Thalidomide: the Musical

Status: Real
image I've been compiling a list of odd (but real) musicals. So far I have: To this short list I can now add Thalidomide: the Musical. It's described as "A PC-free musical with a short-armed punch. Set against the 60s thalidomide drug scandal this is a love story with show tunes, love songs and monster baby Tangos." It features songs such as It's Hard To Hitch Down Life's Highway With No Thumbs and Talk To The Flipper. It was written by and stars Mat Fraser, who is himself a victim of Thalidomide. An article about the production states that:

While Thalidomide groups have generally backed the new show, they admit that some members have been offended by Mat's work in the past. Dr Martin Johnson, director of the Thalidomide Trust, said: "We think it's great someone as badly disabled as Mat is making a great career in this industry. Many of the people we support wholeheartedly approve of him because his aim has always been to challenge society's attitudes towards the disabled."

Entertainment

Posted on Thu Nov 17, 2005



Comments

There was one musical they were hammering away at on the radio sometime last year,
Menopause the musical
Posted by Sharruma  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  12:05 AM
Thalidomide, the musical, eh? I can't wait to see the chorus line. Kick 'em if you got 'em.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  02:08 AM
Ha! I knew Mat Fraser would be involved. He's great.
Posted by Boo  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  04:59 AM
Alex, I think you should add "Cannibal! The Musical" to your list...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115819/

Well worth finding and buying. One of the best musicals ever!
Posted by BugbearSloth  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  12:04 PM
Don't forget the numerous productions of AIDS! The Musical. Unfortunately, they never seem to have gone mainstream.
Posted by Charybdis  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  12:07 PM
Do check out Mat Fraser's website, especially his FAQ.

http://www.matfraser.com
Posted by Don  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  12:35 PM
Do you have "Star Wars: The Musical?"

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2005/11/06/my_fair_leia_mit_troupe_turns_epic_into_a_musical/
Posted by cvirtue  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  01:01 PM
There was one musical they were hammering away at on the radio sometime last year,
Menopause the musical
Posted by Sharruma


Dammit, Shar! I was SO going to post that! 😉

Here's the website, for anyone who'se interested:

http://www.menopausethemusical.com/main.php?page=about
Posted by Snowy  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  03:56 PM
It's 'armless fun
Posted by Peter  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  05:08 PM
the home page of jerry springer the opera can be found here:
http://www.jerryspringertheopera.com/jerry_opera.html

also equally bizare but apparently a huge hit is Bat Boy The Musical:
http://www.batboy.co.uk/
Posted by sAx  on  Fri Nov 18, 2005  at  06:00 PM
I hadn't heard of that opera, but the Jerry Springer show is probably one of the most operatic TV shows ever, so why not adapt it into a real opera? What I want to know is, do they sing it in Italian?
Posted by Big Gary in Muleshoe, Texas  on  Sat Nov 19, 2005  at  01:51 PM
Nothing funny about this at all.
Posted by booch  on  Sun Nov 20, 2005  at  11:22 AM
Hey, every one forgot about Carrie the musical! it was broadway's biggest flop, and last summer's Scarrie the musical.

I didn't see either but i really wanted to, i love that movie. Carrie...that is.
Posted by The_Bleating_Dead  on  Mon Nov 21, 2005  at  04:49 AM
Alex-

In the post-"Urinetown" era, musicals with rediculous premises and bizarre names have become habitually commonplace, especially in the various "Fringe Festivals" held around the world. Some recent debuts: "Anal Sex- The Musical", "Jonestown- The Musical", and (now playing off-Broadway), "Infertility- The Musical That's Hard To Conceive."

So have fun compiling your list- but keep in mind that it may very well turn out to be a bottomless pit...
Posted by Andy  on  Tue Nov 22, 2005  at  11:54 AM
My cousin in New York just told me that the musical version of "The Color Purple" will make its Broadway premier very soon. Oprah Winfrey is the producer.
Posted by JAK  on  Sun Nov 27, 2005  at  07:44 AM
Would you believe "Watergate the musical?" I saw it in Atlanta GA in the early eighties. Starring James Garner as Nixon, no less. For proof, I still have a program or two.
Posted by John D.  on  Sun Nov 19, 2006  at  10:13 AM
Oops! Correction
Nixon was played by Gene Barry. Ed Herlihy appeared as Senator Sam. Play ran Jul 7 to Aug 1, 1982 in a "pre-Broadway world premiere" in Atl. (Did it make it to Broadway?}!!
Posted by John D.  on  Sun Nov 19, 2006  at  10:18 AM
How about Sweeney Todd?
Posted by Lina  on  Thu Dec 21, 2006  at  02:57 PM
I nominate "Silence! The Musical", as in Silence of the Lambs. "I wanna find a woman who will fit me to a 'T'... a woman who'll look good on me!"
Posted by Reilly  on  Thu Jul 10, 2008  at  01:29 AM
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