Beauty out Mermaid in- Page 5

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:35pm

I am shocked. I loved this show, and I was planning on going back sometime in the future.

I guess though it was the most logical to close: Mary Poppins and Lion King are doing extremely well and Tarzan is still new and doing well.

I am still sad though. I know people are sick of Disney on Broadway, but I think this is a mistake.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:42pm

It's over, okay?

Disney will be selling off the tea set (Mrs. Potts and Chip), Lumiere and the the cutlery and furniture on E-bay after the final performance.

Let's move on.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:58pm

Mermaid needs a bigger house... but then again is it possible to have a (really) long running show in the Palace?

[brad3]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:39am

Yeah, BATB was at the Palace for a while, so was Aida.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:51am

"Like “Beauty,” “Tarzan” was savaged by critics"

Was it really? I was under the impression that BATB was received at least fairly well by the critics. Was is really SAVAGED by the critics the way Tarzan was?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:26am

Do we know how big Little Mermaid is going to be? Everyone says it needs a bigger house, but obviously not. Disney isn't dumb. They aren't rookies. They know what they're doing. Plus it's good to have two shows (Tarzan and LM) across the street from each other. And why wait around and cross your fingers hoping Legally tanks? Disney already announced it's out of town tryout, so why keep the show waiting in hopes of something failing when they can secure a theater that they're very comfortable in.

[dancinfan]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:52am

The Mermaid staff was observed measuring the Lunt and the theatre where Pirate Queen is going. Obviously, they can't control Pirate Queen, but they can control Beauty, so Beauty is closing. (Yes, they measured the Tarzan theatre, and it wasn't big enough.)

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 3:20am

They're closing BatB instead of Tarzan because they know how bad it will look if they close a very recently-opened show. They don't want to admit Tarzan isn't the overwhelming success that all their past shows have been and closing it this soon would prove that. They're Disney; if it was just about getting a bigger theatre for The Little Mermaid, they'd be able to get one, even with the packed season coming up.

WoOT, thats a relief. I am SO glad it didn't beat ACL, if it did I would have hurt someone
That was my first thought as well.

I can see Ashley Tisdale playing Ariel. She has Disney ties, a nice voice, and she's got that cute "likeability" thing goin' for her.
God, don't give them any ideas. That girl could barely handle singing the crap in High School Musical without serious digital alteration on her voice; no way could she handle Broadway calibur anything. And considering her absolutely horrendous rendition of Kiss The Girl, she can't even handle The Little Mermaid.

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 4:09am

i just read this like half an hour ago...

i only hope Mermaid kicks @ss. I plan on seeing it this summer in Denver.

And now I have to add Beauty to my list of shows to see in April...

[Princeton78]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:04am

"I'm sooooo glad this show is closing. I had a fear that it would eventually pass A Chorus Line. Seeing that it's closing makes me so happy. "

Don't worry doll, "The Lion King" will easily pass it in a few years.

As for "Mermaid," I'm surprised it didn't hold out for a bigger house, but really, at the moment, there isn't one poised to become available for quite some time. The Gershwin, Minskoff, Marquis, Winter Garden, New Amsterdam and Palace all seem booked and while i'm sure the Hilton will not be held up for long, it's just a monstrosity of a theatre and I wouldn't blame Disney for not wanting it.

I also have a feeling that "Mermaid" will be a smash of Lion King-esque proportions, and having it play in a large, but not huge theatre like the Lunt, will make tickets impossible to come by.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 7:29am

"Bob Goulet Out, Steve McQueen In..."

Exactly what I thought!

[jynni]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 11:58am

If Disney wasn't closing BATB to make way for TLM, I have a feeling that TLM would've killed it. They're the same type of "Princess" story, from the same time era and has the same target audience. It really does seem natural to replace one with the other.

And then maybe they'll finally get around to putting Aladdin on Broadway (if any of the Disney movies was meant for Broadway, it's that one).

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:33pm

I'm absolutely sad that BATB is closing after 13 years on Broadway. This show is special to me because it is the first and only show I have ever seen in New York. I saw it back in July 2001 when Sarah Litzsinger was in the show for the very first time and she was BRILLIANT!

I am however EXCITED for Little Mermaid to come out. I would have thought it would go to the Palace Theatre but I would imagine that both shows would be competing with one another. I wonder when casting will be told

Out of all Belles I know, my favourite is Susan Egan

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 12:41pm

Jynni, that's what I was thinking. Not necessarily that one would have killed the other, but they are very alike, came out only a couple years apart, same composers, etc. Everyone has a preference movie-wise (mine is totally LM) but you are right that I think based on the similarities...if I was a tourist or just someone who didn't go to every Broadway show like I do, and I saw the Little Mermaid, I have a feeling there'd be a better chance I'd go see Tarzan than Beauty and the Beast--just because it would feel a little more different.

