Which Theatre Will ALW’s Cinderella Get?

[BritCrit]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:39pm

With Lloyd Webber announcing that his new take on Cinderella is eying a 2020 opening, its time to speculate over which theatre it will open in...

This will certainly be a big musical, so I expect it to open in a theatre with 1400 seats or more. I also expect it to open in the later half of 2020 and compete in the 2021 Tonys...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:58pm

How are we supposed to know what theatres will be vacant when this comes in?

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 1:58pm

Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:04pm

Riedel's article from before the Tonys said reps from the Shuberts and Nederlanders both attended the London workshop. But we don't even know who's producing (that article also said Scott Rudin and Tom Schumacher attended), what an exact timeline is, if it would open in London first, etc... 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:05pm

Why not? Might as well have asked why R&H couldn’t just let Disney have it and do something brand new?

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:07pm

Press release did say Broadway next year, so I would expect this for 2020. Look I love speculating for fun and figuring out which theaters it'll go into and such but its far too early for that. Likely isn't opening until fall 2020 when who knows what is open. I think you're right about this being a big musical however and it playing a larger house.  Also I like they're making prince charming into a gay character. More representation is always needed!

[SpookyFish13]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:17pm

Mike Barrett said: "Also I like they're making prince charming into a gay character. More representation is always needed!"

How is this going to work? Is Cinderella also going to be a dude? Or is it going to play up the fact that he really doesn’t want to be at the ball at all, and play up the comedy aspects of all these women flocking to try and become his suitor? (That could actually be really funny if done well.)

Regardless, I’m on board for anything ALW does. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:22pm

SpookyFish13 said: "Mike Barrett said: "AlsoI like they're making prince charming into a gay character. More representation is always needed!"

How is this going to work? Is Cinderella also going to be a dude? Or is it going to play up the fact that he really doesn’t want to be at the ball at all, and play up the comedy aspects of all these women flockingto try and become hissuitor? (That could actually be really funny if done well.)

Regardless, I’m on board for anything ALW does."

No clue how it will work, but I don't hate this idea. A new take on the hot prince who gets any girl he desires characters, maybe he can't have what he desires truly? Honestly if done well like you said this could totally work. 

 

But really all I want deep down is Cinderella in drag 

[markypoo]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:24pm

To hell with Cinderella.

Fashion the entire show around HIM.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:27pm

SpookyFish13 said: "Mike Barrett said: "AlsoI like they're making prince charming into a gay character. More representation is always needed!"

How is this going to work? Is Cinderella also going to be a dude? Or is it going to play up the fact that he really doesn’t want to be at the ball at all, and play up the comedy aspects of all these women flockingto try and become hissuitor? (That could actually be really funny if done well.)

Regardless, I’m on board for anything ALW does."

The article clearly states that the show will be about "a feisty, fiery version of the titular princess who falls in love with an awkward oddball named Sebastian, and a gay love story involving Prince Charming and a duke".

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:36pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?"

You make it sound as if Rodgers and Hammerstein were the first to use this property. That is hardly the case. The Cinderella story is on of the most adapted stories in the literary canon. There have been multiple musical interpretations before the R&H adaptation, and there have been many since.  Why ask this question of Webber? Would you have asked the same question of Sondheim when he and James Lapine adapted the story?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:42pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?"

Huh???

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 2:43pm

Getting the conversation back on track, if WSS isn't a success, this could take the Broadway Theatre (which would also be rather hysterical, given that RnH's Cinderella also played the venue).  I could also see it reopening the Palace.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 3:23pm

Didn't Jerry Lewis make a movie called CINDERFELLA?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 3:23pm

Didn't Jerry Lewis make a movie called CINDERFELLA?

[AADA81]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 3:45pm

Lot666 said: The article clearly states that the show will be about "a feisty, fiery version of the titular princess who falls in love with an awkward oddball named Sebastian, and a gay love story involving Prince Charming and a duke"."

Oh, no .... here comes another Princess-heroine who finds her inner-gladiator and goes on a "journey" of self-actualization, while a closeted Prince finds his inner-drag queen and opens the door to his genuine self.  These tropes are becoming tiresome.

