What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
#1What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:23pm
I've heard mentioned before that "Applause" was written for Lauren Bacall's talents and it has been difficult to revive due to that.
Are there more shows that were written specifically for a lead actor's talent?
#2What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:25pm
THE ACT was written specifically for Liza.
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#3What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:27pm
Gypsy was written for Ethel Merman
#4What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:28pm
If/Then was written for Idina.
Sunny11
Broadway Star Joined: 9/3/14
#5What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:34pm
Boy from Oz for Hugh Jackman.
MannPhan24601
Broadway Star Joined: 11/4/15
#6What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:40pm
Phantom was specifically written for Sarah Brightman...
#7What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:51pm
Elaine Stritch: At Liberty was originally written for Bea Arthur.
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#8What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 2:32pm
Pretty much every show that Mary Martin or Ethel Merman did on Broadway after 1940 was written specifically for them. Same goes with Gwen Verdon (in her case most everything after Can Can in 1953).
Thats a lot of the great musicals from the Golden Era right there. South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, Peter Pan, Call me Madam, Gypsy, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music, Sweet Charity, Chicago, and the list goes on. Hello Dolly was actually written for Ethel Merman but she didn't create it initially on stage.
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Updated On: 1/13/17 at 02:32 PM
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#9What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 2:51pm
Sunny11 said: "Boy from Oz for Hugh Jackman. "
????? The show premiered in Australia with Todd McKenney as Peter Allen, 5 years BEFORE Hugh Jackman opened the show on Broadway.
#10What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:15pm
True, Boy From Oz was not written for Hugh Jackman.
Sondheim wrote Sweeney Todd with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury in mind.
#11What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:38pm
wasn't Dolly written for Ethel Merman?
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#12What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:39pm
China Doll for Al Pacino
Dfgtoronto
Understudy Joined: 12/27/15
#13What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:48pm
I believe The King and I was written for Gertrude Lawrence.
Fan123
Broadway Star Joined: 8/30/08
#14What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:48pm
Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand.
#15What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:57pm
Fan123 said: "Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand."
it was basically rewritten in rehearsal and out-of-town tryouts for her (I think i read about that in the biography Becoming Barbra), when they discovered that everything basically fell apart when she left the stage. So a lot of material was cut for the supporting players and her role was ballooned.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#16What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:58pm
Fan123 said: "Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand."
That's not uncommon during the development process of a show. Bring Him Home from Les Miz was written specifically for Colm Wilkinson during rehearsals. Sometimes, a show is modified for a replacement star (Spamalot made some changes to showcase Clay Aiken; A Chorus Line modified costumes and blocking to appease Mario Lopez's ego).
#17What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:31pm
Grey Gardens was written with Christine Ebersole in mind from the very beginning, if I remember correctly.
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rachel818
Swing Joined: 10/20/16
#18What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:34pm
Not an example of an entire show written for an actor, but Fosse's comment made me think of this. I recall reading that Dave Malloy wrote "No One Else" after Great Comet rehearsals had begun, to play to Phillipa Soo's vocal strengths.
(edited because I had the song title wrong)
#19What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:44pm
Little Me for Sid Caesar... and then retooled for Victor Garber and James Coco... and again for Martin Short!
#20What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 6:34pm
On The 20th Century was written for Madeline Kahn. The Apple Tree was written for Barbara Harris I believe.
The part of Sally Brown was created for Kristin Chenoweth in the Charlie Brown revival. And Glinda was written very much with Kristin in mind, and then developed into the part it became for and with her. But neither SHOW was written for her, just the characters.
zainmax
Broadway Star Joined: 1/12/17
#21What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:11pm
I think that The Visit was written for Angela Lansbury. (The musical, and not the play).
tomwsjr
Leading Actor Joined: 5/9/05
#22What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 8:51pm
Actually the role of Ms. Lovett in Sweeney Todd was written for Patricia Routledge. When she turned it down (didn't like the subject matter) it was then offered to Angela Lansbury.
nasty_khakis
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/15/07
#23What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 8:57pm
tomwsjr said: "Actually the role of Ms. Lovett in Sweeney Todd was written for Patricia Routledge. When she turned it down (didn't like the subject matter) it was then offered to Angela Lansbury. "
Actually, Sondheim wrote it for Angela, it was Hal Prince who kept trying to get Routledge. She turned it down, and Hal let Sondheim cast Angela.
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#24What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 9:06pm
Fade Out - Fade In was written very specifically for Carol Burnett. It was hugely successful while she was in the show and reportedly outgrossed both Hello, Dolly and Funny Girl, but it never saw that same level of business during Burnett's leaves from the show (one was a medical leave after she injured her neck in a taxi accident, the second was when she left the show to go work on a show that her then husband was producing). The show seems to be largely viewed as unrevivable these days, though I think there are a good number of Broadway actresses who could headline an Encores production (Sutton Foster, Leslie Kritzer, or Alysha Umphress to name a few just off the top of my head).
#25What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?
Posted: 1/13/17 at 11:19pm
^^^ Have you read the libretto of FADE OUT, FADE IN, AEA?
It's as tailored for Burnett as FUNNY GIRL is for Streisand. Maybe more so. And, yeah, I've seen other actresses play Fannie Brice, but as with BELLS ARE RINGING, they seem to be doing an impression or struggling to do the opposite. (Mimi Hines may have been the exception. I can only wish I had seen her.)
**SPOILER ALERT**
Burnett's "Shirley Temple" imitation; planting her smile instead of her hands in Grauman's wet cement; the plot depending on how gawky and "unattractive" the lead is; the silliness of Burnett acting "sexy"; and countless other examples I've forgotten since I read it 40 years ago. These were all bits that became regular features on her TV show.
Of course, the brief references could be re-tailored for another star; but I have trouble, for example, seeing Sutton Foster as so essentially unattractive (and, in fact, the entire motive may be out of date).
Alix Korey in her youth came closest.
Too bad. It's my second-favorite Styne score, and the lyrics, though sometimes trivial, are better crafted than those of FUNNY GIRL.
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