Which Cast Recording Would You Want Most?
If you could win any original Broadway cast recording, which one would you want most?
That was essentially the question I posed via
Twitter and
Facebook over the past week in my latest SOB Contest. Since I have been feeling very much in the holiday spirit, I decided that my gift to some of my lucky followers would be the cast recording of their choice. I then drew the names of five lucky winners.
Congratulations to the following winners:
- Lynn Gaillard (Carrollton, TX), who wanted and won [title of show] cast recording.
- Jonathon Hunter (Akron, OH), who wanted and won Monty Python's Spamalot cast recording.
- Jayson Kerr (New York, NY), who wanted and won The Scottsboro Boys cast recording.
- Evelyn Sam (Briarwood, NY), who wanted and won The Lion King cast recording.
- Alex Wolfe (Blue Bell, PA), who wanted and won The Scottsboro Boys cast recording.
To each of these winners, as well as to all followers, let me express my deepest appreciation for following Steve On Broadway (SOB)! To the winners, please note that once I have the cast recordings of your choice in hand, I will ship them out immediately, just in time for the holidays!
So, dear readers, if you had to choose any cast recording you just have to have in your collection, which would it be? Would it be one that is already in your possession? Would it be one you have been saving up to buy? Or would it be for a rarity that is just impossible to get? I'll be curious to hear what your selection would be.
In keeping with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. In fact, I have even sprung for each of the cast recordings so that five lucky readers could enjoy listening to the ones they wanted most. Labels: [title of show], Broadway, Monty Python's Spamalot, Original Cast Recording, The Lion King, The Scottsboro Boys, The SOB Contest
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending August 1, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending August 1, 2010:
5:05 pm August 2 - Broadway box office down slightly last week, grossing $20,117,169 or off almost $600,000 (2.92%)
5:06 pm August 2 - Broadway capacity down .79% to 83.23% (223,541 seats sold out of 265,788)
5:07 pm August 2 - Broadway's average ticket price last week was $86.92 compared with $87.85 one week earlier
5:08 pm August 2 - 7 shows grossed $1 million+ each last week: WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS, M POPPINS, PROMISESx2, B ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS
5:09 pm August 2 - Sold-out WICKED remains top grossing show on Broadway earning $1,720,540 last week. Average ticket price: $118.89
5:10 pm August 2 - Last week's #2 show LION KING had week's highest average ticket price: $122.44. Grossed $1,643,193 on 100% capacity
5:11 pm August 2 - WICKED and LION KING also tie for week's highest capacity at 100% each
5:12 pm August 2 - Other shows with 90% capacity or more: BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS, JERSEY BOYS, PROMISESx2, MAMMA MIA! S PACIFIC, POTO
5:13 pm August 2 - Last week, RACE had Broadway's lowest gross $232,129 and lowest capacity 42.7%. Average ticket price: $64.19
5:14 pm August 2 - NEXT TO NORMAL had week's lowest average ticket price: $60.47. Grossed only $285,890 but on 76.6% capacity.
5:15 pm August 2 - Broadway's lowest grossing shows were RACE, NEXT TO NORMAL, LEND ME A TENOR, LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC & MILLION $ QUARTET
5:16 pm August 2 - Broadway's lowest capacity shows were RACE, COME FLY AWAY and MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, all under 60%
5:17 pm August 2 - Biggest capacity increase of week was for LA CAGE, up 8.3% to 83.2%. Grossed $660,053. Average ticket price: $93.82
5:18 pm August 2 - Biggest capacity decrease of week was HARRY CONNICK, JR. who added 2 shows late. Down 14.4% to 85.7%. Gross: $723,455
5:20 pm August 2 - While A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC only grossed $430,467 due to critics coming back to review, capacity was up to 88.1%
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending July 18, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending July 18, 2010:
3:45 pm July 19 - Broadway box office increased by nearly $1 million last week over previous week to $20,126,661
3:46 pm July 19 - Broadway capacity increased 3.55% to 83.05% last week. 221,227 seats sold out of 264,344. Average ticket price: $88.55
3:47 pm July 19 - Sold-out WICKED edges LION KING out by $57,000 as top grossing Broadway show of week
3:48 pm July 19 - WICKED grosses $1,681,570 on Broadway last week. Average ticket price: $116.19. 100% capacity.
