Drowsy Rights Available

[luke-h***]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 8:02pm

The UK rights for The Drowsy Chaperone are now avilable on josef-weinberger. The amatuer rights are curretly restricted, but professinal rights are available now. The amatuer rights are expected to be released soon accoridng to the site. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a UK tour! With the right advertising, I think a tour could work, after all the main reason it closed in London was lack of interest, possibly due to lack of advertising. If a few bigger celebs were thrown in, and the show was advertised correctly it could probably attract audiences pretty well. I worship the Broadway CD, but didn't get a chance to catch it's West End run, maybe if some producers read this thread they will start a tour especially for me!!! Lol just kididn, but whether a tour goes ahead or not, it looks like the UK hasn't heard the last of The Drowsy Chaperone...

[Mark_E]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 6:27am

I really hope alot of productions of this open in the UK, will deffinately be going to see them as I loved it when I saw it in London. Such a shame it closed so early.

[mrkringas]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 8:25am

This show could become a travesty in the typical amdram ham hand.

[postergirl]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 2:58pm

Personally, I can't wait for the first amateur production. I hope it's somewhere I can get to.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 3:15pm

The only thing that could really let down amateur productions of drowsy is the man in the chair. That part out of all the shows I have seen is the one I would consider being the hardest to play. Comedic timing has to be perfect.

If ther's any shows within an hour or so train journey from me I'll be there though .

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 3:13pm

Am Drams are very clever and i think they will keep away from this. The shows West End run had such bad national press it would prove to big a financial risk with locals asking why their local company is presenting a major London flop.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 8:57pm

I know that in the states they are waiting a good lon while till after the show is closed to release the rights. I know Bob Martin loved the idea of amature rights for the show being avaliable. He said in one interview that he loved the idea of a kid in high school wanting to play man in chair or another one of his characters. He siad that it would mean a lot to him to know that there are students out there that love what he worked on so much that they want to be one of those characters.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 9:24pm

I do agree with Wicked here though, i think Am/Dram groups will avoid it since it did so badly here

[luke-h***]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 1:46pm

i cna see why you say that amatuers woudl avoid, being a flop in london and all, but the witches of eastwick and seussical were both flops, and tons of am/drams do that, and the majority of the time, it works. Besides, the amatuer rights arent even available yet, just profesisonal (fingers STILL crossed for tour :P)

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 1:57pm

Luke are you in the UK or US. I know that there have been 7 or productions in the UK by amateurs with another 2 due before the 2008 professional production of 'Witches' I also know that 'Susseical' is very popular in the US but i know of none in the UK. Id be interested if they have been done and where!

[Mark_E]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 10:31pm

I know that seussical was done by Newcastle College before.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/31/07 at 11:16pm

I saw a small production of Seussical at the Garrick Theatre in Altringham Manchester.The show is not popular here amongst amateur groups

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 1/1/08 at 7:31am

I know at the 2006 Ed Fringe, Suessical was the 2nd most popular show to put on, with about 4 productions. Urinetown was first.

[DeNada]

Posted: 1/1/08 at 8:55am

Seussical is only really popular at the Fringe because of the millions of American high school productions that come over. It's the only place you'll see the Disney Aida in the UK, for instance.

I think Drowsy would be a good choice for amdram, although not a popular one. It's cheesy as hell, so it doesn't really matter if the performances aren't stormingly professional, and the only character you really need to get right is the Man in Chair; the others almost play themselves to an extent.

[ashley-h]

Posted: 1/1/08 at 3:16pm

I know of Seussical being performed in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport which are all in Wales, UK. I'm also in it this month in a second production in Newport :S

[Bruce Memblagh!]

Posted: 1/1/08 at 3:40pm

".....so it doesn't really matter if the performances aren't stormingly professional,"

I disagree. To play 'cheesy' in an effective manner is VERY hard. In the same way as singing badly effectively or playing the piano badly effectively (Les Dawson....) requires a lot of skill to get right (or wrong!!!).

I suspect in the wrong hands what is a clever, witty, fun, daft, affectionate pastiche could come across as a real pointless mess, lacking any wit.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/1/08 at 5:02pm

Not being a great lover of Dr Seuss i must say i did enjoy the Broadway production. It was very spectacular and the audience just loved it. Cathy Rigby was a joy as the Cat in The Hat. Its just one of those shows that will never be done in London on a large professional scale as it was in NY. Its NY run was only six months if i recall.

Updated On: 1/2/08 at 05:02 PM

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 7:00pm

The BTECers in my old college did Seussical.

[luke-h***]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:02am

i think Drowsy would work among certain am-dram companies, so long as man in chair was good, as he carries the show. I'd love to see some amatuer productions here (man in chair is my DREAM PART) haha! Also looking forward to seeing a professional tour or something
p.s. i'm in the UK wickedboy lol

[iluvcioffiiluvtea]

Posted: 1/22/08 at 2:58pm

I would love to see Drowsy on tour, and I wish it would've stayed in London, too, as well as on Broadway.