NYTimes.com: wo teams of producers tried and failed to raise the show’s projected $13 million budget for Broadway, and its derailment (a premiere in Japan?) is an outright scandal to some of Mr. Prince’s friends, who argue that producers and theater owners should have stepped up to invest because they have made millions of dollars from his musicals. (“Phantom” alone has grossed $925 million on Broadway.)
1 comment:
i think the most telling statement here is that Hal Prince himself won't invest in the show. If it really is all about the bottom line, i think it's totally normal for people to decline funds. i would prefer to see Prince invest the $13million in an entirely new idea. A recurring theme that we see on the greenpage is how many of the shows opening on broadway are "safe" ventures, because they are proven successes already in other outlets (IE: movies, children's books, adaptations, revivals, etc...) I would sooner pay $100 to see Hal Prince's new show before I would pay $100 to see a review of highlights from successful Hal Prince shows. It is disappointing that after so many years in the business, he may feel betrayed by all the people he has earned so much money for. But I think Hal Prince is probably a champion at surrounding himself with the right people. And saving "calling in his favors" for when he really needs something.
what I am a little curious about is why it would be more successful in Japan than it would here...or more to the point: why it would be less expensive to produce there. That seems completely counter-intuitive to me.
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