3:49 pm July 19 - THE LION KING at #2 grosses $1,624,092 last week. Has week's top capacity at 100.1%. Average ticket price: $120.96
3:50 pm July 19 - HARRY CONNICK JR: week's highest average ticket price on Broadway at $131.51. 4 shows gross $757,620. 99.7% capacity
3:51 pm July 19 - Underperforming RACE has week's dubious distinction: Bottom trifecta. Gross: $240,329/Av tix priced $63.13/Capacity 45%
3:52 pm July 19 - ROCK OF AGES picks up largest capacity gain with 7.9% to 81.1%. Grosses $530,383 with average ticket price of $81.99
3:53 pm July 19 - After hiatus, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC posts largest capacity drop: 17.2% to 80.6%. Grosses $501,212. Av tix priced $83.48
3:54 pm July 19 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISESx2, MARY POPPPINS, BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS each gross $1 million+ last week
3:55 pm July 19 - Shows grossing under $500,000 last week: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, NEXT TO NORMAL, LEND ME A TENOR, RACE
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Harry Connick Jr., Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending July 11, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending July 11, 2010:
3:07 pm July 12 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, FENCES, PROMISES PROMISES, BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS each have $1 million+ box office
3:08 pm July 12 - Sold-out WICKED was last week's top grosser by thin margin of just $16,000 over LION KING on Broadway
3:09 pm July 12 - WICKED grossed $1,650,562 on Broadway last week, playing to 100% capacity. Average ticket price: $114.05
3:10 pm July 12 - THE LION KING grossed $1,634,367 on Broadway last week, playing to 100.1% capacity. Average ticket price: $121.74
3:11 pm July 12 - Last week's highest capacity(101.5%) & av ticket price($134.20) belongs to FENCES, week's top grossing play: $1,175,626
3:12 pm July 12 - RACE last week's lowest grossing show $248,053.Av tix priced $65.94. Capacity just 44.4% Will closing notice be posted?
3:13 pm July 12 - COME FLY AWAY had last week's lowest capacity at just 40.4%. Grossing $488,217. Av tix price still sky high at $93.76
3:14 pm July 12 - Just closed EVERYDAY RAPTURE had week's lowest average ticket price of $51.44. Grossed $253,560 on 83.3% capacity
3:15 pm July 12 - EVERYDAY RAPTURE also posted week's biggest capacity gain of 10.1% to 83.3%. Grosses up $83,000 week over week
3:17 pm July 12 - Week's biggest capacity drop was LEND ME A TENOR losing 14.6% capacity to 59.4%. Grossed $333,346 last week.
3:18 pm July 12 - Tony-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS doing respectable box office. Grossed $890,626 last week playing to 88.9% capacity
3:19 pm July 12 - Overall, Broadway grosses up nearly $700,000 from last week to $19,380,905, yet audience was down .44% to 79.8%
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Come Fly Away, Everyday Rapture, Fences, Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending May 31, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway. Because of the Memorial Day holiday, we had to wait until today to get our fix.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending May 31, 2010:
3:26 pm June 2 - Last week's Broadway box office was down 2.17% from last week. Total gross was $22,320,549. Average tix priced $80.51
3:27 pm June 2 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, BILLY ELLIOT,PROMISES PROMISES, JERSEY BOYS, FENCES each gross $1 million+ last week
3:28 pm June 2 - Sold-out WICKED Broadway's top grossing show last week pulling in $1,570,390. Average ticket priced $108.51
3:29 pm June 2 - With week's highest capacity (101.6%) FENCES gains momentum as top grossing play $1,002,741.Average tix priced $114.32
3:30 pm June 2 - A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC boasts last week's highest average ticket price of $115.52. Grosses $795,273 on 92.4% capacity
3:31 pm June 2 - COLLECTED STORIES had 2 of bottom 3.Lowest grossing show of week $134,885/lowest av tix priced $42.18. 61.5% capacity
3:32 pm June 2 - RACE had week's lowest capacity at just 48.7% down 4.3% from last week. Grossed $308,931. Average ticket price $74.89
