Marry Poppins SHARP decline- Page 3

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 1:36pm

I would actually go out on a limb and say that POPPINS is probably the least expensive musical Disney has produced on Broadway. This is taking into account development costs etc. At one point, talk was that Disney had spent over 5 million dollars in development alone on THE LITTLE MERMAID over the last decade. Millions were also spent on development of TARZAN and of course THE LION KING had an (off the books) open checkbook policy on its budget.

I definitely don't think MERMAID will recoup in 52 weeks.

[winston89]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 9:57pm

I would agree with you. While the technical aspects of the show are a lot. I don't think that financially they match anywhere near those of something like The Lion King.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 9:59pm

Also keep in mind that unlike all the other Disney on Broadway production, Mary Poppins was a transfer production from an already running London production. Any development involved occurred under the original production. All other Disney on Broadways have been tried-out and moved to Broadway (except Tarzan, although it's pre-Broadway costs were steep).

[winston89]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:01pm

That's true. So it's not like you have to count how much money they spent in development as part of the costs.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:04pm

Anyone remember when Aida recouped? I know they did, and made Disney about a $12 million profit. I'm just wondering how long it took them. With regards to development costs, did the disastrous "Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida" factor into Aida's development costs? Or were those two separate sets of books?

[winston89]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:23pm

I don't think it would matter if you counted Elaborate Lives The Legend of Aida as it's own project or not. Only because it is coming from the same producers. It wasn't like Disney was funding one project and a totally new group of producers was funding the other one.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:24pm

My point was that if you count Elaborate Lives, the development costs for Aida would be astronomically higher, as that production cost them a lot of money.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:36pm

Well the entire original production design of AIDA including that multi-million dollar pyramid structure gone thrown into the garbage after Atlanta, so I'd say that was about a 5 million dollar 'development' cost right there.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 10:39pm

The pyramid was from Elaborate Lives, so I guess that is counted in its development costs. By the time it was Aida (in Chicago), the pyramid was long gone.

[pli1018]

Posted: 10/13/08 at 11:05pm

Isn't Disney Theatricals working on The Man on the Ceiling with Andrew Lippa, or has that been put on hold?

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/14/08 at 7:47pm

I haven't heard anything on that, but I would like to comment that I have seen steep drops, but never THAT steep. Even if it slowly rises it will take forever to reach back to its old capacity. Disney is making too much competition for itself, Mary Poppin and The Little Mermaid appeal to the Same audience, The Lion King and Tarzan Appeal to the Same Audience. Only one problem, the disney fans who watch these shows would rather see the more main-streem film on stage. Tarzan the film was succsesful, but we can't even compare that success to the lion king. That would be like comparing Bruce Almighty's Succsess to Titanic.

Mary the film was a smash it for it's day and is still adore, but the audience appeal that the broadway show shares with The Little Mermaid is way more leaning to the little mermaid. That film is newer and liked more by the little people, that is why I think the theory that it will boost durring the holidays is false in my opinion.