Was replacing 'Mary Poppins' with 'Aladdin' a good choice?

[Lovinbroadway2]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:00pm

I recently watched 'Aladdin' at the New Amsterdam theater which replaced 'Marry Poppins.' So I've been wondering if replacing Poppins with Aladdin a good choice? Is Aladdin better than Mary Poppins? Also, why do you think Disney ended Mary's run?



Updated On: 1/24/15 at 07:00 PM

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:03pm

$$$$

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:04pm

No, Poppins was a much better show than Aladdin.

[Starship]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:05pm

Mary Poppins is the second best Disney musical in my opinion (aside from Beauty and the Beast). I was very sad to see it go. Truly a magical and fantastic show.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:24pm

Nope

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:29pm

Does having an empty theater for a whole year before loading in another show count as a replacement?

[Lovinbroadway2]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:31pm

Good point, didn't think about that one.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 7:41pm

The theatre was dark for so long because they were doing renovations. They had planned to bring in Aladdin long before Poppins closed.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:08pm

I thought it was a good idea, I got to see Aladdin on Broadway last June and loved it! It's also great that MTI recently released the licensing rights to Mary Poppins, for schools/local theatres all over the country to perform!

But with that being said, is it really fair to be comparing two different shows with different intentions just because they came from the same company? One thing I will say is that unlike Mary Poppins, Aladdin was actually nominated for Best Book of a Musical.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:14pm

Their mistake was moving LION KING out which was beautiful in that space and is ugly in the Minskoff.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:27pm

I wonder which theatre Hunchback will go into

[Lovinbroadway2]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:29pm

Yeah, I also wonder what theater Frozen will go to.
Also, I wonder who'd replace James Monroe Igleheart if he leaves the show

Updated On: 11/1/14 at 08:29 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 8:30pm

^Even though that won't happen for a while, I'm guessing they'll replace Aladdin with it at New Amsterdam in like 2017-2019.

[IanMorton1]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:27pm

I think it should have taken over the Minskoff and The Lion King return at the New Amsterdam. Should it have replaced MP of course not MP was a much better show much better made and produced.

[IanMorton1]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:27pm

I think it should have taken over the Minskoff and The Lion King return at the New Amsterdam. Should it have replaced MP of course not MP was a much better show much better made and produced.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:29pm

"Yeah, I also wonder what theater Frozen will go to."

Kind of hard to predict until we lock in what year this is happening, heh.

[Fantod]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:34pm

The New Amsterdam is Disney's space for premiering new works, not keep one show there forever, so it makes sense that they would move the Lion King for Mary Poppins and close Mary Poppins for Aladdin. I think once Frozen comes along (not for a while probably) they will move Aladdin out and either transfer it or close it, but Hunchback is most definitely moving in to a different house than the New Amsterdam because Hunchback is supposed to be more intimate.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 9:56pm

"The New Amsterdam is Disney's space for premiering new works, not keep one show there forever"

People have said this on here before, but is that a new thing? It doesn't seem like they have done it in the past that much. Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher, Aida, etc., all were in other houses.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 11/1/14 at 10:18pm

Well Disney hadn't purchased The New Amsterdam when Beauty opened, but they renovated it just in time for Lion King, which was there next big thing, and the next big thing to hit the stage after that was Poppins. So I guess you could say they have reserved it for their bigger title shows. And kudos to them for that. It is a shame that they closed Poppins though. I imagine Frozen would probably play the Theatre too.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 12:32am

Lion King moving to the Minskoff was a win win situation for both Disney and Nederlander because it meant the Minskoff which had its fair share of flops would finally have a hit and for Disney they could increase the gross potential of The Lion King as the Minskoff has no balcony plus freeing the New Amsterdam for a new show

[binau]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 12:36am

Yeah, it was certainly not a 'mistake' and a part of why the Lion King is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time. However, when people say 'mistake' I think they mean they don't like it :).

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 10:13am

Though it would never happen because of the long-standing Nederlander-Disney relationship,I think Frozen would fit well into the Shubert.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:49am

You should change the thread title. Aladdin was not replaced with Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins was replaced with Aladdin.

[jm10112]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 12:51pm

I love the Minskoff. The staging is better there. But to each their own. :)

[Nateben2]

Posted: 11/2/14 at 1:12pm

Also, Mary Poppins was not solely a Disney show . . . there was a very unique relationship with Cameron Mackintosh. So, having a show the wholly produced might have been a better deal for them.