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Post by mamaleh on Sept 6, 2012 9:44:25 GMT -5
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jo
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Post by jo on Sept 6, 2012 18:24:16 GMT -5
According to the article, NLB is playing Edward Bloom, the father. Maybe Michael Hall will play the son, Will?
Jo
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Post by mamaleh on Nov 12, 2012 15:10:06 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Nov 12, 2012 16:32:35 GMT -5
Not surprised - didn't opera singer Nathan Gunn also sing in other New York Philharmonic concert stagings ( Camelot)?
Jo
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Post by birchie on Nov 12, 2012 18:01:17 GMT -5
Not surprised - didn't opera singer Nathan Gunn also sing in other New York Philharmonic concert stagings ( Camelot)? Jo I was just going to ask who Nathan Gunn is...not familiar with too many opera names. I've heard quite a bit from Kelli O’Hara though and think she'll be good. Very sad that Hugh won't get to do it, for anyone who would have been able to see it, who knows if or when he'll get to play Billy again.  |
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Post by mamaleh on Nov 12, 2012 21:20:49 GMT -5
Yes, Nathan Gunn has a history with the Philharmonic, including CAMELOT, and has previously appeared with Kelli O'Hara in other vehicles elsewhere at Lincoln Center. He's considered by many the "hottie" of the opera set.  But I do wonder: Billy Bigelow as a deep baritone? Ellen |
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Post by mamaleh on Apr 17, 2013 8:53:41 GMT -5
Wow, here's an old speculation I either forgot about or never knew: From a Broadwayworld.com posting today about talk of a movie version of the currently revived musical PIPPIN:
"MiraMax got the rights back in 2003, but when the company dissolved, PIPPIN was scrapped. They discussed Hugh Jackman for the film, but Jackman wanted to do Carousel and his Houdini projects first."
Does anyone remember that? Of course, he's too mature for the lead now and probably was then, too. Probably just another baseless rumor at the time. But it's a new one on me. Jo?
Ellen
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Post by jo on Apr 21, 2013 10:56:07 GMT -5
I have read recently ( either IMDB or BWW) that PIPPIN will be a Harvey Weinstein movie project. No announcements on when the film project will commence or casting or announcements of the creatives ( director, etc). My worry is that if this is a soon-to-happen project, it might put Stephen Schwartz ( who composed it) involved in a big way...and that might leave Houdini really stuck in development h*ll. I hope we get an update on Houdini from Hugh...or someone like me will forever be hoping for an announcement of a projected opening date so I can plan for the travel ( not easy for me!). Although I wonder if Hugh is now re-thinking his involvement in this project -- it has been so long in development ( when I was able to ask him about the project at the Steady Rain ( 2009) stagedoor, he said it was being rewritten -- which meant some work had already been done and had already involved considerable time). It is now 2013 and there is no word on whether it is even proceeding as they have not found anyone to replace Aaron Sorkin. Hugh cannot wait forever -- there must be a number of film projects or even stage projects where his name is a go-to prospect for producers/creatives. As a stage musical can involve a pretty hefty time to develop, it is not the easiest to schedule with someone who has a busy film career like him. I also think that his recent increased popularity has opened some doors on the quality of film offers that he is now getting. Just a little tired of waiting now -- what has it been? Five or six years just waiting for a stage musical to be developed, so a final reading can be done?? Jo |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 21, 2013 12:58:31 GMT -5
Very good points, Jo. As soon as Sorkin left, I knew the production was in trouble. I agree that the film offers are going to be more interesting after the Oscar nomination, and Hugh needs to strike while the iron is hot. It's my hope that the opportunities will veer away from action films with slow motion explosions and car chases. This would be an excellent time for GUYS AND DOLLS. Also, I'm sure Madeline Stowe is still hoping to get a go ahead for her film. I believe that the hold up on that is that she insists on directing it herself, and the money people are discriminating against a first time woman director. Wow, did I stray off topic! Anyway, because of the HOUDINI problems, Hugh may have some great opportunities that will be difficult to turn down.