3:34 pm June 2 - It must be tourist season, as PHANTOM OF THE OPERA had week's top capacity increase of 81.% to 94.3%. Grosses $923,158
3:37 pm June 2 - COME FLY AWAY had week's largest capacity drop: 11.7% to 57.4%.Grossed $713,653 with av tix priced $96.44
3:39 pm June 2 - ADDAMS FAMILY still strong with steady box office gross of $1,307,046. Average ticket price $112.52 w/ 95.6% capacity
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Little Night Music, average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Come Fly Away, Earnings, Fences, Promises Promises, The Addams Family, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending May 23, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending May 23, 2010:
4:40 pm May 23rd - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISES PROMISES, BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS all have million $ weeks on Broadway
4:41 pm May 23rd - Sold-out WICKED is once again Broadway's top grossing show last week with $1,576,010. Average ticket price is $108.90
4:43 pm May 23rd - FENCES once again Broadway's top grossing play w/$985,577. Also week's highest capacity: 101.7%. Av tix priced $112.30
4:44 pm May 23rd - Week's highest average ticket price: $115.67 for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Show grossed $751,745 on just 87.3% capacity
4:46 pm May 23rd - NEXT FALL was Broadway's lowest grossing show last week: $150,982. Capacity just 54.3%. Average ticket price: $59.05
4:47 pm May 23rd - HAIR had Broadway's lowest capacity last week: 51%. Grossed $407,172 with average ticket price of $70.71
4:49 pm May 23rdh - Broadway's cheapest ticket last week was COLLECTED STORIES' $45.79. Grossed only $156,680 on 65.8% capacity.
4:50 pm May 23rd - Snap! ADDAMS FAMILY gets last laugh as box office increases to $1,312,216 gross. Av tix priced $109.79/98.4% capacity
4:53 pm May 23rd - CHICAGO has Broadway's biggest capacity increase of week: 13.5% to 89%. Grosses $597,460. Average ticket price: $77.72
4:55 pm May 23rd - HAIR has Broadway's biggest capacity decline last week of 10% to 51%. But gross increases from $401,681 to $407,172
4:57 pm May 23rd - With several weak weeks in a row, could HAIR be showing danger signs exhibited by most Broadway fare before they announce closings?
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Little Night Music, average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Earnings, Fences, Million Dollar Quartet, Promises Promises, The Addams Family, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending May 16, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending May 16, 2010:
3:40 pm May 16th - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISES PROMISES, BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS all earned $1 million+ last week
3:41 pm May 16th - Sold-out WICKED was Broadway's top earning show last week again with $1,549,754 and average ticket price of $107.09
3:42 pm May 16th - FENCES swung for second $1 million week and missed by a hair. Show still top earning Broadway play with $992,252
3:43 pm May 16th - FENCES attracted week's highest capacity on Broadway of 101.7% with average tickets selling for $113.01
3:45 pm May 16th - Broadway's top average ticket price last week was for LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC: $115.37.Show earned $821,698. 95.6% capacity
3:47 pm May 16th - Broadway's lowest earner last week was NEXT FALL: taking in just $152,021. Capacity at 52.8%. Av tix priced: $61.10
3:49 pm May 16th - GOD OF CARNAGE had last week's lowest capacity of just 51.9%. Show earned $292,793 with average tickets priced $65.37
3:50 pm May 16th - EVERYDAY RAPTURE may have had last week's lowest average ticket price-$49.19-but earned $206,516 on 70.9% capacity
3:52 pm May 16th - MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET looks almost like 1/2 million w/ week's top capacity increase of 8.3% to 57.7%. Earned $462,545
3:54 pm May 16th - HAIR had week's biggest capacity drop of 6.9% to 61%. Earned $401,681, which was up from last week.
3:55 pm May 16th - Despite critics, ADDAMS FAMILY & PROMISES PROMISES improve at box office by $20K and $43K respectively.
