RIEDEL: Spider-Man "The Biggest Fiasco in Broadway History" SHOW is OFF.- Page 2

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 1:22pm

"War Horse" has to be played in a thrust stage. It can't be adapted for the Hilton, there's too much that happens in the audience. The Vivian Beaumont is the ideal theatre. Also, Hilton is a little too big for War Horse, Even the Vivian Beumont is a little bigger than in west end.

Updated On: 8/12/09 at 01:22 PM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 1:31pm

RE: Riedel's viciousness. Not to play the devil's advocate, but I think he is decrying the prominence of the physical aspects of a show when they are given more importance than the artistic merits of the piece itself. I, too, can understand where's he's coming from. Example from the far distant past: when it came out, one of the big selling points of Miss Saigon was the fact that it had a helicoptor on stage and, in fact, they charged more for seats that afforded the best vantage point to see the helicoptor. My thought, even before it opened, was, hey -- I can see a helicoptor any time I want by going to the local airport -- and it was a small airport, at that. It doesn't mean that special effects cannot enhance an already-worthy show but the bones and marrow of it should be the show itself. Chicago had a lavish production when done in 1975, but no one missed the sets when the pared down revival opened in 1996. And Riedel has been supportive of offbeat shows -- Fela! being an example that comes to mind.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 1:34pm

"War Horse" has to be played in a thrust stage. It can't be adapted for the Hilton, there's too much that happens in the audience. The Vivian Beaumont is the ideal theatre. Also, Hilton is a little too big for War Horse, Even the Vivian Beumont is a little bigger than in west end.'

I don't want them to close "South Pacific!"
Updated On: 8/12/09 at 01:34 PM

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 1:37pm

Well, Thats why the suspicion is War Horse wont start on broadway until 2010-2011 because they are waiting for South Pacific to run its course.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:03pm

I'll be happy to eat my words on this...but I sincerely doubt that Lincoln Center (a not for profit organization) would take part in a commercial transfer of ?War Horse.? I can?t think of a single play or musical that transferred to, and did not originate at, the Vivian Beaumont.

[little_sally]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:06pm

Wasn't The Coast of Utopia a transfer?

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:19pm

No...it was the New York Premiere and a new production. The National production in London was directed by Trevor Nunn and consisted of an entirely different cast (including Eve Best). Here in the states, we had a revised version of the play, new cast, and new director (Jack O'Brien).
Updated On: 8/12/09 at 02:19 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:29pm

Wow, if this is definitely true, what a terrible thing. It is a shame that such a large-scale production that many looked forward to might not end up playing on Broadway.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:34pm

Actually, Coast was generally more well received in New York than in London. The London notices weren't bad, but not the almost-unanimous love letters that greeted the New York production.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:38pm

How could a show cost $45 million dollars? That is incredibly hard to believe. If a show is that much money it must be amazing. If a show like In The Heights costs $10 and that has a good size cast, big set, lights, and other stuff then this must be huge.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 2:56pm

Well I guess when you consider all the renovations necessary to the theater and all the marquee names involved it can add up.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 3:04pm

That's the part that I think sucks about the canceling of this show. Now we'll never know what a $45 million show directed by Julie Taymor would have looked like and I honestly think it's a pity.
And it's SPIDERMAN. Did anyone go see the SPIDERMAN films for the story? Maybe. But most of the people were there for the special effects. I was thinking about this show like a CIRQUE DU SOLEI experience rather than a musical, and it could have been good. I wonder what will happen with the Hilton.

[dramadude]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 3:08pm

Well the scenery for "In The Heights" is relatively simple in comparison to a show of this magnitude. "Wicked" cost upwards of $14 million, but took only 14 months to recoup.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 3:16pm

Riedel may be onto something with his suggestion that the show would be more appropriate for Las Vegas. Wonder if we will see it set up there in a few years. (Vegas is NOT a theatre town. They like spectacle shows with little or no substance.)

Funny the producers are just now realizing that the show would likely never be profitable. Show's costing upwards of $10 million don't have much of a chance of recouping in this economy. BWW peopel figured that out right after teh show was announced!

This age of "My show cost the most to produce" has got to end.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 3:20pm

"Well the scenery for "In The Heights" is relatively simple in comparison to a show of this magnitude. "Wicked" cost upwards of $14 million, but took only 14 months to recoup."

Still if Wicked costs $14 that is incredibly cheap compared to Spiderman.

[NakedMaid]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 4:08pm

Wouldn't Leo Bloom be able to explain better than Maxie B?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 4:34pm

Maybe, but Julie Taymor would confuse them both to all hell.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 4:46pm

Wicked also had a huge advance. I imagine In the Heights had little to none. Most of its success at the box office came after the reviews and Tony wins. I'm wondering what Spiderman's advance is. I can't imagine it's huge.

[Tag]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 5:01pm

Was Shawn King officially attached to star? I remember the rumours but were they true?

[BwayBoundJoe]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 5:20pm

Sad for those involved. My question is, did they officially start selling tickets yet? I thought I read that somewhere.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 5:30pm

BwayBoundJoe, they had started a pre-sale for American Express cardholders in June, while tix for the general public were set to go on sale on Halloween.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 5:40pm

IIRC The 1994 Production of Carousel was a transfer from the National Theatre which was co-produced by Lincoln Centre so if War Horse does transfer to Broadway then I think it may end up at the Vivian Beaumount and be a co-production.

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 6:09pm

Riedel may be onto something with his suggestion that the show would be more appropriate for Las Vegas.

Well, it was a no brainer. We all thought that from the beginning.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 8:14pm

The problem is, Vegas is a Cirque city not a Taymor town. To swing it in Vegas, the producers would have to ditch the puppeteer and bring in our friends from Montreal with their investor money from Dubai. But gambling was down 15% in Vegas in June, so they might even be wary of such a pricey show.

If the whole things is dead in the water, Bono and Edge have their very own Lifehouse, since Larry and Adam want nothing to do with the material as U2.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 8/12/09 at 9:14pm

I passed the theater today and still no work. The signs beneath the marquee is up, but still no marquee. What a disappointment if they really didn't continue on.