ALMOST FAMOUS To Open On Broadway Fall 2022- Page 3

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 3:35pm

EllieRose2 said: "It took place in the 1970s and filmed in 1999. You can't really look at it through a 2022 lens, it doesn't make sense."

But it's a story they're choosing to put on stage in 2022. If Tootsie, Dear Evan Hansen, Jagged Little Pill, etc. can be critiqued, why not Almost Famous? Hell, even Funny Girl was critiqued and that was a revival (with an updated book). There's a load of stuff... the unconscious kiss, the nonsense that comes out of Penny's and Sapphire's mouths, William's general worldview... Theater happens in the present. You can't perform that stuff night after night uncritically the way you can make allowances for a movie that was filmed years ago and (for the most part) can't be edited. 

I certainly think there's a way of telling this story but not as an uncritical, feel-good musical and perfect reproduction of the film.

[inception]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 3:54pm

OhHiii said: " 
POV: the show went on sale yesterday, you haven't seen the show, the show hasn't even started rehearsals for Broadway and it's already closing less than 3 months after it starts performances.

Some of ya'll are truly hilarious."

It just reminds me of Rocky, Pretty Woman, Tootsie, Doubtfire, King Kong, maybe Bridges of Madison County, Bullets Over Broadway etc... all these slapped together film adaptations that only lasted a few months.

I have similar suspicions that Some Like It Hot may face the same fate, except that show has secured a cast that may keep interest a bit longer.

 

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 3:57pm

Pretty Woman was on Broadway for a year.  And it's touring. That show is not like the others you mentioned. 

[barcelona20]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 4:00pm

It just reminds me of Rocky, Pretty Woman, Tootsie, Doubtfire, King Kong, maybe Bridges of Madison County, Bullets Over Broadway etc... all these slapped together film adaptations that only lasted a few months.

Saying those shows were "slapped" together is an insult to all the creative teams who spent years developing these shows.  These did not just happen overnight, especially Bridges which is one of the finest Broadway scores of the last 25 years.

"

 

Updated On: 6/3/22 at 04:00 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 4:52pm

Rocky has some great songs and was gorgeously designed and directed. Bridges is phenomenal. 
 

To me, this does seem rather mediocre but hey maybe they’ve changed it all up in the past 3 years!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 5:09pm

CATSNYrevival said: "I love the movie, I can’t wait to hear more of the score and I want the show to succeed but I don’t understand how they plan to sell this show with that artwork. The film poster is iconic and even if you haven’t seen the film it’s likely you’d recognize that poster art. I’m not saying they needed to replicate that exact art for Broadway but the art they landed on just doesn’t work for me. It’s difficult to understand how the producers and creative team would see the art and think it’ll help sell their show."

I actually like the new art. The font that is used is the font used for the late 60s/early 70s Rolling Stone magazine. 

 



 

 

[Larry6417]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 5:54pm

inception said: "OhHiii said: "
POV: the show went on sale yesterday, you haven't seen the show, the show hasn't even started rehearsals for Broadway and it's already closing less than 3 months after it starts performances.

Some of ya'll are truly hilarious."

It just reminds me of Rocky, Pretty Woman, Tootsie, Doubtfire, King Kong, maybe Bridges of Madison County, Bullets Over Broadway etc... all these slapped together film adaptations that only lasted a few months.

I have similar suspicions that Some Like It Hot may face the same fate, except that show has secured a cast that may keep interest a bit longer.

ALMOST FAMOUS the Musical has NONE of the charm that the film has, which is almost always the case with these film to musical dabacles. IMHO, people are going to lose millions.

 

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 6:51pm

Almost Famous is a superb movie, why the hate? 

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 7:03pm

songanddanceman2 said: "Almost Famous is a superb movie, why the hate?

"

The sad truth is that most of the new musicals opening in this next season will more than likely flop (which is always the case, but especially so as COVID remains pandemic, rather than endemic). Most of the already-established hits will continue to thrive and push away the unproven, such as this one.

Almost Famous may have been a good movie, and it may have received favorable reviews in San Diego, but I'm not sure if this will end up finding a big and consistent enough audience. The show bleeding money from the start is not out of the realm of possibility, no matter what house this ends up playing. 

Updated On: 6/3/22 at 07:03 PM

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 9:11pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "songanddanceman2 said: "Almost Famous is a superb movie, why the hate?

"

The sad truth is that most of the new musicals opening in this next season will more than likely flop (which is always the case, but especially so as COVID remains pandemic, rather than endemic). Most of the already-established hits will continue to thrive and push away the unproven, such as this one.

Almost Famousmay have been a good movie, and it may have received favorable reviews in San Diego, but I'm not sure if this will end up finding a big and consistent enough audience. The show bleeding money from the start is not out of the realm of possibility, no matter what house this ends up playing."

Ah, EDSO–whatever. Always the voice of positivity and optimism.

[dented146]

Posted: 6/4/22 at 2:25am

EDSO. You may be correct about the COVID situation. I'm not sure. But I suspect and hope that this flood of new musicals in the fall will give Broadway some of the best new musicals it has seen for a while. Many productions have been put off and I suspect that no one is going to spend the money to put their horse in the race unless they feel they have a damn good horse. I hope they are all fabulous. I am old enough to embrace both Some Like It Hot and Beautiful Noise.  Broadway needs the spark of a lot of good shows.

