Will Pocahontas ever become a broadway musical?- Page 2

[Craig]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:00pm

You can put Disney above the title of a lackluster production like TARZAN and it will still make money. Then, you can try to put 35 names above critically celebrated productions like SPRING AWAKENING or GREY GARDENS and still lose money each week.

You might be mistaking the length of a run vs. making money. I don't believe Tarzan has turned a profit yet. Time will tell. The only thing that can't be argued is that Disney has deeper pockets than most - which allows them a huge marketing advantage.

Just putting the Disney name over any musical isn't going to make it a success. If it were that simple, they'd be putting money into any and every show they could.

While you may or may not agree with the projects they've chosen. I do believe they were, indeed chosen, for their appeal and popularity.

Also, considering that they are one of the "big" players in the entertainment industry - they have far more to lose - specifically because of perceptions, etc.

It's all relative. Tarzan not being as well received in the industry as say, Lion King, means that people are more apt to have your viewpoint with their next endeavor. Even with success in the West End with Mary Poppins - do you not think there was more concern over the opening of that show as compared to the show that followed The Lion King?

In many instances, no matter WHO or WHAT you are - you're only as good as your last show.

So going back to your point. Disney could definitely keep Grey Gardens or Spring Awakening open longer and marketing them up the ying yang - but ultimately, if no one is going or the show isn't worthy - it's not going to make money.

Like it or hate it - Disney properties have worldwide recognition. And that, is just never going to change.

[AshleyBrownFan123]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:06pm

I love Pocahontas, but it may be too expensive.

Who would play Pocahontas? Judy Kuhn?

[AshleyBrownFan123]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:06pm

I love Pocahontas, but it may be too expensive.

Who would play Pocahontas? Judy Kuhn?

[ggersten]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:10pm

At a press conference, Mel Gibson was asked about the historical inaccuracies in the film to which he replied "There's a talking tree in the movie."

Besides, few seemed bothered by "inaccuracies" in other Disney works - Little Mermaid's ending is, oh, just slightly different from the original story. When someone asked me how "accurate" Hercules was, I said "There's this guy. He's the son of Zeus. And he's really strong. Other than that, not accurate" and I love Disney's Hercules.

Gypsy is not historically accurate either. And it concerns real people. Ragtime has historical references, but of course is not history. Meanwhile, people think Mame Dennis really existed.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:15pm

Oh, please! Have they passed a law that says every Disney movie with music has to be made into a musical on Broadway? Are people now afraid to go and see something they haven't already committed to memory?

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 1:29pm

WHO THE HELL CARES IF THERE WAS A REAL ROMANCE BETWEEN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS!?!!?!??!?! Gosh can't you get it through your narrow-minded head! Disney was telling a love STORY (got that word, STORY!) and they never said it was historically accurate! They did not say it was historically innaccurate, either, but they said it was a legend. OK, so for the last time, the film is fiction, it was meant to be fiction, and it was made to entertain, NOT to teach history! phew. end of rant. ; )

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 2:02pm

Incidentally, Disney was developing AIDA as an animation project years before they gave up on it and gave it to Elton John to ruin.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 2:03pm

Craig: Thank you for your intelligence and wisdom. It is people like you that make this board thrive and make me want to come back.

Lizzy: Take a pill.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 2:09pm

I love this board because there is room for Craigs and Lizzys. Hooray for reason and passion!

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 2:17pm

Pochahantas would need major reworking... I'ts quite honestly (besides the awful historical innacuracies) disney's shlockiest film of that "Second Golden Age of Animation". Even Alan Menken fails to provide an incredibly stimulating score along the lines of Beauty & The Beast or Hunchback of Notre Dame (which was flawed, but had enough moments of genius in the orchestration to counteract it)

No, Disney should revive King David or Der Glockner in English if they want to do another "Menken Spectacular" for the stage.

[Duckie93]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 3:39pm

wow i was just think=ing about that when we were learnig the colonines (sp?)

