DOTV revival

[shoppertimi]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 11:54am

I've heard that Dance of the Vampire is re-opening in March at the Winter Garden Theatre. Does anyone have any info?

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 11:55am

And I heard that Marilyn Monroe isn't really dead, but now living as the world famous entertainer Wayne Newton headlining nightly in Sin City.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 11:56am

The producers have cancelled the revival, deciding instead to just save time and energy by setting ten million dollars on fire.

(And I think I stole the joke from Conan O'Brien.)

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 11:58am

Is this a joke or did you really hear this?

[shoppertimi]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:00pm

No, I REALLY need to know if this is true or not.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:03pm

No. Dance of the Vampires was a flop. Why would they close MAMMA MIA which is (for some ungodly reason) still one of the most popular shows playing now to reopen that show?

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:03pm

Then why would someone start a roumor like that. That's my job.

[shoppertimi]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:15pm

I've been told that they are completely redoing the music and reopening the show because Michael Crawford is mad that he didn't get to do the Phantom movie.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:16pm

Oh. Uh Huh.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:19pm

Why would he be mad? He is doing WOMAN IN WHITE in London.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:35pm

Is this person you spoke to often prone to hallucinations and other delusional behavior?

1) Mamma Mia won't be leaving the Winter Garden for at least a few more years.

2) Cardinal Rule of the Theatre -- Shows That Lose $14 million, don't get revived. EVER.

3) Producers are hardly lining up to throw away more millions on a Michael Crawford-led show, at least on this side of the Atlantic. Unless Crawford has $14 million of his own money to put into it, don't look for him to be starring in DOTV or anything else here anytime (his role in The Woman In White is not the lead and given the mixed reviews, it won't be coming here anytime soon).

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:37pm

You are right, Margo. I don't even really like Michael Crawford so I shouldn't even care, but usually mixed reviews are the ones that become the biggest, and long lasting hits (West Side Story, Les Miserables, etc.)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:42pm

i can't stand crawford

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:48pm

I know I am going to get slammed for this so hard by you guys, but Crawford's voice has a Mandy Patinkin quality to it, where it is always high pitched and airy and I just can't stand it. When both of these men go into their chest voices, it is fine.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:50pm

Well, I think there are some shows that audiences embrace so completely that the word of mouth is strong enough to overcome the reviews (eg, Wicked has been a sell out since it was in previews before the reviews even came out because of everyone's longstanding love of The Wizard of Oz; Mamma Mia is a hit because there are hundreds of millions of ABBA fans out there who could care less what any critics have to say; Cats.... well lots of folks like cats..... hell, I don't know why it ran so damn long). Incidentally, Frank Rich gave Les Miz a rave in the Times (some of the London critics weren't as kind, though).

The main reason Woman In White won't ever play here is that it's a VERY British show -- the original novel is immensely popular in the UK and I believe there have been earlier film versions of it over there. Whereas few Americans have ever even heard of the story. It probably has the same problem Webber's By Jeeves had over here -- too English.

Updated On: 10/19/04 at 12:50 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 12:52pm

and I actually like the recording of BY JEEVES. Oh well, life goes on.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 7:21pm

Margo knows everything! lol

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 7:29pm

How about Hasselhoff as Krolock ?

[Sally]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 7:45pm

<< 3) Producers are hardly lining up to throw away more millions on a Michael Crawford-led show, at least on this side of the Atlantic. Unless Crawford has $14 million of his own money to put into it, don't look for him to be starring in DOTV or anything else here anytime (his role in The Woman In White is not the lead and given the mixed reviews, it won't be coming here anytime soon). >>


The show did get mixed reviews, more good than bad, I think--with the influential Sunday papers giving mainly good ones. Crawford got almost all good to *very* good reviews.

I can't imagine him or anyone else doing Dance of the Vampires on Broadway again, but I think it's possible that he might return to Broadway, probably in a comedy role---in a show in which the role is supposed to be comedy.

As for Woman in White, producer Sonia Friedman has talked about bringing it to NY, "sooner rather than later," but that might be just optimistic producer talk.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 8:32pm

What a waste of space this thread is.

And you just joined today to post this crap?

I think we have another screen name for JJsugar. This is something stupid that she'd post.

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 8:42pm

To be correct:

Almost ALL Woman in White reviews stated that Michael Crawford was great and most said he stole the show. Even our famous "Broadway Ripper" Michael Riedel said he had "completely redeemed himself from the Dance of the Vampire disaster." Even though it is a British musical, producer Sonia Friedman, in a recent interview said that the show was running in the 95% range and will make a broadway run "sooner rather than later."

How well it is received will be up to the critics, but the Really Useful Group can afford to keep it here for a while even if it isn't selling out. Plus, it isn't nearly as expensive as DOTV. I believe TWIW production costs were only around 4 million dollars. (Might be 4 million pounds, but either way it isn't the costliest musical)

Updated On: 10/19/04 at 08:42 PM

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 10/19/04 at 8:46pm

I loved dance of the vampires, it was one of my favorite broadway shows and one of my company's favorite shows too. But sadly, it never will reopen, it was the biggest financial loss ever on broadway (thats what I learned from a friend of mine, please feel free to correct me if i am wrong).

[Sally]

Posted: 10/20/04 at 12:44am

<< To be correct:

Almost ALL Woman in White reviews stated that Michael Crawford was great and most said he stole the show. Even our famous "Broadway Ripper" Michael Riedel said he had "completely redeemed himself from the Dance of the Vampire disaster.">>



Ah, yes, I forgot about the Broadway Ripper. In addition, Ben Brantly, who didn't much like the show said this, "An unrecognizable Mr. Crawford, last seen on Broadway munching scenery in the dreadful "Dance of the Vampires" two years ago, redeems himself with a more disciplined comic performance."

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/20/04 at 1:17am

If this version of Vampires is resurrected, it'll prove that God is dead

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/20/04 at 1:52am

I am psychic and I see it being revived in 2 years.