Paul's Broadway Watch
Thu, 30 Sept 2004, 01:02 pmWalter Plinge3 posts in thread
Paul's Broadway Watch
Thu, 30 Sept 2004, 01:02 pmAs far away from Broadway as most of us are, here is an update of what musicals are currently on The Great White Way.
Two Musicals opened in the last three months
Dracula
By Frank Wildhorn, Christopher Hampton and Don Black
Receiving very poor reviews, and very poor houses.
No news on a recording yet.
The Frogs
As the official billing puts it:
“A comedy written in 405BC by Aristophanes;
Freely adapted by Burt Shevelove
Even more freely adapted by Nathan Lane
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim”
This version is an expansion and rewrite of his original as written for the Yale Drama School. This version stars Nathan Lane. Apparently PS Classics have already agreed to record this new version (canÂ’t wait!)
BREKEKEKEX BREKEKEKEX
Fifteen other Musicals still running:
The Phantom of the Opera - Now in its 16th year and still no Broadway Cast recording!
Beauty and the Beast
Rent
Chicago - Soon to enter its 8th year, the longest running revival in Broadway History.
The Lion King
The Producers - Now in its 4th year. The most awarded Production in Tony History.
42nd Street - 2001 Revival
Mamma Mia! - No Broadway Cast Recording, but the Original London Cast Recording is readily available.
Hairspray
MovinÂ’ Out - Twyla Tharp dance musical utilising songs by Billy Joel. CD available, but honestly, whatÂ’s the point of a dance musical on CD. I want it on DVD!!!
Avenue Q - This yearÂ’s Tony Winner for Best Musical.
Wicked
Wonderful Town - Star Donna Murphy has now left and has been replaced by Brooke Shields. Apparently sheÂ’s doing a good job, but is she enough to keep the audiences coming?
Fiddler on the Roof - 2004 Revival starring Alfred Molina
Bombay Dreams - No Broadway Cast Recording as yet, but London Cast is available.
Five musicals closed in the last three months.
Aida - The Elton John version, not the Verdi. Ran for over four years.
Assassins - Only ran for three months, but was only booked for a limited season anyway. Best Revival at the Tonys
The Boy From Oz - Ran for just under a year. Apparently they couldnÂ’t give tickets away if Hugh Jackman wasnÂ’t playing Peter Allen.
Caroline, or Change - After transferring from Off-Broadway, ran on Broadway for almost four months. WasnÂ’t expected to last much longer anyway.
Little Shop of Horrors - After premiering Off-Broadway years ago, this Broadway premiere ran just under a year.
Opening in the next three months:
Brooklyn - The only new musical to open in the next three months. Music and Lyrics by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson.
Pacific Overtures - New revival of this Sondheim musical, based on the Japanese production by Amon Miyamoto
La Cage aux Folles - New revival.
Also Coming up
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys Musical
Little Women - By Jason Howland, Mindi Dickstein and Alan Knees. Starring Sutton Foster as Jo and Maureen McGovern as Marmee
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - By David Yazbek (The Full Monty). Starring John Lithgow and Joanna Gleason
Spamalot - Musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, by Eric Idle and John DuPrez. Starring Tim Curry as King Arthur, Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot and David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin Heh Heh HehÂ…
All Shook Up - New Elvis Musical
The Wiz - New Revival
Sweet Charity - New Revival starring Christina Applegate
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Broadway Version of production currently running in London.
Current stats for the seventeen musicals currently running
As at 26 Sep 04
Top Five by attendance
Wicked – 14472
The Lion King – 13664
The Producers – 12099
Mamma Mia! – 11700
42nd Street – 11325
Top Five by Capacity
Wicked – 100%
Avenue Q – 99%
Mamma Mia! – 98%
The Lion King – 95%
Hairspray – 91%
Chicago – 91%
Bottom Five by Attendance
Dracula – 4233
Wonderful Town – 5653
Rent – 5829
Avenue Q – 6329 (But that's 99%!!!)
Bombay Dreams – 7403
Bottom Five by Capacity
Wonderful Town – 49%
Dracula – 51%
Bombay Dreams – 53%
Fiddler on the Roof – 56%
Rent – 62%
Two Musicals opened in the last three months
Dracula
By Frank Wildhorn, Christopher Hampton and Don Black
Receiving very poor reviews, and very poor houses.
No news on a recording yet.
The Frogs
As the official billing puts it:
“A comedy written in 405BC by Aristophanes;
Freely adapted by Burt Shevelove
Even more freely adapted by Nathan Lane
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim”
This version is an expansion and rewrite of his original as written for the Yale Drama School. This version stars Nathan Lane. Apparently PS Classics have already agreed to record this new version (canÂ’t wait!)
