Sweeney Todd, A Tale of Adaptation The Drama Dorks 2022-05-08 | Most of us have heard of Sweeney Todd the British demon barber of Fleet Street - but where did it all begin? What was the origins of a murderous barber who killed his clients and a baker whom hid the evidence concealed within their pastries? How did the story introduce and manage the characters of Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett? Sit back and enjoy this 1 hour observation of some of the most prominent sources which created the Sweeney Todd that we understand today. This narrative takes us from Rue de la Harpe through to Sondheim's iteration of the character. I add my own opinions to these sources, but I would love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment below if you feel you have something to add. All images and video's are used in conjunction with the "Fair Use Act". 00:00 Introduction01:24 1801/1816 Rue de la Harpe05:13 1756-1818 Cases of potential influence/trend 08:31 1823/1825 The Tell Tale: A Terrific Story of Rue de la Harpe13:44 1846/1852 The String of Pearls Saga26:53 1847 The String of Pearls: The Fiend of Fleet Street33:45 1850 The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A domestic romance.36:48 1936 The Demon Barber of Fleet Street39:45 1973 Christopher Bond's Sweeney Todd48:46 1979 Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street54:46 2007 Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street plus revivals57:00 Conclusion
The Unhinged Lizzie Borden Musical The Drama Dorks 2024-10-09 | "Lizzie Borden took an axe..."Before the musical Six ever took to the stage, the story of Lizzie Borden and her supposed crime was girlgroup-ified into its own musical. With a rock-heavy score and small fully female cast, it stands a unique historical musical. But did Lizzie do it, as the musical suggests? Or is the truth even stranger?
Legally Blonde: The Original Elle Woods The Drama Dorks 2024-07-07 | In 1993, Amanda Brown attended Stanford Law University. Not completely satisfied with her overall experience - she started to pen letters and notes to friends about it. The compilation of these notes, letters and ideas ended up forming the first version of 'Legally Blonde', which was unable to get published through conventional means. However, Hollywood agents picked it up and turned it into the 2001 Reese Witherspoon serving that most of us are familiar with. In this video, I take a dive into the origin of Elle Woods, who isn't quite like her contemporaries in a case of Woods vs Woods. What did you think of the original Elle? Were you surprised to see how much she'd changed? All images and videos used in conjunction with the Fair Use Act. Please consider subscribing for more content.
Did you know Toni Braxton in Beauty and the Beast... #disney #broadway #tonibraxton The Drama Dorks 2024-05-12 | Did you know A Change in Me from Beauty and the Beast was written specifically to get Toni Braxton in the show? After Deborah Gibson left the Broadway production, Toni was in talks to become the next Belle. She met up with Alan Menken and Tim Rice over dinner in New York to discuss further and with the wine pouring, Rice drunkenly promised her that they would write her a new solo, which she agreed to. The production team had completely forgotten this promise until she’d signed the contract and asked about how the new song was going. In a desperate rush, Rice went over the show and found a perfect spot for a solo. And thus, Belle’s Act 2 solo, A Change In Me, was born.
Did you know there was a Titanic Musical on Broadway? #titanic #broadway #musical #titanichistory The Drama Dorks 2024-04-07 | Did you know there was a Titanic Musical which premiered on Broadway in 1997? And that it ran for 2 years? Click on the video to find out more about this interesting piece of musical theatre history - tilting set and all.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kejIKpvH0&t=1423s
The Other Hadestown: Jasper in Deadland The Drama Dorks 2024-03-09 | The tale of Orpheus and Eurydice has been told many a time, with the currently most popular iteration of it arguably being the musical Hadestown. While this adaptation came to New York in 2016 and eventually Broadway in 2019, another retelling had its professional debut only 2 years prior. This was Jasper in Deadland, Ryan Scott Oliver's version of the story, with a modern yet mythological take on this.
Did you know Sweeney Todd was based on a French story? #musical #broadway #sweeneytodd The Drama Dorks 2024-02-10 | ...
