Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 01:35 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| In the midst of considering whom to cast as the King in his ''Elvis'' biopic, Baz Luhrmann says he got a surprise phone call from Denzel Washington. The Tony winner and two-time Oscar recipient was singing the praises of Austin Butler. Washington had starred in the 2018 Tony-nominated revival of Eugene O'Neill's ''The Iceman Cometh,'' and Butler had made his Broadway debut in it, as Don Parritt. Luhrmann says Washington told him: '‘I’ve just worked with this guy on stage. I’ve never seen a work ethic like it.’' On the heels of that recommendation, Luhrmann would cast the young man as Presley, and now the movie's just opened to raves and Oscar buzz for Butler's stunning star-is-born tour de force. Just out of curiosity, I searched ibdb.com to see if Presley ever played Broadway. And the answer is no. But in 1978, Rick Saucedo, a Presley tribute artist, did his show, ''Elvis: The Legend Lives!,'' and he played for over 100 performances at the Palace Theatre. Nearly four decades later, ''All Shook Up'' (2005), a joyous jukebox musical featuring the Elvis song catalog, played over 200 performances, also at the Palace. Cheyenne Jackson portrayed Chad, an Elvis-inspired, hip-swiveling hero, and received a Theatre World Award for his brilliant Broadway debut. Elsewhere, ''Smokey Joe's Cafe'' (1995), the Tony-nominated revue of Leiber and Stoller songs, featured ''Hound Dog.'' And ''Rock N' Roll: The First 5,000 Years'' (1982), a revue, included ''Hound Dog,'' as well as ''Heartbreak Hotel'' and ''Love Me Tender.'' ... Any other Elvis ties to Broadway? (P.S. Robert Wise reportedly wanted to cast Elvis as Tony in the 1961 movie of ''West Side Story.'' What a different ''Story'' that would've been!) |
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| Link | IndieWire.com: 'Elvis': How Denzel Washington Convinced Baz Luhrmann to Cast Austin Butler in 'Elvis' |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: wmgrad1976 05:34 pm EDT 06/27/22 | |
| In reply to: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| There are those Elvis impersonators in "Honeymoon in Vegas." | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: SidL 06:03 pm EDT 06/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - wmgrad1976 05:34 pm EDT 06/27/22 | |
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| The Elvis inspired pharaoh in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Song of the King |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: Delvino 09:43 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Saw Elvis this afternoon. Austin makes a helluva persuasive Presley, the first hour especially powerful before the biopic tropes and clichés overwhelm. I hope he comes back to the stage. | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: raydan 08:31 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Saw All Shook Up in Chicago in its pre Broadway form and while I was never a big EP fan, I absolutely loved the show, the cast, the Rockwell sets and music catalogue was very fun . Unfortunately, a little show called “Wicked” opened in the same season and the rest is history. | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 10:26 am EDT 06/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - raydan 08:31 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Wicked had nothing to do with All Shook Up failing. | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 11:56 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 11:43 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - raydan 08:31 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| I loved ''All Shook Up'' and saw it many times, due to its incredible cast and Joe DiPietro's wonderfully witty book, which reset Shakespeare's ''Twelfth Night'' in 1950s America. Plus, there was that cavalcade of Elvis songs, reimagined with a new spin. As arranged by Stephen Oremus, ''Can't Help Falling in Love'' became a stirring Act I closer as everyone sang their hearts out, and their voices crescendoed into one colossal choral number. As for ''Wicked,'' it opened Oct. 30, 2003, and ''All Shook Up'' debuted March 24, 2005. so they were in different seasons. (By coincidence, Oremus worked on the arrangements for ''Wicked,'' ''Avenue Q'' and ''All Shook Up.'') Anyway, ''All Shook Up'' opened in a competitive season that included ''Spamalot,'' ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,'' ''The Light in the Piazza,'' ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' and ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.'' I believe ''All Shook Up'' was jinxed and jeered by some because it was a jukebox musical. And it didn't help matters than an especially bad one, ''Good Vibrations,'' opened earlier that season and poisoned the well. I contend that ''All Shook Up'' was a fun, Tony-worthy musical deserving of a longer run than over 200 performances. Still, I'm happy to hear that it's enjoyed a healthy post-Broadway life at regional theaters and high schools. |
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| Link | 'Can't Help Falling in Love' from 'All Shook Up' cast album |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: KingSpeed 04:54 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Bye Bye Birdie was based on Elvis. | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: ms721 03:39 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - WaymanWong 01:14 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Million Dollar Quartet..... | |
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| re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 04:18 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Austin Butler: From Broadway's 'Iceman Cometh' to Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' - ms721 03:39 pm EDT 06/26/22 | |
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| Good one! Eddie Clendening played Elvis in the Tony-nominated ''Million Dollar Quartet'' (2010), and it looks like he still does Elvis tributes. | |
| Link | Eddie Clendening on 'Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel' in Concert |
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