Lord of The Rings Musical Rakes in Over $3 Million in Advance Sales

By: May. 17, 2005
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With over $3.15 million in ticket sales, Toronto's Lord of the Rings musical is shaping into the box office behemoth it was expected to be.

Yesterday, The Lord of the Rings added almost $800,000 in internet ticket sales to $2.37 million in advance group sales. Before the box office officially opened this morning at 9 AM, the number of tickets sold had reached the 40,000 mark, according to The Toronto Star. With 9 months until the show's opening date, it is anyone's guess as to just how many millions the megamusical will pull in.

John Karastamatis, director of communications for Mirvish Productions (which is presenting the show as part of its 2005-2006 subscription season), was elated. "We're excited with the response so far and we're confident that (yesterday), when we open the more traditional forms of ticket buying — phone sales and theatre box office — we'll have an even bigger day." "This is much bigger," said Karastamatis, referring to the $1.3 advance that Broadway's The Lion King earned in 2000 through concurrent internet, phone and box office sales.

The $21.3 million, 3-and-a half-hour musical condensation of Tolkien's hobbits-and-elves trilogy is directed by Matthew Warchus. The Lord of the Rings also features music by A.R. Rahman (along with the Finnish group Varrtina), and the book and lyrics are by Shaun McKenna. Rob Howell's elaborate sets will feature "three interconnected turntables containing 16 elevators;" he will also design the costumes. The creative team spent 4 years developing the show.  Simon Baker (sound), The Gray Circle (moving image design), Paul Kieve (illusions direction), Laurie Battle (Tolkien creative consultation), and Christopher Nightingale (musical supervision) comprise the rest of the production staff.

In a previous interview with Reuters, Paul Wallace (who is producing along with Saul Zaentz, in association with David and Ed Mirvish and Michael Cohl) described the show's concept. "We are ultimately dependent on 50 actors and musicians to tell the story rather than technology…We are going to have to break new ground. It is a hybrid of text, music, spectacle and physical theater." Responding to the fears of LOTR purists, he is also quoted as saying that the musical will be "in a very traditional mold" and that "there will be no singing and dancing hobbits."

The Lord of the Rings, which is still in the casting process, will begin rehearsals for its 51 member cast in October. Previews are scheduled to start in February of 2006, while opening night at The Princess of Wales Theatre is set for March 23.

Ticket prices range from $44 to $99 ($56-$125 in Canadian dollars). Visit www.lotr.com for more information, or call TicketKing at (416) 872-1212 or (800) 461-3333. The numbers for group inquiries are (416) 593-4142 or (800) 724-6420.

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