Days!! 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Maybe this can run in rep with Scandalous.

[bdn223]

I think the producers know the show will never become a standard, but they are trying to get their money back via licensing. If no one knows the show exists it will never been licensed.. so it would make sense for spend a little money by mounting productions in heavily Jewish areas so that local JCCs would add it to their musical rotation so they don't mount Fiddler on the Roof every 2-3 years.To quote another although more respected and produced flop; [Title of Show] the producers know if their 9 musical directors "favorite thing" they are more likely to be produced then 100 musical directors 9th favorite musical. 

[Mr. Nowack]

LOL

[MannPhan24601]

I saw Carlebech's daughter Neshama in concert  last year and she seemed really talented(and sang a really good "She Used To Be Mine" I know absolutely  nothing on this musical...

[Mister Matt]

If no one knows the show exists it will never been licensed.. so it would make sense for spend a little money by mounting productions in heavily Jewish areas so that local JCCs would add it to their musical rotation so they don't mount Fiddler on the Roof every 2-3 years.

Considering it's only scheduled for San Diego, Los Angeles and Jerusalem, I think the execution of their plan is a little bit off.  How many local JCCs do we have in the Middle East?

[lightguy06222]

they've brought on the same director as AMAZING GRACE.  

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Am I the only one who immediately thought that Josh Young can do better then this?

[kade.ivy]

Any updates on the recent controversy with this production? Apparently they won’t be taking (at least some of) the cast to Israel, according to cast member Megan Ort’s Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/BimooHPDfn0/

Says she didn’t think this kind of manipulation was possible with a union job. Maybe Equity is spending too much time jockeying for new Tony categories and renaming robes?

[pointilismlight]

oncemorewithfeeling2 said: "Am I the only one who immediately thought that Josh Young can do better then this?"

Nope.  No you are not.  Between this and Amazing Grace I am sad for his career.

[ghostlight2]

"I have one question: why?
This show should have died before it hit Broadway." 

I believe the "why" is that, if I understand correctly, most of the backing comes from Carlebach's family, and those who believed in Carlebach's different take on Judaism, who want to keep his name alive.There is a tiny niche market out there for this, and they want to find it and spread the word. I doubt that they believe that they will ever recoup. I agree that the Broadway run was ill-advised.

"To quote another although more respected and produced flop; [Title of Show] the producers know if their [they're?] 9 musical directors' "favorite thing" they are more likely to be produced then 100 musical directors' 9th favorite musical."

The people behind the much-reviled [Title of Show], while certainly passionate about the show, were a little more business-savvy. They knew that if they made it to Broadway, they could license it as "Direct from Broadway. They already had a following and a recording, and they have since had a fair amount of success in regional theaters, colleges, community theaters, and even high schools. It has played as far away as New Zealand and Japan. 

I didn't hate Soul Doctor as much as most seem to. Eric Anderson was excellent in the title role, and Amber Iman was an extraordinary Nina Simone. Carlebach did lead an interesting life. The is a story there, but I think the writers were too close to find it. The book was a mess.

As to Josh Young, who knows? Maybe he believes in the piece. Maybe he wants to go on the road. Maybe he wants to be a big fish in a small pond. Maybe he just needs a paycheck. This won't harm his career.

[uncageg]

I LOVE theatre and have only left at intermission at 2 shows in my 35 years of theatergoing. This show was one of them.

Thank you for your post ghostlight, I was not aware of this.

[CATSNYrevival]

If they want the show to have a life beyond Broadway shouldn't they have invested in a cast album rather than a tour? I'd imagine shows without cast albums don't get licensed as much as those that do.

[RippedMan]

Having been a fan of YOUNG for years and seeing Amazing Grace - he's an awful, awful actor, but a great singer. So I'd be curious to see him in this only because it doesn't seem like a role suited for his voice. 

[ghostlight2]

You're welcome, encageg. Reb Shlomo Carlebach was quite the controversial figure amongst the Hassidic Jews. Born and raised an Orthodox Jew, descended from old rabbinical dynasties, he broke away to write music and founded the only Jewish commune in the Haight-Ashbury in the 60s. He believed music was a way to reach to others so he could teach them his religion. He played to hippies, and kinda sorta believed in free love. He was charasmatic if borderline cultish, and had a dedicated group of followers. He was a huge part of the neo-hassidic movement. He is a a still hotly contested subject in Orthodox Judaism - and he died (heart attack at Laguardia airport, oddly) in 1994. It was an unique look into the world of the Orthodox Jews, but unfortunately, there isn't a wide audience for that.  Anyway...

One other thought about Josh Young taking this role. It's a juicy role with a lot of range and looks like a helluva lot of fun to play.

Ok, I'll bite. What was the other show, encageg?

Eta: "If they want the show to have a life beyond Broadway shouldn't they have invested in a cast album rather than a tour? I'd imagine shows without cast albums don't get licensed as much as those that do."

I agree, CATSNY. That's what I was referring to with [title of show]. They had a cast album and a small but devoted (and international] following, plus they had a number of followers on their internet shows, the [title of show] show. It was an interesting phenomena. No one became a millionaire with [tos], but it's licensing probably buys a fair amount of gas and groceries. 

I think Soul Doctor is simply a labor of love at this point.


 

[uncageg]

I honestly don"t remember the name of the show. It was a regional production of a new work is all I remember.