why is there so much hate for disney musicals on broadway?

[Elphie4ever]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:27am

This is was a question in my guts that I had to ask one day. So I want to know everyone's opinions why is there so much hate for disney musicals in broadway?

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:34am

Because people love to tear down something that is extremely successful. It isn't cool to like something so mainstream.

Also, many people see Disney as being one of the primary contributors to the homogenization of Times Square and Broadway. It used to have "character." Now it's a theme park.

Not saying I necessarily agree in all respects, but it definitely seems to be a popular opinion.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:34am

a lot of people feel that there are other shows that deserve to be on Broadway more than shows that Disney puts on. And a lot of people blame disney for turning Times Square into a theme park.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:39am

I thought everyone loved Disney for cleaning up Times Square and making it safe again...but that this was Disney's only contribution to Broadway. Never heard disgust about turning NYC into a theme park. It was one already. Disney may be turning BROADWAY into a theme park, but from what I hear, they made New York visitable for families.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:44am

Capn, I think Disney is either praised or condemned for cleaning up Times Square, depending on who you ask! Personally, anything that makes Broadway accessible to more people is OK in my book.

[allvocal]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:49am

I don't think Disney "cleaned up" broadway.. Rudy did.. they just taped into something that was missing... and brought spectacular in which brought kids in which brought money in.. Which is great.. But now its.. Lion Kind, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, Little Mermaid... Adults like broadway too!! ha. I think they should do what they do with movies.. produces something OTHER than childrens shows... put some money into something good and make it great.. at least thats what I think.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:57am

I don't hate Disney musicals, but I don't love them. I really like Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't excited for The Little Mermaid coming to Broadway, but I HATE Tarzan. It is a horrible production and the book is terrible. and I am not a fan of either AIDA or The Lion King (on Broadway anyway), but as stated by allvocal, adults like Broadway too! lol.

Plus, Disney pushes their shows to hard. They actually worked on Beauty and the Beast, but Tarzan is a huge mess. Even if it does recoup (which we all know it will) it will still be considered a flop. Because Disney is basically cheating. They put their own money in a show until it recoups and then they close it a few months after that.

I really wouldn't be surprised if High School Musical made it to Broadway one day. A scary thought, I know, but it is very VERY possible with it's huge fan base.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 1:01am

The majority of Broadway IS intended for an adult audience. Why can't five theatres be used for family shows? It's not like adults can't enjoy those, too.

I don't hate Disney for that. I hate Disney because they put more effort into the spectacle of their shows than the story.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 1:05am

Agreed, Capn. For me, their shows are just ok, but yet they run for years on end, and take up a theatre that could be used for another show. I know Broadway is a business, but I somewhat resent Disney for that.

[allvocal]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 1:05am

I didn't say I HATED disney.. I think you are right.. they do spend too much money on spectacular and less on story.. but isn't that because they are trying to churn out more shows to make more money to eventually take over the world?? yep. I think so. hmmm

[tazber]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 8:13am

I don't hate Disney shows. I just don't like bad shows. It has nothing to do with Disney.
I really enjoyed Lion King and Aida. And I hear Poppins is a great night of theatre.
But Tarzan was truly awful. And BATB started off good, but has gotten really stale.

People should evaluate each show individually and not lump them together under an umbrellla.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 8:17am

TARZAN will NEVER re coup.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 8:20am

Disney cleaned up 42nd Street.

Guiliani cleaned up Times Square.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 9:39am

I don't hate Disney shows. I dislike the people involved from an adminstrative and production point of view. They pay their employees nitoriusly low wages and prostitute their shows to no end. Endess publicity and huge billoards that could be put to better use (smaller shows who need the assistance). I also don't appreciate the audiences that they bring in, tourists who don't know proper theater etiqute ect. I honestly feel that all disney shows should have a pre-theater introduction on basic theater etiqute. Something like: "Hello Ladies and Gentleman welcome to Blah blah blah. In the theater we encourage you to enjoy the show but please do not shout out, talk to eachother, take pictures or eat during the performance. It is distracting to your fellow audience members and performers."

Honestly, I stay away from disney shows for that reason alone.
My experience at Poppins was something that I do not want to repeat.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 10:22am

The same reason that small business owners hate it when the Waltons decide to drop a Wal-Mart on their town.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 10:23am

In addition to the lack of manners apparently characteristic of Disney audiences, I have a fear that the dumbing down of live theater is a bad trend. If you only go to see something you have already seen, and you already know the music, and the plot line has one line completely linear, what is the likelihood that you will like Chekov or Mamet of Tennessee Williams or Sondheim or Shakespeare? Are we developing a very limited future audience for theater who expect only the most predictable musical effects? On the other hand, opera companies like NYCO and the MET seem to be trying to develop knowledgeable audiences. I don't hate Disney but I don't want them to be the conglomerate that swallowed Broadway either, with their captive TV station and unlimited advertising budget.

