Broadway Star Joined: 3/16/04
haha, I'm sorry, I was being harsh and/or melodramatic. I did enjoy the performances given by the actors and some of the songs... but can see why it wasn't as big of a success as ALW's others.
Me too. People just weren't ready for Andrew's MOST COMPLEX SCORE EVER!
Chorus Member Joined: 5/21/06
The holiday show at the Theatre at MSG is already booked for the next four years. It's going to be Cirque du Soleil's "A Winter's Tale".
I wouldn't be surprised if Grinch goes back to the Hilton after Pirate Queen fails, but I doubt anything is booked just yet.
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/wintertale/intro/intro.htm
And what about Mary Poppins? That came from London, is not a revival and is doing pretty darn well. Last week it was at 99.8% capacity.
Basically, your theory doesn't make any sense.
MARY POPPINS is based on a movie and runs so well on its name recognition, not to mention the name DISNEY that is attached to it. YOUR comparison doesn't make any sense. Any DISNEY show based on a MOVIE of the same name is going to do well.
Broadway Star Joined: 3/16/04
Actually, yes it does. He said that "British blockbuster" days are over, but Mary Poppins is very much a "British blockbuster" that is doing well.
Stand-by Joined: 1/7/07
I don't think the age of successful British blockbusters is going to end any time soon. The West End and Broadway have a great relationship going concerning the transfer of material. They may not all be 19-20 year running Phantoms and 16 year running Les Mis's, but they still have a great relationship.....
MARY POPPINS is, more than anything, a DISNEY Blockbuster. The fact that the musical adaptation of the movie began in London makes no difference.
Broadway Star Joined: 3/16/04
So? That's not the point. The point is that he says that London blockbusters are coming to an end, and Mary Poppins IS a London blockbuster, and thus is an example of how his argument is flawed! It makes no difference that it also has other affiliates attached to it.
Well it seems to me that your purposely misreading his statement.
bella-if you were smart, you wouldn't have used Mary Poppins as your example. You would've used Mamma Mia. Granted, Mamma Mia also has a popular name attached to it (Abba), but if it wasn't such a smash in London, I doubt it would've done so well here. And all over the world. Mary Poppins, while technically a "British" venture is by all means a "Disney" show.
"ANY DISNEY show based on a movie with the same name is gonna do well"
Umm TARZAN???
It will loose millions in the long run.
tarzan, or any Disney venture for that matter, while possibly losing lots of money in the long run, will never lose my enduring love and undying passion :) Disney can do no wrong, IMO. no one seems to ever agree.
I didn't see Pirate Queen in chicago (um, i'm in FL. it makes things a bit complicated), however the hype has definitely been more subdued than i imagined. i personally can't stand Stephanie J, Block, so for me this show is all about Hadley Frasier, who, like Disney, can do no wrong ^_^
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
I think the term "British Blockbuster" is applied to the shoes that have the huge sets, sweeping scores, and rely on spectacle to be successful. I don't think a Disney show or Mamma Mia can be applied to that term.
It will loose millions in the long run.
CurtainPullDowner, get off of the computer and go to school.
Why does he need to go to school? This thread is a master class on how to dispense nonesense.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106061.html
I do not think they would do that.If the Grinch wants to come back they can do it an another open theater or the theater at madison square garden.
Thanks Ben, you can't make any Money making slightly above the nut.
THE PIRATE QUEEN Producers have the bucks to keep the Grinch away.
It is a business.
If DISNEY can keep that jungle bomb open ....
^I want what he's having.
I suppose there's little point in asking what a show produced by the Irish and written by Frenchmen has to do with "British Blockbusters". The assumption here is that Pirate Queen is trying to be another Les Mis or Phantom. From what I've been hearing a lot more Irish dance has been added to the show. PQ might well end up being more comparable to "Riverdance" than "Les Mis". Is the era of Riverdance over as well?
The Hilton holds the rights to bring THE GRINCH back every year for the next 20 years if they so choose. This doesn't surprise me.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
I think the point they're trying to make is that the days of the big lush, romantic shows is coming to a close. It seems now people want cheesy, light and fluffy shows. Spamalot, DRS, Legally Blonde, Spelling Bee, High Fidelity, Wedding Singer. It seems that producers and tourists are wanting things that are just simple and pure musical theater. That's not to say that the Pirate Queen won't be successfull because no one knows for sure, and I really enjoy some of the music I've heard from it, but the odds are against it. It doesn't have much buzz surrounding it. At least not as much as I would think considering it's the new show from the Les Miz/Miss Saigon team. Maybe if it were the early 90s..
Curtain-you said exactly what I was thinking in the beginning of the tread! Thank you!
If my info is correct (from several people involved in the show) the Grinch has been contracted for several years to come. It has not however chosen to take up residence in one specific theatre every year. What I have heard from the people I know involved with this show is that they will NOT be back at the Hilton next year.
And besides I BELIEVE that The Pirate Queen decided they were going to be at the Hilton long before Grinch came about. The theatre happend to be available when the show was going to go up. I could be wrong but we knew long ago (about a year ago) that PQ was taking the Hilton.
Updated On: 3/4/07 at 07:30 PM
Stand-by Joined: 1/7/07
rentboy, OR the Pirate Queen may be the show to bring back that big, glorious, 40 person cast show we've seen from Phantom, Les Mis, Saigon, and other blockbusters.....
no one knows for sure yet....this will be interesting
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