ELF to Return to Broadway This Winter; to Play Al Hirschfeld Theater- Page 2

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 5:53pm

I loved Elf the first time around and am excited that it's returning. The score is a lot of fun and I was actually listening to the OBCR this morning!

[shrekster224]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 5:57pm

If not Arcelus, maybe Noah Weisberg will get the chance to do it?

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 7:30pm

With a Broadway return, a 6 city non-equ tour, and a regional production. This title is pretty popular this year. Have to admit the score is extremely catchy and full of great Holliday cheer. I think it's stronger than Pasek and paul's score for A Christmas story.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 7:37pm

but I have a feeling the reviews tonight are going to be decidedly mixed at best, which will probably kill any chance the show had at a future life.

Mixed reviews didn't kill transfers of Gypsy (2008 ) and Follies (2011). Those two productions made the necessary improvements, which led to raves/positive notices on Broadway.

Updated On: 8/9/12 at 07:37 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 7:58pm

Isn't the whole sort of point of this version of ITW the fact that's actually in the damn woods? Wouldn't putting it into a traditional proscenium defeat that point? That tree house set is going to look stupid in a traditional Broadway theater.

Also, where is ELF doing a regional run?

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 8:01pm

The 5th Avenue in Seattle.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 8:08pm

To the person who mentioned a Hannukah show, last year I hopped the subway down to NYU and caught the fantastic, hilarious, heartwarming SCHLEMIEL THE FIRST from the National Yiddish Theatre. If it comes back this year, be sure to catch it.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 10:14pm

I wanted to see this and didn't get a chance to the last time it came. Hopefully it will be possible this year now.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 8/9/12 at 11:38pm

All this holiday pablum is exactly that people want, and considering there's barely any new musicals to choose from this fall, it's all we have to fill seats.

That said, I'm hopeful we'll have a different production. The score is great, but that Nicolaw on steroids yuckfest was a mess.

[lupone76]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 10:05am

Wouldn't it make sense to open a few of the zillion musicals slated to open in the Spring in the Fall so the Spring isn't over packed with new musicals? This way they wouldnt have to fill theaters with holiday shows and all the new musicals wouldnt be fighting for attention in the Spring. It also annoys me that they were so quick to close shows like Sister Act, Priscilla and Ghost which to me are far more appealing than holiday shows. I was miffed when Broadway started doing one Holiday show per season and now two. Come on thats just rediculous. Holiday shows to me do not belong on Broaway they belong at the theater at MSG and Radio City or even the Beacon. This is part of what I consider to be the ruination of Broadway. Shows like Spiderman, most Disney (excluding Poppins, the Beast and the King) and holiday shows.







Updated On: 8/10/12 at 10:05 AM

[Holster2]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 1:16pm

"most Disney (excluding Poppins, the Beast and the King)"

Doesn't that only leave Tarzan and The Little Mermaid?

Anyway, I missed Elf the first time around, so I am excited to see it this year if I can manage to get in there.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 4:02am

Sadly, I highly doubt they'll change anything from the previous Broadway mounting. I'm sure they'll bring in the Assistant Director from last year and just throw the same thing up there and hope it works.

I thought the show was a hot mess personally, and just jarringly ugly.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 12:03pm

The 5th Avenue's production will probably be an exciting new staging of the show.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 5:43pm

"Wouldn't it make sense to open a few of the zillion musicals slated to open in the Spring in the Fall so the Spring isn't over packed with new musicals?"

In theory, yes, but try to convince one producer who is planning for a spring opening to give up that slot and open in the fall and thus force them to get through those lean January and February months and hope for the best. It's not as if there is one single controlling entity that handles all of the scheduling of openings and closings. You are talking about many, many producers and organizations all with only their own best interests in mind.

[bdn223]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 8:19pm

There are only 4 reasons new musicals open in the fall anymore since all producers would rather open in the spring aka awards season with "free" publicity::

1) The show (in theory) is a guarenteed money maker/great reviews (holiday shows and Billy Elliot)
2)The show has powerhouse producers with deep pockets (Shrek, Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid)
3)The Theater owners have little to no confidence in the show being a hit and are using it as filler so a better looking show can have the theater come spring. (Bonnie and Clyde, A Tale of Two Cities, 13, Bring It On, Lysistrata Jones*). There are times when these shows do indeed succeed aka XANADU
4) A summer hit show off-Broadway is trying to maintain its momentum/buzz about being the new "it" show. (Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson)

*although Lysistrata Jones fits in rule 4 Douglas Carter Beane publically stated that they wanted a Spring opening for LJ, but were told they would only get a theater in the fall because of rule 3.