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| Subject: Hmmm, a trip back up to NY may be in order in 2005.. play tourist...take in a Broadway show... | |
Author: Karen | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 09:38:41 05/07/03 Wed This looks kind of interesting, although I personally like a bit of gothic excess: Elton John to Bring 'Vampire' to Broadway Wed May 7, 7:24 AM ET By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer NEW YORK - No capes, no crosses and definitely no tap-dancing vampires. Longtime musical collaborators Elton John and Bernie Taupin are planning to bring "The Vampire Lestat" to Broadway, and they promise a production free of gothic excess. "It will be dark, sexy and scary, but that doesn't mean it has to be cliche," Taupin said Tuesday at a news conference to announce the show. The project, based on the character from Anne Rice's novels, is the first production from Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and is scheduled to hit the stage in 2005. John already has two productions on Broadway, the Disney hits "Aida" and "The Lion King." This is Taupin's first effort. "Bernie and I have been huge fans of Anne Rice's books for a long, long time," John said, adding that the New Orleans-based author supported the project and had heard and approved of the music that has been composed so far. Aside from John, the production has others with Disney connections. The book is being written by Linda Woolverton, who wrote the stage version of "Beauty and the Beast," and it will be directed by Robert Jess Roth, who was nominated for a Tony award for his direction of that Disney production. John said he expected all the content — music, lyrics, and book — to be completed by the end of September, and hoped to have a read-through in November. The collaborators said the musical would be based on three Rice novels — "Interview With the Vampire," "The Vampire Lestat" and "Queen of the Damned" — with emphasis on the first two. (A movie version of "Queen of the Damned" came out last year, starring late singer Aaliyah as an ancient vampire. Neil Jordan's 1994 film version of "Interview With the Vampire" starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.) John said the music he was composing was for an orchestra and would have no electronic components or other modern sounds, since the books' settings largely were from a couple of hundred years ago. "I didn't see where any modern music could possibly come in without sounding ridiculous," he said. When asked who could play Lestat, John said whoever it was would have to have charisma — but most importantly, would have to be able to sing. "My main concern is finding people who can sing the songs properly," he said. Broadway's last outing with vampires was the musical "Dance of the Vampires," based on the Roman Polanski movie, "The Fearless Vampire Killers." The production starring Michael Crawford closed in January after only 56 performances and a loss estimated at more than $12 million. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: Hmmm, a trip back up to NY may be in order in 2005.. play tourist...take in a Broadway show... | |
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Author: eibhlin nunns [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 13:26:29 08/24/03 Sun >This looks kind of interesting, although I personally >like a bit of gothic excess: > >Elton John to Bring 'Vampire' to Broadway >Wed May 7, 7:24 AM ET > >By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer > >NEW YORK - No capes, no crosses and definitely no >tap-dancing vampires. Longtime musical collaborators >Elton John and Bernie Taupin are planning to bring >"The Vampire Lestat" to Broadway, and they promise a >production free of gothic excess. > >"It will be dark, sexy and scary, but that doesn't >mean it has to be cliche," Taupin said Tuesday at a >news conference to announce the show. > >The project, based on the character from Anne Rice's >novels, is the first production from Warner Bros. >Theatre Ventures and is scheduled to hit the stage in >2005. John already has two productions on Broadway, >the Disney hits "Aida" and "The Lion King." This is >Taupin's first effort. > >"Bernie and I have been huge fans of Anne Rice's books >for a long, long time," John said, adding that the New >Orleans-based author supported the project and had >heard and approved of the music that has been composed >so far. > >Aside from John, the production has others with Disney >connections. The book is being written by Linda >Woolverton, who wrote the stage version of "Beauty and >the Beast," and it will be directed by Robert Jess >Roth, who was nominated for a Tony award for his >direction of that Disney production. > >John said he expected all the content — music, lyrics, >and book — to be completed by the end of September, >and hoped to have a read-through in November. > >The collaborators said the musical would be based on >three Rice novels — "Interview With the Vampire," "The >Vampire Lestat" and "Queen of the Damned" — with >emphasis on the first two. (A movie version of "Queen >of the Damned" came out last year, starring late >singer Aaliyah as an ancient vampire. Neil Jordan's >1994 film version of "Interview With the Vampire" >starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.) > >John said the music he was composing was for an >orchestra and would have no electronic components or >other modern sounds, since the books' settings largely >were from a couple of hundred years ago. > >"I didn't see where any modern music could possibly >come in without sounding ridiculous," he said. > >When asked who could play Lestat, John said whoever it >was would have to have charisma — but most >importantly, would have to be able to sing. "My main >concern is finding people who can sing the songs >properly," he said. > >Broadway's last outing with vampires was the musical >"Dance of the Vampires," based on the Roman Polanski >movie, "The Fearless Vampire Killers." The production >starring Michael Crawford closed in January after only >56 performances and a loss estimated at more than $12 >million. I have been a fan of the vampire stories since I was a child. The movie INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE ruined me for all other vampire movies. I was looking forward to seeing tHE VAMPIRE LESTAT as a movie. LESTAT is my favorite character, his story the best. I only hope that Elton John does him justice. I can only hope that this will lead to a movie and that perhaps Neil Jordan and Stan Winston will reunite and bring the wonderful vampire into the light. As for the play, I need an excuse to go to N.Y. since I have never visited that city. I would go for LESTAT. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |