Why no Demand for Frozen? Any Thoughts ?- Page 2

[barcelona20]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 12:10pm

The answer is since the reviews were terrible, Frozen will only appeal to families with young girls.  It's not like Lion King which is an artistic masterpiece and Aladdin which has a story that reaches all ages.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 12:12pm

I’ve been consistently surprised by how many tickets are in Stubhub every day for less than face value (the lowest standard price being $99 which insulting for the terrible back rows of the St. James balcony). But as I hear more people see it, word of mouth seems terrible, and I do wonder how many parents simply can’t handle listening to those songs again so (relatively) soon. I suspect it will be just fine for a while. It’s well sold for the foreseeable future (even if scalpers were the buyers of a hefty chunk of tickets). And as noted, it will do well during family friendlier seasons. But I do suspect this isn’t going to be another Aladdin (let alone a Lion King).

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 12:24pm

I saw the show last week and there were tons of empty seats. Rows of them. Now, I equate this as likely being the scalpers who bought up seats and are having trouble unloading them. And yes this doesn’t afffecr Disney’s bottom line.

However

Scads of empty seats definitely deflates the energy in the theatre. It gives the appearance that it’s not a hot ticket or even worse that the show ‘’might’ not even be selling well. And we know the secret to being a hot ticket is to be a hot ticket. Word of mouth tends to always be better when people feel like they had seats to something others couldn’t get in to.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:18pm

Well, the terrible word-of-mouth is reaching South Florida.  Both my grown-up niece and my nephew were planning on taking their kids to see Disney's FROZEN during the upcoming holidays but now don't plan on it based on what they've heard from friends who saw the show on Broadway a few weeks ago.  One actually said the version at Walt Disney World is tons better and free with entrance to the park.  They're now planning on taking their kids to see THE CHER SHOW instead based on my sister's excitement (she exposed them to The Sonny & Cher Variety Show since they were toddlers).   

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:28pm

I wonder how many people are like me in that they're fairly curious about the show, but dread sitting in an audience with families. (Which, for better or for worse, is why I never saw Matilda.) And it's not usually the kids who are the problem — it's the parents and how they behave around their kids.

[Eliza2]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:38pm

LizzieCurry said: "I wonder how many people are like me in that they're fairly curious about the show, but dread sitting in an audience with families. (Which, for better or for worse, is why I never saw Matilda.) And it's not usually the kids who are the problem — it's the parents and how they behave around their kids."

This is definitely me. I forced myself through Aladdin because I wanted to see Jacobs and Iglehart. After that I decided no more Disney shows for me. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:41pm

Much of what I've heard about Aladdin has made me not want to see it. And most of what I've heard has been about the audience.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:44pm

It seems that this show does have a big advance but it failed to meet people's expectations (or Disney's). I wondered if Frozen simply came out too soon after the movie to play on the nostalgia factor and to give people some time to forget about it a bit and not be sick of it. I don't know how much tickets are for Frozen on Ice, but I'm sure that tour took advantage of coming to cities and towns with families built-in and willing to see the show. New York obviously is one of the biggest touring destinations in the world, but with The Lion King and Aladdin already on Broadway plus a million other things for families to do in New York, there's a whole lot of competition. Maybe that and the success of their other Frozen-related productions at their theme parks and cruise lines and merchandise gave Disney a false idea of the excitement factor of a Frozen show on Broadway.

Also, what The Lion King has going for it is that it's a sort of production whose reputation has gone beyond playing on Disney nostalgia which is why it could come out only four years after the film and be as big of a hit as it. From word-of-mouth, it seems that's something this production does not have as it looks like a pure nostalgia play off of the movie with little effort to do anything else.

Updated On: 4/18/18 at 01:44 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 1:53pm

LizzieCurry said: "I wonder how many people are like me in that they're fairly curious about the show, but dread sitting in an audience with families. (Which, for better or for worse, is why I never saw Matilda.) And it's not usually the kids who are the problem — it's the parents and how they behave around their kids."

The Sunday late show is good for cutting down on that, even moreso than weekdays, I found. Also, if you can get a good seat up close, however much nonsense is happening behind you has a lesser effect. For Frozen that is even easier with the StubHub fire sales.

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 2:41pm

LizzieCurry said: "I wonder how many people are like me in that they're fairly curious about the show, but dread sitting in an audience with families. (Which, for better or for worse, is why I never saw Matilda.) And it's not usually the kids who are the problem — it's the parents and how they behave around their kids."

