THE LION KING to tranfer to Minskoff in the Spring

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 9:44am

Up until now, it has been rumored...but we finally have some written proof. In Riedel's article about Disney's new endeavour, TARZAN (which has already generated $8 million in group sales...and could reach $20 million in individual ticket sales once they're released) he talks about Disney's recent sneak-preview of the show at the New Amsterdam.

He writes:
"'The Disney marketing machine is the best there is,' this agent says. 'Who else could produce Phil Collins for a group-sales presentation? They've got us eating out of their hands.'

Footnote: By this time next year, Disney should have four of Broadway's top musical houses all locked up: 'Tarzan' at the Richard Rodgers; 'Beauty and the Beast' at the Lunt-Fontanne; 'The Lion King' at the Minskoff (where it transfers from the New Amsterdam in the spring); and, moving into the New Amsterdam, 'Mary Poppins.'"

So, I guess it's true. Riedel is usually on the ball about these things.

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/53749.htm

Updated On: 9/21/05 at 09:44 AM

[CastAlbumFan]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 9:52am

By 2007, it could very well be five with MARY POPPINS' arrival.

It will be nice to see a hit musical in the Minskoff. That theatre has had precious feww money-makers in its 30+ year history.

Updated On: 9/21/05 at 09:52 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 9:59am

Good old Reidel. *choke*

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:01am

"it could very well be five with Mary Poppins arrival..." go back and re-read the first post... unless they're putting two productions of Mary Poppins up...

kc

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:06am

Lets just hope that it isnt a repeat of "Beauty's Been Decreased"... if ya know what I mean, cause BATB sure suffered some budgetary cuts and space limitations after it moved from the Palace...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:18am

Ha! I said this like a week ago and this one poster insisted that he "knew for a fact that THE LION KING isn't going anywhere any time soon." Oh, really?

[magruder]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:26am

The Lion King's production will not be downsized in the move.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:29am

Am I the only one bothered by all these Disney shows at the same time?
After all the kids at the Lion King last month, I'm not sure I could sit through anything Disney.........

Is there a day coming when ALL musicals will be Disney moves made into muscials? ARRGH

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:30am

i know what you mean. and now tarzan and mary poppins are coming... so that will be, what, 4 disney musicals at the same time...ugh

[magruder]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:34am

There will be 36 other Broadway theatres available or booked with non-Disney productions. I daresay you can find other choices if you are so bothered by the Disney musicals.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:04am

oh i'm not. really. i love beauty and the beast. (haven't yet seen the others)
but it just seems like a lot.
but i know what you mean. there's always other options.

[JohnnyJune]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:13am

I know... I love disney as much as the next person. They however could be damaging broadway and the creative spaces they use. People need to think about this. What happens if every disney show becomes a hit. Their shows seem to never F-ing close. Will they just start to eat alive every available house. There is already talks about a julie taymor Pinochio (spelling Ich) and a Little Mermaid (sorry I'm gagging). Why doesn't disney try building or redo-ing some old theatres. there are a few out there. Cheap b@stards. QUIT TAKING OVER DECENT THEATRE VENUES. I'd rather have shows open and close in the theatres their in. Someone needs to put their foot down.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:18am

I think this would be good. The Minksoff hasn't had a hit for as long as I can remember...maybe "Lion King"'s luck will rub off on it...

[magruder]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:21am

Uh, JohnnyJune, do you not realize that Disney DID re-do a theatre, the New Amsterdam, to the tune of $34 million? After years of other Broadway theatre owners fumbling around and failing to save that house?

[Craig]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:26am

I'll also add that if it weren't for Disney, a lot of shows might never have made into a broadway house. They did a lot of politicing which aided producers and theater owners once upon a time ago. You may not like them as a "corporate" entity - but they certainly aren't killing broadway in the slightest.

Did it bother people this much when Cam Mack had a bunch of shows running? What about Clear Channel?

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:28am

Clear Channel getting its nasty hands on anything bothers me far more than Disney.

[Craig]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:31am

SmartPenguin.

You're definitely entitled to your opinion. But it should be noted how much money they have thrown into the industry and how important that is. The money has to come from somewhere.

[DAME]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:38am

I can't remember.. does the Minsoff still have no aisles? I hope Disney puts some money into the theater and makes it have more warmth.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:46am

There will be 36 other Broadway theatres available or booked with non-Disney productions.

Yes, but at what point have there ever been 5 Sondheim musicals running at the same time on Broadway? There may be 36 other theaters, but 300 different shows trying to open on Broadway, and they don't have the priviledge of the same kind of financial backing as Disney and Clear Channel productions.

Disney was trying to buy out all this land in Virginia a few years ago to make a Disney America themepark. Residents objected there, but it looks like Disney has found a new location.

[leefowler]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 12:15pm

Cathywellerstein has been very vocal about all those mean people who have putting down that wonderful "Lennon" show who haven't seen it...And then after saying "ugh" at the idea of more Disney shows on Broadway, admits she hasn't actually seen any of them except Beauty And The Beast.

For those of you who think it makes you look smart and hip to over-praise unpopular shows and condemn popular ones...It doesn't work.

Updated On: 9/21/05 at 12:15 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 12:19pm

Its time to close BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Tired. Haggard show. Plus it's box office is mediocre/poor. If a great piece of art like MOVIN OUT has to close to make room for TARZAN, Disney should at least free up one theatre for something other then an animated movie on stage.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 12:21pm

...i'm sorry?
what do you want?
i'm very sorry i offended the disney shows. i know how you feel, and you're right, i was mad when people were putting down lennon. so i take it back.
i saw Aida too, 3 times. i loved it. i've been trying to see lion king...but it's just so hard with the tickets and everything. i haven't seen tarzan or mary poppins yet because they're not here yet!
so again, i apologize. disney musicals are very nice.

i don't try to look better by putting down the big msucails and praising the little unpopular ones. that just happens to be where my opinions usually lie. i was a huge fan of dracula, dance of the vampires, lennon and all shook up. i like the bigger shows like wicked and the disney shows...but not as much.

opinions.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 1:07pm

"Yes, but at what point have there ever been 5 Sondheim musicals running at the same time on Broadway?"

Sondheim is a composer...Disney is merely a producer. It's not as if Michael Eisner has composed the music and lyrics to all of the shows running. Each show has a different composer and book writer...making them COMPLETELY different from one another.

So your example fails to prove a point.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 1:19pm

"There will be 36 other Broadway theatres available or booked with non-Disney productions. I daresay you can find other choices if you are so bothered by the Disney musicals."

Don't you mean 35? Aren't there 39 "Broadway" theatres?

[magruder]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 1:28pm

Yeah, there are 39 right now while Henry Miller's Theatre is being rebuilt, but once it reopens, voila, 40.

Apart from the annual dip in September for tourist-friendly shows, Beauty still performs at the box office, with grosses regularly in the 500,000-700,000 range, and sometimes in excess of that. It's not doing mediocre/poor business at all.

Beauty Grosses - 2005

Updated On: 9/21/05 at 01:28 PM