Disney making it big in the jungle that's Broadway
Venturing out into something new: People walk past posters at the Amsterdam Theatre in Times Square, where the recently opened Broadway musical adaptation of `Mary Poppins' is now playing. Disney is relying on a generation of people familiar with its movies to make it big in the theatre world. Picture: Reuters People walk past posters at the Amsterdam Theatre in New York's Times Square, where the recently opened Broadway musical adaptation of 'Mary Poppins' is now playing, March 10, 2007. The number of Disney musicals on New York's Broadway has doubled to four
Saturday, March 17, 2007
CRISTINA SOLER and her daughter jostle with others in sub-zero temperatures in a crush outside a theatre on 42nd street, but they show no signs of frustration.
Lining up for the recently opened Broadway musical Mary Poppins, Soler recalls seeing the 1964 Disney movie as a child and predicts she might cry during the show. Daughter Lara, 11, adds: "It was my No 1 choice."
The mother-and-daughter duo are among the growing global audience drawn by the popularity of Walt Disney films now watching the media giant's adapted theatrical musicals.
The number of Disney musicals on Broadway has doubled to four in the past year, and the number of productions opening in other cities has also increased.
"It's unprecedented," says Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, which this year will open The Lion King in Johannesburg and Paris and Tarzan in Holland. Disney has headed the comeback of Times Square and 42nd Street and scored a stream of hits for a decade.
When one show closes, another opens. Beauty and the Beast closes in July and will be replaced by The Little Mermaid by year end.
Tarzan and Mary Poppins both opened on Broadway last year, resulting in an increase of Disney's Broadway revenues by 42 per cent, or US$39 million, to a total of US$131 million, according to Disney.
The current worldwide take for The Lion King, its most successful musical, is more than US$2 billion dollars, while Beauty and the Beast, which will continue to play in other cities after its Broadway close, has earned US$1.4 billion.
Broadway observers and Disney executives say the corporate backing behind the productions and the success of the movies the musicals are adapted from ensure a longer run than many other shows regardless of critical acclaim.
"There seems no be no end to their interest in Broadway," says writer Elizabeth Wollman, who has written extensively about Broadway. "Disney shows no signs of waning."
Disney had little interest in Broadway a notoriously hard place to turn over profit until Beauty and the Beast in 1994, restoring the New Amsterdam Theatre under a deal to help revitalise Times Square.
Since then, Disney has followed a tried and tested formula established by Andrew Lloyd Weber's trailblazing 1980s musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the French show Les Miserables. All three were exported to the world by British producer Cameron Mackintosh, who collaborated with Disney for Mary Poppins.
"They paved the way," says David Schrader, chief financial officer of Disney Theatrical Productions. "How we judge our success is how we export Broadway to the world."
But where Disney has succeeded on Broadway, others have failed. Its rival Warner Bros challenged Disney's opening of Tarzan last year with its Broadway foray, the Elton John musical Lestat. While Tarzan received mixed reviews but continues on Broadway, Lestat flopped and closed within two months.
The advantage of Disney's musicals is a guaranteed audience already familiar with the music and story, as well as the backing of a large company that can absorb any negative word of mouth.
"They can sell themselves on Broadway then they can use that to sell other Disney products," says Wollman, pointing out that Disney can still profit from brand exposure and any spin-off products even if it fails on stage. "It all works in a big circular relationship."
Others have criticised Disney for lacking originality and for pushing out independent producers. "The concern with a lot of people is that they are recycling movies," Wollman says. "But that all gets confused with the fact Broadway has always been a commercial entity."
Disney believes Broadway has room for a range of musicals, and that they have brought new audiences, says Schrader.
Either way, some believe the Disney juggernaut may find it hard to keep going. Mary Poppins has not yet matched the success of The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid completes the list of obvious movie titles Disney can adapt.
"I think Disney is beginning to cannibalise itself on Broadway, they are beginning to eat into their own market now," says New York drama writer Michael Riedel.