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Little Night Music, average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Earnings, Fences, Million Dollar Quartet, Promises Promises, The Addams Family, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending May 9, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
This week, I'm pleased to provide each tweet I posted today for your viewing pleasure in chronological order for the
week ending May 9, 2010:
4:10 pm May 10th - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISESx2, BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS, FENCES all have million $ weeks on Broadway
4:11 pm May 10th - At 98.8% capacity, WICKED last week's top Broadway show earning $1,529,199 Average tickets priced $106.94
4:12 pm May 10thWith week's highest capacity (101.7%), FENCES is week's top grossing play earning $1,008,104. Av tix priced $114.87
4:14 pm May 10th - A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC had week's highest average ticket price at $115.03. Earned $800,356 on 93.4% capacity
4:16 pm May 10th - Despite Tony nod for Best Play, NEXT FALL was week's lowest earner at $132,749 on 55% capacity. Av tix priced $51.20
4:17 pm May 10th via - EVERYDAY RAPTURE had week's lowest average ticket price: $42.33. Earned $187,862 on 75.0% capacity
4:18 pm May 10th - Last year's Best Play GOD OF CARNAGE had week's lowest capacity of 44.5%. Earned $260,819. Av tix priced $67.92
4:21 pm May 10th - 2009 Best Musical Revival HAIR had biggest capacity increase of 24.7% to 67.9%. Earned $388,662. Av tix priced $50.64
4:22 pm May 10th - COLLECTED STORIES had week's biggest capacity drop of 15.7% to 57.5%. Earned $148,166. Av tix priced $49.54
4:24 pm May 10th - FELA! and RED Tony nominations helped push capacity up for both shows: 22.3% and 12.4%, respectively
4:32 pm May 10th - Last week's top-earning play, Broadway revival of FENCES set Cort Theatre box office record
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Earnings, Fences, The Lion King, Wicked
Passing Strange Jersey Boys And Rock 'N' Roll: Downbeat Box OfficeLast week was pretty good for Broadway box office business. With Valentine's Day, Presidents Day weekend and decent temperatures, all but three shows enjoyed a
bump up in business week over week.
The week's top show both in terms of gross and capacity was
Wicked, which has now been on the Great White Way for nearly four and a half years. The tuner took in $1,363,888 and had a capacity of 98.2%.
Second place for both important categories was
The Lion King -- now in the 11th year of its box office reign; the musical earned $1,168,780 and played to a capacity of 98.1%.
The only three shows over the past week to see declines in capacity all have rock and roll themes.
First, with a decline of just 1.3% week over week was Broadway's former #1 in capacity --
Jersey Boys, the musical about
Frankie Valli and the
Four Seasons -- which still earned a very respectable $1,136,337 with capacity of 96.6%.
Second, with a decline of 4.3% was
Rock 'N' Roll. The show just never quite clicked on this side of the Atlantic.
Tom Stoppard's play attracted a capacity of just 49.7% and earned $284,190.
Finally,
Passing Strange, the stage musical based on the formative years of real-life musician
Stew, saw a capacity decrease of 7.1% to 32.1% while taking in a mere $101,496. But expect this show to see a significant spike in business once reviews come in after the show opens in a week.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Jersey Boys, Passing Strange, Rock 'n' Roll, The Lion King, Wicked
The Lion King (The SOB Revisit) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
***1/2 (out of ****)A not so funny thing happened on the way to Broadway’s 10th anniversary gala celebration for Disney's
The Lion King. It didn’t happen due to the stagehands strike.
In fact, over the past week,
the only places in the United States to catch the anniversary engagement and spirit of this long running hit have been in
Honolulu and
Minneapolis.
Since Hawaii is just a little too far out of reach for me, I took in the touring production playing Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre -- the very same venue that hosted the world premiere for
The Lion King’s 1997 Broadway tryout. With the Minnesota tour stop timed to dovetail with the 10th anniversary hubbub on the Great White Way, Twin Cities audiences are the first to experience
The Lion King tour for the third time.
Since its Broadway opening on November 13, 1997, it’s estimated that some 45 million people around the globe have experienced the magic of
The Lion King. Overall, the show has grossed over $3 billion worldwide -- certainly more than any film can boast.
