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| Part 2 | |
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The_Jackster 04:05 pm UTC 10/13/07 |
| In reply to: | An Open Letter to TPTB: Fix WHISTLE! - The_Jackster 03:51 pm UTC 10/13/07 |
| This is the second part of an open letter addressed mainly to Bill Kenwright Productions, but also to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman respectively, regarding changes that can be made to ensure the success of their musical Whistle Down the Wind. ---------- In closing, I want to touch on one final aspect of the production: casting. By all accounts, the cast deals with the material they have been given admirably, delivering some admittedly laughable lines with a straight face (I suggest a good British writer be put to work on the book if my suggestions are implemented so that disastrous lines like those cited in reviews can be averted) and singing the numbers as best as they are able. However, I believe one final aspect of casting could be performed. I have seen Eric Kunze's work, and he does an admirable job with his roles. His performance in the last national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar was one of my top five favorite performances in any musical, especially given the demanding material. By all accounts, his work in the show has been great. He is also no doubt used to having played lead roles for the better part of his theatre career, as he once bragged about (as well he should) in his bio. That said, it is my opinion that the production needs a grounding force with the person playing the role of "the Man," and it's my opinion that Kunze is not that force. "The Man" is a grizzled figure, almost like a veteran, could believably be either good or evil, but there has to be a little of a Jesus aspect about him, an aura of mystery, or it won't make sense. I'm not saying that Kunze can't play the part this way, but I am saying that I know someone who could both play the part and be a stabilizing force for the show (creatively and financially). He has played roles at both ends of the extreme, as diverse as Jesus Christ at one end and both the "mad monk" Grigori Rasputin and a prisoner named Willy condemned to die for murder (the latter in a straight play) at the other, not to mention . The last theatrical national tour that he went on (from 1992-97) not only developed a built-in fan base that would attend any show in which he appeared, but the tour also grossed over $100 million USD based on his name, was seen by over 1 million people, and ran for 1,753 performances over the course of five years, which at the time held the record for longest run of any North American theatre revival in history. I speak, of course, of Ted Neeley. Andrew is obviously no stranger to Ted, who appeared in the title role in the 1973 film of Jesus Christ Superstar and has reprised the role live to great acclaim (as on the previously mentioned tour which had huge grosses and audiences based on his name). Surprisingly enough, Jim is also no stranger to Ted, who sang background vocals on the 1981 Meat Loaf album "Dead Ringer," for which Jim co-produced most of the basic tracks with Jimmy Iovine, now head of Interscope Records (this assertion of Jim's work on the album, for those Steinman fans reading, is verifiable by checking the CD insert). Neeley has done shows such as Superstar for so long that all he need do is spread his arms out and you see the Jesus-like aspect. When on stage, playing any part, he plays his role with an aura of mystery, often making the character appear more mysterious than it really is. He is also very believable when one speaks to him and spends time with him as a person kids would fall for instantly, someone that kids would sense something special about. And of course, his vocal range is more than capable of handling the demands of the score. Not all of these suggestions need be accepted, but if they are, it is my belief that they will save the show's American market. I'm The_Jackster, and thanks for listening! | |
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| Previous: | re: question - The_Jackster 03:56 pm UTC 10/14/07 |
| Next: | Where's Part 3? - Pudding 09:10 pm UTC 10/13/07 |
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