Disney and Broadway- Page 2

[secret-soul]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 10:38am

just FYI--that "cheaper" Aladdin show in DCA...may be cheaper, but you'd be amazed at how much this company spends on those productions. A friend of mine is an associate set designer for a production they want to put up in Tokyo Disney--The Snow Queen...or the ice qu...no the Snow Queen...and that's a million-dollar production.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 10:45am

That "Snow Queen" show is actually probably going to spring board into something much larger. It was at one point slated for an animted film and was partially developed WDA. So I suspect all that development is being used to bring this production to life. I expect it to come here in film form or theatrical at some point...though it is hard to imagine Disney working backwards because animated films make much more money. Menken and Slater are doing songs for this, so it should be pretty cool and it is an Anderson tale.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 11:14am

The Black Cauldron musical is going to be awesome. Gurgi's "Cruncings and Munchings Ballet" has to be seen to be believed.

After that one, Disney's going to start making musicals based on video games that were based on movies that were based on theme park rides. First up is Ain't Those Pirates of the Carribean Misbehavin' for GameCube starring Raven Symone.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:13pm

astonighing1985 - You are referring to Notre Dame de Paris, which, I agree was awful, had nothing to do with the Disney animated film. The Disney version was staged in Berlin.

Justin D - "CLose Tarzan early and bring over the German Production of Hunchback they did back in 1999. It was dark, the mucis rocked, the sets were amazing and people actually died for a change."

I disagree completely about the sets, which I found excruciatingly dull after the first 15 minutes or so. Blocks rising out of the floor and projections....more blocks...more projections...more blocks....etc. And what about the characters who die in The Lion King? Bambi? Sleeping Beauty? The Little Mermaid? Mulan? True, Esmerelda dies in the stage version of Hunchback as opposed to the film, but it's not like Disney has never incorporated death into their films.

"other than that, Pocohontas is my next choice to be done. The need to stop doing all these kiddie shows and use their material that has real adult potential, maybe then they will gain some credibility."

Actually, the Disney view of Pocahontas WAS a kiddie show. I don't think Disney is going to stage a more accurate version of the events.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:19pm

Tarzan has not opened yet...

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:25pm

Matt, the last version of Gigi I saw was a bit too much like the real-life Pocahontas, if you catch my drift, and was quite creepy.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:38pm

Calvin - Yikes! That was like the recent tour of The Boy Friend. In "It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love", an older man flirts with a younger woman. In this production, he was mostly bald and in a tuxedo. She was in a french maid costume of sorts, with a HUGE curly red wig. It looked like Daddy Warbucks trying to get up Annie's skirt. My friend and I were in HYSTERICS watching that number, which was sadly the high point of the show.

[toto2]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:41pm

Why would anyone think BatB is likely to close soon? It has been running for 12 years this month and is still at 97% capacity this week, making well over $800K/ week.

Might be wishful thinking for some, but it doesn't make sense. BatB is going to run as long as people go to see it, and that could be a long time yet. There was another thread recently on which several people predicted it would become the longest-running show on Bway...

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:43pm

That is frightening! In Gigi, it was Richard White and a girl who looked like she should be playing Anne Frank. It didn't help that Gavin MacLeod was doing his best to imitate Maurice Chevalier the whole time. I had gone primarily to see Liliane Montevecchi.

This production was done by the man responsible for my signature quote, BTW.
Updated On: 4/27/06 at 12:43 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:49pm

I love Richard White and I would love to see Lilliane, but I don't think anything could make me sit through a production of Gigi. But considering who produced it, nothing about what you said surprises me in the least. I used to love the curtain speeches where they would announce the upcoming season with so much enthusiasm:

"...and Oklahoma! (pause for applause) starring (wait...wait...wait) John Davidson!"

Followed by so many ooohs and ahhhhs you'd think the Messiah returned right there and then on the set of The Merry Widow.

Updated On: 4/27/06 at 12:49 PM

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:53pm

Those curtain speeches were the best!

My favorite period was when they kept promising, promising that Julie Andrews was on her way to star in Victor/Victoria. The Julie update, they called it. Julie's coming. No, really, Julie is coming. Of course, by the time the show finally came, no Julie. But they did get Barry Williams.

I haven't been to one of those in years. My parents stopped subscribing because of the repetitiveness, so I don't even go with them when I visit.

Oops -- sorry to jack. Back to Disney. But, it's a parallel discussion, trust me.
Updated On: 4/27/06 at 12:53 PM

[LouW95]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 12:58pm

There is room for Disney and others on Bway. We can always use the jobs. Working is better than unemployment. Cant believe that needs to be said to some who post here.

[mominator]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 1:01pm

What next... maybe a Disney Alley?

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 1:58pm

Hercules should be next....I love the Muses!

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:04pm

I would like to see Swiss Family Robinson or maybe Pirates of the Carrbian.

[musicalkid]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:11pm

I would love to see the Berlin Production of HUNCHBACK on BROADWAY...

apart from that, I'm not sure Hercules would be a very good stage musical (although it is one of my favourite disney-Menken scores)-
but that's why i'm SO happy about Menken writing the SISTER ACT musical. i expect that the Muses-type of songs will be present like hell! I love alan menken!

[Footlooser]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 2:23pm

Said it before, say it again.

Pocahantas= a good choice.

Hecules: a good show and if you make the short fat muse a gay guy it would be perfect.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 3:44pm

"Hecules: a good show and if you make the short fat muse a gay guy it would be perfect."

Why would that be perfect? I don't see how it would possibly improve anything.

[faithanytwo]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 6:27pm

oof, i agree with the opinion that disney should have more original shows. honestly, i'd rather just watch the movie then seeing it live (batb, lion king, etc.)

[JulesReverie]

Posted: 5/2/06 at 3:04am

They should so do Newsies next-please don't give that same old crap about the all kids cast causing complications, the movie itself didn't have an all kid cast but a cast with ages ranging from ages 19-26, the only minors were like seven of the main characters(most of whom could easily have 20somethings casted instead). They could easily do the same for broadway. Also though Newsies was a finatial bomb, all the money the movie lost it made up for in its massive DVD sales, Newsies is in the top ten selling disney DVD since it came out and still has a big fan base, I mean newsies could become the next Hairspray if it was brought to broadway.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/2/06 at 3:15am

Isn't Beauty and the Beast going downhill? I have been reading that the only person who is actually into the show is Ashley Brown, while the rest of the cast is just going through the motions.

[noelani]

Posted: 5/2/06 at 2:28pm

It doesn't really matter if the cast isn't into it. The general public (tourists) are still paying to see it everynight, and they love it. As long as that continues, it will stay open