Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Orestes Fasting |
Regional productions and the future of the showI got off on a tangent about this in the Barricade Day thread, and I think it deserves its own topic.Except for some of the early, lower-budget international productions in the 80s, almost every production of Les Mis has been a more-or-less faithful replication of the original London design for the show--sets, costumes, lighting, sound, even blocking. But recently there's been a huge proliferation of independently designed regional productions. The recently-announced American ones that made the news--Salt Lake City, Sacramento, and so on--are just jumping on an existing bandwagon of non-replica productions, especially in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries. Every time I think I've kept track of all of them, a clip from one I've never even heard of pops up on YouTube. My opinion on the matter is that CamMack & Co. are getting ready to retire the original, "standard" London staging, and make regional rights more widely available. The national tour and original Broadway production have been closed; the Broadway revival, though its run is open-ended right now, probably won't last more than a couple years. I don't foresee another tour, either Equity or non-Equity, starting up any time soon, not with so many regionals popping up. And aside from these three old standbys--London, Broadway, and the US national tour--I don't think there's been a replica production since the Berlin one closed in 2004. Who knows what this means for the London production. The new cast contracts mean it's not closing in the near future; it might continue on indefinitely as the sole surviving example of the original staging, or it might get retired as well in a few years. I have no idea. Me, I think this is exciting. The original version has been going for years and years, and plenty of people have commented on how stale it can get. The Broadway revival certainly seems like a tired rehashing, despite a few really good cast members. Licensing it out to regional theaters to come up with their own design for it will not only give the audience something fresh to look at, it will force the entire cast and creative team of these productions to innovate instead of falling back onto the old blocking, and allow them the freedom to do really cool stuff that isn't possible in the "this is how we do it" mentality of the replica productions. The original staging was brilliant in 1985, but when every single production has to reproduce it faithfully, you start yearning for something new. |
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| Eponine93 |
I see exactly what you mean. I'm a believer in if there's nothing wrong, don't fix it, but the original blocking isn't practical at all for most small theatres. There are so many small companies that have the talent to do mega-musicals like Les Mis but instead end up doing crappy rip-offs like Jekyll and Hyde, but obviously new stagings will have to be invented so it will be within their means. Regional and community theatres require a medium- not as advanced as the original London staging but not simplified like the school version.
Honestly, I was really surprised at the replica-ness of the school version. I haven't seen the school version, and I live so close to NYC that I doubt the school version will be available for schools in my area until the Broadway revival closes (I'm not quite sure about the particulars on the rights, but I haven't heard of any productions of the school version since before the "revival" opened). However, I've seen youtube clips and whatnot and it surprises and dissapoints me a little that so many of the blockings and the costumes are at least imitation, if not replica. I understand that's what Cam Mack wanted, but you'd think once they started liscening out the rights to schools they'd put together a whole new staging. I think as soon as the regional rights are released, smaller theatres will start changing minor details. Not big things, but just little things to make it a perfect fit for their theatre. I don't think the production will get completely redone in one production; instead, I think it's just going to evolve to meet the theatre's needs. We may not notice it changing, but Les Mis probably will look very different twenty years from now than it does now. |
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| lesmisboy |
The new Dutch production whch opens next year will be a replica of the Broadway revival. I think new cloned prouctions that open in the future will all be based on that rather than the London staging. However, bit by bit, the London production IS changing - there is some slightly different blocking and some of the effects/projections have been altered/removed fairly recently.
Some of the non-replica versions look amazing, particularly the recent Norwegian production which was staged/blocked very differently. Many of the european productions have also been staged in open-air theatres and have the staging has been very interesting...the Swiss production, for example. |
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| Mademoiselle Lanoire |
What's the Swiss production like? |
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| Quique |
I love and prefer the replica version for sentimental reasons but I'm also excited to see what others do with the show.
Yeah, the original's days are numbered now. Soon, it'll be like Miss Saigon where seeing the original in all its glory would be next to impossible. I do hope the revival tours for at least a few years after it closes on Broadway. I want to see that production here in L.A. at least one last time. End of an era. 
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| kozafluitmusique |
 Did I read that the Dutch performance of Les Mis is going to be like the Broadway Revival??
