The Little Mermaid on Broadway Closing Aug 30, 2009

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

I don't know if this is old news, but I just found out about it and am very excited. If it's anything like the show at MGM, we're all in for a treat. The latest issue of Disney Magazine has an interview with Alan Menken. He said he's working on additional songs for "The Little Mermaid" Broadway show. No word on when it will debut, but I'm going to do my best to be in the audience when it does.

[imported_Melanears]

Should be interesting. Here's a recent article I found about this.

New Director and Set Designer Sign On For Broadway's 'Little Mermaid'

By the way, that was a great article on Alan Menken. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[Mr. Brass Bonanza]

Oh, cool! I didn't see that post. Thanks, Melanie!

Yes, that Menken article was excellent. I've always loved his work and I'm glad he's back doing Disney music.

[Carol]

Beauty and the Beast to close; The Little Mermaid to move in
By Amy Somensky
Monsters and Critics
Jan 18, 2007, 5:03 GMT

New York: Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that after thirteen years on Broadway, Beauty and the Beast, will play its final performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on July 29, 2007. Its closure will make way for another Disney musical to move in - The Little Mermaid. The new musical will begin previews at the Lunt-Fontanne on November 3rd and officially open on December 6th. The musical will have a pre-Broadway tryout at the Denver Center Attractions at Ellie Caulkins Opera House beginning July 26th.


“For many theatergoers, Beauty and the Beast has been their first introduction to the magic of Broadway musicals,” producer Thomas Schumacher said. “That’s a wonderful legacy for all of us at Disney Theatrical Productions, and we’re so proud of the show’s record-breaking run on Broadway, throughout the country and around the world. Though the Broadway production is coming to a close, through our relationship with Music Theatre International (MTI), Beauty and the Beast will continue to live on in regional and high school productions around the world.”

“Beauty and the Beast has meant so much to me, both in remembering the joy of creating the animated film and seeing how audiences have embraced it on Broadway for all of these years,” said composer Alan Menken. “I have had the pleasure of watching so many diverse and talented performers sing these roles in the past 13 years. While it saddens me to say goodbye to Beauty and the Beast, I am excited to watch The Little Mermaid take shape as a Broadway musical, and to be a part of its exciting journey to the stage.”

Beauty and the Beast opened at the Palace Theater on April 18, 1994. It transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne on November 11, 1999. At the time of closing it will have played 5,464 performances and will be the sixth longest running show in Broadway history.

The cast of Beauty and the Beast currently includes Deborah Lew as Belle, Steve Blanchard as The Beast, Stephen R. Buntrock as Gaston, John Tartaglia as Lumiere, Jonathan Freeman as Cogsworth, Jeanne Lehmann as Mrs. Potts, Meredith Inglesby as Babette, Mary Stout as Madame de la Grande Bouche, and Aldrin Gonzalez as Lefou. Trevor Braun and Marlon Sherman alternate the role of Chip.

The musical features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, music by Alan Menken, and a book by Linda Woolverton.

Beauty and the Beast is the elaborate stage production of Disney's animated classic that can currently be seen at the Lunt- Fontanne Theater. Belle is a beautiful, misunderstood young woman who falls in love with the deformed beast who has captured her. Little does she know that a spell was cast on him and it can only be broken (and he can return to his true form) if she truly falls in love with him.

[PirateLover]

A Little Mermaid show would be neat but I'm sad to hear that Beauty and the Beast is closing. That was a truly fantastic show that really lent itself to Broadway.

[Melanie]

I have a soft spot for this production. Sorry to see it go!

I bet 'The Little Mermaid' is going to be cool though. Look forward to seeing it!

[ChipnDaleGal]

This news makes me sad. Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite stage productions. I am so glad that my daughter and I had the chance to see it on Braodway this past summer. It was beautiful and amazing. Pretty cool that it will be the 6th longest running musical on Broadway when it finishes it's run. That says a lot about what a great job they did.

[kakn7294]

I love the Little Mermaid (I'll bet nobody could guess that!) and will make the trip to see it, but I'm also sorry to see Beauty and the Beast go. I actually have the Denver theater site bookmarked in my favorites so I can see when tickets go on sale for the Little Mermaid production.