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Post by jo on Apr 21, 2013 19:03:58 GMT -5
Off-topic ;D Unbound Captives thrilled us as a script. But I hope Madeleine Stowe will let it go as directorial debut for her, so it can be seriously considered by producers looking for a film with very good potential ( even if the storyline is not really new). Maybe I am being unfair to her, but there have been reports that MS has had occasional mental issues ( hopefully, no more than issues of temperament). Personally, I find it odd that she would continue talking about the film project as if it has been greenlit ( time and casting and budget) when we at least know that Hugh has other involvements for at least the first half of this year...and Rachel has been announced for a Broadway debut as well as new film projects...this is also probably true with Patz), which I gathered from a recent interview. Hugh is lucky to have an agent like Patrick Whitesell (co-CEO of WME) who has access to the best quality scripts and sources of funding and even the heft to package film deals. Given the enhanced artistic reputation of Hugh with his recent Oscar nomination and given how Hugh wants to pursue his career, I am sure Patrick will have many options he can explore if Hugh wants it. Patrick encouraged him for The Boy from Oz and even found Les Miserables for him and also pushed him to do the one-man concert -- plus giving him a variety of film options. I can appreciate Hugh's longterm involvement in the XMEN series much better now -- it is something that I personally think he will be involved in, for as long as there is keen interest from and in him ( besides how many Wolverine stories can they mine  ... maybe just Old Man Logan, to complete his spinoff trilogy?)... It is also FOX's best franchise and how can he say "Just No!" to Fox when it needs him. Plus, the man's main motivation is his family and the perks that XMEN allows his family to enjoy is nothing to sniff at. Also, Fox has supposedly obtained the film rights remake for Guys and Dolls, with him in mind, and he has mentioned it once, but I do not know what is holding that up. I would not want him to give up the action genre either -- look at Downey, Depp, Damon, B Cooper and every youngish-looking serious actor out there or even new finds like Fassbender - they all service franchises even if they do get involved in the occasional indie or studio big dramas. Even Tom Cruise is pursuing that genre despite his age! Hugh just got there first ;D...I actually think that Hugh fits it to a T -- sorry, but the big films are in this genre! Even something like Real Steel turned out it had a heart -- and many were surprised to have enjoyed it. Prisoners is another step in the dramatic direction -- maybe one or two of them every now and then? But while it is drama, it is still a crime thriller - action genre combined with drama?? Nor would I want to see Hugh simply being considered a supporting actor only (as Clooney or Pitt would sometimes opt to) in movies - he was born to be a leading man! Ryan Gosling is doing very serious stuff all the time -- but the last word from him these days is that he wants to lay off acting for a while -- is it a case of burnout? Neither would I want Hugh movies to end up for TV only, not at this time in his career, because it seems serious dramas now mostly find themselves for this audience only? Sorry for talking too much! Jo |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 21, 2013 19:53:53 GMT -5
I don't mind action films if they're good, as in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but Harrison Ford's greatest film was WITNESS. It had plenty of action and suspense, but was also thoughtful and intelligent. I just can't stand films that have people walking or running in slow-mo while something behind them blows up. ORIGINS WOLVERINE and SWORDFISH had scenes like that. Car chases are overdone. Just my opinion. PRISONERS looks good, and has a great cast, but will it glorify vigilante action? Will it prompt thoughtful discussions of what individual citizens may do when they are not satisfied with the efforts of law enforcement professionals? Maybe it's going to be above the bar for action films, because I can't believe that the exemplary actors involved would sign on for anything trite or exploitive. Hopefully, it will be critically acclaimed and be very successful. Also, keep in mind that I hated THE DARK KNIGHT, so what do I know?
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Post by jo on Apr 21, 2013 20:11:02 GMT -5
LOL - I didn't even see The Dark Knight. But the thing is the mainstream audiences have changed over the years -- sometimes it is referred to as the "infantilization" of Hollywood. Maybe because the teens ( and even the preteens) have become such powerful arbiters of movie taste due to their purchasing power, that the action genre we now see calls for more and more explosions or extreme violence or vampires or juvenile sorcerers ...Don't forget that the overseas markets ( which is much larger now than the domestic market) favor the action genres and are also shaping how Hollywood is putting together its future slate of films. Occasionally, vanity projects like Lincoln or even Les Miserables, will have their spotlights, but sadly there will continue to be a huge slate of action movies or summer blockbusters or tentpoles ( just check the films being slated for this extended summer season -- if I am not mistaken it will be headed by Iron Man, Man of Steel,..eventually to be followed by The Wolverine sometime in July, etc). Another big vanity project will be Luhrmann's Great Gatsby ( which spent double what Les Miserables did) and which will be shown soon -- but I am not excited over it. Have you read the original script of Prisoners? Keller Dover is not hailed as a hero...he is rather the dark element in the story, to me. I guess being an actor these days is challenging because one can get film offers that may not even be typical of one used to do. Maybe the stage has become a refuge to some ( current Broadway stars include Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, a return for Denzel, etc)? Hugh must have recognized this unwanted diversity in the film roles that one must choose from, and for one, he was among the first to look at the stage for artistic challenge ( although even here, considering the kind of material they are now offering in musicals -- one must feel a little shivery about the direction of the musical stage). So long as Hugh is happy with his professional choices - I will go along with the ride. Les Miserables will happen only once. Maybe there will be another role that will exploit all his talents, but who knows when that will come? Jo |
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Post by Kelly on Apr 21, 2013 21:58:47 GMT -5
I don't mind action films if they're good, as in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but Harrison Ford's greatest film was WITNESS. It had plenty of action and suspense, but was also thoughtful and intelligent. 100% agree about WITNESS. Saw it 5 times. One of my top 5 favorite films ever. Subtle sexual tension, palpable emotion, no gimmicks, great cinematography, a solid story. How would it fare today? Not enough glitz for today's audience? |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 21, 2013 23:28:53 GMT -5
We still get films like THE HELP, THE KING'S SPEECH, and DESCENDANTS. Not everything goes for glitz and pyrotechnics. There are always the summer blockbusters, of course, but if we pander to that genre exclusively throughout the year, what happens to film as an art form? "42" is doing very well, as it should. Films can educate and inform discussion, as well as entertain. The glitzy films do well with the teen audiences who can go to multiple screenings and don't have to get babysitters as older viewers do. I guess that I don't want the industry to give up making quality films because they're not glitzy enough. There's an audience for both.