 They better do a good job of it ... because I am 99% sure I'm going to go see it.
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| Fantine |
It was said that they wanted to make it a little different. Whether that means that it is going to be based on the Revival is still uncertain (though highly probable). I can see your point OF, but I really wouldn't like to see LM go. Not for the succes of regional theatre, which can't top the Broadway & West End version, IMO. |
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| lesmisboy |
The London production is now booking until December 2008. I emailed Camack for information regarding the Dutch production and they confirmed that it will be a full replica production. If you google Les Miserables Thun or Les Miserables St. Gallen you'll find info on the Swiss productions. I also read (on here, I think) that the show is returning to Belgium after the Dutch run, and the 20th Aniversary production is now running in japan.
Also, the show opens in Shanghai next year with a full Chinese cast and several more '0fficial' productions are planned... |
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| EponineMNFF |
I'm not sure, for some reason the idea of the end of the replicas sort of depresses me.
The replica productions make me really happy - I love the dependability of the sets and lighting and such, while being able to enjoy the actors' (mostly) original performances. I think an ideal situation for me would be to have non-replica regional productions and replica Broadway, London, some international casts and a US tour (if another one ever opens again... *crosses fingers for a thirtieth anniversary tour*) I'd love to see some non-replica productions, but I always want the replica productions to be there because I just love them so much. ^^ |
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| lesmisboy |
That was my point - there are many replica productions planned, and revival productions across europe are to be based on the Broadway revival. There is no sign of the London production slowing down - it's still playing to capacity every night. It's not quite the 'end of an era' yet.
Regional productions will have no impact on replica versions whatsoever. As for 'stale' productions - the original Broadway production, yes - but London, no way. The original is still the best. |
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| The Very Angry Woman |
Bumping because I just found this and hadn't seen it mentioned elsewhere.
http://www.merry-go-round.com/show-detail-pages/show2-detail.html |
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| LaurelDP |
It was in the Newspaper here that our local regional (I think?) theatre is doing a production for their summer season (Summer 2008). | ||
| Trevor reincarnate |
Indeed. Moonlight. I was just gonna say that.
Are you doing it Laurel!? I'm so auditioning. Moonlight is awesome. |
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| cellistbr |
Did I read that "the Broadway revival, though its run is open-ended right now, probably won't last more than a couple years"?
If so that is an incorrect statement. Cameron announced in October that January 6, 2008 will be the last performance! |
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| Quique |
^ Old news. | ||
| LaurelDP |
I want to be in the ensemble so badly, because it's an ensemble I could realistically be in, but Moonlight loves to use the same talent over and over and over and Kathy Brombacher is a biatch. But Bryce's mom has done several shows there (though lately Starlight has been stealing her), so I have a connection, at least. And my voice teacher works a lot with Elan McMahan, who does the music directing for a lot of Moonlight's shows. So I feel pretty good. Do you know if it's the last or the first show of the season? Or in the middle? I do a conservatory program at Mira Costa every summer that is my life and love, and I'd hate it conflict a lot. A couple years ago, the program started when Seussical opened, and one of the members of the Conservatory was a Wickersham brother and he was stretched way too thin. EDIT: OMG WHAT A LONG POST
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| Trevor reincarnate |
It's going to be their last show.
I think I have a good chance of getting in. I have it in with Don and Bonnie Ward and they're HUGE at moonlight. Who's Bryce's mom? I went to every starlight show last season. Starlight is doing ITW. I'm gonna audition for Jack. |
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| LaurelDP |
Bryce's mom is Debbie Nicastro. Last season she was in the immigrant ensemble of Ragtime. The only recognizable thing she did in that show was Houdini's mom. Summer 06 she was Katisha in Hot Mikado. She's does loads of theatre all over SD County, but is non-professional. I'm not touching Starlight this summer. There's nothing for me. The dates for Les Mis might be tricky for me, but hopefully I'll be able to do it (assuming I get cast). |
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| Trevor reincarnate |
I'm shooting for Mark in Altar Boyz at the Welk, Jack in ITW at Starlight and Ensemble in Les Mis at Moonlight. lol |