Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

The new musical Kinky Boots, with music and lyrics by pop superstar Cindy Lauper under the direction of Harvey Fierstein, is starting its out-of-town run in Chicago. The show will begin previews on Broadway on March 3, 2013 at the Al Hirschfeld Theater. The show is a light-hearted comedy about a struggling shoemaker who revives his career by designing and manufacturing sturdy shoes for drag performers. Take a look at some clips from the show from Playbill below:

This could get quite interesting. Playbill is reporting that the co-author of Broadway’s smash hit musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is authoring a tell-all book about his experience developing the show. The production was plagued during its preview with a handful of actor and stuntmen injuries; and after Julie Taymor refused to alter the strange story of the original bow that was universally panned by critics and left audiences scratching their heads in confusion, she was let go. Of course, Mrs. Taymor didn’t leave quietly and she sued the producers for her work that she claimed remains in the final production that is now in its second year running on Broadway. I’ve seen the show 5 times and can personally attest it is one of my favorites. The music is rockingly cool (it’s written by the lead men of U2), the sets are breath-taking, and the costumes and entire production is downright opulent and incredible! Here’s the story from Playbill.com:

Playwright Glen Berger, who co-authored the script of Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to write “Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History,” chronicling his journey with the production.

As first reported in the New York Times, “Song of Spider-Man” was acquired by Jonathan Karp, the publisher and executive vice-president of Simon & Schuster, himself librettist and lyricist of the Off-Broadway musical How to Save the World… A spokesperson for the publishing company independently confirmed the Berger book plan with Playbill.com, sharing the cover art. The publication date is to be determined.

Berger co-wrote Spider-Man‘s book alongside Tony winner Julie Taymor, who was eventually let go from the production in 2011. Playwright and comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was then enlisted by the musical’s creative team to make revisions to the book alongside Berger.

King Kong: The Musical, which is being touted as one of the most technically sophisticated productions to ever grace the stage, is quickly moving forward in Australia. The show’s producers recently announced that principal casting for the lavish production had been completed and producers posted an enticing video of a press conference complete with a sampling of songs from the show on its Web site (http://kingkongliveonstage.com). According to Playbill:

The new musical features a book by Craig Lucas. Composer and arranger Marius de Vries, whose credits include the soundtracks for “Moulin Rouge” and “Romeo + Juliet,” will create and oversee a a score that will feature revamped versions of 1930s Broadway classics like “Get Happy,” “I Wanna Be Loved By You” and “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” as well as new and existing songs from a mix of contemporary artists: Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack, Sarah McLachlan, Justice, Guy Garvey from Elbow and The Avalanches. A key collaborator on the musical landscape for the show is Stephen Pavlovic from Modular People; Michael Mitnick has contributed lyrics to several new compositions.

Director Kramer said in a statement, “It’s tempting to focus on the spectacle of King Kong himself. But it is only through the humanity of the life around him – the people of New York City, the comic megalomania of filmmaker Carl Denham, the stubborn opposition of first mate Jack Driscoll, and the grace, beauty and power of our leading lady, Ann Darrow – that he truly takes life. After three years of auditions and workshops, it is an honour to introduce the world premiere cast of King Kong.”

The musical, according to press notes, “has gone back to the source – the novella of the original film by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace – in this world-first adaptation as a large-scale musical. Featuring a cast of 49 actors, singers, dancers, circus performers and puppeteers; a crew of 76; and arguably the most technologically advanced puppet in the world – a one-tonne, six-metre giant silverback – King Kong will be an epic and dazzlingly original theatrical experience.”

The character of King Kong, according to producers, will be “an imposing, stylised silverback of exaggerated proportions…a highly sophisticated animatronic/marionette hybrid that will be controlled by the integration of hydraulics, automation and the manual manipulation from a team of puppeteer/aerialists (The King’s Men) on stage, and off.”

King Kong: The Musical arrives at the Regent Theater in Melbourne on June 13, 2013. Excerpts courtesy Playbill.com.