Disney says it has other ideas, including possibly touring the hit television film High School Musical, converted into a musical last year. But Broadway plans come down to space.
"Success breeds competition, so the biggest challenge on Broadway is a lack of theatre space," Schrader says. "So we can't double the size of the business at this point ... but we are going to try."Reuters
Lining up for the recently opened Broadway musical Mary Poppins, Soler recalls seeing the 1964 Disney movie as a child and predicts she might cry during the show. Daughter Lara, 11, adds: "It was my No 1 choice."
The mother-and-daughter duo are among the growing global audience drawn by the popularity of Walt Disney films now watching the media giant's adapted theatrical musicals.
The number of Disney musicals on Broadway has doubled to four in the past year, and the number of productions opening in other cities has also increased.
"It's unprecedented," says Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, which this year will open The Lion King in Johannesburg and Paris and Tarzan in Holland. Disney has headed the comeback of Times Square and 42nd Street and scored a stream of hits for a decade.
When one show closes, another opens. Beauty and the Beast closes in July and will be replaced by The Little Mermaid by year end.
Tarzan and Mary Poppins both opened on Broadway last year, resulting in an increase of Disney's Broadway revenues by 42 per cent, or US$39 million, to a total of US$131 million, according to Disney.
The current worldwide take for The Lion King, its most successful musical, is more than US$2 billion dollars, while Beauty and the Beast, which will continue to play in other cities after its Broadway close, has earned US$1.4 billion.
Broadway observers and Disney executives say the corporate backing behind the productions and the success of the movies the musicals are adapted from ensure a longer run than many other shows regardless of critical acclaim.
"There seems no be no end to their interest in Broadway," says writer Elizabeth Wollman, who has written extensively about Broadway. "Disney shows no signs of waning."
Disney had little interest in Broadway a notoriously hard place to turn over profit until Beauty and the Beast in 1994, restoring the New Amsterdam Theatre under a deal to help revitalise Times Square.
Since then, Disney has followed a tried and tested formula established by Andrew Lloyd Weber's trailblazing 1980s musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the French show Les Miserables. All three were exported to the world by British producer Cameron Mackintosh, who collaborated with Disney for Mary Poppins.
"They paved the way," says David Schrader, chief financial officer of Disney Theatrical Productions. "How we judge our success is how we export Broadway to the world."
But where Disney has succeeded on Broadway, others have failed. Its rival Warner Bros challenged Disney's opening of Tarzan last year with its Broadway foray, the Elton John musical Lestat. While Tarzan received mixed reviews but continues on Broadway, Lestat flopped and closed within two months.
The advantage of Disney's musicals is a guaranteed audience already familiar with the music and story, as well as the backing of a large company that can absorb any negative word of mouth.
"They can sell themselves on Broadway then they can use that to sell other Disney products," says Wollman, pointing out that Disney can still profit from brand exposure and any spin-off products even if it fails on stage. "It all works in a big circular relationship."
Others have criticised Disney for lacking originality and for pushing out independent producers. "The concern with a lot of people is that they are recycling movies," Wollman says. "But that all gets confused with the fact Broadway has always been a commercial entity."
Disney believes Broadway has room for a range of musicals, and that they have brought new audiences, says Schrader.
Either way, some believe the Disney juggernaut may find it hard to keep going. Mary Poppins has not yet matched the success of The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid completes the list of obvious movie titles Disney can adapt.
"I think Disney is beginning to cannibalise itself on Broadway, they are beginning to eat into their own market now," says New York drama writer Michael Riedel.
Disney says it has other ideas, including possibly touring the hit television film High School Musical, converted into a musical last year. But Broadway plans come down to space.
"Success breeds competition, so the biggest challenge on Broadway is a lack of theatre space," Schrader says. "So we can't double the size of the business at this point ... but we are going to try."Reuters
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