Lion King changing theaters — Page 2

"Mary Poppins as a film is far, FAR more popular than Chitty Chitty Bang Band ever was."

I think the comparison was about the West End to Broadway transfers of both shows, not the movies.


"u don't want a 12 hundred dollar a week contract on Bway"

Is $1200 really something to brag about? That's like the Equity minimum, isn't it?

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I just meant that in terms of Broadway contracts, $1200/week IS the minimum wage.

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The Broadway Equity minimum is currently $1431 (it's much less off-Broadway and regionally). Realize that agents and managers take a solid percentage of that right off the top, plus there are their are union dues, the cost of voice and dance coaches, plus the same fed, state and local taxes the rest of us New Yorkers pay (the highest taxes in the country), plus crazy rents (the highest in the country), ConEd, cell phone bills, food, laundry etc.... My Broadway actor friends tell me they generally don't actually see much more than about third of that $1431 when all is said and done and once the bills are paid there's not much left.

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I think this is going to make amazing business for Disney all around. The New Amsterdam is going to sell out, with a name like Disney as creative producer etc. etc. etc. and now that The Lion King is moving to a relatively smaller house (but bigger stage IMO), to me it seems they will do find with sales and hopefully it will work even better than it already does. It will take much less to fill the Minskoff theatre, although thsat is a huge house too. A few hundred less seats to sell each show, and they'll be sold out for months and months again.

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Naw, I wouldn't wanna be in this show, just not something I would want to do. I don't care how much money they make, there's no point in doing a job you hate. Anyways...how's the Minksoff laid out? Does it have a central aisle? Isn't that how they get the Circle of Life down to the stage?