The West End has a bunch of musicals playing that have transferred over from Broadway including Wicked, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Pajama Game, The Book Of Mormon, Jersey Boys and Memphis to name a few. I look at some productions that have played on Broadway that should come to the West End... Take a look and see if you agree! Have I missed any? Tweet me the ones you'd like to see come to London! @PocketSizeBoy
Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls made its broadway premiere in late 1981 and closed on August 11 1985, after 1,521 performances. Around the time it was on Broadway a film version was in the works with names such as Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Kelly Price in the mix to star. However it didn't actually happen until 2006 with Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Jennifer Hudson starring. The production has never actually made it over to London. You'd think with the success of the film that it would be a perfect time to produce it. I'd love for this show to come to London, I think it would do pretty well and with the right creative team it could be incredible!
Aida
Aida made its Broadway premiere in 2000, the show has music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice and was produced by Disney. The show closed after 1,852 performances and two national tours followed. The show has never been professionally performed in the UK, with the composers both originally from the UK its seems London would be a great place to bring the production to. The soundtrack is unbelievable and I am convinced the West End would be a perfect place for it.
The Addams Family
The show began previews on Broadway on March 8, 2010 and closed on December 31, 2011, after 35 previews and 722 performances. The show has music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The production was rumoured a while ago to be planning a West End premiere with the Palace Theatre being named as the chosen venue. This looks like it may have fallen through as we are still awaiting this production to be brought to London however I'm hopeful one day it still might make it!
Bonnie and Clyde
The show premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California, Opening night was November 22. The run concluded December 20, after 15 previews and 33 regular performances. The show then went to Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, beginning November 12, 2010 and running through December 19. After successful runs at these theatres it transferred to Broadway but only managed to play 36 performances before closing. It had its UK debut at drama school Arts Educational Schools earlier this year but hasn't made its professional debut just yet. The soundtrack of this show is fantastic and is one of the most played albums on my iPod, if someone doesn't put on this show, I might just do it myself.
Kinky Boots
The show made its premiere at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago where it opened on October 2, 2012, which continued until November 4, 2012. The Broadway debut started previews on March 3, 2013 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with the official opening on April 4, 2013. Kinky Boots won a season-high six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and it recouped its $13.5 million capitalisation in just 30 weeks of performances! The show is rumoured to come over to the West End in 2015 with Director and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell trying to secure a theatre. I can not wait to this show to come to town, the soundtrack is a real feel good album! The show couldn't come sooner.
Newsies
Newsies The Musical played at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey from September 25, 2011 through October 16. The musical opened on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre for a limited engagement starting in previews on March 15, 2012 and officially on March 29, 2012. Disney soon announced that Newsies would then be an open-ended musical. On May 31, 2013, it was reported that producers of the show were trying to find a home in London for Spring 2014, "possibly at the Piccadilly or the Savoy" but this hasn't happened as of yet and rumour has it the London production has been abandoned for now. The West End is crying out for some Disney musicals and I think Newsies would be great, I'm not sure if it'll do as well in London as it has done on Broadway but I'd love to see it play in the West End!
Elf the Musical
After a 2009 workshop, the musical officially opened for a limited holiday engagement at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway on November 14, 2010 and closed on January 2, 2011. Following the success of the 2010 production, the musical returned to the Al Hirschfeld for a second holiday season beginning November 9, 2012, on a run through January 6, 2013. The musical broke records at the Hirschfeld box office three times, grossing over a million dollars in one week, and being the third best-grossing show in the 2010 Thanksgiving weekend. The only Christmas musicals we seem to get over here is Scrooge and the recently announced White Chirstmas, it would be great if this could transfer over for the Christmas season and I genuinely think it would do really well in London!
