Lyrics from the Chichester run of the Local Hero Musical

[dmg]

Personally I have a feeling any plans for a revival in the West End have been shelved and Chichester was a replacement rather than a supplement.  If they intended a run in London then why bother with Chichester at all?  From what I recall they had already made alterations to the show during its course in the Edinburgh run so they can do that at any time.  If they had wanted to "refine" the show before a London run it wouldn't have been given to new hands who didn't see the previous show and have now given everyone a new show, and one which was played in an intimate theatre.

[Jules]

Actually Daniel Evans explains in that pretalk video that after Old Vic cancellation the musical was death, and the producers were trying to give life to it again, and that's how it arrived to Evans, who is departing from Chichester to the Royal Shakespeare Company in London next April.

Chichester Festival is famous for transferring their musicals to the West End so it looks like a smart decision, at least better to leave it death.

[Jules]

I'm so glad that I saw the show in Edinburgh and if it does go to London I wouldn't even contemplate going if there is less than one hour's music - far too expensive with train fares, hotels and restaurants to be taken into consideration too! 

Actually, having listened to both shows I enjoyed the Edinburgh one more than Chichester - but, of course, I wasn't at the actual Chichester show and musicals are also a visual experience.    Chichester was chopped up too much for me and there were far too many reprises and too much talking.  Daniel Evans should have watched/listened to the Edinburgh show first imo.

I remember I wanted to answer this post in its day but I don't know why, I didn't! Today I just wake up with one of the new melodies on repeat on my brain, so revisited this thread to read the lyrics of the new first song and noticed...

I think you would had enjoyed this Chichester version because the start was great and put you in the mood because it's a brand new song with a great vibe, with even fire efects and all. It was so surprising and refreshing that it makes you enjoy it from the start and the actors were so good that all flows nicely despite the differences.

Also when you discover that two more songs are musically new made, like "Big Mac" and "Numbers", specially this last one which has a wonderful melody, and it's in the second half, compensate the missing songs in that second half. Actually, even with that extra music in Edinburgh, I remember the second part as weakest than the first, in Chichester that part had less songs and more acting and worked a bit better but despite there were short musical passages here and there, actually reprises of melodies and even sung parts, you really miss some of the numbers.

When it comes to London, which I hope it happens next year, I guess that would be closer to the Chichester version but I also guess (and hope) there would be changes as director Daniel Evans, which  I was sitting just beind him, was all the show taking notes, and I think the show I attended was more than a week from first representation. I guess he saw things to improve but that won't be time to do whith the musical already running.

Also London representations would be important as they would set what ends on the CD release of it and I personally don't want to miss it!

And what's more important, it looks like it might be the only chance to attend something MK related live, and also a great chance to see some of you again!

[dustyvalentino]

Hear hear!

[Robson]

I dream of a Local Hero album with new lyrics but sung by MK.

[Jules]

I dream of a Local Hero album with new lyrics but sung by MK.

That's very unlikely if you know the musical, half of the songs are sung by female actresses or varios actors or even the whole cast, but there are some songs that can be sung by MK for sure, some of them are my favorites, like "Houston we have a problem" or "What a life".

The reality is that would be released, that is typical with this kind of things, is a record sung by the cast from the London representations, and if we are lucky, they would record his voices over the music already recorded by MK and his musicians, that is enough for me. I don't care much about who sings as long as I can listen to MK and his band playing the songs. When you listen to what the musical band plays during the representations you can't help thinking how great that songs would sound played by MK...
 

[Robson]

Yes, there is certainly nothing missing when watching a musical. But if Local Hero Musical album comes out I have mixed feelings. Actors are not always good singers If I remember correctly, there are demo tapes with MK.

[Jules]

Yes, there is certainly nothing missing when watching a musical. But if Local Hero Musical album comes out I have mixed feelings. Actors are not always good singers If I remember correctly, there are demo tapes with MK.

Actors in a musical are excellent singers and their ability to sing is one of the reason they are casted!

There are demo tapes with MK playing with his band but we don't know if MK sings on them, as far as we know some singers were hired for that demos, like Capercaillie singer Karen Matheson. I guess MK could had sung on Ben's song and maybe one or two otters but I don't think he sung on many of the demos himself.

[Robson]

Very good question jbaent 

GF:

Nonetheless, they were demos. Yes, Mark did sing some.