On the Great White Way, it has been among the top five selling shows during each of the past ten years, first at the
New Amsterdam Theatre and now since June of last year at the
Minskoff. In addition to selling out Broadway and the two North American touring productions,
The Lion King is currently wowing audiences in
London’s West End, Hamburg (where the German language version is called
Der König der Löwen), Paris (which opened just last month as
Le Roi Lion),
Tokyo and even
Johannesburg, South Africa where it received an enthusiastic homecoming celebration of sorts when it opened there this past June.
So, ten years after debuting on Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre stage, how does
The Lion King hold up? Extremely well.
To say the stars aligned for Disney on this magical spectacle would be a gross understatement when you behold each of the gorgeous design elements --
Richard Hudson’s glorious sets,
Julie Taymor’s breathtakingly inspired animal costumes that are topped to perfection with masks she designed with
Michael Curry,
Donald Holder’s lighting and
Steve Canyon Kennedy’s sound for the road (
Tony Meola holds the honors for the Broadway stage). It remains an incredibly jawdropping harmonic convergence of the first order. In fact, the initial soaring ten minutes continue to be some of the most spellbinding live theatre moments for the sights and senses I've ever experienced.
Then when you layer on
Garth Fagan’s mesmerizing myriad choreographic stylings that are as individual as each audience member, along with Taymor’s truly inventive and downright courageous choices as director, you wind up with one exhilarating production.
The fact that the touring production holds up nearly as wonderfully and solidly as the Broadway original is a testament to Taymor and company’s genius and vision. They have constructed live theatre for the ages and all ages.
However, and this may sound like I’m quibbling, but had I never previously seen
The Lion King -- and I have seen it twice on Broadway -- I may not have paid as much attention to some of the weaker spots in
Roger Allers and
Irene Mecchi’s book, most notably in the first act, which doesn’t grab and enthrall quite the way it did when I first saw the show.
Perhaps it may have more to do with the young actor portraying Young Simba during my performance. He didn’t seem to be quite as in sync as he could have been. In fact, it wasn’t until
Andre Jackson appeared as the older Simba that the story of the formerly lost lion cub turned king really took off. While a veteran of
The Lion King, Jackson just recently assumed the mantle of the role and offers a commanding presence.
In this touring production, there were many other stellar performances, including those by Timothy Carter as a deliciously evil Scar (with his menacing snears, this Shakespearean actor, could very well be a natural someday as Dr. Frank ‘n’ Furter), Phindile Mkhize as an appropriately rambunctious Rafiki (haling from South Africa herself, Mkhize captivates throughout, including when speaking a native dialect), Erica Ash as a radiant Nala and the hilarious
Mark Cameron Pow as Zazu, who with skillful comic timing manages to get some of the best lines, including a local joke about the curtains coming from
Target.
What amazed me most about seeing the touring company of
The Lion King was how true the staging was to the Broadway original. It would take a heart of stone not to be moved by the sheer artistry of this production, and while the strike continues on the Great White Way, this could easily stand in for anyone determined someway, somehow to see the 1998 Tony-winning Best Musical.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Anniversary, Broadway, Film, Julie Taymor, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, The Lion King, The SOB Revisit, Touring Production
Riding In On A White...Mouse?Apparently, if there's any organization to thank for yesterday afternoon's announcement that
The League of American Theatres and Producers will finally go back to the bargaining table with
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), it's
Disney.
The House of Mouse holds a 99-year lease on Broadway's
New Amsterdam Theatre, which as the current home to
Mary Poppins remains one of the eight houses still open for business during the stagehands strike. But with
The Lion King and
The Little Mermaid languishing unperformed at the
Minskoff and
Lunt-Fontanne Theaters, respectively, Disney is losing a lot of money. Missing just four performances last week, Disney's gross on
The Lion King alone was down more than one half million dollars.
Compounding the strike issues, Disney had just begun previews for its fragile
Little Mermaid production, while scuttling its long-planned November 11 gala performance to celebrate
The Lion King's 10th anniversary on Broadway, widely credited with helping revitalize Times Square and 42nd Street.
According to
New York Post's
Michael Riedel and Kaili McDonnough, Disney's worried about the other shoe to drop -- the
all-important touring productions that could be potentially struck.