As for Almost Famous, I'm from San Diego, I love theater, and I've seen them all, at least all the ones this city sends your way. I may not be the best judge. I didn't think Come From Away had a chance or Gentleman's Guide for that matter. It's been a while and I don't know what they may have done with the show, but I remember leaving the theater wanting to be Cameron Crowe in my next life. It was a terrific musical.

Updated On: 6/4/22 at 02:25 AM

[dwwst12]

Posted: 6/5/22 at 9:58am

VintageSnarker said: "EllieRose2 said: "It took place in the 1970s and filmed in 1999. You can't really look at it through a 2022 lens, it doesn't make sense."

But it's a story they're choosing to put on stage in 2022. If Tootsie, Dear Evan Hansen, Jagged Little Pill, etc. can be critiqued, why not Almost Famous? Hell, even Funny Girl was critiqued and that was a revival (with an updated book). There's a load of stuff... the unconscious kiss, the nonsense that comes out of Penny's and Sapphire's mouths, William's general worldview... Theater happens in the present. You can't perform that stuff night after night uncritically the way you can make allowances for a movie that was filmed years ago and (for the most part) can't be edited.

I certainly think there's a way of telling this story but not as an uncritical, feel-good musical and perfect reproduction of the film."

I agree. I think even those of us who are huge fans of the movie ought to be able to see that. My personal philosophy is that if you grew up with something, you're grandfathered in -- in the sense that you can love it in your mind, in your private life, and excuse whatever flaws you want to. But for instance, if I watch the movie with my daughters when they're old enough, I will point out the problems. Same goes, as you said, for "putting it back out there" in terms of a 2022 musical production.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/16/22 at 12:47pm

For those bitching about the key art, they have updated it again on their website. Looks more like what was used out of town now — more earthy and contemporary.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/16/22 at 12:59pm

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/16/22 at 1:13pm

Came across this video a while back of Anika Larsen and Tom Kitt performing a ballad from the show:

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/27/22 at 4:34pm

[lopside]

Posted: 8/27/22 at 5:07pm

TaffyDavenport said: ""

This artwork is just so sad. Microsoft Word collage. They couldn't even muster up better photos. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/27/22 at 5:28pm

Music director Bryan Perri on his Insta story:

https://instagram.com/stories/bftpny/2914238321447821512?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 8:39am

Deleting duplicate

Updated On: 10/5/22 at 08:39 AM

[SayitSomehow]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 8:41am

Mmmyeahhh -- this did not need to be a musical. The songs are not enhancing the material, and especially a dozen mid-tempo Tom Kitt softcore tracks are NOT bringing the rock 'n roll spirit. Somehow "Next to Normal" rocked way harder than this did. My group was checking their playbill throughout act two. A few glimpses of really fun comedy, but few and far between. 

There are maybe 2 and a half songs I wanna hear again, and one of them is "Fever Dog" from the movie. I did love how that was integrated into the curtain call. After The Visitor, Superhero, Flying Over Sunset -- I'm beginning to question Tom Kitt as a compelling voice in musical theater. But Soleia Pfeiffer sounds incredible the few moments she gets to really sing. 

Oy vey, I just don't understand the movie musical pipeline. These are not good ideas for shows. I feel the most successful adaptations (Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Kinky Boots) have sprung from big, splashy comedy-forward films. And I agree with earlier post that Bridges of Madison's score gorgeously benefitted from super-heightened romantic emotions (although the show overall was mid). But Almost Famous is more of an understated semi-cult classic where subtleties, facial expressions, and cinematography make all the difference. Not to mention a soundtrack full of real rock classics. 

The wise rock journalist avatar continually reminds the audience that once the music starts to take itself too seriously it ceases to be rock n roll. Unfortunately this "rock" musical completely ignores its own advice. (I will sell this line to any reviewer who is interested, please dm me)  

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 9:02am

"There's a load of stuff... the unconscious kiss, the nonsense that comes out of Penny's and Sapphire's mouths, William's general worldview... Theater happens in the present. You can't perform that stuff night after night uncritically the way you can make allowances for a movie that was filmed years ago and (for the most part) can't be edited. I certainly think there's a way of telling this story but not as an uncritical, feel-good musical and perfect reproduction of the film."

I don't want to put words in your mouth but are you trying to say you can never have a show today that is a time period show and just accept that it is showing the way things were at that moment in history. Nobody is glorifying the actions of people back in the 70's but I think we should be allowed to see it and understand times have changed, hopefully for the better.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 10:48am

I second the notion maybe this should’ve been a jukebox musical. And not even trying to shoehorn the songs into the story- just perform the songs alongside the story.

What makes Almost Famous is THAT soundtrack.

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 11:16am

I haven't seen the show, but I almost wonder what the show would be like if they went about it like the Dirty Dancing "musical". Not many characters actually sing, but there is a lead male and female singer that sing the songs over the action on stage.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 11:18am

I just watched the film last night and the revised Broadway artwork is nothing new. It's lifted directly from the movie:

 

 

[Amy Archer]

Posted: 10/5/22 at 11:34am

Haven't seen the show yet, but that '65' average at Show Score is in The Little Prince territory. 

Almost Famous - Show Score