Gossip, Chatter, and Speculation in Webber's Realm

This past week has really been a "chatter" week, as I call it, regarding Phantom, Love Never Dies, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.  On September 1, my mailbox was bombarded by Google alerts.  I have a few set up, and one is for any news on Love Never Dies.

Right off the hot "chatter" was that Love Never Dies is not coming to Broadway - at least not yet (it ain't over folks until the fat lady sings...if you know what I mean).  Tongues wagged that Webber was bypassing Broadway and opening in Australia and Toronto instead. 

For a few days the rumors, chatter, and speculation went wild.  The "con" crowd cheered  that it wasn't coming to Broadway in the spring, the "pro" crowd moaned its delay.  Since most of the news was hearsay, everyone waited for an official statement to come from the lair.  Finally, on September 10, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber was on the Michael Ball show.  The confirmation came from the composer himelf.  Love Never Dies is opening in Australia and Toronto.  I subsequently read that Melbourne, Australia is anxiously hoping to be picked for the show.  (You mean someone wants it to come to their city?)  In addition, two production teams are going to rework the play and bring the best to New York.

Then today Ramin tweeted (the man sings like a song bird anyway).  Here's his sweet tweet: "I guess it's safe to say that I'll be in LND London up until March..." and "Toronto and New York is for Love Never Dies. As it stands now."

Of course, everyone has an opinion about why RUG is making these moves.  Why the NY delay?  Why go to Toronto first?  Comments abound on all the pro and con boards.  Well, I have my own opinion about the move.  Whether it's right or wrong, it's my two cents, and you know how I love to throw my two cents around even if I get plummeted with rotten tomatoes in return.

I read last week that Broadway is in a slump.  Looks like they are having a pretty rotten time of it financially.  At the present, only one production out of 21 on Broadway (Wicked) met and exceeded its full Gross Gross Potential at more than 106 percent. The other 20 shows never made it to 100%.  Sales are down...down...down.   Even The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic is only running 76.8%. Ouch!

The decision not to bring Love Never Dies probably has a lot to do about marketing savvy, while biding time to rework the kinks out of the highly criticized production more than anything else.  In fact, in that same week another article came out that the West End in London is actually exceeding in ticket sales. Frankly, I'm not surprised Love Never Dies is delaying it's arrival on Broadway right now. Why bring a show to the United States where sales are in a slump, protesters are ready to picket, and changes are yet to be made? Frankly, I think it was a smart decision on Webber's part. 

Instead, it's off to making two productions in Australia and Toronto. Perhaps in tweaking the show and possibly making it a hit in other venues worldwide first, Broadway might just open its arms and accept it more readily. Wouldn't that be a hoot!  Perhaps the critics will have mellowed out by time it arrives.  However, I doubt the protesters will be any less quiet, but there will be those fans who will continue to support Webber's creative right to do a sequel.  God, I wish I could be there opening night in Toronto!  (Note to self:  start saving.)

Of course, more news came out last week too that it's been reported that Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Group are in talks to sell four of his London theatres (the New London, Palace, Cambridge and Her Majesty's).  A spokesman for The Really Use Group said that they were the ones who received "unsolicitied" offers, meaning RUG didn't go looking for a buyer, a potential buyer approached them.  I doubt it has anything to do with Love Never Dies bankrupting Webber, as some hope.

So that's the current gossip, chatter, and speculation in Webber's realm. I still carry great respect for the man and his achievements as an artist. Nothing will change my opinion in that area. He gave us The Phantom of the Opera on stage, that story everyone is obsessed over, which we have enjoyed since 1986. Whatever the outcome of taking Love Never Dies around the world and eventually bringing it to Broadway, I wish him well. Whatever decisions the Really Useful Group makes, I hope they are sound businesses choices.

Whenever I hear or read someone curse Webber and the LND production, I say a prayer for him and ask heaven to bless the dude and the cast of his show. Webber is an artist that deserves our respect, regardless of whether we agree or not with his latest Phantom release.  He is the musical genius who immortalized the musical genius.  Without him, we would have never heard the Music of the Night!  How sad indeed.

