LORD OF THE RINGS THE MUSICAL-$18 MILLION

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:46pm

Wow! Did anyone hear about The Lord of The Rings-The Musical coming to the West End next year? It's the most expensive musical ever! $18 million! They are thinking of using the Dominion Theatre (2,000 seats). What do you think of this? Gonna be strange I think. How do you think it will go? It that show bombs its gonna be bad...$18 million down the drain

[Plum]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:51pm

I wonder how much of the Tolkien cult likes musical theater. Or if it even matters to them, as long as it's Tolkien. Then again, I'm sure the movies have expanded the audience for this stuff.

But overall, it doesn't matter to me. I will never, ever pay for anything that has to do with Lord of the Rings. Ever.

And if they really want to flop, they can use the "songs" Tolkien wrote.

[jayem1968]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:59pm

I can't stop laughing at the thought of Golum singing! How are they going to pull this off???

[Taryn]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:06pm

I'd be in that tiny section of Tolkien fans who love musical theatre. But the very idea of a musical of LotR scares the hell out of me. I have no idea how they're going to pull it off. NO. IDEA.

[timote316]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:09pm

"But overall, it doesn't matter to me. I will never, ever pay for anything that has to do with Lord of the Rings. Ever."

Well said, Plum lol

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:15pm

How can LOTR be the most expensive musical ever...i thought that title went (and still) goes to the lion king. Correct me if im wrong.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:33pm

I can't even think about it. Once again, a big musical based on a big movie. Not an original work!

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:33pm

I can't even think about it. Once again, a big musical based on a big movie. Not an original work!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:34pm

I am curipous about this.. people said les Miz would never work.......

[Plum]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 2:46pm

I actually think Lord of the Rings could make a good opera or sung-through work. Maybe because it reminds me of Wagner's Ring cycle in its pomposity.

And really, Gollum doesn't have to sing. There are non-singing roles in musicals. Or he can intentionally sing badly- he's not a pleasant chracter, is he?

And hush about no "original" musicals. Many (dare I say most?) of the finest musicals were based on other works. Oklahoma came from the play Green Grow the Lilacs, A Little Night Music came from the movie Smiles of a Summer Night, My Fair Lady came from Pygmalion, Chicago was based on a play by the same name, and the list goes on and on. Adaptation isn't a sign of evil or unoriginality. It's all in the execution.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:01pm

I know this has been asked already but are they planning on bringing this show to Bway?

[Plum]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:08pm

Wait and see if it ever makes it to London, first. I imagine if it succeeds there they'll want to bring it here.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:15pm

I just heard a rumour that the part of Gollum is between Karen Ziemba or Donna Murphy......

I can't wait! Updated On: 8/17/04 at 03:15 PM

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:17pm

People, it's GOLLUM. G-O-L-L-U-M. Not G-O-L-U-M or G-O-L-E-M or I-D-I-N-A.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:19pm

Gollum as Golem. Now there's a thought.

[eyeonbroadway]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 3:34pm

I have been a Lord of the Rings fanatic since I read it (repeatedly)as a teenager way back when. Enough of a fanatic that I doubted that anyone could possibly capture the "feel" of the books in a movie...not to mention the intricacy of the story lines. I also was "smuggly" offended by the thought of Lord of the Rings action-figures and the exposure of this jewel of a story to "everyone else" who had never invested the time and energy in reading the books.

I was wrong. It took three long movies to tell the story, but,even being the purist that I am, I have to admit that the movies do justice to the flavor of Tolkien. I really like them.

Now, trying to visualize a further condensation of Tolkien into a couple of hours of musical theatre, I'm pretty skeptical again. I love musical theatre; that's why I'm here, but I'm not sure that I want to see the Lord of the Rings in song and dance...

[WOSQ]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 4:01pm

Maybe its just me...

...but I think this is a terrible idea for a show. Why remake a show that has just recently been a 10 hour movie trilogy that won about 19 Academy Awards, full of sequences that need Julie Taymor at the least to put on stage, is not all that character driven, and is just too freaking busy?

Now it is to cost 18 mil in London where production costs are lower than NY? How can they make any money?

This sounds like one of those joke production ideas that people come up with at four in the morning after way too much pot.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 4:01pm

Any word yet on the design team? I can't wait to find out who the set and costume designers are and how they tackle this epic. I think it is safe to say that they will spectacular in the spectacle sense of the word....any suggestions for who you think could pull of these grand designs?

Akiva

[Ruffian]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 4:07pm

It sounds like an INSANE idea...but the movies worked & I would be interested in the Creative Team BEFORE I dismiss it

It COULD be a Opera of New Dimensions

Then again...it could be crap

Time Will Tell .. but as Aragorn says: "There is always Hope"

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 4:08pm

Sounds like a giant flop. I can't even imagine....the idea is just bad. I think it will be a total disaster. Just my opinion though....

I am, however, hoping I am proved wrong. Updated On: 8/17/04 at 04:08 PM

[SMichaelK]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 4:18pm

I tend to agree about flopping, best of luck to anyone who puts on a show, but it almost sounds like they are thinking money can make a musical... Scares me to death... I mean the movies did justice to the book, a musical would not. Although I don't think Tolkein ever wrote it in the intention of seeing Frodo singing about the ring taking him over. BAD IDEA if you ask me, but hey like I say good luck.

[bogey_LIVE]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:25pm

i hope this isn't true...although if orlando bloom is on stage and is naked, i wont mind.

[zepka102]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:28pm

now who was talking about the death of broadway? i think we found it.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:32pm

Gollum already sings bits and pieces in the trilogy, so that's not so far fetched.

I just don't know how they're going to be able to fit all of that in a 3 hour show (or under). How much are they going to trim? How many characters will be left out? And it's going to inevitably be compared to the movies which are already successful.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:41pm

just found the website

www.thelordoftheringsmusical.com