Thursday, October 22, 2009
‘Shrek the Musical’ to Close Jan. 3 on Broadway
NYTimes.com: "“Shrek the Musical,” the DreamWorks film studio’s first attempt to compete with Disney on Broadway, will close Jan. 3 after 441 performances, its producers said on Wednesday."
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The article mentioned that Shrek had a weekly running cost of about $500,000, which given the economy, I'm surprised it was capable of running this long. It feels like Shrek had a lot working against it running for any extended period of time given that it opened in a less then ideal financial climate, the third Shrek movie was less then well received, and that it seems like many of the other major Broadway plays that have run longer have decided that the present is a good time to close (not really a factor, just a good indicator). It's sad to see something new close this soon, but given the times and how many of the more established shows that are closing, it's far from surprising.
I'm sad that I didnt get to see Shrek before it was taken off broadway! From pictures I didn't really like the costumes but the set looked really magical and exactly what I would imagine Shrek as a musical would be. I remember in costumes we were talking about the kind of maintainence a production like Shrek takes, even in terms of costumes, like Shrek for instance who has to stay in make up a good five or six hours to make himself green and it seems like it would be a lot of maintenaince. I would expect a production like Shrek to gross more than it actually has since its been so popular in its animated version but its great that Dreamworks put forth Shrek as a production to open doors for other productions in the future.
I'm not at all surprised to see that this show failed so quickly. Although I admit to enjoying the first movie, and seeing the second and third, the idea that the script would work as a broadway musical seems a bit foolish. The charm and high quality animation of the movie is what made it so popular. Even looking at the design i thought it seemed a bit flat and unimaginative.
It is alpha to hear that a show is closing due to people not coming to it. It is wearied that it was the highest grossing show for one week and now it is not making enough money to clear the costs of the show and that the producing company will probably not clear the cost that they fronted on the show. It is also staring that the easement of what the show coasted and what people that are working on the show are two different things. I just hop that we will continue to see new works done. It is a shame when a show closes due any thing.
I have one thing to say: I TOLD YOU SO, IT WAS A BAD IDEA!
I don't think that anyone is really surprised that it is closing so soon. I'm surprised that it has lasted so long, given that it was such an expensive show to create and therefore had a lot more money to regain through ticket sales. What little I've seen/know of the musical makes me slightly interested in it, but I don't think I'd pay a lot of money to go see it. The problem with creating musical based off of such a popular movie is that everyone already knows the story, so what's there really to see besides the design of the show on stage? (which is interesting enough, but that won't keep the show afloat). Hopefully, this show will serve as an example to future shows that creating a musical from a movie and relying almost completely on the movie's popularity is not necessarily a very wise idea, and really doesn't create an enormously fulfilling theatrical experience.
Oh no! Shrek is closing! I am soooo disappointed!
I am not at all surprised that this show is closing. Taking a movie and turning it into a musical does not work well, unless you are Disney, I suppose. It was a good try for Dreamworks to make run with Disney, but too bad they don't have the money. Better luck next time Dreamworks!
It is not sad to me that the show is closing. It is sad to me that no one can compete with disney even outside of it movie/tv realm. I really hope that people keep trying. I also think that having some family friendly shows run on broadway is a good idea. I know that seeing these types of show as a child drew me to theater. Hopefully the hard economic times do not illuminate shows directed for all audiences.
I think that making a Shrek musical was commercializing Shrek too far, so it comes as no surprise that it's already closing. In general, I don't like how many movies have been made into musicals and put on Broadway (I'm looking at you, Disney). Some of these stories do work well as Broadway shows, but when the investors for a franchise just decide to put it on Broadway to make more money, hopefully they will learn from Shrek (which they are losing money on) and not mindlessly put something on Broadway in the hopes of milking more money out of a franchise such as Shrek.
I am not at all surprised that Shrek the Musical is closing. I can't think of many people who would be. Maybe with the closing of Broadway's new movie-based shows, producers will begin to realize that this new trend is not working. Perhaps we will once again begin to see new, original works on Broadway.
Talk about not being a surprise.
With such a high cost for running the show per week, I'm surprised it lasted this long. I never liked any of the designs for the show since it was practically copying the movie, but I hate to see a show fail.
I wonder how quick it will be for another show to find its way into the space. Hopefully, if the economy is turning upward, the theatre won't be dark for too long. Even though I complain about the lack of "original" content on Broadway, I hate seeing empty theatres much more. Best of luck to everyone involved in the show in their future endeavors.
Oh Shrek...and all other musicals that have been adapted from films lately...I feel like this form of theater is sort of a cop-out. They're just telling the same story in a different medium. If there was some way that this story would impress an audience, then, maybe, it would have been a greater success. I'm not talking about a technical wow, I'm talking about a textual wow. The public, myself included, wants new and improved content for theatrical works. I hate to say it, but I'm almost glad to see this go away. Maybe it'll make room for something interesting.
HOORAY!!!.....i mean "oh, so sad". Pardon me if I am not overly upset to see this show leave Broadway. While I was a huge fan of the movie I am not a big fan of the recent trend of movie-stage adaptations. In particular, with Shrek. I think it had a great story that worked really well in film, but there is just something about it that isn't working on stage for me. The one parallel I am drawing between this and Disney's approach to musicals is throwing money at it. The difference, here it appears to have failed. Just goes to show you, no matter how much money you pour into something does not mean it is going to be a successful production.
I think if you look back upon comments regarding the opening of the show... you would see that this was the expectation of most.
And this is not unpredictable. This kind of adaptation has a very short shelf life. It appeals to families with kids who have seen the movie and want the experience of it in real life. However, once this has been experienced, it is much cheaper (and probably as, if not more, effective) to watch the movie again.
If you are going to change the presentation of a story... have a reason. Making money is not sufficient reason.
I can't say that I'm terribly surprised to hear that its closing. The Lion King and Mary Poppins seemed to have a much stronger following than Shrek ever did -- they were "classics" -- I think its hard for people to consider Shrek "classic." Given the current economic climate, I'm not surprised to see what would typically be marketed as a kids show not doing so well on Broadway. Given the producing organization, I can't say that I feel like this is breaking anyone's bank account...
It seems like a lot of the Broadway shows that are based on movies don't run for very long. I hope that sends a message that even if a show does well commercially at the beginning, the novelty wears off very quickly and simply relying on the popularity of a movie is a poor basis for theater. Hopefully we'll start seeing some new shows that have a little more sustainability.
Are people really actually surprised that this show is closing? Really?? Successful musicals based on movies are few and far between. I can only think of two that are still running strong... "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins." It's sad that the investors have not yet recouped their investment, but it's part of the game I suppose. And honestly, they shouldn't be surprised. I, for one, am a potential audience member who never had any desire to see "Shrek." Sorry.
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