Regards,
Vicki aka The Phantom's Student

UPDATE:  9/15/2010 - It was reported on Facebook Love Never Dies official page that the show has extended its run in London through March 2011.  

It's Potty Time...THE MUSICAL!

So my sister sent me this DVD a few months ago to help us with the whole Potty Training thing. She said that her kids watched it and WHAM...they were Potty Trained in a matter of weeks. She also told me to bear in mind that the DVD is kinda old but for some reason the kids love it.

Well in the mail comes this DVD...we pop it in the Blu Ray Player and up pops this little movie which must have been made (by the looks of the clothing style) in the early 1980's, ya know parachute pants and all that. There are actually actors playing all of these roles, it's not animated it's a real movie musical about Potty Training, with little production numbers and original songs...the whole nine yards.

The premise is that it's "Bobby's Birthday" and everyone is getting ready to go to the party...but...we all have to make sure that we go to the Potty before we leave. (First song Today Is Bobby's Birthday).

We then cut to "Katie" learning that I Use My Potty When I Have To Poop. (One of our daughters favorites).

We then go to one of Bobby's friends "Lizzie" who sings about the Alphabet (what that has to do with Potty I don't know...maybe it's the comic number) and then she goes to the potty where she learns to Wipe, Wipe, Wipe Yourself (set to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat). Lizzie then demonstrates the process with her Teddy Bear.

(The only thing here as my wife pointed out, is that Lizzie sticks the Teddy Bears head INTO the toilet in order to accomplish this).

OK one lesson to avoid. Best not to put your head into a toilet unless you've had a rough night.

Having accomplished this task we then cut to another fan favorite: She Is A Super Duper Pooper! (And this is another one of our daughters Favs)

Now we are ready for the party. Guest arrive in throngs heaping presents on Bobby as they enter his backyard which has a stage set up ready for a full blown performance. Enter...The Clown.

Traditionally people are sometimes afraid of Clowns...not this one. He's actually pretty cool and sings the age old classic: I'm A Clown (and it's actually a pretty good number). The Clown performs magic tricks and somehow changes Bobby's plain clothing into Polka Dotted clothing right there on stage. The number even has juggling and magic and a streamer that gets pulled out of Bobby's ear!

(Again...what this has to do with Potty...ya got me. Perhaps he wanted to clarify that even though he is wearing giant red polka dots, clown make-up, big shoes and a clown nose that he is indeed A Clown).

Well as the tension builds and the Clown Show is about to reach it's zenith...Bobby raises his hand. "I have to go Potty." Then as if possessed by some otherworldly force of the bladder, two more boys hands shoot up, "Me Too!' and "Me Too!." Well who else would lead the three boys to the bathroom....none other than...The Clown (whaaa?).

Needless to say the three boys accomplish their task to the swinging rendition of Tra La La Boom Dee Ey I Push My Pants Away and we finish up this musical section with This Is The Way I Wash My Hands (same tune as This Is The Way The Farmer Rides).

All the kids rush back to the party where they enter a what? A JUMPY. Better known in my day as a Moonwalk. Inside the Jumpy/Moonwalk are inflatable beach balls that are battered around the space. We now reach our 11'oclock number: Let's Play Ball.

This sequence is shot in super cool slow-motion with everyone joyously jumping around the Jumpy...it's time to celebrate, after all we have all gone potty!

And as the day winds down to evening we find Bobby in his bed plum tuckered out from a wonderful birthday. As a reprise of Today Is Bobby's Birthday but this time interchanging the Is with a Was...(reminds me of how the great Oscar Hammerstein interchanged If I Loved You to How I Loved You at the end of Carousel) Bobby reaches over and shuts off his bedside lamp and drifts off to sleep.

Blackout.

As soon as the movie finished...our daughter says..."More" so we played it again, and again...and again. The end result (aside from me knowing all the songs by heart) is that she walks into the bathroom looks at the potty flushes it, washes her hands...she'll get it...she's so close! Such a smart kid.

Yesterday she was eating breakfast and said..."Daddy?" I replied "Yes sweetie?" She said "I'm a clown" and promptly laughed...so did I.

It's Potty Time...THE MUSICAL!