UP WEST - The gossip from What's on Stage

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No More Music for Mackintosh & McCutcheon???

28th March 2003 As time passes, it's becoming increasingly clear just how little love was lost backstage between Trevor Nunn's original Eliza Doolittle Martine McCutcheon and her My Fair Lady fellows. The soap star's Professor Higgins, Jonathan Pryce, made his feelings abundantly clear to TV viewers of last year's Oliviers ceremony, grimacing when McCutcheon stepped forward to accept the Best Actress in a Musical award despite having performed less often than her understudy. This week producer Cameron Mackintosh - who transferred My Fair Lady to the West End's Theatre Royal Drury Lane and had previously been reported to be wooing McCutcheon for the title role in his planned production of Mary Poppins (See The Goss, 24 Jun 2002) - has nixed any further ideas of a reunion. "I'll never hire her again," Mackintosh said before adding, with stunning understatement, "You can't always rely on her." Of course, it's a fairly moot point. The lady herself has also spoken out to dish the dirt on her musical experience, saying it was so awful that it had put her off ever returning to the theatre (See The Goss, 10 Feb 2003). She's concentrating on conquering Hollywood instead. Just as well then.

Mum's the Word on Insider Letters to ES???

28th March 2003 One Selina Emeny writing a letter to yesterday's Evening Standard echoed an earlier contribution in countering Nicholas de Jongh's recent harsh review of Mum's the Word at the West End's Albery Theatre. But disagreement isn't the only thing Ms Emeny shares with Tuesday's contributor, Andre Ptaszynski - neither is exactly non-partisan. Ptaszynski is managing director of Really Useful Theatres, owners of the Albery, a position he made clear in his letter. Emeny, however, isn't quite so straightforward though, with the newspaper's publication of her email address, she reveals herself, presumably unwittingly, to those in the know as an employee of Clear Channel, the show's producers.

Spielberg Takes Our House to Big Screen???

27th March 2003 It seems the Olivier judging panel aren't the only ones to have fallen in love with Our House, this year's Best New Musical winner, with an original story by Tim Firth fashioned around the songs of Madness. Today's Daily Star reports that Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, inspired by (what else?!) the enormous success of Chicago, wants to make the West End stage show into a big-budget movie musical. Spielberg says, "I am a massive fan of the band. I think the world needs more feel-good films." Although we love Our House, it seems a somewhat risky move for the market in the US, where, in the 1980s, Madness had a comparatively small cult following compared to their broad fan base in this country. Nevertheless, spurred on by Chicago's Oscars and many other awards, talk of myriad stage-to-screen musicals continues apace (See The Goss, 21 Jan 2003). Meanwhile, back at the Cambridge, we hear further word that having had so much fun on stage earlier this month, Madness lead singer Suggs may indeed be returning to play the part of Joe's Father for a longer stint.

Eyre Leads Can-do Creatives for Mary Poppins???

25th March 2003 The creative team behind the planned stage adaptation of classic movie musical Mary Poppins is looking ever more impressive (See The Goss, 22 Oct 2002). According to this week's Variety, Richard Eyre will direct, with George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Honk!, Peter Pan adding to the Sherman Brothers' score and Julian Fellowes (who won an Oscar for his Gosford Park screenplay) penning a new book. Eyre, of course, is a former artistic director of the National Theatre, where his musical forays included the multi award-winning revival of Guys and Dolls while more recently his screen and stage credits have included Iris and the Olivier Award-winning play Vincent in Brixton, now on Broadway. Mary Poppins will mark the first collaboration between impresario Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Productions. The production is expected to open in 2004, first in the West End before transferring to Broadway. There's been no confirmation of who will take on the parts made famous - or, some Cockneys may say, infamous - by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in the 1964 film, although a spokesperson told Variety that, contrary to earlier rumours, Kate Winslet is not in the frame for the title role.

Pacino Can't Resist a London Run for Arturo???

25th March 2003 Also reported in Variety is the possibility of a London season for the recent New York revival of Bertolt Brecht's 1958 political parody, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, starring Oscar winner Al Pacino in the title role. The National Actors Theater production, directed by Theatre de Complicite's Simon McBurney, was a sell-out last autumn off-Broadway, where it featured fellow Hollywood stars like Billy Crudup and Henry Goodman. Variety tips the gangster farce, which parodies Hitler's rise to power, for a run at the National's Lyttelton Theatre in 2004. Pacino was last seen in the West End in David Mamet's American Buffalo some two decades ago, although he's also recently been rumoured to possibly be heading back to London with the Actors Studio production of Salome, which opens on Broadway next month after its run last year in a Brooklyn warehouse (See The Goss, 31 Oct 2002).

Cirque & Cameron Converge on Leicester Square???

