Mary Poppins Recoups, Launches Tour in Chicago in 2009- Page 2

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 12/5/07 at 6:51pm

Congrats to Mary Poppins! Looking really forward to seeing the show in 2 weeks!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/5/07 at 8:19pm

"Will it be feasible to have Mary Poppins fly out over the audience at the end in a touring production?"

I don't see why not. Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan tour always included audience flight.

"Now I am CONVINCED that Macintosh is the reason the tour will launch in Chicago. Schumacher, for some inexplicable reason, doesn't see Chicago as a big theatre town. He mocked the producers of Wicked for wanting a sit-down, and that was AFTER it celebrated its first anniversary! "

I never knew that...that is interesting. That's where they premiered the revised pre-Broadway version of Aida. I could see why he would hate Atlanta (because of the Legends of Aida debacle), but I thought Aida did well enough in Chicago. Interesting.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 12/5/07 at 10:28pm

Mary Poppins will be flying over the audience according to this small article from the Chicago Tribune Theatre Blog.

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2007/12/mary-poppins-he.html

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/5/07 at 10:34pm

the Poppins audience flight shouldn't be hat tricky. It's a great effect yes, but Phantom has been doing the same thing for 20 years. At it's most simple explanation, the Poppins audience flight rig is essentially the same rig used to fly the chandelier in Phantom.

[neurodude84]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 11:06am

Well, the show has been making an average of $1,000,000/week so it stands to reason it cost about $50,000,000 to produce.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 1:42pm

The Tribune reports today that Disney has now realized that Chicago is a very important market and will plan accordingly. They originally were seen as "Anti-Chicago" when they refused to let Lion King play here while the Toronto production was running. Then, when Lion King was allowed in, it shattered house records. The success of Wicked and now Jersey boys has shown them the way. And they report that Mary will fly to the very back row of the theater!
Tribune

[Jilani]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 3:04pm

And they report that Mary will fly to the very back row of the theater!

And, it seems, this will be true not only in Chicago, but "everywhere she goes," which is great news! Maybe I'm easy to please, but I thought it was a terrific effect, and I'm glad to hear it will be part of the tour.

As an aside, is there any reason to think Wicked will no longer be playing in Chicago by Spring 2009, as suggested in that Tribune article?

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 5:39pm

Wicked was originally thought to be able to sell tickets for only a year, so they are anticipating that by 2009 it will have pretty much played to everyone who wants to see it. It could, of course, continue, but they don't think it will. I don't think they will allow it to fall below 70% before deciding to move it. They will want it to go out on top.

[stella985]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 5:55pm

Not really about the tour or the show recouping, but it seemed better to just add to this thread then start a new one. So...

Does anyone know if anyone will be out of Mary Poppins from the week of Dec. 16th? Oh, I already checked that understudy site.

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 7:48pm

HOORAY! I'm so excited! Wicked leaving? I'm even more excited! Not that I want all those people to lose their jobs, I just want to see more shows in Chicago...

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 8:19pm

Neurodude,

Your estimate fails to take into account the operating costs of a major musical. The show might be grossing over a million a week, but that's hardly its profit. You have to deduct operating costs which I would put at around $600,000 a week for POPPINS.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 9:28pm

If running cost is $600,000 (whcih is a plausible guestimation) a week, and ticket sales are nearly $1,100,000 each week (give or take depending on the time of year)....then they gain a $500,000 profit weekly. Thus, they would have made roughly $26,000,000 (hypothetically, of course) in 52 weeks.

Updated On: 12/6/07 at 09:28 PM

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 9:49pm

I feel taxes should be taken into account, ThanksToPhantom...

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 10:48pm

YES!!!!

[lakezurich]

Posted: 12/6/07 at 11:02pm

I will deffinitley be seeing this one, this is why I love living in Chicago! Now if we could only get our state government to fund our public transportation. *Okay, just a little tangent here, but it will not take long* but seriously how do they expect to not provide funding for public transportation and still get the olympics?!