Next to Normal
The musical began in 1998 as a 10-minute workshop sketch about a woman undergoing electroshock therapy, and its impact on her family, called Feeling Electric. The show was then turned into a full length musical and received its first reading in 2002. Next to Normal was first produced Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre from January 16 through March 16, 2008 and then began previews on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on March 27, 2009, with an opening night of April 15. The Broadway production closed on January 16, 2011 after 21 previews and 733 regular performances. Next to Normal has been rumoured to come to London in the past but nothing has ever come of it, The Donmar Warehouse has been said to hold the rights to the London premiere but I don't know how much truth is in this. I also hear there is a production of the show at Edinburgh Fringe this year so at least we have that to look forward to!
Cinderella
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella was a musical written for television, It was originally broadcast live on CBS on March 31, 1957 starring Julie Andrews. It was subsequently remade for television twice, in 1965 and 1997. The musical has also been adapted for the stage in a number of versions, including a London West End pantomime adaptation, a New York City Opera production and several touring productions. The show opened on Broadway on March 3, 2013 at The Broadway Theatre. I remember being in love with the 1997 television production, I had it on video and played it over and over again! I'd love to see this production in London however I'm not sure if it'll go down well as the British public might get this mixed up with a pantomime. But its a beautiful production and deserves a West End transfer.
Pippin
The show premiered at the Imperial Theater on October 23, 1972, and ran for 1,944 performances before closing on June 12, 1977. It was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. The production transferred to the West End and played at Her Majesty's Theatre, opening on October 30, 1973 and closing after 85 performances. It was later revived at the Menier Chocolate Factory in December 2011. The American Repertory Theater's recent production of Pippin transferred to Broadway in March 2013. The production began previews on March 23, 2013 at the Music Box Theatre, with an opening on April 25. Althought the London history of the show isn't so great the current Broadway production has received so much praise and it would be great to see it over here.
The Little Mermaid
After a pre-Broadway tryout in Denver, Colorado from July to September 2007, the musical began Broadway previews in November 2007 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, replacing Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The production officially opened on January 10, 2008 and closed on August 30, 2009 after 685 performances and 50 previews. Since it opened on Broadway theres always been rumours around that the show will make its West End premiere but its not happened yet, I'm not sure it actually ever will. However the Disney freak inside of me is dying for it to come over so hopefully one day!
Tarzan
Tarzan opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 10, 2006, and closed on July 8, 2007 after 486 performances. Subsequently, the show has been staged in several foreign countries and by regional theatres. The musical has been hugely popular across Europe but hasn't quite made it over to London. I hear they want to bring the production to the UK but are waiting for a particular theatre to become free but the show currently playing there doesn't look like its moving any time soon.
Anything Goes
The show originally opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on November 21, 1934, the show then came over to the West End's Palace Theatre. The musical opened on June 14, 1935 and ran for 261 performances. After a bunch of revivals in the West End and on Broadway a revival of the 1987 Broadway rewrite opened on April 7, 2011 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company. The show closed on July 8, 2012 after 521 regular performances and 32 previews. The show is being revived at the Sheffield Crucible later this year and I think its about time it made its return to the West End!
The Wild Party
Although The Wild Party (Andrew Lippa version) was never actually on Broadway its remembered as a classic and lives on as audition songs for drama students and pops up regularly in cabarets. the off-Broadway production opened on February 24, 2000 at the Manhattan Theatre Club and ran for 54 performances. To my knowledge its never received its professional london debut (correct me if I am wrong) and it deserves have a London run, maybe the Menier Chocolate Factory could do a production following its recent celebration of Andrew Lippa, Life of the Party.
9 to 5
The musical had a world premiere out-of-town engagement at the Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles beginning previews September 9, 2008. The official opening night took place on September 20, on a run through October 19. Previews began on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 7, 2009, with an official opening on April 30. A re-vamped version of the show began its first national tour in the UK at the Manchester Opera House from October 12, 2012. Even following the UK tour it failed to make it into the West End, I personally love the show. I'm a fan of the film and think the show is night full of fun! I'd love to see it return wether that be back on tour or in the West End.
Do you agree with my choices? Have I missed shows you'd like to see come into London? Tweet me! @PocketSizeBoy
