ONLINE LECTURE
The Making of a Monster: an Anatomy of Musical Flops

The image of young Cosette, based on the original 1862 illustration by Émile Bayard, is now identified with Les Misérables globally, while Carrie is described as the “forever cursed as the bedrock of bad Broadway shows”. This discussion will look at the development of each musical and the reaction to each show and aims to identify the key factors that contribute to the success of a musical and highlight those that may impact negatively.

Even when blessed with a timely topic, willing investors, a team of top creatives and popular appeal, a musical tipped to be a hit can flounder.  Others, with the odds seemingly stacked against them, nonetheless thrive.  Why do some musicals flourish whilst others fail to. captivate an audience?  Christopher Howell explores this vexed question, and takes a candid look behind the scenes of Carrie, Les Misérables and other musicals.

Speaker:

Christopher has worked successfully as an actor and director for 30 years having appeared in 19 West End shows and has toured nationally, internationally and played in many of the leading regional venues. He is currently researching for a book to be published by the Wordville Press based on notorious British musicals.