Ghost gossip: Musical first to Manchester with leading lady Laura Michelle Kelly?
Daily Mail’s reporter Baz Bamigboyle wrote in his showbiz gossip blog this weekend about a possible change of location for the musical “Ghost” to Manchester first, before coming to the West End in London. Also the leading lady (playing the role Demi Moore had in the Patrick Swayze movie that the musical is based on) is said to be found with Laura Michelle Kelly (currently playing “Mary Poppins” on Broadway). “Ghost – The Musical” is the second musical with music and lyrics by Dave Stewart after the space movie adaption “Barbarella”.
Read the Daily Mail’s post here:
“Creative brains behind the stage musical of the movie Ghost are moulding away at the project and are in talks about opening the show ‘outta town’ in Manchester in the spring, then transferring to the West end around early summer. There have been meetings this week and there are more next week, though nothing has been decided yet. The main topics are about where the show’s going to go. Well, I can tell you what I’m hearing. The producers want it to open at the opera House in Manchester for a longish run.
I’ve heard ten weeks, but I don’t know if that period involves rehearsals, technical rehearsals or a clear ten-week engagement at the Opera House. As I say, the talks are nowhere near complete. A major reason for playing ‘outta town’ is for director Matthew Warchus and designer Rob Howell to sort out any problems with the set, magical illusions, score, book, cast and so on.
But, with Ghost, the real work of getting the show absolutely right will be done in front of a big West End audience. The rumour is that Ghost will arrive in London at the Piccadilly Theatre, one of a number of West End venues under discussion.
Ghost, by the way, is based on the film of the same name which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. He’s mugged and dies, she plays with clay. Whoopie Goldberg won an Oscar playing a streetwise medium. Bruce Joel Rubin, who won the Oscar for writing the picture, has also penned the book and lyrics. Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard collaborated on the score and lyrics.
It’s going to be a big love story. Stewart told me a while back about the show’s message. ‘I think you’ve really got to tell people you love them and you’ve got to live life to the full,’ he said. ‘That’s what this show is about.’ I gather more definitive knowledge about the theatres will trickle out in the coming weeks.
Once that’s sorted, work can begin on casting. Laura Michelle Kelly is due to play the Demi Moore role but is in limbo till the theatres are signed up. Then work can begin on an album, but it will feature only those who will be in the show. Some of you may have heard rumours that Ghost would be going to the Palace Theatre. Well, I gather it’s not. In fact, a musical version of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca is likely to end up there.”
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