BREKEKEKEX BREKEKEKEX
Fifteen other Musicals still running:
The Phantom of the Opera - Now in its 16th year and still no Broadway Cast recording!
Beauty and the Beast
Rent
Chicago - Soon to enter its 8th year, the longest running revival in Broadway History.
The Lion King
The Producers - Now in its 4th year. The most awarded Production in Tony History.
42nd Street - 2001 Revival
Mamma Mia! - No Broadway Cast Recording, but the Original London Cast Recording is readily available.
Hairspray
MovinÂ’ Out - Twyla Tharp dance musical utilising songs by Billy Joel. CD available, but honestly, whatÂ’s the point of a dance musical on CD. I want it on DVD!!!
Avenue Q - This yearÂ’s Tony Winner for Best Musical.
Wicked
Wonderful Town - Star Donna Murphy has now left and has been replaced by Brooke Shields. Apparently sheÂ’s doing a good job, but is she enough to keep the audiences coming?
Fiddler on the Roof - 2004 Revival starring Alfred Molina
Bombay Dreams - No Broadway Cast Recording as yet, but London Cast is available.
Five musicals closed in the last three months.
Aida - The Elton John version, not the Verdi. Ran for over four years.
Assassins - Only ran for three months, but was only booked for a limited season anyway. Best Revival at the Tonys
The Boy From Oz - Ran for just under a year. Apparently they couldnÂ’t give tickets away if Hugh Jackman wasnÂ’t playing Peter Allen.
Caroline, or Change - After transferring from Off-Broadway, ran on Broadway for almost four months. WasnÂ’t expected to last much longer anyway.
Little Shop of Horrors - After premiering Off-Broadway years ago, this Broadway premiere ran just under a year.
Opening in the next three months:
Brooklyn - The only new musical to open in the next three months. Music and Lyrics by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson.
Pacific Overtures - New revival of this Sondheim musical, based on the Japanese production by Amon Miyamoto
La Cage aux Folles - New revival.
Also Coming up
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys Musical
Little Women - By Jason Howland, Mindi Dickstein and Alan Knees. Starring Sutton Foster as Jo and Maureen McGovern as Marmee
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - By David Yazbek (The Full Monty). Starring John Lithgow and Joanna Gleason
Spamalot - Musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, by Eric Idle and John DuPrez. Starring Tim Curry as King Arthur, Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot and David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin Heh Heh HehÂ…
All Shook Up - New Elvis Musical
The Wiz - New Revival
Sweet Charity - New Revival starring Christina Applegate
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Broadway Version of production currently running in London.
Current stats for the seventeen musicals currently running
As at 26 Sep 04
Top Five by attendance
Wicked – 14472
The Lion King – 13664
The Producers – 12099
Mamma Mia! – 11700
42nd Street – 11325
Top Five by Capacity
Wicked – 100%
Avenue Q – 99%
Mamma Mia! – 98%
The Lion King – 95%
Hairspray – 91%
Chicago – 91%
Bottom Five by Attendance
Dracula – 4233
Wonderful Town – 5653
Rent – 5829
Avenue Q – 6329 (But that's 99%!!!)
Bombay Dreams – 7403
Bottom Five by Capacity
Wonderful Town – 49%
Dracula – 51%
Bombay Dreams – 53%
Fiddler on the Roof – 56%
Rent – 62%
Re: Paul's Broadway Watch
Thu, 30 Sept 2004, 06:25 pmWalter Plinge
Paul Treasure wrote:
>
> The Phantom of the Opera - Now in its 16th year and still no
> Broadway Cast recording!
Same goes (and went) for the Australian production as well.
I remember working FOH at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne while Rob Guest was at his height as the masked one, and one punter asked if there was to be a cast recording (this was about the fifth or sixth year of the show), and I answered that if they hadn't recorded it with Anthony Warlow (not to mention Marina Prior), they certainly weren't going to do it with Rob Guest.
dm.
Thou gorbellied earth-vexing ratsbane!
>
> The Phantom of the Opera - Now in its 16th year and still no
> Broadway Cast recording!
Same goes (and went) for the Australian production as well.
I remember working FOH at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne while Rob Guest was at his height as the masked one, and one punter asked if there was to be a cast recording (this was about the fifth or sixth year of the show), and I answered that if they hadn't recorded it with Anthony Warlow (not to mention Marina Prior), they certainly weren't going to do it with Rob Guest.
dm.
Thou gorbellied earth-vexing ratsbane!