When I asked someone who worked at the Palace about reopening in 3-4 years, she laughed and then told me they’d be lucky if it was reopened within 10 years.
StardustsChild said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Have they even begun the lifting process?"
Hopefully they never will. A dreadful thing to do to a beautiful piece of theatrical history."
Besides adding all that signage and more retail space I actually think what they’re planning on doing to the actual theatre is great! Restoring a house to its former glory is something I would have assumed every theatre fan would be enthusiastic about.
Call_me_jorge said: "Have they even begun the lifting process?"
Jobs like this take years of planning. The engineers probably couldn't get a proper look at the structural members / ventilation of the building until the show was out, and from there it's at least a year long process of just planning. They've only been closed for about five months.
I agree with the people who have opined 'good luck on 2021 (or 2025)? These things are never completed on schedule.
Re one-person shows, I think Liza has already demonstrated on a number of occasions that the voice is no longer functioning. To do something like recreate her mother's show -- if I understood that suggestion correctly -- is almost cruel; except for Liza groupies, I fear that it would be an embarrassment for all concerned, including audiences. Barbra is a good idea in principle; but, if it is more like 2025, she will be on the verge of 80, and Bette not far behind. To me, therefore, neither makes sense.
Re predicting new musicals, it is far too early to know what will even be real in a couple of years from now, and that is what I think it should be, and definitely not the Sondheim musical, if it is ever produced. That sounds like the Ritz or Booth to me, and IMO it sounds like it won't have even the broad appeal Passion..
An overdue revival may be a realistic prediction today, and it should be a splashy show...how about Mame (with a huge star or, at least, the next Lansbury) or A Funny Thing (with a huge star) or Dreamgirls (NOT the London production...big and expensive) or some sort of (new) old fashioned revue, a la Sugar Babies, with big stars or prior-big stars overdue for a career renaissance. Maybe with a new score. That would sorta be appropriate for the newly reopened Palace.
That said, I think it would be a shame if they did not open with a new musical. Maybe the next LMM musical (can you imagine the expectations around that one!!!).
I’ve ushered The Palace before. Many of my fellow usher friends there were surprised that this was actually finally happening. Keep in mind, front of house staff was informed that this was gonna get underway after An American in Paris closed.
But now, they are finally starting and I do wonder how long it’ll take. I mean anyone that lives in NYC can tell you, just because they said a building/construction project will be done at a given time that that is NEVER the case.
And, fun fact, had this whole thing never happened Palace would have housed Frozen.
fashionguru_23 said: "Islander_fan said: "And, fun fact, had this whole thing never happened Palace would have housed Frozen."
I assumed that, as I was always curious as to why Disney choseJujamcyn after having all their other shows play in a Nederlander theatre."
Yeah, there were a lot of setbacks in terms of getting this project off the ground (no pun intended.) Nederlander was waffling around, too much so for Disney’s comfort. Basically they told nederlander to stop jerking them round about the palace being available or not or they would take their business elsewhere. Hence them now being at the St. James.
A revival of the show that turned it into a legitimate Broadway house/theatre in January 1966: Bob Fosse’s SWEET CHARITY. A full-on recreation of the original 1966 Broadway production.
joined:8/2/15
joined:
8/2/15
Posted: 2/18/19 at 12:23am