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 21, 2013 23:43:30 GMT -5
One more thing:
The baby boomer generation is huge in numbers. Will they spend dollars on movies as they retire? They will have more leisure time. What kind of movies will they go see? Will they stay home and rent DVDs or stream from Netflix? Will they influence the types of films made? I know many who go out to movies at least twice a week, although many go to the $3 cinema.
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Post by jo on Apr 22, 2013 4:14:17 GMT -5
Still OT And this is why a big star like Tom Cruise who made quite a few good dramatic movies in the past is now more keen to do action movies -- entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/21/17849781-tom-cruises-oblivion-obliterates-competition-with-38-milllion-box-office?liteTo reach those numbers, Les Miserables had to go on so much promotional activities and premieres world-wide A little sad, when one thinks that for male actors who are close to moving beyond their prime that they would now go for movies that leave great memories such as films from the past-prime years of Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Gary Cooper, etc. I think it is the changed demos which dictate the trend of filmmaking these days. Jo |
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Post by carouselkathy on Apr 22, 2013 7:50:37 GMT -5
Fonda occasionally returned to Broadway. Sounds good to me!
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Post by birchie on Jul 11, 2013 16:41:10 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Jul 11, 2013 22:34:01 GMT -5
Ironically, Fox released many of the great movie musicals of the past ( Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel, King and I, South Pacific, etc)...
And I would rather that they go forward with any plans for remakes of movie musicals, with Hugh in it. Besides, what movies by Fox would have contemporary appeal as stage musicals? We know that a movie like FROM HERE TO ETERNITY ( not FOX) is bowing soon in London, as a stage musical with Tim Rice behind it. GONE WITH THE WIND was also an ill-fated musical when Trevor Nunn staged a new musical version of it in London a few years back. I saw it and liked the staging immensely - but do classic dramatic stories still have appeal currently on Broadway? Many call shows like LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM as monolithic relics of the British megamusical invasion. This year, KINKY BOOTS upstaged MATILDA at the TONYs. PIPPIN is a revival hit. BOOK OF MORMON is still lording it over ( but perhaps excluding WICKED or LION KING). What does current audiences like?
More action-oriented shows? More contemporary staging? For out-of-towners on holiday in NYC as a family, more family-oriented fare?
Developing material for the stage can take years...and years. Look at what is happening to Houdini. Although if Houdini is staged in 2014/2015, as hoped for, maybe in a few years from then - FOX might be ready with an excellent stage musical offering?
I wonder what is happening to the (movie) remake of GUYS AND DOLLS, whose rights were supposedly acquired by FOX more recently?
Jo
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Post by birchie on Jul 12, 2013 9:51:37 GMT -5
Ironically, Fox released many of the great movie musicals of the past ( Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel, King and I, South Pacific, etc)... And I would rather that they go forward with any plans for remakes of movie musicals, with Hugh in it. Besides, what movies by Fox would have contemporary appeal as stage musicals? We know that a movie like FROM HERE TO ETERNITY ( not FOX) is bowing soon in London, as a stage musical with Tim Rice behind it. GONE WITH THE WIND was also an ill-fated musical when Trevor Nunn staged a new musical version of it in London a few years back. I saw it and liked the staging immensely - but do classic dramatic stories still have appeal currently on Broadway? Many call shows like LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM as monolithic relics of the British megamusical invasion. This year, KINKY BOOTS upstaged MATILDA at the TONYs. PIPPIN is a revival hit. BOOK OF MORMON is still lording it over ( but perhaps excluding WICKED or LION KING). What does current audiences like? More action-oriented shows? More contemporary staging? For out-of-towners on holiday in NYC as a family, more family-oriented fare? Developing material for the stage can take years...and years. Look at what is happening to Houdini. Although if Houdini is staged in 2014/2015, as hoped for, maybe in a few years from then - FOX might be ready with an excellent stage musical offering? I wonder what is happening to the (movie) remake of GUYS AND DOLLS, whose rights were supposedly acquired by FOX more recently? Jo I too wish they would hurry up with G&D...with Hugh of course. When I read that they were wanting to make stage musicals of some of their hit movies my first thought was...Finally, Wolverine The Musical! LOL! If they ever did that it would probably be years into the future so Hugh's only chance would be if there was a role as old man Wolvie! Sue |
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Post by jo on Jul 12, 2013 10:28:08 GMT -5
Didn't they make a teaser announcement to the effect that a younger cast ( Channing Tatum was one, I forgot the other name) will be considered for Guys and Dolls? Ughh...