Riedel and McDonnough write:
The entertainment giant is dispatching its top labor lawyers to the table for the talks, which are scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. The meeting will be the first between the union and theater producers since the work stoppage went into affect over the weekend.
The stagehands consider Disney a good employer and believe it would be a neutral mediator in their battle, the sources said.
"We trust and respect Disney," a union source said.
Meanwhile, the producers also welcome Disney's involvement and think the company to bridge the wide gap between them and the stagehands.
Say what you want about Disney, but if they can truly help broker a deal, I say, give
The Little Mermaid a critical pass.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Finally, Back To The Table (November 14, 2007)
Will The Strike Go On Tour? (November 12, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Disney, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Refunds, Stagehands, Strike, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid
Poppins Fresh
Considering the
ginormous success of its
The Lion King touring franchise in which two companies are crisscrossing North America, Disney seems to be making the logical choice in selecting
Mary Poppins as its next show to go coast to coast. With the number of Baby Boomer grandparents and Gen X parents who've been brought up on the film, there's a ready made audience who'd love the chance to take their kids and grandchildren to a bona fide family show.
The Andrew Gans story also mentions that
Disney Theatrical Productions has its sights set on the fall of next year and that "Los Angeles and Chicago have been discussed." When further announcements have been made, I'll let you know.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Mary Poppins Broadway tickets. Click here for Mary Poppins London tickets. Related Stories:
Broadway Grosses: It's Mary Poppins And Wicked (January 8, 2007)
SOB Poll: Most Readers Hope To Step In Time With Mary Poppins (November 27, 2006)
Did Critics Find Mary Poppins Practically Perfect? (November 17, 2006)
Mary Poppins' Flight On Broadway Begins Tonight (November 16, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Mary Poppins Lands Top Five Capacity Spot With Broadway Debut (October 17, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Disney, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Touring Production
Broadway’s Heart 'N Seoul
Ever doubt the continued power or global reach of the Great White Way? Well, halfway around the world in Seoul, South Korea, I learned that some Broadway’s more enduring recent productions are a hit here, too.
During my just concluded 24 hour visit here earlier today, I was surprised to learn that such popular American musicals as
The Full Monty and
The Lion King are currently gracing Seoul’s stages, as is that popular British import
Evita.
The Lion King is playing at Seoul’s Charlotte Theatre through December 31 with tickets ranging from approximately $40 US to $100 US, while
Evita is performing at the LG Art Center through January 31, with tickets priced from about $45 US to $70 US. Both
The Lion King and
Evita advertise that their scores are being sung in Korean.
Additionally, just in time for New Year’s,
Grease is making a return to the Korean stage with a score that’s also sung entirely in Korean.
On top of all the decidedly Western theatre, there is also the much more traditional Korean theatre, including the home-grown musical
The Last Empress, playing at the Haeorum Theater (National Theater of Korea) through December 24:
Original musical production is scheduled to delight musical lovers of all ages with its heart-wrenching tale of a tragic Korean queen at the eve of a Japanese incursion into Joseon. Queen Min is a historical figure best known for her resistance against Japanese influence in Joseon’s royal court.”
To be honest,
The Last Empress sounds much more appealing than the Broadway-bound
The Pirate Queen.
Perhaps due to the ongoing American military presence here, there is a surprising plethora of Western-influenced fare, including one English language production with a rather inspired premise that just completed it run in Itaewon. Called
And They Used To Be Stars, the play is described as “a comedy that deals with fame, celebrity, drug addiction, infidelity and friendship. Their names? Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. They were huge…so what happened to them?” Sounds tantalizingly subversive, although I seriously doubt Disney would allow a show like this to move forward in America uncontested.
Getting a huge amount of pre-opening publicity is that aforementioned venerable hit
Grease. In a
story in Saturday’s Joong Ang Daily -- Korea’s English language news partner to the
International Herald Tribune -- reporter Lee Ho-jeong reports on its impending opening just before New Year’s:
The T-Birds of Rydell High are oiling up for the upcoming musical Grease, which
will begin on December 30 at the Dong Soong Art Center.
Grease became popular as a movie with the same title, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. If you like rock-and-roll then ending the year with this internationally acclaimed musical may be a good idea.