Did you know The Prince of Egypt concert was cancelled due to lack of diversity #musical #theatre The Drama Dorks 2024-02-02 | Did you know, Dreamworks had to cancel a concert performance of The Prince of Egypt in 2016 due to a public backlash of its undiverse casting choices. The creative team's said choices included Casey Cott as Moses, Stark Sands as Ramesses, Marin Mazzie as Queen Tuya and Schuler Hensley as Pharoah Seti to name a few. This resulted in an outcry, a statement from director Scott Schwartz and an eventual cancellation of the project. The Prince of Egypt would go on to become a West End production in 2020 starring Luke Brady and Liam Tamne. Thankfully, the casting was far from the worst part of that production. Follow for more theatre knowledge.
Did you know 4 Rupauls Drag Race girls have been on Broadway? #dragrace #broadway #musicaltheatre The Drama Dorks 2024-01-20 | Besides these four, Bianca del Rio, Vinegar Strokes and River Medway (and Michelle Visage!) have all been in West End musicals, while various others have been in Pantos or in the drag comedy Death Drop. What other Ru girls would you like to see on a big stage?
The Prince of Egypt Musical was a hot mess The Drama Dorks 2024-01-19 | In Feb 2020, we watched one of the first previews for The Prince of Egypt Musical and we've wanted to do a video detailing just exactly what we saw ever since. With the release of the proshot - we can now illustrate our points in all of their sexy sand ensemble glory. The 2020 production of The Prince of Egypt directed by Scott Schwartz has an inability to make the audience relate the content to the 1998 animated tale created by Dreamworks Animation with strange and limiting choices that take what should be an epic to a secondary school production level. What did you think of the show? Comment down below and let us know your thoughts. Copyright: All images, video and music used in conjunction with the Fair Use Act. Subscribe for more theatre content! 00:00 - 03:00 - 1998 film03:00 - 05:50 - Ensemble05:50 - 12:22 - Character changes12:22 - 14:38 - New music14:38 - 19:03 - Direction19:03 - 21:15: Plagues and new ending
Did you know a cat destroyed the original score to Love Never Dies? #theatre #phantom #musical The Drama Dorks 2024-01-07 | Did you know that a cat deleted the entire score to Love Never Dies? In the summer of 2007 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, then titled ‘Phantom in Manhatten’ was delayed due to his 6 month old cat, Otto. Allegedly the cat climbed onto Lloyd Webber's digital piano and somehow destroyed the entire score ‘in one fell swoop’. Some speculate this was a fun rumour to increase delay for the highly anticipated show. Follow us for more theatre facts.
Did you know Judi Dench nearly originated Grizabella in Cats? #broadway #theatre #musical #westend The Drama Dorks 2024-01-03 | Judi Dench was meant to originate the role of Grizabella in Cats? Director Trevor Nunn stated she’d practically begged to be a part of the show: ‘Oh, oh, oh, I’d love to be a cat’. When told it’d be a big dancing show, she insisted she could at least be a ‘sleepy ginger cat’. This insistence is what landed her the dual-role of Grizabella and Jenyanydots. However, during rehearsals for the latter’s number, an unfortunate gliding step snapped Judi’s Achilles tendon just a few days before previews were set to begin. She wouldn’t be able to play Jenyanydots, but the opening was delayed so she could recover and go ahead as Grizabella. However, she then fell off the stage during a rehearsal and reluctantly left the production. The production team called in Elaine Paige to replace her, who’d become the original Grizabella. Judi would get to eventually be a part of Cats history for better or for worse by joining the movie version.
Did you know Effie was supposed to DIE halfway through Dreamgirls? #musical #theatre #broadway The Drama Dorks 2023-12-30 | The character of Effie from Dreamgirls was supposedly meant to DIE halfway through? Jennifer Holliday had participated in the second workshop but left due to feeling overworked as well as not enjoying the material at the time. A few more workshops passed by while she was away, including one where Effie was played by Jennifer Lewis and became a home nurse to a character played by Golden Girls’ Estelle Getty after leaving the Dreams. When Holliday eventually returned, Effie vanished after the first act and was only mentioned in the second. Holliday has directly stated she was supposed to have died with the end of the first act, but other sources including herself in different interviews, state she simply never comes back, having gotten into drugs, with Deena being the focus of the second act. This ending to her character left Holliday extremely unhappy, to the point of quiet quitting the show, culminating in director Michael Bennett firing her/her quitting. After further reflection on how no one could sing like she could, he came crawling back and promised to beef up her part. To quote Holliday: “Effie became a winner; not only in the music career, but more of a winner in life.”
