'LORD OF THE RINGS' -London Production Closes!

West End Board

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Probably not.

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Do they need the theatre for LEGALLY BLONDE?

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The show has lost £13 million pounds (around $25 million)

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There isnt a theatre on Broadway that has the facilities behind the pros arch that Drury Lane has that will accomodate the show on the scale that is now on stage. The Hilton, The Gershwin- huge, yes, but not what Drury Lane has. After losses of almost $20m i doubt the producers would even dare to contemplate a Broadway production. Its costing $2m just to remove the show when it closes!
The London production has been a fiasco since day one.

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I saw Lord of the Rings in London a couple of weeks ago and it was WAY better than I ever expected. I was not a fan of the books or the films (I fell asleep in all three), but my boyfriend loves them. Keep in mind, we saw it the night I arrived in London after I hadn't slept in about 20 hours or so, and I was alert and riveted for the entire show. It does have its weaknesses, such as some of the costumes, which ranged from ingenious (the ents and those scary horse things) to absolute kitsch (Galadrial and her wedding reception centerpiece hat). The big battle scene didn't really work well and the fight choreography (and its execution) were rather embarassing.

BUT the strengths certainly outweigh the weaknesses and the show as a whole I found entirely entertaining and at times, breathtaking. The set design, including the tree roots and branches growing all over the proscenium out into the theatre and boxes, was beautiful. I loved the pre-show business with the hobbits catching fireflies leading up to the dance (not included in the cast recording). The choreography for Moon and the Fiddle was complicated and clever, reminiscent of some of Tommy Tune's works. The finale scene of the first act was one of the best special effects I've ever seen on stage. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. The performances were quite good, especially Gollum, whose character I never quite got the hang of, but as far as the story goes, I had a MUCH easier time following it in the musical.

I was really surprised this show didn't become a smash hit. It really had everything going for it, a beloved story, gorgeous music, spetacular staging, and a solid cast. With a bit of touch up here and there, I thought it was absolutely worthy of a Broadway production (I thought for sure it would fit in the Hilton, which seems MUCH larger than Drury Lane). It's a shame the show flopped so badly. It deserved much better. It's no Billy Elliott (fabulous), but it was worth every penny and every minute, which hasn't been said of many British musicals over the last decade or so.

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The show has lost £13 million pounds (around $25 million)

Ouch, must be some kind of record.

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With women over 40 years old making up over half of the purchase decision-making in the performing arts, it isn't surprising that LORD OF THE RINGS didn't translate into box office success. The films appealed mainly to males between the ages of late teens to early 50s. That demographic isn't known to plunk down the big bucks at the theatre.

If you have a show that appeals to the ladies, you're more likely to have a box office success. Look at MAMMA MIA! - it markets itself as a feel-good, fun cross-generational show set to the music of ABBA, featuring a wedding, and set in an exotic setting.

LORD OF THE RINGS doesn't have that same kind of appeal that sets the box office on fire. Maybe middling box office appeal, but that's about it...

Maybe they will be smart and record it for DVD like they did some other mega musicals....

Oh and didn't Metropolis lose like a bazillion dollars in the 80s when it opened....?

(I'm exagerating....of course)

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Mister Matt - CATS did not have the same type of special effects as LOTR. did I say 75%? I meant 95%

STARLIGHT EXPRESS. one of the worst musicals I have ever seen and heard. still stands out as the most horrific night at the theatre, for me. there weren't really special effects in that.... just crappy costumes, a light show, and a rollerskating track.

I don't think Broadway Producers would take on such a crazy show with a huge budget, since the material is average (at best). They're much more open to that stuff in London. I suppose. It wouldn't go well over here in the states. Hence why it won't make the jump across the bond.

MisterMatt raises a good point. the show is waaaay too long for Vegas. they would be smart to film the show. maybe they can make back a few quid against those millions of lost pounds. ouch.

TooDarnHot - Physical production does not mean just special effects. And yes, both Cats and Starlight Express relied almost as much on physical production (sets, lighting, costumes and visual effects) as Lord of the Rings.

While I don't think it would ever open on Broadway, I do believe it would probably have a more successful run, especially if marketed well to tourists. But some scenes do need to be reworked.

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