I'll admit that this is frequently a consideration for my husband and me when we contemplate seeing a show. In general, kids drive us crazy and we don't enjoy being around them. However, we will not let that stop us from seeing something we're really interested in. Sometimes it's worth it (Matilda) and sometimes it's not (Anastasia).

We saw Matilda twice, and now that it's gone, I regret not having seen it once more (Bertie Carvel and Lesli Margherita alone were worth the price of admission). I often disagree with critics and we would prefer to judge Frozen for ourselves, so we have tickets for July. We also love Harry Potter, and although we're aware that there are likely to be a lot of kids there too, we're also seeing Cursed Child in July.

Updated On: 4/18/18 at 02:41 PM

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 2:44pm

maybe the bottom is finally falling out on Disney productions? And people have Frozen fatigue. Thanks to kids, the movie Frozen has played at our house no less than 475834957 times, so the idea of sitting through it on stage is utterly unappealing. I think they hit something special with The Lion King and even Beauty and Beast where it was something that hadn't really been done before and the merchandising aspect and showcasing of either those movies hadn't been worn out? With Frozen, its everywhere. 

 

Also, if Disney is going to attempt any other projects, I would just as soon see a BATB revival.

Updated On: 4/18/18 at 02:44 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 3:09pm

Thanks, haterobics! I really don't know if I'm curious enough to use Stubhub, but it's good to keep in mind.

I also think Babe_Williams is onto something. And with The Lion King, I feel like there's enough of an adult artsy take on it that might be less eyeroll-inducing when trying to determine what show to spend your money on if you're coming to town and don't care much if the show is new or not.

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 6:36pm

"Probably has to do with the show utterly blowing."

This made me laugh for two minutes straight.  Thank you, I really needed that today. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 7:03pm

The Lion King made a brilliant example of justifying why the film should be a theatre piece- meaning they took the property and turned it into a totally unique piece of THEATRE.

Frozen is essentially the theme park production but with extra padding, more tasteful costumes and less special effects. Oh and at 200 dollars a ticket. A family of four could practically fly to a Disneyland for a weekend for that.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 7:06pm

EllieRose2 said: ""Probably has to do with the show utterly blowing."

This made me laugh for two minutes straight. Thank you, I really needed that today."

Did you even see it or are you just spewing nonsense? 

[BentleyB]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 7:18pm

I saw it and didnt think it blows, I personally thought it sucked.. possibly the worst musical I have seen in 10 years.  2 friends out of 8 who saw it, had no idea what was happening because they never saw the movie..

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 7:48pm

BentleyB said: "I saw it and didnt think it blows, I personally thought it sucked.. possibly the worst musical I have seen in 10 years. 2 friends out of 8 who saw it, had no idea what was happening because they never saw the movie.."

If someone cannot follow the simplistic, straightforward plot of Frozen, they should probably take a trip to Oz to see the Wizard about a brain.

As to this production, I got one of the talked about Stub Hub tickets on the day of the performance for less than fifty bucks. The location was right at the front of the orchestra, aisle.

At that price, in that location, I found this to be utterly charming. Not sure if I would feel exactly the same had I paid two hundred bucks and had a worse location, but this is in no way the disaster that the usual suspects are trying to make it out to be. I suspect that many making venemous comments have not even seen it and are just disgruntled that Disney is taking up another Broadway house, etc. 

The performances are great, the costumes and sets look far better in person than in the photos I had seen beforehand. I could have done without the cutesy-poo Olaf puppet, but the reindeer is truly magnificent. It's all very fast moving, I guess as not to bore the toddler crowd, and I was out just after 10PM. For a fifty buck front orchestra seat, there was little not to like here. If you're paying full price and are bringing a family of five, you may just sit there with your broke pockets, quietly seething and wishing you just watched the movie again. 

[BentleyB]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 9:20pm

Matt Rogers said: "BentleyB said: "I saw it and didnt think it blows, I personally thought it sucked.. possibly the worst musical I have seen in 10 years. 2 friends out of 8 who saw it, had no idea what was happening because they never saw the movie.."

If someone cannot follow the simplistic, straightforward plot of Frozen, they should probably take a trip to Oz to see the Wizard about a brain.

As to this production, I got one of the talked about Stub Hub tickets on the day of the performance for less than fifty bucks. The location was right at the front of the orchestra,aisle.

