MAMMA MIA! is Moving! Show to Transfer to Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre in Late 2013- Page 3

[whowhatwhenwhere97]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 5:00am

Well, when they transferred the west end production to a new house last year they changed to to new "block" style sets used on the recent US tour incarnation. They also didn't have the lift.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 2:41pm

I'm sure they could add the lifts if they wanted but I think the transfer to the Broadhurst will look very similar to the production at the Novello in the West End so it may be more cost effective to cut the automation and lifts.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:04am

I think to downsize and "dumb" down the production would be a mistake. It's the Broadway production. Cheap crap sets on Broadway give it a horrible reputation.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 1:22am

"I think to downsize and "dumb" down the production would be a mistake. It's the Broadway production. Cheap crap sets on Broadway give it a horrible reputation."

Touring shows on Broadway always look cheap-most recently Jekyl & Hyde. The Les Mis tour looked cheap too and it was total ca-ca. It should play ay New World Stages.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:59am

I have been coming to NY every year since 1994 and there has been nothing in the WG I wanted to see.

Fingers are crossed now as I SO want to go to this theatre which has housed many truly landmark productions!

I think a major FUNNY GIRL revival would be a bit of a coup.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:41pm

The shows moving to a smaller theatre so it has to downsize, I imagine the cast will remain the same size but the set will not be the same as it was at the Winter Garden,

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 1:00pm

Not really. Changes that need to be made be as far as just not having the blocks move off stage for the Mega Max and shrink down the rung of lights.

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 5:11pm

Based on what I've heard automation will be minimized.

The lighting design will be brought in from the tour (as it is designed to fit in a house that size, the WG theatre has a very wide stage)

Haven't heard anything about the sets yet, we'll have to see. I would assume they'll use one of the tour sets in storage?

[Jim Colyer]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 8:49pm

Mamma Mia! will go on as long as there are musicals!

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:01pm

I really like how the Mamma Mia! marquee looks at the Winter Garden.

But I like this better.

Updated On: 4/21/13 at 09:01 PM

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:31pm

I'm surprised the billboard of the Winter Garden hasn't been split like what happened with the Palace and the New Amsterdam.

I wonder when it'll move theatres? Lucky Guy extended until July but I reckon Mamma Mia! will remain at the Winter Garden until September to give time to move the show into the Broadhurst and allow rehearsal time in the theatre.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:49pm

I wonder if, because the Palace is right in the heart of Times Square, next to TKTS, and the New Amsterdam is right on 42nd St., in the heart of tourism central, that that might explain why the Winter Garden marquee has remained unsplit. Not nearly as much advertising value to that location, relative to the other two, for many Broadway shows. Certainly there's plenty of foot traffic, but the other two are in prime, prime, prime real estate.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:54pm

Didn't the New Amsterdam have the whole marquee at one point?

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:25pm

The New Amsterdam marquee only got split when the Aldo store on 42nd street opened so it did have the whole marquee to itself for a while, Disney used it to advertise Pirates of the Caribbean between the closing of Lion King and opening of Mary Poppins. You could split the marquee of The Winter Garden and still have plenty of space to advertise the show. The other two look cramped in comparison,


Updated On: 4/21/13 at 10:25 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:59pm

Lucky Guy only extended through July 3(2 1/2 weeks), so it's not a huge extension. Mamma Mia will moving in the Broadhurst sometime late-September/early-October during the usual quiet period of the fall. If it's anything like when other shows switch theaters, Mamma Mia will only be dark for a week or so.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:01pm

I'm hoping for one hell of a Dreamgirls revival to come out of no where or that My Fair Lady actually happens.

[Rabekriegerin]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:07pm

Rocky at the Winter Garden? I could get behind that. (Then again, I know better than to hold my breath.) I plan on seeing the show in Hamburg next month, so at least when the inevitable "who thought that this would ever be a good idea for a musical?!" threads crop up pre-Broadway premiere I will be capable of providing an informed opinion.

None of my overseas friends seem to have seen it - only "friends of friends" and let's face it, one ought to be leery of third hand information.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:38pm

Do you think they will give the Broadhurst a little sprucing up before Mamma Mia settles in for a long haul? Or do you think powerwashing the exterior was included in the contract? At least that's what I would want

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:47pm

Speaking of sprucing up, am I the only one who finds it odd they allowed Matilda to paint parts of the Shubert? Is that normal and I've never noticed it on other theatres or do they figure they'll be there for a while so why do they care?

[bdn223]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:52pm

The last major theater switcharoo was with Rock of Ages which closed for 3 months between the Brooks Atkinson and the Hayes. Although RAIn was also part of that swap was only off the boards about a week or so. The difference was that RoA was much more of a shrink down than the 4 person touring RAIN. If I had to guess Mamma Mia will shut down at the end of September and reopen in early November.
I have a feeling when Mamma Mia moves is dependent on Tom Hanks because if he wins the Tony I could see him taking off 2 weeks then coming back to play through the end of the summer.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/22/13 at 12:09am

Mamma Mia when it moves theatres in London closed on the Saturday at its old home then reopened at its new home by Thursday, I imagine it'll similar for the move to the Broadhurst. Once Lucky Guy closes. They'll start preparing the theatre for Mamma Mia!

I've been watching a video about the move in London and it show how the set looks like which may give an idea of what the show may look like at the Broadhurst.
http://youtu.be/cePaE84GqMo

[mmFan]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 12:33pm

I'm a huge Mamma Mia fan and have seen it 21 times (only a couple times in NY though). Can I ask why they bother to change theatres? What's the point? The Winter Garden is perfect for it.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 12:58pm

The point (at least from what I think) is that Mamma Mia is not filling up the Winter Garden like it used to, and The Shuberts want to bring in another show that would fill that giant theatre. It is not doing poorly enough to close, but at the same time it isn't doing well enough and selling well enough to stay in the giant Winter Garden.

[mmFan]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 8:18pm

Ah ok. That makes sense then. A shame Mamma Mia isn't sellling out, but I guess it's been around for quite awhile.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 8:34pm

In the holiday periods, it does well but not so much at other times of the year. By moving to a smaller theatre, it should be run for a bit longer.

Updated On: 4/23/13 at 08:34 PM