Producers of Shrek the Musical plan to keep show open at least till release of Shrek 4

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:14pm

I know they were planning on doing this. An article in the New York Times says that despite the grosses of "Shrek the Musical" the producers are planning to keep the show open at least till the fourth Shrek film, "Shrek Forever After." They are hoping the film will give their musical a boost like the "Hairspray" and "Mamma Mia" movies did with their shows. Here's what it said:

"The Broadway rumor mill has been speculating for weeks that Shrek might close soon after New Years Day, given its grosses and the planned departure of the two lead actors, Brian dArcy James and Sutton Foster. Its producers would prefer to keep the show running well into 2010 in hopes of benefiting from the May release of Shrek Forever After, the fourth Shrek film, according to two executives involved with planning for the musical."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/theater/21broadway.html?_r=1&ref=theater

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 1:23pm

That was, by no means, an official announcement.

If you read it, they state that they would "prefer" to. Now I'm not doubting that this is their plan and intention. But if it completely tanks, for whatever reason, they'll pull it.

They're just flushing out funds towards SHREK with the justification of competing with Disney. And you just can't do that.

I'd suggest changing the title thread; it's misleading and flat out unconfirmed.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:00pm

MusicSnob1, beautywickedlover is just desperate for this show to stay open and will do anything to make it sound like it is. On every Shrek thread, the original poster will have a cow if people speculate the show's closing.

Of course the producers would prefer to do that, but will it work with the current grosses? I highly doubt it. I'm sure producers have tons of preferences on when to keep shows running until, and in an ideal world, they could all work out.

There is just too much random nonsense going on now with this show.

Also read:

"The DreamWorks Theatricals production of Shrek the Musical has had sharp ups and downs since opening in December, and last week its grosses were $583,404 - about 40 percent of the total potential gross."

When are you going to get it?

Updated On: 10/21/09 at 03:00 PM

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 4:15pm

"beautywickedlover is just desperate for this show to stay open and will do anything to make it sound like it is."

I'm not being desperate millie_dillmount. I'm just stating a fact from the New York Times.

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 4:18pm

But it's not a fact. From the word "prefer", you created a completely false statement. They never that they "plan" to. They said they would PREFER to.

There's a huge difference, my friend. Not that I have anything against Shrek at all... but you're essentially posting a lie. And actually gave me the ammo to prove that when you posted & quoted the article.

Look, it's not a big deal. Just fix the title of the thread! Sheesh.

Posted: 10/21/09 at 4:18pm

Shrek needs to close. There are too many shows coming in the Spring.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 4:24pm

"I'm not being desperate millie_dillmount. I'm just stating a fact from the New York Times."

It's not a fact. It is a couple of sentences stating how the producers would prefer for something to happen. Does it mean it will? No.

I don't hate Shrek either, but be more realistic. If a show continues to pull in 40% of its potential gross, it will be near impossible to keep running until May.

Like MusicSnob1 said, how difficult is it to change the title of the thread and rephrase your statement?

Updated On: 10/21/09 at 04:24 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 4:37pm

Shrek will bring in worse numbers during the winter months of January & February. I really don't see their need to keep it open. Even when Shrek 4 opens in May, Shrek: The Musical won't get that much help, and it would only close by Labor Day anyway.

[James885]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:01pm

Regardless of weather or not they'd prefer to keep it running till May, they really should just cut their losses and close the show after the holiday season. If they're only pulling in 40% of their potential gross now, how do they expect to keep the show running through the winter?

Updated On: 10/21/09 at 05:01 PM

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:15pm

Well according to Chris Sieber it's closing January 3rd.

[dg22894]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:16pm

One of the cast members facebook's said this:

Well.....nothing lasts forever...SHREK will close January 3rd...it was an amazing ride and a pleasure to do.....if you have not seen it...get thee to the Broadway theatre!!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:17pm

Guess it is not much of a "fact" anymore, beautywickedlover.

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:47pm

I'd prefer to pee diet coke, also.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 5:52pm

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 6:34pm

The word is up on Playbill now that the show is closing...finally!

Won't even get to 500 performances.

With all the weeks it lost money it has probably not recouped a penny of its investment.

NOW will they get the message that you can't put cartoons on stage and expect audiences to pay $100 a seat.
SHREK to close on Jan 3

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 6:38pm

frontrow...

I think it sends a message that big Hollywood corporations shouldn't try to compete with Disney on Broadway! Not that I'm a huge fan of Disney, as I truly think it's become a monopolizing joke, but don't throw out $$ for competition.

That's what Dreamworks was ultimately trying to do. And we know it.

BEAUTYWICKEDLOVER - How's this thread title looking for you now? Hahaha.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 7:01pm

Well Disney has had some rough spots: TARZAN, LITTLE MERMAN.
Still they did well with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and LION KING. But LION was re-designed as a theatre piece. And BEAUTY felt like it was based on a stage musical even before it became one.

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 7:06pm

Yep, Shrek closes January 3rd. I knew it would never make it to May, no matter how hard they tried.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 8:14pm

I'm not upset by this, but I'm disappointed. I hope the show that replaces it is not something lame like "First Wives Club."

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 8:33pm

You make no sense. You go from being "sad" in the other thread to "dissapointed" here... and you're the one who made up the lie, saying they are keeping the show open until May.

Hay-seuss Christo.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 8:35pm

"You make no sense. You go from being "sad" in the other thread to "dissapointed" here... and you're the one who made up the lie, saying they are keeping the show open until May."

I realized that my true feelings were disappointment. I'm not crying, but I'm disappointed by this news. Also, it's not the end of the world that musicals I like don't get long runs on Broadway. Examples are "9 to 5," "Young Frankenstein," and "Legally Blonde."

Updated On: 10/21/09 at 08:35 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 8:41pm

No one said you were crying.

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 11:16pm

Yeah. I'm so confused. I'm just gonna let this person be. It's a time of grieving, I suppose.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:06am

The fact that they were cartoons first is not why they failed. It's that they were just mediocre productions. There have been some really good cartoon musicals that have worked on stage and done very well on stage.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 6:29am

No, it's just a time for disappointment.


Compareable only to the 30 minutes after I saw Shrek trying to justify to myself how one could get paid to write such a show. I cried for 10, but then in the next 10 minutes I rationalized that I was truly simply disappointed. I then spent the next 10 minutes being disappointed. Then I went and saw the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.