Also...there are of course boom periods where Beauty goes up to percentage in the 90's, but even if Tarzan isn't doing quite as well as Lion King or Mary Poppins, it still tends to be doing better than Beauty most weeks. I think the non-success of Tarzan is a little exaggerated. Plus, Beauty had to close sometime--Tarzan is certainly doing well enough percentage-wise that it doesn't have an economical reason for closing.

Posted: 1/18/07 at 1:55pm

Noo.

Posted: 1/18/07 at 3:54pm

http://disney.go.com/theatre/beautyandthebeast/index.html

no announcement. They are in denial.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 1/18/07 at 3:57pm

I love BATB from just enjoying the movie, but from the video's I've seen it does look a bit old. And it will be inevitably be revived in 10-20 years. They should do a "farewell" tour as well.

Posted: 1/18/07 at 4:03pm

Agreed.

They should tape the show for ABC and put it out on DVD with the OBC and Closing cast!

Some Mermaid snippets from Variety:

"The creative team will include Stephen Mear (choreography), George Tsypin (sets), Tatiana Noginova (costumes) and Natasha Katz (lighting). No casting has been announced but the Broadway rumor mill has been buzzing about Sherie Rene Scott ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") in the villainess role of Ursula the Sea Witch.

Schumacher is reluctant to discuss how the show's underwater world will be conjured onstage, hinting only that low-tech creative solutions will be sought. "Francesca always says 'No water, no wire'," he explained. "There'll be a lot of choreography and a lot of music but they won't be swimming through the air on this one.

"We'll be doing over 5,000 performances by professional companies for kids this year but these are mostly to chum the waters for the licensing property," Schumacher said. "But you can bet if one of these professional productions turns out to be great, we'll think about moving it. I'm not looking at New York but every option is open for 'High School Musical' right now."

And Associated Press:

"Beauty and the Beast" currently stars Deborah Lew as Belle, the young woman who transforms a morose creature (portrayed by Steve Blanchard) with the power of her love. Among the actresses who have played Belle during its 13-year run are Susan Egan (the original), Toni Braxton, Deborah Gibson, Andrea McArdle, Christy Carlson Romano, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins).

No word yet if Disney will bring in some big names during the show's final six months, but Schumacher said, "There might be a few surprises before the end."

Hmm. Does anyone smell Steve Blanchard being replaced by Terrance Mann, or is it just me?

[ReNtHeAd04]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:17pm

Although I am very sad Beauty and the Beast is closing, not only because it is a great show, Belle is my favorite Disney princess and I am sadly infatuated with her, HOWEVER, I am excited The Little Mermaid is what is replacing it because that is my second fav. Disney movie. I still have some mixed feelings, but we'll see what happens..

Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:23pm

[Broadway Baby4]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:49pm

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!!HOW COULD THEY DO THAT????!!!!!!!

I will NEVER see Mermaid. Beauty FOREVER!!!!!!

Sorry if I offended anyone excited about Mermaid but Beauty was my first show EVER and I LOVE it soooooo much that I cannot.... *cries* sorry.

Updated On: 1/19/07 at 08:49 PM

[Julian2]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 8:59pm

First of all, please edit your post, long posts like that make every one else's posting a big pain in the ass.

Second of all, I can appriciate you attachment to B&tB, but don't hate The Little Mermaid for taking its theatre, you have to accept the ebb and flow of Broadway. 13 years, great run! Don't hate a show you could love because another one has run its course.

[Broadway Baby4]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 9:09pm

It's not just that, I NEVER really could say I love the little mermaid.

I grew up w/both movies in my home (going through two tapes of mermaid because my dog ate the first) but I never really like Ariel and her whole "I want him!" thing. It seems weird.

I like how Beauty is about a girl's life. It shows life is hard but you can try your hardest to make it better. Ariel just wanted legs.

I really wanted the Beauty DVD back when it came out so I pre-ordered it down in Disney World. I didn't ask for the Mermaid one when it came out.

My grandma got it for me anyway because I'm a singer and Ariel's a singer. I put it away and I DON'T watch it.

I watch Beauty and other musicals.

I even have that lame tape they sent out to everyone back when it opened and it still works. I also have the show on Ice recorded (the one w/Susan Egan and James Barbour)

It's just... Beauty was my first show and even since then I've wanted to play Belle.

I've also related to Belle better than Ariel. Belle is the bookworm that people think is weird and pretty (which people think about me) and I feel a connection with Belle.

Well for now, in the Words of Carolee Carmello's character from Parade, "I have nothing more to say to you."

[biggest CHENO fan]

Posted: 1/19/07 at 10:48pm

"I like how Beauty is about a girl's life. It shows life is hard but you can try your hardest to make it better. Ariel just wanted legs."

^ I totally agree, BroadwayBaby... Belle is so much more deep than Ariel.

[musicalangel12]

Posted: 1/20/07 at 1:39am

"Hmm. Does anyone smell Steve Blanchard being replaced by Terrance Mann, or is it just me?"

No, I thought of that too. I would love for that to happen, but for now I'll just be happy to see it again before it closes.