[lovelyspotlight]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 10:27am

I think that everybody has their own set of opinions and tastes and that we really shouldn't tell people what they should think and why they should think it. Letting your opinions be known is a different story. Just don't rub them in other peoples' faces in a rude and degrading manner.

Also, I tend to agree that bringing more people to the Broadway theatre district is a good thing. I mean, a majority of families will see more than one show on a trip to NYC. And, as I've witnessed, the second show (while the first is a Disney show) will often be a non-Disney show with which the family is experimenting. Aaand...I think that's great.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 10:37am

Eisner said that Disney did not clean up the area. The mayor did and he or Disney won't take credit for it. Probably not his exact words but he says something to that affect on the Broadway - The American Musical DVD that Disney is featured on.

[Sant]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:04pm

I don't hate Disney shows, but I don't think any of them is the best show on Broadway and never has been.

My main problem with the Disney shows I've seen (haven't seen TARZAN) is that they aim to please EVERYBODY. And usually that means a lot of compromises and that means a mediocre result. MARY POPPINS is a great example of this.

Another thing is that their main thing seem to be "let's produce a Spectacle". Like THE LION KING, there's so much visual stuff to work the "Oooh!" effect, it takes the focuss away from the main thing: the story. And if the story isn't the Most Important Thing, then why bother to produce a show in first place.

And as for the characters, stage versions don't bring anything new to them. With the exception of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST where we did get to know the Beast and the various objects a little better. But TLK and MP? Nothing new.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 12:26pm

I had my first Disney musical experience just 2 weeks ago.

I had always wanted to see a Disney musical, because they were the most popular on broadway, and they always "seemed spectacular", ... but I never had the money to pay full price so i had just never seen one.

2 weeks ago i said screw it, and we bought full price tickets to Mary Poppins. Since it was a childhood favorite, and it was disney, we expected to be wowed.

I was honestly so underwhelmed it has turned me off from seeing any additional Disney Musicals. It felt like i was watching some cheesy childrens program with alot of big special effects and lights to distract you from the fact that the story was all over the place.

maybe others feel the same? its all "flash" and no substance. thats what i felt when i left Poppins.

i cant speak for other disney musicals... i only saw poppins... but it seems that aside from Beauty and the Beast, all the other disney shows seem to be getting the same bad rap.

[stonewall2]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 1:22pm

How many of you remember what the Broadway/Times Square area had become? I remember being able to walk the area as a 12 year old kid, by myself, and be fine, and then it turned into a "theme park" alright, but NOT the kind you'd want to send a postcard from! Michael Eisner, love him or hate him (and I love WDW but am not a fan of Eisener at all) made a partnership with the City of New York, of which Rudy Guiliani just happened to be mayor of at the time- "we'll help with the money and labor to revamp theatres if the city redoes it's zoning laws and shuts down the sex industry". It worked, with a bit of pushing and pulling on either end, and today you can take your kids to the area and enjoy it at 11AM or 11PM. Eisner subsequently got the boot from Disney because his managment style no longer worked and do any of you still remember that dear old Rudy couldn't have gotten himself elected dog catcher before 9/11?
The whole clean up operation was just a case of these two guys being in the right place at the right time.
Should every Disney film be made into a Broadway show? God no, and the less said about High School Musical the better (does anyone other than me think it's weird that the two characters who "always had the leads in the school musicals" were brother and sister- a bit dicey there considering that most leads in musical are "romanticcally involved")- how did the writers MISS that? Beauty and the Beast had some nice music in it as does Poppins and Mermaid has some of the best yet, but what they do with it remains to be seen. How long do you think we'll have to wait before there is "Pirates of the Carribean- The Musical"?
-gagging-

[Parsley]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 1:27pm

I have no issue with Disney on broadway. Lightweight, mindless, camp fluff is absolutely fine and has its place along with the more cerebral productions. Disney doesn't pretend to be anything deep, so good on it - for that anyway.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 11:01pm

See, when I saw Mary Poppins (my first "real" disney experience, as I was a little too young to really appreciate BATB and Lion King when I saw them), I really, truly enjoyed it. I thought the story was well told, I liked some of the additions (Love the darker twist with Temper, Temper), and I really enjoyed myself. I'm as picky as the next person about shows I like, I try to see a bit of everything, and maybe this shoots my credibility down a bit, but I really love Mary Poppins.

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 11:16pm

anal retension?

[winston89]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 11:30pm

Uncageg, i don't believe what Eisner said for one second. If any of you pass by the new amsterdam theatre there is a store front with red paper in the door that hasw ads for all the disney shows. You know what it was before that? It was a disney store right around the opening of TLK and then before disney bought the joint it was a strip club. Disney prolly gave the landloard money to close. But, i think Rudy saw this and thought it wasn't a bad idea. keep in mind this was like 95-96 is so times square wasn't as bad as it was mid 80s. But, I do think that disney helped fund the money to clean up tims square. Keep in mind that NYc did say that the cleaning up of times square was a privetly funded project.