Puff Daddy -- West End Impresario???

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:20am

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............


"Puff Daddy eyes Lloyd-Webber empire
By Adam Sherwin

The controversial hip-hop star and entrepreneur considers buying his way into the West End


CATS could make way for Bitches after the hip-hop mogul Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs emerged as the surprise bidder for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End theatres.

Now calling himself P. Diddy and famed for dating Jennifer Lopez and flaunting his diamond-studded jewellery, Combs, 35, wants to expand his £250 million clothes and music empire to include the theatre.

Bids are being considered for Lord Lloyd-Webber’s Really Useful Group venues and accountants at Combs’s Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment group have seen the figures.

Combs, who was cleared in 2001 of an illegal gun possession charge in New York, has discovered a love for the smell of greasepaint. The former business management student made his Broadway debut last year, bringing a young urban audience to Raisin in the Sun, a drama about the black American experience.

Bad Boy business managers were alerted to the news that Lloyd Webber is seeking to offload several theatres in his group to allow him to concetrate on composing.

Combs is looking to add one of the Lyric, Duchess, Apollo or Garrick theatres to an empire that includes a rap record company, a £150 million clothing brand, two restaurants, music publishing and a product marketing business.

Combs is believed to have visited the venues recently and has been made aware that the buildings need renovation. It is believed that profits are almost impossible to squeeze out of the four smallest playhouses in the Really Useful Group. Combs, though, may have other plans for the theatres. Instead of Terrence Rattigan revivals at the Duchess, the venues’ West End locations would make them highly attractive upmarket nightclub properties.

Lloyd Webber, 57, complained recently that he was “a very, very bad businessman”, and that, while his company may appear to be worth a fortune, it was saddled by debt. Combs’s financial acumen has not so far been doubted."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1454210,00.html

[pab]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:58am

Well, we know that he is not much of an actor but he has been known to make some good business deals. I'm not sure how I feel about this but it will be worth watching.

By the way, I think that this quote from the timesonline: "CATS could make way for Bitches" was just a bit much.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:18am

oh, I get it...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:32am

Not knowing anything about the actual financial status of the theatres in question, I'm hesitant to venture an opinion. However, generally speaking, I hate the idea of classic, historic theatres being turned into nightclubs. If their state is so dire that they're on the verge of being torn down and turned into parking lots or something, that's one thing -- making them into music clubs aould at least keep the spirit of the theatre alive. But, if there's a way to keep them as viable venues for the legitimate theatre, then I wish Combs or whomever else, would preserve them in any way they can.

Doesn't Britain have a landmark commission or something similar as we do in New York that prevents beautiful old theatres from being tampered with too much?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:35am

He could have ideas for new plays or musicals. Wouldn't it be thrilling to have theatre that is as popular as hip hop/rap music? I'm praying he goes for innovative theatre--maybe a rap/hip hop musical.

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:47am

WOA!!! I don't know how I feel about this yet. First impression: "Woa!!! WTF is Sean Combs going to do with all those theatres?! ::nervous::"

Yikes for now.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:47am

I'd love that IF that's what he was planning. The article seems to indicate, though, that he just wants to convert the space(s) into nightclubs (like London needs more nightclubs). If he has a bolder vision than that, I'd welcome it.

[Mimi Imfurst]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:52am

totally agree. I think tha Sean had a lot of fun doing Raisin an it definitly opened his eyes. I wonder if this is part of his plan to get more involved with theatre- I don't trust news media these days- so not entirely sure how accurate the "night club" spin is. I really do hope he plans to pump up the theatre.

[Becca]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:37pm

No its all comming to an end!

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 9:51pm

O man! Now it's being said that if he buys them he may turn some into restaurants or clubs! I HATE when theatres are converted into crapola like thank.