New Poll

Re the new Poll - I don't know where I've been hiding BUT I've never heard of most of the productions named!!!
Anyone else in the same boat, anyone care to enlighten me???

Thou dissembling rude-growing dewberry!

Norma wrote:
>
> Re the new Poll - I don't know where I've been hiding BUT
> I've never heard of most of the productions named!!!
> Anyone else in the same boat, anyone care to enlighten me???

Being a theatre person, one would assume you would know what was on elsewhere in the world, and what won the Tony awards. But I guess not.

Hi Norma.
Where have you been hiding? I have heard of most of them.
Here is a list of websites and info so that you can read up about them:

Hairspray - http://www.hairsprayonbroadway.com/
Hairspray is based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Based in the 1960's about a Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and even bigger heart.

Seussical - http://www.seussical.com
Seussical is a contemporary re-imagining of Dr. Seuss, which weaves together many of his most famous stories and characters in unexpected ways.

The sweet smell of success - can't find an official website
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS will take you back into a world when scandal fills the night and one man rules the city. John Lithgow is J.J. Hunsecker, the most powerful gossip columnist in America, who ruins lives and creates stars with a single stroke of his poisonous pen.

Avenue Q - http://www.avenueq.com
Avenue Q is the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice.

Wicked - http://www.wickedthemusical.com
Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

Caroline or Change - http://www.carolineorchange.com
CAROLINE OR CHANGE takes place in louisiana in 1963, just before President Kennedy's assassination and during the civil rights movement. Caroline is the black main of a Southern Jewish family, made up of a father, his new wife and the mans yound son.

Parade - can't find official website
PARADE is the tragic, true story of the trial and lynching of a man wrongly accused of murder is brought to emotional and theatrical life by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (“Driving Miss Daisy”) and Jason Robert Brown.

Zombie Prom - http://www.geocities.com/zombieprombie/ **not sure of an official site.
ZOMBIE PROM, a girl-loves-ghoul rock and roll musical set in the atomic 1950Â’s. After being dumped by his girlfriend Toffee, an orphan named Jonny rides off on his motorcycle into the nuclear waste of a neighboring atomic power plant. Even though he is buried in a lead-lined coffin at the bottom of the ocean, Jonny returns as a teenage nuclear zombie, "glowing" and determined to graduate and take his girl to the senior prom

Aida - can't find official website
AIDA is a contemporary musical take on the grand classic tale of the love between a soldier and an enslaved princess – a love that condemns them to death, but ultimately transcends the vast cultural differences between the two warring nations, heralding an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity.

The Wild Party - can't find official website
THE WILD PARTY tells the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs, a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness (mirroring the time in which they live), they decide to throw a party to end all parties.

Hope that helps in some way.

Correct me if i am wrong or help add to the list people :)


Cheers,

MattC

Simon Holt wrote:
>
> Norma wrote:
> >
> > Re the new Poll - I don't know where I've been hiding BUT
> > I've never heard of most of the productions named!!!
> > Anyone else in the same boat, anyone care to enlighten me???
>
> Being a theatre person, one would assume you would know what
> was on elsewhere in the world, and what won the Tony awards.
> But I guess not.



Hang on, Simon...I'd consider myself a 'theatre person', for want of a better description....but I don't find it terribly necessary to know what shows are on elsewhere in the world, and I don't particularly care how many awards Tony has won.

I have to admit with Norma that I've only heard of 5 of the 11 listed, and couldn't really tell you anything about any of them.

As a rule, I'm much more interested in what is happening locally...but happy to have people draw these things to my attention....thanks MattC !


Cheers
Craig

Thanks Matt for adding to my education - (I haven't had my head entirely under a pillow, I had heard of 4 of them)

I can see that I should have made a New Year resolution to sit gazing at at computer screen for longer than I already do, or perhaps as Simon obliquely suggests take more of an interest in the American way of life?

Thou artless rude-growing pigeon-egg! (Not you Matt)

Norma wrote:
>
> Thanks Matt for adding to my education - (I haven't had my
> head entirely under a pillow, I had heard of 4 of them)
>
> I can see that I should have made a New Year resolution to
> sit gazing at at computer screen for longer than I already
> do, or perhaps as Simon obliquely suggests take more of an
> interest in the American way of life?

Not American, no. Just worldly.

OK Simon, I'll let you have the last word and retire back into my shell

Thou venomed clay-brained hedge-pig!

Simon Holt wrote:
>
> Norma wrote:
> >
> > I can see that I should have made a New Year resolution to
> > sit gazing at at computer screen for longer than I already
> > do, or perhaps as Simon obliquely suggests take more of an
> > interest in the American way of life?
>
> Not American, no. Just worldly.


Well, I know Americans like to think of themselves as worldly by asserting their influence everywhere thanks to Nike, Coke and the US Marines....how do you justify that short statement, Simon, when every one (except Aida) of the musicals listed is written in America, set in America, playing in America and is based on very American themes?

Don't hear much of South African Musicals, or Dutch, or Scottish, or Australian, or.... Worldly?

Cheers,
Craig

You make me laugh Craig. In a good way :P

Valid point too.

I must admit i like to keep up to date with the American theatre, only because there is a good chance that we will see a good show come from the states to australia.

Simon, shhhhh... keep digging and you'll reach america, ...or is that china? :P

MattC wrote:
>
> You make me laugh Craig. In a good way :P
>
> Valid point too.
>
> I must admit i like to keep up to date with the American
> theatre, only because there is a good chance that we will see
> a good show come from the states to australia.
>
> Simon, shhhhh... keep digging and you'll reach america,
> ...or is that china? :P



Well I do agree with you that getting some interesting new shows over here would be great, wherever they're from.
And do you reckon there'll ever be a world-class Australian musical??

Cheers,
Craig

[%sig%]

The Boy from Oz.

crgwllms wrote:

>And do you reckon there'll ever be a world-class Australian musical??

tim wrote:
>
> The Boy from Oz.



Does this one really count? "From" is the operative word, not "Oz". It only starts in Australia for the early history (and novelty value); the point of it is to show a star on Broadway, who had married into a family of American musical icons; and the book was adapted by an American, Martin Sherman. The story content was criticised for being contrived to fit the songs, which had little to do with any character development...from what I gather it was a highly successful star vehicle for the lead role, but a bit mediocre in all other areas.

I'm not saying we need a musical about the Crocodile Hunter, but for me the question still remains...

Cheers,
Craig

The Venetian Twins
The Sentimental Bloke
Jonah

just to name 3 really good Australian musicals...