Spring Awakening: A Deep Dive The Drama Dorks 2023-12-20 | Spring Awakening is a unique musical. Although other rock musicals with strong messages had been created before it, its focus on teenagers and their growing pains brought it to the forefront in the mid-00's. Credited for bring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele and several others to the mainstream, Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's musical has since been revived multiple times and is still quite relevant.List of themes: docs.google.com/document/d/1WXY4-0xakynuEUFdf7j1fUF3q99muDi_An36ilHThSI/edit?usp=sharing00:00 Intro01:20 History11:56 Plot14:43 Play/Musical23:15 Song Changes36:26 Post-Broadway
A Dive into the Titanic Musical The Drama Dorks 2023-04-07 | 1997 was certainly a good year for Titanic fans. Neither screen nor stage could keep away from discussing the Titanic's tragic maiden voyage. Most know the James Cameron screen adaptation well - it made box office history, which still holds water today. But, did you know there was a Broadway production that opened on the same year? Maury Yeston (Nine) and Peter Stone (1776) collaborated to tackle the herculean theme of Titanic - which naturally opens many commentary doors across a breadth of subjects. I decided to take a look at their piece from the history, the set, the characters and more. 00:00 Introduction04:37 Why did they build Titanic?08:52 Summary24:25 Post summary28:10 What you wore decided...37:30 The infallibility of technology44:48 Conclusion/CreditsTitanic Broadway Special: youtube.com/watch?v=mgDuPXYrZ3IAll images and videos used in conjunction with the 'Fair Use Act'.
Cancelled Movie Musicals The Drama Dorks 2023-03-26 | The 21th century has witnessed a resurgence of the movie musical genre. From heavy-hitters like West Side Story and Chicago to critical failures like Dear Evan Hansen, many successful musicals have made it to the big screen. But, for every one that does, we can find at least one other show that did not. Whether they were eventually adapted under different direction or never made it past the writing phase or are still stuck in production limbo, here are five cancelled movie musical adaptations.0:00 Intro1:05 Spielberg's Cats7:00 Little Shop of Horrors (Remake)12:05 Into The Woods (90's version)18:30 Follies24:14 Sunset Boulevard
Evita: Between Reality and Spectacle The Drama Dorks 2022-11-29 | Don't cry for me, Argentina... The truth is... a little blurry?Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical adaptation of Eva Perón's life story brought her to the Broadway stage and to the silver screen, standing as one of the best roles of Elaine Paige, Patti Lupone and Madonna. But, angling her story as a morality play about social resentment and vanity, do Andy and Tim stay true to the realities of her life? What does Argentina say about this musical? And, more importantly, what does this musical say about Eva?0:00 Introduction2:41 A Tale of Two Evas9:37 Evita in a Nutshell17:14 The Young Girl22:45 The Actress32:56 The First Lady41:32 The Savior47:45 The Martyr55:53 Conclusion
The Sanitisation of Grease The Drama Dorks 2021-09-26 | "Why this musical is automatic, it's systematic, it's highhhhly-sanitised. Why, it's Greased Lightning!"From 1971 through to today, Grease has become well-known as a staple musical for all ages, with it being a popular choice to be performed at high schools, being still one of the sing-a-long movie experiences, and even still being a popular costume choice for parties due to it's sheer iconicism. Everyone knows someone with a pink lady jacket.But, would it be as widely-published if it's original Chicago production was the production we knew today? Could we accept a meaner Sandy? The non-existence of famous numbers like 'You're the One that I Want'? Patty the cheerleader somehow being a main character? Well, let's take a look at Grease's history from a dark piece of Chicago's biographical teenage issues through to it becoming a suburban, wholesome and family-friendly piece of commercial theatre.