[GothMickey]

Beauty and the Beast was the first Broadway play I ever went to see. Sorry to hear it is closing, but, all good things must come to an end. Hopefully The Little Mermaid will be a great play because nothing, in my opinion, beat Beauty and the Beast. I am glad I have the soundtrack.

[Goofyjrzgrl]

I haven't had a chance to go see Beauty and the Beast yet, I'll be sad if I don't get to see it before it closes-- I've heard WONDERFUL things about it...

But I AM VERY excited to see Ariel on Broadway, as she is my FAVORITE princess!!

[2Epcot]

I did not see the show when I was in NY, I ended up seeing several other shows on my last visit. I did catch the traveling show of Beauty & The Beast several years ago. It is a wonderfuly staged show, and it did introduce many to theater for the first time. It will be sad to see if leave Broadway, but all good shows come to an end sometime.

[Jacova]

Saw this announced in the Times this morning and immediatly got tickets for July. It breaks my heart that this wonderful show is closing (saw it 3 times), but I do think that Disney is doing the right thing. 4 shows on Broadway at one time is more than enough - I just hope that The Little Mermaid is of B&TB quality and not another dud like Tarzan.

Beauty will live on in local productions and on tour.

[LittleSpirit02]

Where can tickets be purchased? Ticketmaster?

I'm looking forward to the new show, but as mentioned, sad Beauty & the Beast will be leaving.

[GenieOfPA]

i still have yet to see beauty and the beast on broadway... and i guess now i need to get a move on! although the little mermaid will also be a great show. i could have sworn i saw a commercial on tv the other day that beauty and the beast would be coming to philadelphia, pa for a select amount of shows, but when i went online i couldn't find any word of it...

anyone else live around the philly that knows anything about beauty and the beast coming to our area?

[PirateLover]

Beauty and the Beast was performed at the Walnut Street Theatre last year. It was a decent production (the Gaston was AWESOME! He's in a lot of local performances but his name escapes me right now.) However no traveling show or local show could ever compare to the Broadway experience. A must-see.

[LittleSpirit02]

I wonder if they'll keep Beauty & the Beast in MGM or if they'll have a renovation period to do a shortened version of the Little Mermaid there, too. I believe they already have the Little Mermaid somewhere in WDW, though right? So that would either stay with B&tB in MGM, or it would have to replace B&tB and the other LM show would close to make way for something else...I hope that made sense...

[DisneyOtaku]

B&TB was my first musical--I got to see it in New Orleans years ago for my birthday. It was truely a magical experience for me, as it brought me a love of musicals. I wish there was a way for me to get a tape of the production...

However, I look forward to the Little Mermaid on Broadway. I can't wait!

And yes, there is already a little mermaid stage show in MGM--we never miss it!

[BklynChick]

So my source at the New Amsterdam Theater last week was nearly spot on...(see my post in the "Mary Poppins on Broadway" thread).

Honestly, I thought they would pull the plug on Tarzan. The fact that Disney Visa is offering discount tickets seemed to be a bad sign (normally, the only thing you get from Disney Visa is pre-sale or $250 VIP seats).

I've seen B&TB three times, so I can't say I'll be overly depressed to see it go.

[handmaidenofprincesses]

thats not cool!!! I (obviously) adore the little mermaid, but pushing beauty and the beast off of broadway is ridiculous! I love beauty and the beast too! besides, i was told that once little mermaid opens on broadway disney will, in all likelihood, close voyage of the little mermaid at MGM. That's my favorite thing!! I hop thats not true...

[bwaydiva]

ok... as much as i love beauty and the beast... i think it's time for them to close. they've been on broadway for a while now (1996... i think.) i'm really excited about little mermaid... i just hope the casting is better than tarzan. don't get me wrong... tarzan was ok... not one of disney's greatest shows, but still decent. but beauty will stick with me forever, it was my first broadway show and somewhat the kick that i got to major in theatre in college. not to mention i saw 80's pop singer debbie gibson as belle.

as for "pushing beauty and the beast" to close... i heard a rumor not sure how true it is... but it said that disney wasn't going to bring another show to broadway until one of the other 4 closed. makes sense.