BREAKING NEWS: Get ready to join in the TOPSY TURVY day as Disney is gearing up to present a live action reboot of their beloved Animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The new film will feature a screenplay by David Henry Hwang, produced by Disney, Mandeville Films and Josh Gad, and of course it will feature the beloved songs from the Animated film by Tony and Oscar winners Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (including OUT THERE, TOPSY TURVY, GOD HELP THE OUTCASTS, and more). No word on casting or a release date.
THE HUNCHBACK OF THE NOTRE was originally conceived as a best selling 1831 novel by Victor Hugo. It tells the classic story of the deformed "Quasimodo" (who lives and works in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris) who dreams of going out into the public and wanting to feel accepted by society. The Animated film was released in 1996 grossing over $325 million worldwide and became the fifth highest-grossing release of 1996. It was nominated for both an Oscar and the Golden Globes for Best Original Score.
Following the success of the Animated film, Disney Theatrical Productions produced a full scale stage musical adaptation of the beloved film. The stage version featured the Menken and Schwartz score along with a new book and direction by James Lapine. It originally premiered at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany back in 1999 entitled as Disneys Der Gl?ckner von Notre Dame (with the entire show being performed in German). It also made history for Disney as their first major musical to be produced first outside North America. The German production ran for 1,204 performances. The show would later be revamped and translated into English not until 2014. The English premiere happened in La Jolla, California at the La Jolla Playhouse and then later played New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. However, it did not make the transfer to Broadway. Today, the stage musical adaptation of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is being performed in Community, Schools, and Regional Theaters everywhere.
SOMETHING'S COMING, SOMETHING GOOD! Additional casting has been announced for Stephen Speilberg's upcoming Movie Musical remake of the legendary classic West Side Story. Joining the previously announced Ansel Elgort as "Tony" will include….
17 year old New Jersey High School student and newcomer Rachel Zegler as "Maria",
and Josh Andr?s Rivera (recently seen on the 2nd National Tour of Hamilton) as "Chino".
More casting will be announced soon.
Steven Speilberg's movie-musical remake of WEST SIDE STORY is expecting to begin filming Summer 2019 and will MAMBO into Theaters everywhere beginning in 2020.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: There are even several musicals on Broadway that flopped, had a cult following, and did not even have an original cast recording.
One of those shows was also a feel good, beach, tropical themed musical comedy called GOOD VIBRATIONS. The show featured the hits of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys like FUN FUN FUN, SURF CITY, I GET AROUND, SURFIN’ USA, WHEN I GROW UP TO BE A MAN, HELP ME RHONDA, CALIFORNIA GIRLS, CAROLINE NO, IN YOUR IMAGINATION, and of course GOOD VIBRATIONS.
It tells the story of a group of young High School teenagers who embark on a road trip from New England to California. Even though none of them have a car, they take advantage of the unpopular valedictorian girl who has a crush on one of the guys and hell breaks loose.
The cast featured….
Sebastian Arcelus as “Jan”,
Tracee Beazer Barrett as “Wendy”,
David Larsen as “Bobby”,
Future Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt scene stealer Tituss Burgess as “Eddie”,
Kate Reinders as “Caroline” (yup as in CAROLINE NO,
Jessica Snow Wilson as “Marcella”,
Milena Govich as “Rhonda” (yup as in HELP ME RHONDA),
and it also marked as the Broadway Debuts of Janet Decal, Krysta Rodriguez, and Sarah Glendening.
GOOD VIBRATIONS played Broadway’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre back in 2004 and ran till 2005 playing 50 previews and 94 regular performances. It was snubbed and did not get any nominations from any Broadway Award shows.
Check out video of the GOOD VIBRATIONS giving audiences a sneak preview performance at the 2004 Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade performing FUN FUN FUN in their best California weather attire outside the in the freezing Harold Square.
Anyone here remember GOOD VIBRATIONS?
David Larsen and the cast of Good Vibrations performing “Fun, Fun, Fun” at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Featuring Sebastian Arcelus , Tracee Beazer, Titus…
BREAKING NEWS: EVERYBODY SAY YEAH to Amercian Idol winner and acclaimed recording artist David Cook as he about to make his way to the Great White Way this Spring. He is set to make his Broadway Debut in the cast of the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning smash hit Kinky Boots on Broadway taking on the role of “Charlie Price” from the Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears (who departs April 1st, 2018).
David Cook’s run in the Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper musical will be a strictly limited run from April 3rd, 2018 through May 5th, 2018 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
Check out what happens when Tony winner David Hyde Pierce leads the audience and the company of the Tony winning revival of Hello, Dolly on Broadway in a birthday surprise for it’s Tony winning leading lady Bette Midler. Happy 72nd Birthday Bette!!!
See her now though January 14th, 2018 at the Shubert Theatre.
How did the company of Hello, Dolly on Broadway surprise Bette Midler on her birthday?
