Amph The Magic of Musicals - for lovers of shows on stage or screen: Revival of Sweeney Todd

That's Disneyspeak for the fact that they don't have a reliable song-writing team for their musicals anymore. If they did, they would make more, because a film with one or more hit songs is a money-spinner.

I happen to think musicals could be the best thing ever, properly done. I was very sorry that the remake of "Damn Yankees" which went down with Miramax, didn't get made, because the original movie adaptation was really, really bad (directed by Stanley Donen!) and a remake would have been a good idea.

 

Yes, yes, yes, I want a decent rendition of "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO" on-screen!

 

The problem is casting. The movie casting (except for Gwen Vernon) is awful.

 

Bad casting is a problem in many a musical movie.

 

Well, true. But why Ray Walston in such a plum role? Ugh.

 

Why Gerrard Butler in a lead role in Phantom when he clearly couldn't sing?

Such things are a mystery to simple viewers such as ourselves.

 

Or "Moulin Rouge"...if neither of the leads can sing why not the villain? But no.

 

Moulin Rouge is still regarded by many as a success though despite the lacking abilities of the cast.

I hear that the great Michael Crawford is to play the Wizard in next year's production of The Wizard of Oz.
Even more reason to go and see it.

 

Is this stage or screen?

 

It's a stage version, the one Lloyd-Webber did a talent show for in order to cast a Dorothy earlier this year (and a fine one she is too). There were rumours Anthony "Giles" Head was going to be the Wizard, now it seems the legend that is Crawford will be doing it instead.

 

Impressive performances from the cast of Les Miserables on the Royal Variety Performance, nice to see Colm Wilkinson re-appear as Jean Valjean, and also John Owen-Jones.

Michael Crawford's brief appearance on stage was warmly welcomed and the children doing renditions of stuff from The Wizard of Oz was pretty good, the staging was nice. Danielle Hope doing Over the Rainbow was pretty good too although she seemed to struggle to hold the end note for longe enough. She is young though and relatively inexperienced, she will get better the longer she does it.

 

Which theatre is this?

 

It was staged at the London Palladium, a fine theatre with a large capacity. In recent years it has had The Sound of Music & Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It will be the resident theatre for Wizard of Oz during its West End run.

 

I'll bet that cost a lot to get into.

 

I would think so, the event is often attended by members of the Royal Family.

BBC Radio 2 did Friday Night is Music Night this week with a theme on Masked Heroes. Music featured included the Errol Flynn' Robin Hood & Danny Elfman's Batman. Special guest was Andrew Lloyd-Webber, who spoke about Phantom of the Opera and the new improved Love Never Dies.

Lead Christine Sierra Bogges & understudy Phantom Tam Mutu performed various numbers from the show including 'Till I hear you Sing, Once Upon Another Time & Look With Your Heart.

Tam Mutu was very good, he will be a worthy successor to Ramin Karimloo when he leaves the show. Sierra as always was brilliant.

 

I am praying that if ever the movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard happens, the powers that be cast Hugh Jackman as Joe Gillis. He's a big enough name, plus he was in musical theatre (mainly in Australia and London, though he did do a concert performance of Carousel in NYC and won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical in The Boy from Oz on Broadway) before breaking out in X-Men. No need to worry about box-office draws or singing abilities there.

Oh, and I Michael Crawford. Are there any clips of the Royal Variety Performance online yet?

Edit: Nevermind- Ray Walston originated the role onstage, so I suppose that's why he was in the film along with Gwen Verdon.

 

I have found The Wizard of Oz segment for you, I hope it works.

There are also clips of Crawford and Co rehearsing for Wizard of Oz, but not sure if those outside the UK can view it.

There is footage available too of the Les Miserables Medley though, with the awesome Colm Wilkinson & John Owen-Jones making an appearance.

 

For those of us who appreciated her stand-out talent in an otherwise disappointing Phantom movie, Emmy Rossum has a Christmas song for you.

Love Never Dies has so far had one re-review in it's revised format, by the Evening Standard......it got much the same rating as it did previously

 

And I am praying not. Jackman seems too rough for Joe, and I think he's getting too old. Joe should be in his 30's, Jackman is 42.

My pick is still Ewan Mcgregor. I think he's got a voice on him and could do the role justice. However, he is 39 and getting up there so I don't know if he'd even be right by the time they got around to it.

I am, however, at a loss who could actually do the role if its not for them two.

 

Jackman & McGregor both can look younger than they are.
I don't rate McGregor that much as a singer. He's OK, but he was obviously edited in Moulin Rouge and live in a show like Guys & Dolls he never sounded as good.

Neil Patrick Harris is an acomplished singer, I think he would be good. Anyone except Gerard Butler

 

Freeview channel More4 recently showed The 100 Greatest Musicals.

As with pretty much all lists voted for by the public, you can expect the most popular shows to win and not necessarily the best shows.

This I think was largely reflected in the show's top 20:

1) Grease
2) The Sound of Music
3) The Wizard of Oz
4) West Side Story
5) Mary Poppins
6) Singin' in the Rain
7) Rocky Horror Picture Show
8) Chicago
9) Oliver!
10) Moulin Rouge
11) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
12) My Fair Lady
13) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling
14) The Lion King
15) Les Miserables
16) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
17) Caberet
18) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
19) Bugsy Malone
20) Phantom of the Opera

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang above Les Miserables. Right.

 

Phantom, Joseph & Les Mis should all be in the top 5 never mind the top 10. This is why I have little respect for reality shows & public vote programmes.

Tonight on BBC2 is a show about Little Britain star Matt Lucas' preparations for his appearance at the recent 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables where he played Thenardier. Should be interesting, Lucas is a funny guy and should do a fun performance much like Alun Armstrong did in the 10th Anniversary Concert.

 

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" above *anything*? And "Grease" first? What are these people smoking?

 

Cameron Mackintosh has definately confirmed that there is to be a film version of the Les Miserables musical. It is to be done by Working Title, but so far there has been no mention of when filming will begin or who will be in the cast.

Hopefully it will turn out better than the Phantom of the Opera movie turned out to be.