A Needlessly Deep Dive Into Disneys Princess Jasmines Songs The Drama Dorks 2021-08-03 | Princess Jasmine is known as one of Disney's most iconic princesses, from her costumes, to her fiesty personality, to even her songs... Yet, despite being such an iconic character, Jasmine never received a solo in Disney's first adaptation of Aladdin (1992), leaving her without a song that was iconically and wholly hers. Fortunately for her, nearly every adaptation/continuation of the story has featured some kind of musical signature just for her, from 'Call Me A Princess' all the way through to 'Speechless'. But, which of these songs works best for Jasmine? How come none of the others became as associated to her as 'A Whole New World' did? Why is no one else making the brave choice to talk about this super controversial and interesting topic? Tune in to find out!
The Twisted Accounts behind Gypsy: A Musical Fable The Drama Dorks 2021-02-15 | Gypsy: A Musical Fable... or is it? The 'fable' in the title came from a legal concession that was made to June Havoc during a heated battle with her sister, Gypsy Rose Lee, for taking artistic license in June's portrayal in the 1959 hit musical; which was an adaptation of Gypsy's highly dramatic and narrative-driven 1957 memoir. This video takes a look at the lives and career's of June Havoc, Gypsy Rose Lee and their mother, Rose Thompson Hovick. Was Rose the stage mother from hell who owned a lesbian boarding house in Manhatten? Was June a spoilt child star who was jealous of Gypsy's turn at success? And was Gypsy the shy, vulnerable sister who grew up to become a star? Or... is it all just one big fable?Resources: Carolyn Quinn's Wordpress articles: carolynquinn.wordpress.comCheck out Carolyn and Karen's books (I am not endorsed to advertise these products): Mama Rose's Turn: The True Story of America's Most Notorious Stage Mother (2013): Carolyn Quinn.American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare - The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee: (2010): Karen Abbott.Also, give take a look at the memoirs - they're definitely entertaining and a fun read if nothing else: Gypsy: A Memoir (1957). Early Havoc (1959)Article and footage linked in credits.00:00 Introduction03:10 Musical Summary10:45 The Memoir that Wreaked Havoc16:21 Rose Thompson Hovick29:01 June Havoc42:29 Gypsy Rose Lee52:00 Conclusion and Credits
How Close to the Truth is Six The Musical? (Part 2) The Drama Dorks 2021-01-12 | Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived. Six is a contemporary British musical that looks at the lives of the wives of Henry VIII, who are notorious for their ascent then usual descent from Queen-Consort to losing their heads about it, in more ways than one. But how close does "Six: The Musical" represent the lives of these women who rose the ranks of nobility to land in Henry's courtship? Can we ever truly get close to what their reality was? Did Anne Boleyn have an extra finger? Did Anne of Cleves have the face of a horse? Watch this Part 2 of 2 to find out more about the adultery, scandal and betrayal that faced each and every one of these women. In this video, we take a look at the written lives of these women and then compare it to how Six represents them in another entry to our: 'How close to the truth is...' series. If you enjoy our content please consider subscribing to our channel for more theatre, history and comedic content. We appreciate all of your support and are so grateful to the comments, likes and subscribes we have received so far. Thank you :D!B - Somber Ballads de Kevin MacLeod é licenciada de acordo com a licença Atribuição 4.0 da Creative Commons. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Artista: http://incompetech.com
How Close to the Truth is Six The Musical? (Part 1) The Drama Dorks 2020-11-28 | Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived. Six is a contemporary British musical that looks at the lives of the wives of Henry VIII, who are notorious for their ascent then usual descent from Queen-Consort to losing their heads about it, in more ways than one. But how close does "Six: The Musical" represent the lives of these women who rose the ranks of nobility to land in Henry's courtship? Can we ever truly get close to what their reality was? Did Anne Boleyn have an extra finger? Did Anne of Cleves have the face of a horse? Watch this Part 1 of 2 to find out more about the adultery, scandal and betrayal that faced each and every one of these women. In this video, we take a look at the written lives of these women and then compare it to how Six represents them in another entry to our: 'How close to the truth is...' series. If you enjoy our content please consider subscribing to our channel for more theatre, history and comedic content. We appreciate all of your support and are so grateful to the comments, likes and subscribes we have received so far. Thank you :D!
