Rock You out by May?

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 3:37am

We Will Rock You's hold on the Dominion is on knife edge. The show was expected to announced closure last week but instead got a 2 week extension granted now taking bookings to just the end of the April holidays.

The show should always have a minimum of 10 weeks on sale for advance and job contract purposes and at the end of next week will fall to 9 weeks so it's expected an extension or closure announcement will come within days.

Rock You is enjoying good houses due to holidays but it's being kept alive by massive discounts and tourists only. The theatre is in desperate need of a refurb and the owners really want something new in, but with such a big theatre and on the skirts of the West End surrounded by traffic and disruption do they risk bringing in something new which could flop and leave them with gaps of an empty theatre? Rumours of West Side Story swinging in off tour followed by Kinky Boots or Motown and even a full scale Starlight Express revival are being mentioned...

[FireFingers]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 7:34am

Interesting.

It's a big house to fill though. Would take a ballsey producer to take on the place. Can't think of many shows managing to fill it. If Kinky can get before Made in Dagenham, that is possible, but two shows fighting for the same market and opening at the same time has gone badly before (The Bodyguard and Viva Forever anyone?). I know Motown looked at it, but I don't think they'd be able to fill it for very long. I'd love to see Starlight there, but can't see a full revival ever being mounted in the West End, the initial cost would be so large. I know Newsies looked at the Dominion too, and with Disney's marketing could get decent numbers, and the running costs are nice and low. Pippin could do something incredible with the space, but again, the numbers.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 8:20am

Dominion badly needs a refurb but would need a big crowd please to fill it. Motown would be the obvious choice or if Rocky proves a hit on Broadway that could transfer over

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:22am

WWRY has had a fantastic run but its time a new show went into the Dominion, Motown would be a possibility but I think Rocky if its a hit on Broadway or Aladdin but neither of those are likely before 2016

[sparepart973]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:22am

Wouldn't it be the one that Baz referred to that Bodyguard is eyeing for September?

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:27am

The Bodyguard would struggle at the Dominion, think Baz was referring to the Aldwych since Stephen Ward isn't doing so hot plus it owned by the Nederlander,

It surprising WWRY has never transferred to another theatre like the Aldwych, it would be able to discount less and enjoy fuller houses in a 1200 seater than 2000 Updated On: 2/21/14 at 10:27 AM

[sparepart973]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:44am

Can't see it fitting into the Aldwych at all. We shall see.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:24pm

The show must go on.

Only kidding, it has a respectable run, now time to bite the bullet.

I wonder if this is the theatre that Baz was alluding to, 'in the West-Central area might become free soon'?

Thought Kinky Boots wanted the Palace, Newsies would be lost in there, however Pippin as a production would be excellent in there, however it would not sell the volume of tickets required.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 2:23pm

Pippin is a small show for a musical, it would be lost at Dominion.

Nederlander own the Dominion as well as Aldwych, it's a risky gamble or safe bet with Aldwych for Bodyguard (if it fits)

Posted: 2/21/14 at 3:36pm

Personally feel Newsies would be lost at the Dominion. Its not a massive production in New York and the story fits well there. Personally think Newsies about a news strike in New York City in 1899 is going to be a tough sell in the UK. I enjoyed it, but its not the big hit the Dominion needs.

WWRY has been great, as has Billy Elliot but both have run there time and should depart for new things to come in. Updated On: 2/21/14 at 03:36 PM

[Musical-Matt]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 4:21pm

Oh well another bites the dust! had a good run but its time for some new material!

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 6:11pm

Pippin needs a theatre like The Lyric, Phoenix and maybe at a push The Noël Coward. if the Gielgud wasn't already booked with Curious Incident, that would have been perfect for Pippin.

Wonder if ticket sales will see a boost if they do announce closure, the last time they announced they were closing, sales shot up and they ended up deferring the notice.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 6:29pm

Yes close WWRY, but NEVER close Billy Elliot.

I got the impression Baz wasn't talking about Stephen Ward, as I would say the theatre is more Centre East?

I did say the production values of Pippin would fit the Dominion and would look amazing there on a big stage, solely on production values. Pippin has to be in a small theatre as ticket sales would/are low, so for that reason won't happen. Personally I think the Dominion should be refurbished, then re-open with a starry cast (at least one that can act and sing), revival of either 'Oklahoma', 'The King and I' or 'Showboat'?

I wonder if they will ever re-open the Upper Circle?

[FireFingers]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 6:40pm

As I understand it, the upper circle is is pretty much lost. And there is no will to make the theatre any bigger.

There is always the rumoured sequal, "We Will Rock You Two". It was written a few years after WWRY opened, and there was an idea to close the original and produce the sequal. Or that they might run in rep. Apparently it wasn't up to standard and the whole thing was canned. Only other bit of info I have on it is that it opened with "The Show Must Go On".

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 7:15pm

King Kong would be another option but not until 2015/2016.

With so many new shows, regional transfers etc looking for theatres and not enough theatres to accompany them , it is inevitable that a long runner or two may close to make way and TBH new shows are needed in order for the West End to refresh itself and not become stagnated with too many long runners

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:20pm

The other outside possibility, as it has looked at west end theatres, is spiderman

[rockyhorrorfan]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 5:49am

I just wish we could get rid of the awful Wicked and free up the Apollo Victoria for something decent. Maybe even a revival of Starlight.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 6:39am

The acrobats in Pippin need a fairly wide stage. So the Lyric etc on the Ave, wouldn't work. I thought when I saw it at the Music Box, the Prince of Wales would be a good fit. But that doesn't look like it will free for a while.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 8:02am

Brian may has some health concerns at the moment so I think WWRY 2 is on nobody's agenda just now.

[FireFingers]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 11:19am

I think even if Brian May was in good health, we won't ever see We Will Rock You Too. From what I've heard, if you think WWRY is bad, the sequel is atrocious. Though it is interesting that there are so few musical sequels. Annie 2, Grease 2 and Love Never Dies are the only ones that come to mind.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 11:50am

BRING BACK BIRDIE is another musical sequel (slightly intriguing that two of the very few MT sequels have scores by Charles Strouse!).

[Outoftowner2]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 11:51am

Brian May got the all clear on his health concerns. He's doing a mini tour right now with Kerry Ellis, talking about a Queen tour this year. "Rock You" has such a silly plot but the music does rock you! Sequel could be even more silly.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 2/22/14 at 12:13pm

The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, shame it went 'Public'.

[chrissydee]

Posted: 2/24/14 at 5:41am

Back to the Future.....?

Posted: 2/24/14 at 2:23pm

London theatre direct just tweeted:

Big West End show closing soon... #KeepingMum

https://twitter.com/theatre_direct/status/438027952329338880

Would be surprised if not this.