Wicked to lauch second tour.- Page 2

[Toddlin2]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 8:30pm

The Chicago production was never a tour company. It was created as a Chicago company at a cost of $10 million by the original creative team. What happens to it if and when it closes no one knows.

[musicandtemiror]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 8:36pm

"I think it's mainly the proscenium and the dragon that are smaller."

What is the proscenium? (sorry for sounding stupid)

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 8:39pm

A Proscenium theater is a theater space whose primary feature is a large archway (the proscenium arch) at or near the front of the stage, through which the audience views the play. The audience directly faces the stage, which is typically raised several feet above front row audience level. The main stage is the space behind the proscenium arch, often marked by a curtain which can be lowered or drawn closed

[musicandtemiror]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 8:40pm

okay
thanks!!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 8:44pm

The proscenium and the dragon are not smaller in Chicago. The headers for all the shows are about the same size. I know the dragon at least is the exact same size. There is dressing off to the sides that is not there in Chicago.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 9:01pm

I thought that the LA production was also another one that was created by the creative team and not a branch off of any of the tours.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 9:23pm

My dad said he's heard rumors Nashville will be on the list. They find out tomorrow ~ he and Mom are ushering the big reveal of the season.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 9:30pm

And the big revival of the season would be...?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 9:32pm

Reveal. Not revival. Revealing of the Broadway tour season in Nashville. (I checked and the spelling was correct the first time.)

[winston89]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 10:09pm

Your right, I just misread it.

[skb2010]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 10:14pm

"this is awesome news, but the chicago production really shouldn't close. it's doing great here, and it's really helped the city's theatre business grow. the cast is amazing, too."

Agreed. It was the first professional show I ever saw (twice) and I would see it again too.

(I live near Rockford, so I go to Chicago alot)

[lakezurich]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 10:37pm

I have mixed feelings about this. I love the Chicago sit-down here in Chicago. We have always had an awesome cast, and it has brought much attention to our theatre district. But It would be nice if something would close so we could get more shows, because the three theatres Broadway In Chicago has exclusive rights to will be taken up by sit-downs of Wicked, Jersey Boys, and Marry Poppins. And all of the other theatres that BIC leases are really not that great, ith the exception of the Drury Lane.

[rewritemystory]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 11:04pm

I love the Chicago production, but I think it has a great possibility of closing in 2009. But be thankful: it was originally scheduled to close in 2007 or 2008, being a limited engagement. It extended, of course.
The show has really made a huge difference in Chicago theater. It's been huge in reviving the tourism to Broadway theater in Chicago.
So LA is possibly moving to San Francisco, Chicago is possibly closing, a second tour is opening, and there are possible international productions in Amsterdam and Seoul.



Edit: Chicago was never a "tour." It was a sit down, intended to run for 2+ years.
Updated On: 3/31/08 at 11:04 PM

[rewritemystory]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 11:07pm

On second thought, where was this rumor heard?
I can find no other source, other than what might have been heard from a cast member, and that's only from here.
There have been slews of rumors from cast members that have turned out to be incorrect or outdated.

It is very possible, of course.

[skb2010]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 11:11pm

Drury Lane is quite nice. I saw Spelling Bee there, and it was fantastic. It was just right for the show too.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 11:11pm

On second thought, where was this rumor heard?

You actually expect phantomo88 to cite his sources?!

[BroadwaynSeventh2]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 11:29pm

I don't know if this helps but...

The chicago set itself was on tour. It started in Toronto and then they moved it down to chicago. After the Chicago tour dates were finish, they left the set there and got a new one.

The set itself is smaller than the one that the Gershwin. I remember seeing and interveiw with Megan when she started the tour and she was like "tiny wicked." Plus the stages the show has to play on are not NEAR as big as the Gershwin

[cello_dude]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 2:03am

Ok, I work for Wicked in Chicago so I'll try and help the best I can.
So far as we know there is still no closing date. The theatre has been leased until January 9th so far. By November or December we should have an answer however, the show has been picking up recently (the last few weeks have been 100% capacity) so I think it is likely to renew its lease.

The set is slightly different (not smaller) but different. We do have a smaller dragon that is 80% the size of broadway's. The dragon was put in after the first one kept dropping its claws and horns into the pit. There are only 2 pillars with gears (instead of 4 on broadway) and the staircase at the end of act 2 comes of of stage left not stage right. The broom floats on a wire to elphaba during "defying gravity." And when elphaba yells to Dorothy in act 2. She yells through a trap door down stage left (not into the wings).
Updated On: 4/1/08 at 02:03 AM

[EvanK]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 2:20am

Every company besides broadway uses broom on wires, aswell, every company shouts in to trap door now.

[cello_dude]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 2:23am

Thanks, I wasn't sure about the trap door thing since I haven't seen it on broadway since they made the changes

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 2:55am

Sit-down can become a tour, can't they? The 1NT of Phantom, Les Mis, etc played at major cities for a couple of years until the business slowed down and then moved to another city.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:46am

"The Chicago production was never a tour company. It was created as a Chicago company at a cost of $10 million by the original creative team. What happens to it if and when it closes no one knows."

The physical production WAS part of the tour, and its first siz weeks in Chicago WAS the National tour. The Chicago cast started after the touring cast left. The physical design is slightly smaller, especially the the false proscenium. (I am not talking about the width, which is smaller than on Broadway). On Broadway, the set extends into the house (the side stairs. It doesn't in Chicago. The "gears" are also bigger on Broadway. As for costumes, When I saw the Chicago production, they looked pretty much the same as the Broadway production.

As for it closing in January 2009, that came from David Stone himself. That doesn't mean it won't extend again. However, once the show closes it will tour.

"Sit-down can become a tour, can't they? The 1NT of Phantom, Les Mis, etc played at major cities for a couple of years until the business slowed down and then moved to another city."

Generally, but Phantom didn't. The Phantom L.A. production was never a tour (it was designated 1st National Company). After it played L.A. it moved to San Francisco, and when it closed there it was done.

The Second National Company (which was the first national tour) opened in Chicago for about a year and then toured the country, playing several month long engagements.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 12:08pm

Everything about the Chicago dragon is the same as the one in the Gershwin except that the smallest neck ring is gone. This is due to the support struts for the pulleys being shorter due to weight requirements. The only way the Chicago dragon is different is it doesn't stick out as far (by about 20 inches).

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 12:25pm

"Everything about the Chicago dragon is the same as the one in the Gershwin except that the smallest neck ring is gone."

I haven't seen the show in Chicago for about a year, but the wings were definitely smaller than on Broadway.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 12:43pm

Fosse, trust me they are not. We used the exact same pattern on both.