How will Eddie Perfect do it?

[Call_me_jorge]

While King Kong begins previews on broadway, Beetljuice will be getting ready to start its DC tryout. Is Eddie Perfect just expected to fly back and forth to make sure the music for both shows is at its peak or is going to focus on one project. Has already finished his duty for one show and doesn’t need to be there? Maybe King Kong won’t make any changes to the score and only adjust direction and scenic stuff? Has another song writer ever been through this and how did they deal with it?

[Solipsist234]

I have a feeling that King Kong won't change much musically as much as Beetlejuice progressively will. Think about it this way: one show is opening on Broadway (in NYC) this November, while another is getting an out-of-town tryout that is also opening in November, and will then subsequently move to Broadway in the spring. As other posters have pointed out in the past, shows that start previews on Broadway don't necessarily change during the course of previews unless absolutely necessary (in this case, if a part of a show was jeopardized, i.e. the love quartet in Something Rotten, which opened cold on Broadway without a tryout; or even Shuffle Along, which also opened cold on Broadway, and it suffered in that it clearly needed a complete rewrite, which was why that preview period languished on for a month-and-a-half!)

That's how I see it, at least!

[Kad]

Kind of remarkable how someone with no prior musical theatre writing experience and nearly no name recognition in the US is having two high profile shows open on Broadway in a season.

[HogansHero]

re how will he: who cares? he either will or he won't. how will I balance a gorilla on my head? now that's something worth fretting over.

re why does he get to: cycles. we go through them in the theatre, and in baseball. No one knows why. 

[HenryTDobson]

HogansHero said: "re how will he: who cares? he either will or he won't. how will I balance a gorilla on my head? now that's something worth fretting over.

re why does he get to: cycles. we go through them in the theatre, and in baseball. No one knows why."

What a charming response.

[GeorgeandDot]

Kad said: "Kind of remarkable how someone with no prior musical theatre writingexperience and nearly no name recognition in the US is having two high profileshows open on Broadway in a season."

Right!  Where did this guy come from?  Did someone owe him a favor or something?  There are so many musical theatre writers that would've been so good for this.

 

[freewilma]

Wow.  That will make for a nutty schedule.  Beetlejuice is currently rehearsing in NYC, I believe, which should make things easier in the short-term.  Usually productions seem to more to DC about 2-3 weeks before first preview; which is October 14.  Beetlejuice's opening night is November 4....and King Kong's is Nov. 8.  

[darquegk]

Why does he get to? Tim Minchin, that's why. Intellectual Aussie singer-songwriter-comedian with an acerbic, wordy style becomes unexpected Broadway composer. Producers are naturally curious if they can stick that same landing again.

[Sondheimite]

For all we know,

Eddie Perfect could be the most brilliant new musical theatre composer in all the land.

Let's all wait and see before we start bemoaning the fact that there are other musical theatre writers who could have written these scots.  Because, unless some of you were invited to industry workshops, we have no idea what these scores sound like.

They could be brilliant.  They could be s***.... but they could be brilliant.

I, for one, welcome fresh blood in.  I'd rather a wildcard than another hamfisted/generic/cliched score from a "musical theatre composure."

 

[HogansHero]

"curious if they can stick that same landing again."

I'm curious what you mean exactly

[darquegk]

Matilda: a quirky, physically inventive show with a genre bending score from an Australian cabaret comedian.

Beetlejuice: a quirky, physically inventive show with a genre bending score from an Australian cabaret comedian?

We shall see.

[HogansHero]

Thanks for the dotted line. (And for not complicating it by mentioning GHD lol)

[RippedMan]

Is King Kong a 100% original score? I know in Australia they used old songs - like "Bullets Over Broadway." But I mean, it's only 4 hours away, and I'd think Beetlejuice, at this point, is done. So until they get an audience there aren't going to be any changes. He could easily go back and forth for a few shows here, a few shows there. It's also like a 45min flight. There's also Skype, FaceTime, etc. 

[haterobics]

How will Eddie do it?!
How will he do it?
How many outros do they need? (how many outros do they neeed)
How will Eddie do it?!
How will he do it?
How many vines, how many girls?
How many ghosts, how many---
Look at all the stanzas, at all the stanzas.
How many bridges do they need? How many kongs, droll gothic girls?
How many dance breaks does he ---

 

[Elegance101]

RippedMan said: "Is King Kong a 100% original score? I know in Australia they used old songs - like "Bullets Over Broadway." But I mean, it's only 4 hours away, and I'd think Beetlejuice, at this point, is done. So until they get an audience there aren't going to be any changes. He could easily go back and forth for a few shows here, a few shows there. It's also like a 45min flight. There's also Skype, FaceTime, etc."

I don't know why, but I feel like King Kong's music is more finished than Beetlejuice. I have no reason to believe that, but I think he'll put more time into the out-of-town tryout, even though this Broadway production of King Kong will be the premiere of his music.

[RippedMan]

I mean, at this point - for both shows - it's either or. We know that a lot doesn't change in a try-out period, or a previews period on Broadway. I think both of his scores are done. Beetlejuice has time. If his score isn't working, he's not going to be able to turn it around in a night or 2 weeks regardless. Same with King Kong. I think they're both finished products. So I'm sure he's leaving himself open. But I'd think, at this point, King Kong would be the focus, as he has time to work on Beetlejuice before its opening. 

[gypsy101]

a) who even is Eddie Perfect? b) is that his real name and if so what kind of name is it?

[HogansHero]

a) a cute aussie.

b) a perfect one of course.

[qolbinau]

Eddie IS a musical theatre writer. He has written at least two shows, of which I’ve seen his latest work “Vivid White” or something similar if I recall. Is he talented? Well, I can’t say I was blown away but occasionally there were a melody or two that I can imagine getting the attention of a producer during some kind of audition. There is potential. Let’s wait and see.

(I also saw King Kong but I don’t know if he was attached at that stage. The show was awful).

[Solipsist234]

qolbinau said: "(I also saw King Kong but I don’t know if he was attached at that stage. The show was awful). "

He wasn't (thankfully!) According to Wikipedia, there were "original compositions" made to the score by 3D, Guy Garvey, Justice, The Avalanches, and... Sarah McLachlan???

[UncleCharlie]

How will he do it? Perfectly.

Thank you. I'll be here all week.

[HiredMan]

Eddie has written only 4 songs for King Kong, the rest are taken care of by Marius DeVries and whatever else stuck from the previous incarnations. I think he'll have a busy couple of months but it's not like he's written two massive works that will need his constant attention. Also, both shows have music depts. and they usually do all the heavy lifting anyway.

I'm excited to see both shows-- Perfect wrote a fairly witty and tuneful if slightly sophomoric, Shane Warne musical down under a few years ago that you can very easily google. 

[chewy5000]

He's no stranger to the theatre - do your research, people!

[John Adams]

gypsy101 said: "a) who even is Eddie Perfect? b) is that his real name and if so what kind of name is it?"

I like the description of Broadway as, "musicals-a-go-go"