Updated On: 7/16/19 at 03:45 PM

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 3:56pm

ALW's sense of humour has always been banal.

Anyone who has ever heard his Sydmonton workshop of Phantom will know how "individual" his comedy taste has been.

[phan24]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 5:03pm

To get back to the matter at hand, thought I'd share some insider knowledge :) At the moment the plan is to open this new Cinderella at the Shubert in 2020, and TKAM will stay open but move to a smaller house. The plan was also to open The Music Man at the Shubert in late 2020, but unsure if that's still the plan (Rudin loves the Shubert).

Another little factoid, SIX will open at the Brooks Atkinson after Waitress :)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 7/16/19 at 5:19pm

jimmycurry01 said: "Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?"

You make it sound as if Rodgers and Hammerstein were the first to use this property. That is hardly the case. The Cinderella story is on of the most adapted stories in the literary canon. There have been multiple musical interpretations before the R&H adaptation, and there have been many since. Why ask this question of Webber? Would you have asked the same question of Sondheim when he and James Lapine adapted the story?"

Every culture has a version of the Cinderella story, too. I’d love to see an adaptation of one other than Perrault/Brothers Grimm. Or like where is my musical of One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes?

[showbizkid2]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 4:16am

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?"

If you read ALW’s autobiography Unmasked be mentions Cinderella going back all the way to the 80’s and versions of it (one that later became Starlight Express)...

I doubt that it will be called Cinderella, just based on the story with huge twists. Ultimately isn’t Into the Woods kinda the same? 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 7:44am

I know Daniels will be gone, but I don't understand why they would move TKAM when its making record breaking money. Idk, I just can't see it. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 9:22am

AADA81 said: "Lot666 said: The article clearly states that the show will be about "a feisty, fiery version of the titular princess who falls in love with an awkward oddball named Sebastian, and a gay love story involving Prince Charming and a duke"."

Oh, no .... here comes another Princess-heroine who finds her inner-gladiatorand goes on a "journey" of self-actualization,while a closetedPrince finds his inner-drag queenand opens the door to his genuine self. These tropes are becoming tiresome."

I don't think the prince is always gay but I do agree that the trope of the main character falling for some random is tiresome. If that's the story you want to tell, why not just tell the story of Cinderella and Sebastian? With Frozen, it makes sense why there are two love interests for Anna. What purpose is Prince Charming going to serve in this besides distracting from the main plot?

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 9:34am

VintageSnarker said: "AADA81 said: "Lot666 said: The article clearly states that the show will be about "a feisty, fiery version of the titular princess who falls in love with an awkward oddball named Sebastian, and a gay love story involving Prince Charming and a duke"."

Oh, no .... here comes another Princess-heroine who finds her inner-gladiatorand goes on a "journey" of self-actualization,while a closetedPrince finds his inner-drag queenand opens the door to his genuine self. These tropes are becoming tiresome."

I don't think the prince is always gay but I do agree that the trope of the main character falling for some random is tiresome. If that's the story you want to tell, why not just tell the story of Cinderella and Sebastian? With Frozen, it makes sense why there are two love interests for Anna. What purpose is Prince Charming going to serve in this besides distracting from the main plot?"

 

I understand that but I think its more about having the representation of Prince Charming being a gay character. It'll be great for little boys out there to be able to relate to Prince Charming for once. 

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 9:59am

Mike Barrett said: "I understand that but I think its more about having the representation of Prince Charming being a gay character. It'll be great for little boys out there to be able to relate to Prince Charming for once."

I would be more interested if it didn't include a notable princess at all but was just about an original Prince Charming character. Maybe it's just because I've been binge-watching Pose but I'm no longer here for an minority or marginalized group being represented in a secondary or tertiary role as representation. Also, this just sounds boring and trope-y.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/17/19 at 10:22am

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "Really, Andrew? Couldn't you just let Rodgers and Hammerstein have this one and, you know, make something brand new?"

R&H’s  Cinderella is a second tier musical with,  pretty mediocre score for them.  Why wouldn’t the king of romantic musicals take a shot at it?