Sir Andrew: "I don't think I've got enough money to do very many more [musicals]."

ZachJPayne · Dec 28, 2013

Says the man worth a $1 billion and change.

Article here.

Just in case you need a bit of a laugh.

My favorite passage:

"I haven't had a hit in 20 years," he said." I've written six musicals in that time. I'm resigned now to the fact that anything I do probably nobody is going to like."

Boo-freaking-hoo.

Of course, once you learn how to budget, stop having to gut a theatre with all the movie-like effects, and stop driving up the costs so people can afford to see the theatre . . . hmm.

cornflake · Dec 29, 2013

ZachJPayne said:
Says the man worth a $1 billion and change.

Article here.

Just in case you need a bit of a laugh.

My favorite passage:

Boo-freaking-hoo.

Of course, once you learn how to budget, stop having to gut a theatre with all the movie-like effects, and stop driving up the costs so people can afford to see the theatre . . . hmm.

To be fair, Weber doesn't tend toward the stupid effects, and musical theatre is a huge, huge gamble and money suck for anyone. It's crazy expensive to stage any show and the odds are not with you if you do it.

It's a problem I don't know a solution for and I wish there was one that seemed simple.

Calla Lily · Dec 29, 2013

If his last ones hadn't sucked rocks...

We saw Aspects of Love and you could feel the waves of confusion and boredom from the audience. I'd read the book and I was still annoyed. Then he picked Whistle Down the Wind. :Wha:

The man needs better source material. Something where the audience can actually root for a character. Something that allows for a catchy song.

I figured he'd jumped his own shark when we saw a gawdawful reality show for a revival of Oliver. John Barrowman was the draw and they were casting for the role of Nancy. Lloyd-Webber was directing or producing, I forget. They had him sitting on a velvet and gilded THRONE, for cryin' out loud.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 1, 2014

Everything went downhill after Jesus Christ Superstar.

thothguard51 · Jan 1, 2014

I don't know, Cats was pretty good...

Calla Lily · Jan 1, 2014

Cats was early in his career, when he seemed to be having fun with the whole thing. Then he married Sarah Brightman and wrote Phantom for her. Then they divorced and... slump. It's like he has all this talent he doesn't know how to channel anymore.

Manuel Royal · Jan 2, 2014

There are too many damn musicals anyway.

ap123 · Jan 2, 2014

To be fair, I *think* the average musical takes something like 10 million dollars to put on Broadway these days.

I heard Spiderman (crazy effects) cost about 65 million.

Wizera · Jan 2, 2014

I'm not exactly going to be taking up a collection for ALW.

Honestly, the biggest problem with musicals, these days, is the weird obsession with adaptation going around. To be fair, most of ALW's musicals were adapted from something. But that was before the trend started running rampant, I think.

I shudder at the notion that there might, someday soon, be an Austin Powers musical.

Calla Lily · Jan 4, 2014

Checked my "Family' feed FB just now and I can name one musical that's going strong: An Evening with Janis Joplin. My cousin is in it (saxophones and other instruments). Getting rave reviews and just hit its 100th performance. A few years back the same cousin played a bunch of instruments in the Tharp/Joel Movin' Out. That played for quite awhile too. (His wife and sons are quite happy when he gets to come home every night for a few years. Often he's on tour.)

Neither of these musicals are quite my style, but they're successful. Perhaps ALW could try a paradigm shift? (And if he does and it works, i want a cut of the profits!

)

ZachJPayne · Jan 4, 2014

Wizera said:
I'm not exactly going to be taking up a collection for ALW.

Honestly, the biggest problem with musicals, these days, is the weird obsession with adaptation going around. To be fair, most of ALW's musicals were adapted from something. But that was before the trend started running rampant, I think.

I shudder at the notion that there might, someday soon, be an Austin Powers musical.

Nor am I! And that's just the thing. I've done community service and youth theatre shows where we're spending 90% of our budget just on purchasing the rights -- let alone anything else.

And God, don't let anyone hear about the Austin Powers musical. It might actually happen. *shivers*. The local kids theatre group is doing Shrek the Musical, which sounds just as bad.

callalily61 said:
Checked my "Family' feed FB just now and I can name one musical that's going strong: An Evening with Janis Joplin. My cousin is in it (saxophones and other instruments). Getting rave reviews and just hit its 100th performance. A few years back the same cousin played a bunch of instruments in the Tharp/Joel Movin' Out. That played for quite awhile too. (His wife and sons are quite happy when he gets to come home every night for a few years. Often he's on tour.)

Neither of these musicals are quite my style, but they're successful. Perhaps ALW could try a paradigm shift? (And if he does and it works, i want a cut of the profits! )

Oooh, I've been wanting to see An Evening with Janis for quite a while now. That must be a fun life, in the pit for major shows!

And I think ALW is really a relic of the '80s. And not in a good way.

God, let him do something provocative, innovative. Hell, I'm ready for the next Next to Normal -- if he can do something like that, well, he'll win me as a fan.

mccardey · Jan 4, 2014

Manuel Royal said:
There are too many damn musicals anyway.

benbradley · Jan 4, 2014

I'm not much of a fan of musicals, but I admit I've enjoyed some of this guy's stuff.

I sometimes listen to "Night On The Town," that public radio show of songs from musicals, and it seems that musical songs, especially "modern" ones from the last maybe four decades, are just a bit overly emotionalized or something. It's easy-ish to tell when a song is from a musical because of this.

mccardey said:

Don't worry, I'll fix it:

Manuel Royal said:
There are too many damn Webber musicals anyway.

There. I agree wholeheartedly.

mccardey · Jan 5, 2014

benbradley said:
Don't worry, I'll fix it:

.

Nicely done. Because - Sondheim, for starters. Also Guettel.

lexxi · Feb 7, 2014

Wizera said:
Honestly, the biggest problem with musicals, these days, is the weird obsession with adaptation going around. To be fair, most of ALW's musicals were adapted from something. But that was before the trend started running rampant, I think.

Most musicals period have been adapted from something. That's nothing new.

Baloo · Feb 7, 2014

I put songs in my book, planning ahead see.

Bloo · Feb 7, 2014

As a theater person/writer, I wonder if we're not on the cusp of a shift in musical theater where we leave the spectacle musical/jukebox musical/movie-to-musical behind and toward more intimate shows, more stripped down shows, something more minimalist.

At least I hope so LOL

Sir Andrew: "I don't think I've got enough money to do very many more [musicals]."

ZachJPayne

Beware: #amQuerying

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Manuel Royal

ap123

Twitching

Wizera

MG/YA Author and Playwright

Calla Lily

On hiatus

ZachJPayne

Beware: #amQuerying

mccardey

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

mccardey

lexxi

bold enough for both those XXs

Baloo

Bloo

Roofied by Rylan