With Eva leaving “Hadestown,” I’m reminded that it never had a commercial run there. Do we think it will ever? What other shows that were successful here never made it across the pond and why? Flops like “Pretty Woman” seem to transfer so quickly but the hits don’t seem to translate as quickly - “Gents Guide” “Fun Home” - did “Memphis” even have a London run?
Fun Home at the young Vic was stunning. When that backdrop went up to reveal that opulent house that the mother was trapped in for ‘days and days’ my draw dropped. More stunning than the back to the future car for me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I wonder how they did it on Broadway.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I still think Idina or a west end Elphie should do If/Then in London; Kerry Ellis recently performed “Always Starting Over” accompanied by Tom Kitt, absolutely stunning. I know the shows a clunker, but with a top star it could sell out for a year, I think.
I believe Gents Guide is the only recent tony winner, besides Kimberly Akimbo(obviously) that hasn’t had a west end/London run, I wasn’t aware there would be a rights issue regarding the original film.
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I always thought it would be so funny if they could mount a production of something rotten at the globe theatre. I know it’ll never happen but still.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I guess I was thinking more of commercial runs. I didn't realize Memphis already played. Seems like a lot of Broadway hits crash and burn in the West End.
Binau, it was pretty gorgeous on Broadway as well. The entire house "floats" onto the stage from beneath the stage as the kids enter the home through the audience. I would love to have seen the West End production. Sounds like a gorgeous moment.
binau said: "Fun Home at the young Vic was stunning. When that backdrop went up to reveal that opulent house that the mother was trapped in for ‘days and days’ my draw dropped. More stunning than the back to the future car for me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I wonder how they did it on Broadway."
Being in Circle in the Square the show utilized the full in-the-round set up and everything came up on elevators through traps. Throughout the show they would just bring on individual pieces to set each scene. When Medium Alison and Joan "entered" the house for the scene leading up to "Days and Days" all of the pieces came up at once so the audience was seeing the full effect of the house as a single setting at the same time as Joan.
Fun Home really was one of the best staged shows at Circle in the Square that I had seen there in a long time (maybe since the Rocky Horror revival).
Jagged Little Pill still has yet to say anything about their West End run. I'm guessing it's not gonna happen at this point, as nothing new has come out about it. I still don't know how London audiences are gonna react to Shucked next year. If anything, Cam Mac needs to bring Kimberly Akimbo and Some Like it Hot to the West End!
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
The VERY American shows tend to flop there - Avenue Q, Rent, Memphis (apparently?) - so I don’t know that audiences will line up for Shucked. What about Tootsie? Is Doubtfire doing well there?
Now, MJ will probably do well in London. Especially as they're getting Myles Frost and the fact that MJ was BIG worldwide. I also hope London audiences will get to see Casey Nicolaw's STUNNING tap choreography with Some Like it Hot as well as the beautiful and original piece that is Kimberly Akimbo. For Kimberly, I feel they should do what they did with ASL. Bring it over for a limited Summer engagement and only extend it further if it sells well.
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
I always thought Jane Eyre the musical would do well in West End (or at least fare better than the production on Broadway back in 2001) but it never had a production there.
As noted A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER can not be performed in London or indeed most anywhere outside the US. Studio Canal the owner of the film KIND HEARTS & CORONETS sued to stop it in the US saying it violated their copyright but GENTS won a summery judgement saying it was based on the novel which was out of copyright. Frankly having done a little research I am surprised ( but thrilled) that GENTS won the court case because the idea of both one person playing all the victims and many other things in the musical are NOT in the book but in the film. Alas the US court decision does not apply to any other country and Studio Canal would almost surely win a copyright case in the UK & Europe which have far more restrictive copyright laws especially regarding films. A tragedy as I am sure it would be a hit in London and is my favorite show of the last decade or so
RippedMan said: "The VERY American shows tend to flop there - Avenue Q, Rent, Memphis (apparently?) - so I don’t know that audiences will line up for Shucked. What about Tootsie? Is Doubtfire doing well there?"
Avenue Q ran for 5 years in London, a very respectable run. Memphis ran for a year - not exactly a smash but good for an original musical in London, and it really put Beverly Knight out there as a West End leading lady.
Doubtfire seems to be doing very well here, much better than it did in the US.
We’ve never had Catch me if you Can, Tootsie, Gentleman’s Guide, Something Rotten, Great Comet, Beetlejuice, The Prom, Mean Girls (seemingly incoming)