Legally Blonde: MTVs Search for Elle Woods The Drama Dorks 2020-09-18 | MTV decided in 2008 to search for “Legally Blonde: The Musical’s” new star after the original “Elle Woods” (Laura Bell Bundy) handed in her notice. The musical-theatre race is on, as the girls sing, dance and act their hearts out, all with a focus on embodying Elle Woods. Who, in all things considered represents positivity, perseverance, and fighting stereotypes, all whilst staying true to yourself… Well, MTV certainly didn’t get that memo; and in a plight to make engaging reality tv, they sacrificed the heart and soul of what Elle Woods represents into the machine. We take a look at the context, the show and how MTV did these girls wrong with a reality TV formula that didn’t quite match musical theatre. Music by: Bensound and Youtube Audio Library. Stock Footage by: Free Stock Vids, Cinematube, IT Tech Official. Exposure clip by: CamerallaWatch: The Reunion: youtube.com/watch?v=wXqIZhVxOeIWatch: “The Search for Elle Woods”: youtu.be/BfT9O-8oS2oRead “The Oral History of Legally Blonde: The Musical - The Search for Elle Woods”:playbill.com/article/the-oral-history-of-legally-blonde-the-musical-the-search-for-elle-woodsAll images and videos used in conjunction with the Fair Use Act.
A Chorus Line: The History Behind the Line The Drama Dorks 2020-08-31 | Introducing Luca (my partner) to the channel. He takes a look at the history behind the creation of the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line” (ACL), with amazing hits like I Hope I Get it, Music and the Mirror and What I Did For Love, particularly at the issues with Michael Bennett using dancers’ stories, including Kelly Bishop, Baayork Lee, Donna McKechnie, Wayne Cilento and Sammy Williams, and the supposed manipulation used to get these actors to be perfect for the show. From taped sessions in an exercise center to the Broadway stage at the Shubert Theater, Chorus Line has won all kinds of awards, including Tony, Olivier, and even the Pulitzer, but the original history of the show is not very well-known these days, so here’s an attempt to change that!Footage used from Shine On Media, TheaterMania, Kinolibrary, Cinematic Videos Library, Free Stock Vids, Stars In The House, TheaterTalk and AussieTheatre.Music from Bensound and MusicalPracticeTracks.
Diana Ross: How close to the truth is Dreamgirls? (Part 2) The Drama Dorks 2020-08-14 | Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Gordy Berry have all stated that Dreamgirls is similar yet different from their origin story, but what about the other half? I take a look at Act 2 of Dreamgirls and compare it to the success story of Diana Ross. I also take a look at the movie adaptation and question why they took steps towards maker it more succinct with the Supremes whilst also parading it around as a work of "fiction". All images and videos used in conjunction with the Fair Use act. Music by Bensound. Thank you to all of those who provided research.
Diana Ross: How close to the truth is Dreamgirls? (Part 1) The Drama Dorks 2020-08-10 | In this video, I take a look at the origins of the Supremes, and Act 1 of Dreamgirls the musical. I address some of their differences and similarities, and try to give a fair opinion on them both. Part 2 coming soon. All images and videos used in conjunction with the Fair Use act.Music by Bensound. Thank you to Peter Benjaminson for his interviews.
The Futility of Choice in: The Sound of Music & Cabaret The Drama Dorks 2020-07-30 | Cabaret and The Sound of Music both ask us to put ourselves in the shoes of semi-fictional characters in the world of 1930-1938 Nazi Germany, and the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria. When you have no choice to run away and start again, what would you do? All images and videos are used in conjunction with the Fair Use Act. Music by BenSound, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Ebb and Kander. Thank you to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, BBC and British Pathe for providing research.