At that price, in that location, I found this to be utterly charming. Not sure if I would feel exactly the same had I paid two hundred bucks and had a worse location, but this is in no way the disaster that the usual suspects are trying to make it out to be. I suspect that many making venemous comments have not even seen it and are just disgruntled that Disney is taking up another Broadway house, etc.

The performances are great, the costumes and sets look far better in person than in the photos I had seen beforehand. I could have done without the cutesy-poo Olaf puppet, but the reindeer is truly magnificent. It's all very fast moving, I guess as not to bore the toddler crowd, and I was out just after 10PM. For a fifty buck front orchestra seat, there was little not to like here. If you're paying full price and are bringing a family of five, you may just sit there with your broke pockets, quietly seething and wishing you just watched the movie again."

Your “wonderful”comment about my brainless friends who are a pharmacist and a cardiologist, are exactly why I generally Don’t comment on these boards. 7 out of the 8 people I paid almost $2000 to see this hated it. The child of 8 who fell asleep for 30 minutes liked it. So we “stupid” people will let you love a show intended to rake in mommy and daddy dollars, while in reality it will win no awards and go down as the “Tarzan” of this decade. 

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 10:35pm

I sure did Matt!  And just like that wonderful poster who made me laugh said "IT BLOWS".  It's interesting to think that someone would comment on a show they HAVE NOT seen.  I certainly wouldn't.  To each their own I guess.

[Fanboy99]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 2:22am

LizzieCurry said: "Much of what I've heard about Aladdin has made me not want to see it. And most of what I've heard has been about the audience."

Aladdin and Frozen had the worst audiences. I saw frozen last week thanks to the cheap tickets on stubhub and this grown woman behind me WAS SINGLING ALONG TO THE SONG!!!! Hell she was finishing lines from the movie. A GROWN WOMAN!!!! Not a child. It was so annoying. I had to resist every urge to tell her to shut up.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 7:16am

1. You have no idea where she boug her ticket. And what kind of judgemental nonsense is that? Only those that ate willing to pay fill price have the right to sit near you in the theater?

2. Ever think she may have been developmentally delayed in some way? Or unawares she was doing it?

3. Why DIDN'T you say something? She likely wouldn't have continued. My teenage son shushed the chatty women behind us just yesterday, no big deal to remind people that others can hear them.

Posted: 4/19/18 at 8:19am

probably because it's a multi million dollar piece of mediocrity? 

[Geralt of Rivia]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:04am

Its best show with Hamilton and wicked.

There is no demand? umm..its selling amazingly.

https://broadway.news/2018/04/18/how-frozen-on-broadway-is-capitalizing-on-its-popular-appeal/

 

 

"Though “Frozen” received mixed reviews from critics, the show has maintained a popular resonance that translated into a record-breaking advance of $62.65 million as of opening night and millions of views to its videos on social media. The goal is to lean into that appeal and convert those online consumers into ticket buyers for shows in 2019, thus setting up “Frozen” for a long run.

The show’s sales numbers, which were viewed by Broadway News, top the reported advance of “Hello, Dolly!”, with sales of more than $40 million before its first performance, and that of “Hamilton,” which was reported to have $32 million. "

" However, based on anecdotal evidence — Disney has just begun surveying the audience — weeknights at “Frozen” are in line with the overall attendance at “Lion King” and “Aladdin,” where less than 10% of the house is made up of children ages 12 and under. "

Considering that it has same amount of young people, as old brands like LK and Alladin, this is a good sign for the future. They get fresh audience when they grow up, giving it good legs.

 

Empty seats are on everyshow. If you get sick, then its hard to sit on long show.

 

There was also a "bug" in the online ticket sale in the frozen broadway site, as when i watched tickets on before end of the last year, it put me directly on september, even though there was plenty of free tickets on early shows. Probably many people, including me thought that most of the shows before september were sold out. Now its shows nicely.

 

One reason why resellers cant sell the tickets are that there is already really popular hyperion/frozen ice show etc, so if you sell them at too high price, then people will go see those instead. So shady resellers cant really capitalise the fandom at all.

[robskynyc]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 9:56am

Fanboy99 said: "this grown woman behind me WAS SINGLING ALONG TO THE SONG!!!! Hell she was finishing lines from the movie. A GROWN WOMAN!!!! Not a child. It was so annoying. I had to resist every urge to tell her to shut up."

 

why resist? I have no shame to tell them to shut up. I'll say something along the lines of: "can you shut up? this isn't karaoke. I paid to hear the actors sing, not you."

 

[B.JAMES]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 10:19am

Everyone is pissed about the ice castle.