Shows Ready & Waiting For A Theatre- Page 2

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 10:44am

What is going into the Helen Hayes after Bridge & Tunnel ends?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 11:57am

THE LION KING & BEAUTY AND THE BEAST & AIDA were all better than A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. At the very least, Disney has the best use spectacle and it's very impressive. AIDA was amazing - the only flaws in the book were with some songs that should have been turned into dialogue scenes: everything with Radames' father. "Like Father, Like Son" and "Another Pyramid."

BEAUTY & THE BEAST was a good start. I enjoyed the new songs however the show is written for children, so to say the book is awful is to say children are expected to sophisticated and smart enough to understand Othello or Antigone.

THE LION KING was better. Julie Taymor's artistic vision was BRIlLIANT.

MARY POPPINS is transferring. TARZAN is opening. LITTLE MERMAID in 2007. No PINOCCHIO...not yet. So that's 4-5 theatres by 2007/08.

And who knows? Maybe TARZAN will flop? I don't see it happening initially however it could occur within a year. And who knows about MARY POPPINS either? Didn't it get mixed reviews in London? And BEAUTY & THE BEAST is rumored to close to make room for LITTLE MERMAID.

If anything, Disney did three things for Broadway:

1) Cleaned up 42nd Street;
2) Sparked interest in children and families going to see a show; and
3) Provided three amazing shows I had the privilege to see and I LOOK FORWARD to TARZAN, POPPINS, and MERMAID. Especially MERMAID.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 12:22pm

AIDA was amazing? You've got to be kidding...it was atrocious.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 12:39pm

Ventriloquist Jay Johnson's THE TWO AND ONLY (Chuck from tv's "Soap") previews at the Helen Hayes in March (it had a successful run at the Atlantic Theatre last year).

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 12:44pm

Hey, a LOT of people LOVED Aida. But a big fanbase doesn't denote a good show.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 1:53pm

I though Aida was a wonderful production. I flew from Arizona one morning so I could see it on B'way before it closed. Disney's done a lot and I agree w/ Capn...Disney productions are getting children into the theatre which is so important because theatre is not the thriving art-form that is was decades ago. You can't ask a 7 year old to go see the new revival of Sweeney Todd with the family, or at least I would never do that.

As far as Princesses goes, a friend of mine's sister was in the show in Seattle as one of the girls who did the "Drag" song. They're going back in in Sept. to do another workshop etc is what she's said. I'd like to see it clean up and get a theatre and be a big hit.

As far at Tarzan and Poppins goes. I'm not sure how long they both will run. Tarzan is likely to have the specatcle aspect of The Lion King (not to that extent probably) where as Poppins from what I've heard was a lot darker over in London. American audiences won't go for it I don't believe if it isn't more happy, but that's just my opinion. We'll see what happens...

Cheers,

C.