Write "Volume 2" of NOT SINCE CARRIE

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 4:51pm

If you were tasked with writing a second edition of NOT SINCE CARRIE, what shows would you include and what would you attribute to their failure? The only rule is you must write your piece as if it were being published in a reputable book. Potential starting points...

Amelie

Disaster!

Summer

Head Over Heels

Amazing Grace

Margaritaville

Soul Doctor

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 5:43pm

Those are the weakest starting points.

So many great ones to consider since the first book.

[jpbran]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 5:52pm

Suggestions since the original book: Lestat. Doctor Zhivago. Wonderland. Dance of the Vampires. Spider-Man. Bonnie & Clyde. Pirate Queen. The Civil War. Scandalous. Taboo. Big Fish. American Psycho. Cry-Baby. Leap of Faith. Girl in the Thunderbird. In My Life. 

Updated On: 1/4/19 at 05:52 PM

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 7:13pm

You guys are totally right, but my brain was running on E this afternoon and so I only went back a season or two. Now I'm ashamed I forgot to put all those in my OP...

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 7:28pm

I feel like Frank Wildhorn as a whole could be a subject in itself as far as examining what went wrong.

As for what went wrong for the ones I've seen recently, the book of the show seems to be a huge issue, especially for Summer (where it was rather jumbled and almost nonexistent) and Head Over Heels (where the different parts of the show didn't seem to pull together and the use of verse was questionable).  Though I suppose there's another argument to be made for jukebox musicals as a whole.

[Rainah]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 7:30pm

Spider man is one I'd love to hear more about how that all went down. Also, not sure if it's considered enough of a flop, but the descending dominos of the whole Comet mess was really something, following in real time

[raddersons]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 7:40pm

Rainah said: "Spider man is one I'd love to hear more about how that all went down."

Lucky for you there's a whole book on it. Check out Song of Spiderman. Fascinating and fun read.

 

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 9:58pm

Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "I vote for Lestat! Pre-Broadway engagement in San Fransissyco. As I'm given to understand Sir/Dame Elton literally phoned in his songs. To my (very) untrained eyes the set looked like a giant, gaping va jay jay.

Just a big, steaming "toide" of a show.

And this was from the director of Disney's Beauty And The Beast, correct? And lo, how the mighty have fallen.

No. Vampire. Musicals. Ever. Again."

I’d love a whole chapter on Vampire Musicals if a volume 2 is written. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 10:37pm

I assume litigation is ongoing, so the story isn't complete yet. But surely REBECCA will merit its own chapter.

[lachri5]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 11:23pm

Women on the Verge, The Wild Party (LaChiusa), Marie Christine, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, The Scottsboro Boys, Steel Pier, Thou Shalt Not, The Frogs, High Fidelity, Urban Cowboy, Lennon, Holler If Ya Hear Me...

I'd love to hear more about the canceled Lauren Ambrose Funny Girl too.

[lachri5]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 11:52pm

Do revivals count? If so, adding the infamous On A Clear Day, and whatever happended to The Apple Tree? Not sure if 110 in the Shade revival was limited engagement, but I wish it had more success, the recording is one of my favorite to this day. Also the most recent Guys & Dolls.

More original productions: The Visit, The Last Ship, Lysistrata Jones, A Catered Affair, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Triumph of Love.

Actually, come to think of it, the series If It Only Even Runs A Minute is basically Not Since Carrie 2.0 in concert form, only that it includes shows from the book and off-Broadway too.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 12:11am

Nerds
Tarzan
If/Then

[Tom5]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 12:15am

Why would people savvy enough to be on this board want to attend a production that was clearly going to be torture for them? I had the opportunity to see The Last Ship before it opened, but passed on it because the premise seemed nonsensical and even if the shipbuilders managed to sail away on the ship they built in secret (huh?) where would they sail to? Never Never Land? Better to just get a discount airline ticket.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 12:18am

The criteria for coverage in the original book:
-Lost money and
-Had no national tour and
-Ran fewer than 250 performances

Only shows that played Broadway or closed out of town after announcing a Broadway opening date and theater were considered.

Updated On: 1/4/19 at 12:18 AM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 7:59pm

SH*T, the "lost money" criterion alone is grist for an ongoing theme about how much more it costs to put on a show today compared to yesterday. Dance of the Vampires and Spider-Man lost more money than some of the flops in Not Since Carrie 1.0 ever made in their whole run.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 8:11pm

I'd love to read a serious discussion of what happened to BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, my vote for best score of the 21st century so far. I saw the national tour and was so moved I couldn't even talk about the show for several days. (And I had intentionally avoided previous versions of the story because it sounded corny.)

Super-famous source material; successful film; phenomenal cast. Ran for three months. Has Broadway become the land of theme-park musicals? Is there no room now for the serious musical play?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 8:30pm

Not to ruin the conversation, but I'd love to see Classic Stage take a go at "Bridges." I thought the production on Broadway was just all wrong and Sher was the wrong director for it. I don't love his style of actors moving the scenery around the stage, and I think the whole show could have been cut down to focus just on the main love affair and get rid of the neighbors and the kids. I think it could be done with just the 2 main characters and the husband and the ex, and be a much simpler story and done in 90mins. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 9:02pm

^^^But, RM, Francesca is faced with a choice and your revision just eliminated one of her two options. Those other characters you find unnecessary represent the "home" Francesca has made for herself in the community she has adopted. Remove them and there is no reason (SPOILER AHEAD) for Francesca not to run off with her lover.

Moreover, Francesca and Robert have so little action (they take a photo by the bridge, they go to bed) that as it is they basically sing two versions of the same power ballad ("Falling into You" and "A Million Miles to Go"; fortunately the songs and singers are so good we don't mind.

Your revision would be all "tell" and no "show". And, jeez, there are fewer than 10 characters in the show as it is!

Now putting it into a smaller venue might work very well. I saw it at the Ahmanson, a large house, but I was sitting 5th row center. I can't say how it played from up in the balcony.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 6:04pm

Back on topic, I hope Not Since Carrie 2.0 would explain what the hell In My Life was supposed to be, exactly.