This version of Grease will be performed by Korean artists, including Hong Rocky, Korea’s most adored comedian.
Hong was one of the original cast members when the musical debuted in Korea in May 2003 -- he played Danny Zuko’s best friend Kenickie. He will be playing the same character in this year’s musical, which has already received good reviews in provincial theaters.
This version of the show ran until November 17 at a theater near Konkuk University. The new Danny, Kim San-ho, will be performing the lead character. According to OD Musical Company, which is staging the musical, their Grease shows have created future stars, including Oh Man-seok, who became a television celebrity this year after appearing in the television drama “Vineyard Man.” The musical is set for an open run, with no pre-set closing date.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time during my visit to take in any theatre, and it’s likely that if I did, I would have opted to see something more uniquely Korean. For what’s the purpose of going to a distant land if you stick too tightly to your own culture?
Speaking of which, I have to admit that I was completely put off by the ubiquity of such American fare as McDonald’s and Starbucks in Seoul. But as for theatre -- while I doubt that I’d take in Western-style entertainment unless I was living here a long time -- Broadway is positively making this big world seem just a little bit smaller and arguably remains one of our better exports.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Evita, Grease, International, Musical, The Full Monty, The Lion King
Flashback: Best of 2000-01As I count down the SOB Best of 2005-06, I thought it might be fun to look back and provide you with those shows that made my personal 5 best lists in each of the last five years, especially for posterity's sake. After all, I only started Steve On Broadway (SOB) this year. For 2002-2005, I'll even clue you into my honorable mentions and choices for worst shows.
My SOB Best of 2000-01 includes:
#1 -
The Lion King (New Amsterdam Theatre, New York, NY)* -- the original Elton John Broadway musical and Disney's second is still going strong nearly nine years after first opening on Broadway.
#2 -
An Inspector Calls (Garrick, London, UK) -- an amazing cast and innovative stage with a real rainstorm gets its true edge from the story of how a wise detective explores the pathos of a troubled family.
#3 - Gore Vidal's
The Best Man (Virginia Theatre, New York, NY) -- timed against the 2000 presidential elections, this examination of politics included one of the best casts I've ever seen: Charles Durning, Elizabeth Ashley, Chris Noth, Christine Ebersole, Michael Learned, Ed Dixon and the last Broadway performance by Spalding Gray.
#4 -
Aida (Palace Theatre, New York, NY) -- Heather Headley's star-making, Tony-winning title role and Sherie René Scott's featured role made this Elton John musical a delight.
#5 -
O (Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV) -- Franco Dragone's revolutionary, groundbreaking and awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil spectacle is still on display at one of Vegas' favorite hotels.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Lion King tickets.Click here for O tickets.Related Stories:Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 24, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2001-02 (May 24, 2006)
* I caught The Lion King in the summer of 2000, nearly three years after the show first opened on Broadway.Labels: A Kind Of Alaska, Aida, An Inspector Calls, Broadway, London, Play, SOB's Best of 2000-01, The Best Man, The Lion King
Lestat Opens on Broadway TonightIt's been 12 years since Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" opened in movie theatres. Tonight,
Lestat, the much-anticipated Sir Elton John-Bernie Taupin collaboration on the Broadway musical version opens at the Palace Theatre, which was home to Sir Elton's last New York production,
Aida. Despite being denied a 2000 Tony nomination for Best Musical,
Aida earned Elton John his first Tony for Best Original Score (he was previously nominated for his work on
The Lion King in 1998).
What should be noted on
Lestat is that the John-Taupin collaboration went into high gear after a less-than-celebrated world premiere in San Francisco at the close of 2005. The hit songwriting duo -- who had never previously worked together on a stage effort -- were forced back to the drawing board to rework Rice's novel. With three bona fide stage hits under Sir Elton's belt already (
Aida,
The Lion King and
Billy Elliot - The Musical, the amazing retelling of the 2000 British film that currently may only be seen at London's Victoria Palace Theatre), can his proven flair for musical staging be reaffirmed once again? We'll see what the critics say tomorrow morning!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics Sink Their Teeth Into Lestat (April 26, 2006)
Labels: Aida, Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Elton John, Lestat, Musical, Opening Night, The Lion King
