Saturday, February 02, 2008

Frankly My Dear, I Care A Great Deal

Talking with an actress yesterday, as you do, I discovered the identity of the actor who's going to play Rhett Butler in Trevor Nunn's forthcoming stage musical production of Gone With The Wind.

It is none other than Pop Idol failure, Darius Danesh.

Real actors, actors who have trod the boards and put the hours of pain in, are really pissed off with this. And so they should be. Apparently Hugh Jackman, a genuinely talented hard-working musical actor, was originally up for the part but something happened and Darius snuck in there.

There is a crisis in musical theatre. Do we, as a nation, allow these reality show johnny-come-latelys into an artform we've held dear for generations? Trevor Nunn is pissing on the legacy of Michael Crawford.

And I, for one, am not going to stand for it.

I refuse to buy any more tickets for musicals until this abomination is stopped dead in its tracks.

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:20 PM

    I also read they wanted Jackman - he's filming "Wolverine" right now so that may be one of the reasons. Perhaps if this ever transfers to Broadway he can do it.

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  2. Will Christopher Biggins be playing Scarlet O'Hara?

    I look forward to the posters: "Starring Darius from Pop Idol!"

    Classy.

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  3. Anon - I suppose whether it gets to Broadway will depend on how good the score is. I see it's written by a Margaret Martin. Is she the new Andrew Lloyd-Webber? I do hope so.

    Cal - Ha! Will Rhyddian with his blond bonce be playing Ashley Wilkes? That would be a real gas.

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  4. I'd just like to say that I have no interest at all in musical theatre. Or Judy Garland.

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  5. I've seen live musicals about half a dozen times in my lifetime and I can categorically say that only a live concert featuring Sting, Annie Lennox and Chris De Burgh could top them.

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  6. Getting really drunk, then going to see an AmDram musical and trying not to disgrace yourself.
    Or getting really drunk and being in an AmDram musical and trying not to disgrace yourself. Both are good.

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  7. Will you also be boycotting pantomimes?

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  8. I think Jackman may have had a lucky escape. It sounds toe-curling.

    Will there be a chorus line of amusingly big-eyed slaves singing about how Atlanta done gone put isself on fire?

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  9. Anonymous8:11 AM

    I wonder what people would have posted on blogs if they'd existed when Michael Crawford was first announced as the Phantom of The Opera. Much the same probably as the knee jerk reaction every time Darius Danesh gets a lead role.

    You'd think Trevor Nunn had handed Darius the role on the strength of his name, instead of putting him through the same auditions and recalls as all the other hopefuls who coveted the role of Rhett Butler.

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  10. Mel, the post is A SPOOF. Still, I wouldn't expect a Darius fan to have a sense of humour ...

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  11. Arabella - That sounds more like it. Better than seeing Gary Wilmot play a cockernee stone cold sober, anyway.

    MJ - I've boycotted pantos since the age of 4. That's where Darius should be, though.

    Tim - I'd like to see it with black main characters and white servants.

    Mel - As far as I know most bloggers couldn't give a shit about modern musical theatre. It's a minority interest for people with no musical taste. Some of the old Hollywood musicals, though...Singin' In The Rain, Astaire and Garland movies...now you're talking. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a cancer.

    Betty - It's the Richard Fleeshman thing all over again.

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  12. On the contrary Geoff - I think you should be encouraging everyone to see as many musicals as possible so that Bill Kenwright will make even more money to give to his wonderful football team.

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  13. Everton ought to re-sign Michael Ball from Man City. Then the fans could chant his name and give free publicity to a musical great.

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  14. Anonymous9:31 AM

    I saw Dairus playing Billy Flynn, and he went on to play Sky masterton, he was great at acting , great at dancing, and great singing and a great stage presence to boot.
    it is a shame people seem to carry these prejudices with them on just hearing a name, I am looking forward to the musical, if Darius was good enough for Trevor Nunn(who said he carried out 3 months of the most intense auditions he had ever held) then I have no worries about Darius geting the role.

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  15. Anonymous10:11 AM

    www.gwtwmusical.com I think is the url of the offical site, and it now has videos of Trevor nunn et all discussing casting - Darius evidently is the perfect Rhett. snippets of the music wil be added soon - anyone who has seen Darius on stage will know he has the charisma, stage presence an dability to play Rhett - in the book the description of Rhett IS Darius,

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