I think Fox is envious of Universal. Universal's rights to the stage musical and a prospective movie musical of WICKED have given the studio a diversified source of revenues where musicals are concerned. Universal now has Mamma Mia! and Les Miserables...and even Pitch Perfect...among its recent successes. If they eventually film WICKED, it is going to be another blockbuster. In the meantime, the stage musical of Wicked ( where Universal is also a producer) is keeping the studio coffers flowing.
Fox seems to have lost some of its luster as a film producer and/ or film distributor. Its main franchise is the XMEN property...and after the success of Avatar ( which will have a sequel)...what other major artistic ( Oscar baits) or financial hits ( blockbusters) have they been involved in? Its Fox Searchlight subsidiary is the one that seems to have had a more successful profile with smaller movies (Black Swan,The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire if I am not mistaken, etc) and this was the outfit that was supposed to have looked into the Carousel remake ( no results!)...and likely to get involved in musical remakes. I think they do not want to spend too much on movie musicals.
Jo
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Post by jo on Aug 1, 2013 9:40:00 GMT -5
It looks like Hollywood studios are more keen to produce stage musicals ( based on successful films) than remake or make new film musicals -- www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/movies/hollywoods-big-bet-on-broadway-adaptations.html?_r=0Of Hugh films -- which could be likely successfully staged as a Broadway musical? I have one in mind -- THE PRESTIGE. It engages the audience, it is a dramatic story that can translate into an excellent musical score, there are magic moments that can look spectacular live...and there are strong characters who can have strong singing roles. Jo |
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Post by mamaleh on Aug 1, 2013 11:32:12 GMT -5
The pyrotechnics and clone aspects might be costly/difficult, but perhaps imaginative staging and set design could compensate. True, Jo--songs work best when they're fueled by strong emotions, and THE PRESTIGE has no shortage of those: love, jealousy, grief, obsession, animosity, revenge, etc.
I think someone of Sondheim caliber (the story does have some SWEENEY TODD elements) would be needed to do justice to the project.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a light, frothy romantic fantasy such as KATE AND LEOPOLD might work, too.
Ellen
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Post by jo on Aug 1, 2013 12:41:06 GMT -5
Just think, Ellen -- if some of the original cast perform, if only for one night --
*Hugh Jackman - triple threat
*Christian Bale - triple threat
*David Bowie - ahem!
*Scarlett Johansson - can sing and act ( haven't seen her dancing, but she probably can)
*Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, and Andy Serkis can probably give it a try?
All we need is a musical score and a book...and maybe disciples of Houdini to stage the magic elements?
LOL!
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Post by birchie on Aug 1, 2013 15:16:44 GMT -5
Just think, Ellen -- if some of the original cast perform, if only for one night -- *Hugh Jackman - triple threat *Christian Bale - triple threat *David Bowie - ahem! *Scarlett Johansson - can sing and act ( haven't seen her dancing, but she probably can) *Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, and Andy Serkis can probably give it a try? All we need is a musical score and a book...and maybe disciples of Houdini to stage the magic elements? LOL! Well Christian Bale is certainly no triple threat...maybe not even double. He hated that Newsies was made a musical after he had already signed and even left the movie biz for a while because it left a bad taste for him. I really don't care for either Bale or Johansson but if The Prestige happened I don't think they would be in it anyway. Fun to speculate but I don't see this happening unless Houdini completely falls through the cracks. I like Ellen's idea of a frothy musical romp made of Kate & Leopold though. Sue |
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But I do wonder: Billy Bigelow as a deep baritone?
... maybe just Old Man Logan, to complete his spinoff trilogy?)... It is also FOX's best franchise and how can he say "Just No!" to Fox when it needs him. Plus, the man's main motivation is his family and the perks that XMEN allows his family to enjoy is nothing to sniff at. Also, Fox has supposedly obtained the film rights remake for Guys and Dolls, with him in mind, and he has mentioned it once, but I do not know what is holding that up.