More on Potter the Stage Production that Might have Been
Books
Posted by: sue
January 26, 2009, 12:00 PM
The Telegraph has a short article online, with more on a possible Harry Potter stage production that might have been. The paper reports that many years ago, acclaimed theater director and producer Sir Trevor Nunn had expressed an interest in creating a stage production out of the Harry Potter novels, but when he asked, he discovered he was too late as he was told 'Oh if only you had
come to us a few weeks ago. We have just sold the movie rights'," he
harrumphs. "It will be a long time now before anyone is allowed to
stage Harry Potter."
Reflecting now on the possibility of staging such a production, Trevor Nunn continues "The movies are so spectacular – it's a bit like The Lord of the
Rings," he says. "Unless you go in the opposite direction and
don't go for spectacle, there's no way you can compete."
40 Comments
Ravenclaw:
I’m a fellow Ravenclaw and I’m a HUGE Avatar fan! “Ember Island Players” was hilarious! I could picture them portraying Hermione like they did Katara in that episode. (“We must never relinquish hope, even to our dying breath! cries hysterically”)
I think, were a Harry Potter play or musical to come along, it should be handled with great care. It shouldn’t be made cheesy or campy. The songs should feel natural and not forced. It might have to be adapted like Wicked was in order to translate better to the stage. But that’s not always a bad thing. Just look at how awesome Wicked is!
a play maybe, but a musical would just be kinda odd. the cast in the films is so good, i don’t think i could stand to see anyone but dan play harry or anyone but rupert and emma play ron and hermione. but it would be so cute with little kids!! maybe we could try for another dumbledore this time?… tee-hee just kidding. but really. gambon is annoying.
Seriously… the fake Obama stuff is getting old. It’s not funny! Even Obama knows how to use correct grammar. Such as AN opinion, not A opinion. Please come back again when you have graduated elementary school or you are done fixing the country! Thanks!
Anyways, from what I know about Sir Trevor Nunn, I think that he could really put together a fine production!
Barack Obama-did u watch the jo bros with your daughters?lol. they r hot. take that bill. i am having a secret affair with nick jonas. see u in my cool ultra-cool secertary of state office, barack!! and i’ll text u in 5 from my better-than-yours-Blackberry.
Oh for heavens sake grow up. If you want to fake don’t be such an idiot about it.
Not a musical but a play might work, though, it would seem HP are after more money.
I think they could do it. I mean they did things like beauty and the beast. It worked okay but it wasn’t great or anything. I do think it would be hard to do all seven books in one play or musical though. They would just have to pick a certain part of the story.
Think about wicked too. It isn’t at all like the book and it is an amazing musical.
All of our political impersonators may want to read the Leaky Comments Terms of Use, which says in part:
Do not impersonate the reporters or editors of TLC, or any other person, including but not limited to J.K. Rowling, or post any comment designed to to interfere with or disrupt the any part of TLC.
Musicals don’t have to be campy. Could the first book be made into a musical? Maybe. It could certainly be staged into a straight play if you went about it the right way. All seven books at once would be impossible and a mess, though.
Well, if you were to do all 7 books in one show, there would simply have to be no subplots of any kind. It would be one through line, I think, all about the rise of Voldemort and then the fight to bring him down. I’d imagine books 1-4 would be the first act, and you’d cut out a lot of stuff that makes each book unique, and just detail the various episodes of Voldemort.
Or actually, it occurs to me that it might work best to have the plot just be Deathly Hallows, and then incorporate flashbacks to the important events of books 1-6, showing him progressing in school and the various important things he learned to prepare for the final battle. Then it would actually be almost like Equus, where the important scenes from the past are all stories told by Alan, and instead would be things mentioned by Harry about his progress from first learning he was a wizard.
You know, I am thinking about this way to much. I’m gonna stop now.
I think that any of the Harry Potter books would be very difficult to stage without the movies’ ability to create special effects. And please, no musical!
It would be nice to think that President Obama is a Harry Potter fan, but it’s unlikely that he would find the time to browse through Leaky.
Incidentally, I saw Equus, and it’s fantastic! The entire audience was on its feet applauding at the curtain call. Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths should be at least nominated for Tonys. It was theatre at its best.
@ Barack Obama- I would hope that our nations 44th president, at this time, has more important things to do then comment on Leaky. Not that Leaky’s not awesome, but fixing our economy would be nice, to.
The books were untouchable, the movies are a great addition. A play? No thanks. It would be too hard to create a play that a true Potter Fan would enjoy. Think of how much they would have to cut out! A singing Voldemort? No.
Ohhh, a play would have been so good! It would have been nice to have it before a movie series. But what’s done is done, I suppose.
hi guys it’s kay, i was the one who posted about the Hillary Clinton thing, and it was totally a joke. i didn’t mean to offend anyone, or break any leaky terms of use, or impersonate anyone, it was just in fun. i’m really sorry if it bothered anyone. thanks!
Hey, imagine Snape singing…
He might sound like Scar from ‘The Lion King’ :p
I prefer no stage stuff…
Guys, here’s a compromise: Warner Bros makes a MUSICAL movie of TBB (specifically, the disastrous Fountain of Fair Fortune Production). Then everyone will be happy.
Ravenclaw:
I’m a fellow Ravenclaw and I’m a HUGE Avatar fan! “Ember Island Players” was hilarious! I could picture them portraying Hermione like they did Katara in that episode. (“We must never relinquish hope, even to our dying breath! cries hysterically”)
I think, were a Harry Potter play or musical to come along, it should be handled with great care. It shouldn’t be made cheesy or campy. The songs should feel natural and not forced. It might have to be adapted like Wicked was in order to translate better to the stage. But that’s not always a bad thing. Just look at how awesome Wicked is!