Brooks Confirms 'Frankenstein' for Hilton, Casting — Page 3

First of all, Pirate Queen has a contract with the theatre they're renting. They're not being "evicted" on a whim. They obviously can't pay the rent.

It was made clear enough to the owners by the producers of "Pirate Queen" that their theatre would be available in the fall. So they've found a new tenant with Mr. Brooks. And Mel didn't announce it himself, he only confirmed what had already been discussed.

I would look to the producers of Pirate Queen for any awkward moment you're having with this. They're the ones who haven't handled the uncomfortable fact that a "For Rent" sign went up in their front yard, and somebody signed on. It's their responsibility.

And they're certainly going to have to deal with it now. Instead of figuring out a semi-graceful way to break it to their cast and the public. Now, they're just left with "damage control."

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"It's all just simple economics, hmmmmm?"

The grosses for PQ have been going down, down, down (64% last week, not as horrible as Coram Boy but still...), and they probably slid below the floor level the show's contract called for and the theatre owners exercised their option to ask them to leave and made the incredibly wise business decision to grab Mel Brook's next hit show.

As for his not mentioning "Pirate Queen" the producers of PQ are just lucky this is 2007.

Imagine if this was 1967. Imagine what David Merrick would have done to get them out of that theatre.

Not mentioning them was actually, by Broadway standards, pretty classy.

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Like most of us I don't know what's really going on here. Brooks has most certainly not confirmed anything regarding the Hilton yet. His wording couldn't have been more vague. For the past few months Pirate Queen has had receipts that while not spectacular would most likely not be grounds for eviction. Last week, after the Tony nomination snub they had a significant drop. We still don't know what the summer season will bring. PQ is doing the Today show next week, and I doubt they're planning on using that appearance to announce their impending closing.

We do know that the St. James will be confirming the Grinch soon.

Could it be that Brooks is just doing these sorts of interviews to try to reassure nervous investors that he hasn't completely screwed them over by failing to a secure a theater for the show they are investing in?

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"It doesn't hurt to think about the actors that are in PQ."

There are many, MANY more people than just "actors" involved in a show. That's first and foremost. Secondly, the actors, as well as the rest of the company, understand the business they're in. If it was security they were after, they'd be accountants. I wish we'd all realize that A) actors aren't more fragile than the rest of the population, and B), nor are they less intelligent.

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Point taken, but that's a different issue.

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Not to mention I'm sure the entire cast and crew knows exactly how badly the show is doing. After all, they're the ones who are there every night.

Brooks announcing YF is not going to be a surprise to any of them.

"That's why people like Foster have yet to be officially announced."

Wasn't there any article on Playbill awhile back that announced Mullally, Hensley, and Foster for Young Frankenstein? I remember they released an article about that after some posted that Kristen Chenoweth wouldn't be doing YF and that Megan Mullally would be doing it instead.

Nothing has really been confirmed yet. Yes, Brooks said that the likely theatre will be the Hilton, but nothing is set in stone at the moment. Do I think he'll get the Hilton? You bet I do because like so many posted before, it's all about what's going to do better business and between PQ and YF, the theatre will probably head towards YF.

You know, you all are saying how rude it is to go after a theatre with a show still running in there, but I remember a while back reading in one of the posts that producers of Grease and The Wiz were looking at the St. James while The Producers was still running, and yet did anyone call them rude for looking at a theatre with a show that hasn't posted a closing notice yet.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 12:34 PM

Am I the only one to have doubts about YF? I love the film, and would love the musical to be fantastic- and monochrome- but not only does Brooks have to fight the law of diminishing returns, but all I've read of the musicalization is lazy, unimaginative and totally reliant on the success of The Producers. Not a flop, but a disappointment coming?

Perhaps lightning won't strike twice for Brooks monster?

If you read Riedel's current column (about Tony hosts) it ends with William Ivey Long saying that he couldn't reveal which theatre but he could say that they were told to make the castle much bigger.

So this isn't out of the blue. Brooks is allowed to say whatever he wants because he is not talking about PIRATE QUEEN, he's talking about YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

"There just seems to be a lot of resentment towards Mel Brooks on this board, Worrell."

That's true. If The Producers was still running and some brand big guarenteed to be a hit musical was coming and wanted the St. James theatre and The Producers didn't post a closing notice and you hear the producers talking about it'll most likely be at the St. James. Just about every person who mentioned that Brooks is being rude about saying that YF will most likely be at the Hilton with PQ not posting a closing notice would've posted good ridance to The Producers or something around those lines.

I also agree that he owes nothing to PQ, and if he knows his show is going to that theatre, it is only smart to let people know as soon as possible...how would he know when PQ would decide to post a closing notice? Do you really think he's going to wait around and not tell everyone in the universe where his show will be playing because he has to wait until someone else decides to post a closing notice?

I don't think sooooooooooo....

Oh, and is it now when I can bring back all the "YF will not go to the Hilton and PQ will never ever close" threads?

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Blaxx, to be perfectly fair, if the theatre owners have booted PQ for YF, they probably have set a day when PQ has to post a closing notice, and if the producers don't do it, the theatre will.

"The Pirate Queen is sinking."

LOL

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