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 3:45pm

Yeah, what Keen on Kean wrote. Both ends of the spectrum. Sometimes I feel like I'm at the dinner table back home, bickering with my brothers and sisters. I gotta love 'em because they're family. I gotta love you people because we all love theatre. Great conversation, like great art, often emerges from controversy (except when it's been scripted by David Hare and is spoken by Julianne Moore).

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 4:47pm

"At a press conference, Mel Gibson was asked about the historical inaccuracies in the film to which he replied 'There's a talking tree in the movie.'"

Then again, Mel Gibson has never been a stickler for historical accuracies (e.g. BRAVEHEART).

"Even Alan Menken fails to provide an incredibly stimulating score along the lines of Beauty & The Beast or Hunchback of Notre Dame"

I love POCAHONTAS' score.

Updated On: 12/27/06 at 04:47 PM

[popculture37]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 6:41pm

I think that the historical inaccuracies in Pocahontas are at least partially counterbalanced by the fact that they didn't "happify" the ending, as usually happens in Disney films. The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, for instance, while they are beautiful movies, completely ignored the original tragic endings of the stories on which they are based in order to please audiences. (Well, I guess H of ND isn't completely happy, but its a lot less tragic than the novel.) Pocahontas at least trusted in the maturity of its audience enough to refrain from having Pocahontas marry John Smith, which would have been a real travesty.
Disney doesn't need another Broadway show now, especially with The Little Mermaid coming up in the future. Maybe in ten years when their current shows have (hopefully) closed, there will be room for Pocahontas. I think that it had a gorgeous score, and it did win two Oscars for its music.

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 7:15pm

On the Special Edition DVD they have a gorgeous new song called "If I Never Knew You". It is so beautiful, I was crying! If they had put the song originally into the film it would have done a lot better.

[Craig]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 7:17pm

It is in the original - over the credits.

[JemimaPearl]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 7:17pm

Although I wish it would come to Broadway, I can't see that happening too soon. The plot of Aida is very similar to that of Pocahontas, and Aida closed only two years ago, and is still touring.

Updated On: 12/27/06 at 07:17 PM

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 7:50pm

The girl who played Pocahontas at Animal Kingdom was so friggin' hot. Don't know her name though, but sooooooooooo beautiful with an amazing voice.

[BobPopa]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 8:45pm

Those who think because of Disney it's harder to get edgier stuff on Broadway are grossly misinformed. There will always be room for all types of shows, as there has been since the NY Theatre Scene began.

With 4 Shows running now its seems like a lot of space, however those 4 shows have opened over the last 13 years, What should they do Close B & B because its still making money.

What it mostly comes down to is what it always does with the Disney Corporation..jealousy of their success.

To the poster that mentioned Disney taking up 4 Theatres, well I do believe they bought the New Amsterdam so they can put whatever the feel like there. The Minskoff is hard theatre to be successful in because of its size, so no "edgy" show is going to take the risk and book the Minskoff

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 8:52pm

In my opinion, the should close down LION KING. They even moved it to a different theater for MARY POPPINS! I think if POCAHONTAS: THE MUSICAL! should be on B'Way, it should be at the Minskoff Theatre!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:10pm

When THE LITTLE MERMAID premieres, it might be at a different theatre and 5 Disney productions would be on B'Way, or it might probably knock out BEAUTY & THE BEAST or THE LION KING. So I guess that POCAHONTAS would be somewhere else if it were on B'Way.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:11pm

I hope NOT- Dont we have enough of Disney's Musical ?

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:14pm

I want that chick's number!

[D2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:26pm

"Heather Headley won a Tony"

Yes, and then split from Broadway, referring to her two hits as "a lovely detour."

[musicalkid]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:43pm

isn't the "hot chick" who played pocahontas on disneyworld (or whatever) Eden Espinosa? (check Y**Tube... i think it's there)