24th March 2003 Might award-winning Canadian theatrical circus company, Cirque du Soleil, find a new London home in Leicester Square? Westminster Council is reportedly drawing up plans to make the square the "jewel in the crown" of British entertainment and, as such, have approached big name theatre bodies - including Cirque and theatre owner and impresario Cameron Mackintosh - about getting involved in the area's reconstruction. Leicester Square already houses numerous cinemas and is the setting for most of the country's major film premieres but, despite its location in the heart of theatreland and the presence of the Society of London Theatres' TKTS booth, there are no theatres on the main square. Like much of the West End, the square is also seen by many as dirty, down-at-heel and unsafe. Some of the regeneration possibilities mooted to upgrade its environs include changing the layout of the central garden, expanding al fresco dining, opening a casino/hotel and an open-air theatre as well as creating a London base for Cirque du Soleil. The circus troupe visit London annually, often performing at the Royal Albert Hall, and they previously had plans to build a permanent home in the capital on the site of the derelict Battersea Power Station, where they've previously played to capacity crowds in their "Grand Chapiteau" big top. The Battersea plans were abandoned in December 2001.

Nunn Fears Anything Goes Nowhere for Now???

23rd March 2003 Trevor Nunn shared the latest on a possible West End transfer for his swansong National Theatre musical, Cole Porter's Anything Goes, which finished its sell-out, Olivier Award-winning NT run this past Saturday. Speaking at a farewell Platform last Friday, on the Olivier stage in front of the musical's oceanliner backdrop, Nunn sounded a note of disappointment. Although some five managements have approached the National to take the show into the commercial realm, Nunn's response has been, "'You're welcome to do so if you can find a building to do it in', but of course, they can't" and, says Nunn, he won't allow anyone to "shrink" the size of the production. All of the largest West End houses continue to host musical hits of their own, not least Nunn's previous National award-winner, My Fair Lady at Drury Lane and, at the Palace, another product of Nunn and one of the ultimate long-runners, Les Miserables. Nevertheless, of the Porter revival, Nunn believes that "hope springs eternal because you don't strike the chord this emphatically that often". He later singled out Anything Goes as his favourite musical from his National years - which end this month when he hands the reins of artistic director over the Nicholas Hytner - and joked that "maybe I should take it with me so there's a chance of reviving it". At the end of the 45-minute presentation, the outgoing NT chief received a standing ovation.

Simply Heavenly Rewrites West End History???

20th March 2003 Though it's just opened, Josette Bushell-Mingo's production of Langston Hughes' Simply Heavenly is creating a major feelgood buzz. The Young Vic has already had to extend the musical comedy's limited run to meet demand for tickets (See {Today's News), and a theatre spokesperson has told Whatsonstage.com that, venue availability permitting, chances of a West End transfer "are very high". The company - which includes musical all-stars Clive Rowe, Ruby Turner and Nicola Hughes as well as superb leading man Rhashan Stone - are apparently ready, willing, able and - as far as we're concerned - totally deserving. What a turnaround such a transfer would make, too. Though all but forgotten, the 1957 Broadway musical had its European premiere at the West End's Adelphi Theatre in 1958, but closed ignominiously after less than 20 performances.

Hills Alive Again with Sound of Music???

20th March 2003 Back in September 2002, Andrew Lloyd Webber publicly announced his plans to mount a new production of classic musical The Sound of Music, opening at the West End's Victoria Palace this May (See News, 25 Sep 2003). But at the start of 2003, those plans seemed to be quietly postponed and then shelved. Apparently, after doing the maths on the 1500-seat theatre, co-producers at ClearChannel reckoned the production simply couldn't make enough at the box office. The latest rumour sees the Rodgers and Hammerstein revival resurrected at the much larger, 2200-seat Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with Laura Michelle Kelly playing nun-turned-nanny Maria, the part made famous by Julie Andrews in the 1968 film and initially touted in the revival for Maria Friedman. By October, Kelly should be filling pretty at home at Drury Lane, where she's just taken over as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Of course, it may all come to nought. The Theatre Royal is in demand from various parties, not least its owner Cameron Mackintosh, who produces My Fair Lady and may fight to keep it installed until his own planned mounting of Mary Poppins is ready to move in.

Elton Directs Rod's Night to Victoria???

20th March 2003 Meanwhile, seemingly undeterred by the limitations of the Victoria Palace is the latest compilation musical, Tonight's the Night, based on the back catalogue of seasoned rocker Rod Stewart (See The Goss, 20 Sep 2002). The show has a Faust-inspired book by the manically busy comedian-turned novelist-turned playwright-turned musical writer Ben Elton who, this time round, intends to add directing to his bow as well. When not immersed in refrains of Stewart hits like "Maggie May", "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy", "Hot Legs" and the title song, Elton is likely to be found replaying Queen's greatest hits as inspiration for his sequel to We Will Rock You. Previously expected at the New London early this year, Tonight's the Night is now looking at an autumn opening at the Victoria Palace, where Grease is currently booking to September 2003.

How Many XXX's Should Be Allowed???

19th March 2003 Is it time to bring back the censors? Two upcoming London productions are whipping up controversy enough to convince some doubters. At west London's Riverside Studios, a production titled XXX, by Spanish troupe La Fura Dels Baus, has apparently attracted the concern of the vice squad for its depiction of not just group sex but also audience participation. Also from Spain (a coincidence?), director Calixto Bieito has been generating headlines for his excessively gory Catalan version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, which include scenes of oral sex and necrophilia and runs for three nights from 8 April 2003 at the Barbican Pit.

This page is re-produced with the kind permission of the website whatsonstage.com
References to "The Goss" in the text refer to the gossip pages of Whats on Stage.
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