Mamma Mia Closing??

[bdn223]

So I was at Nice Work last night and the security guard there was telling us that Matilda is going into the Winter Garden Theater next year implying that Mamma Mia is going to close...i don't know if this is true, but Mamma Mia has been a pretty steady earner though out its run so I am surprised it would close now.

[frogs_fan85]

There was a rumor last year about a string of changes with CHICAGO going into the Booth and MAMMA MIA! taking the Ambassador, so that MATILDA could take the Winter Garden.

Nothing confirmed though.

[Calvin]

There was a thread on this a while back, but the rumor was that Mamma Mia would be moving to a different theatre, not closing.

[Jonwo]

I think moving theatres is more likely than a close, it must be meeting running costs or it would closed ages ago.

If Matilda does go to the Winter Garden then the theatre will have to wait a while for an American show to go there.

[massofmen]

I dunno. not a big believer in british musical imports since Miss saigon closed.

[dramamama611]

I haven't been all that impressed with many of them either....and I'd point to about the same time frame.

[yankeefan7]

That would be amazing since Winter Garden has had only two shows there since the 1982.

[TheaterBoy7777]

War Horse producers had heard of the rumor as well. http://m.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/horse_declares_war_fB4vC7S3iZmmaStUBKO3NK perhaps they will feel differently next year

[WayTooBroadway]

The rumor going around...

WAR HORSE moves to the Winter Garden.
MAMMA MIA moves to the Ambassador.
CHICAGO moves to the Booth (when ODC closes).
ANNIE goes into the Palace (when PRISCILLA closes).
MATILDA goes into the Al Hirschfeld (when HOW TO SUCCEED closes).
FAT CAMP goes into the Circle in the Square (when GODSPELL closes).

Why, when... who knows.

[tmbyru]

Is War Horse big enough to fill the Winter Garden? It would make more sense for War Horse to go into the Hirschfled and Matilda to go into the Winter Garden. Chicago would be perfect for the Booth. With no set and the band of stage it would surely do better with a smaller theater. Mamma Mia in its old age should downsize a bit but it is still pulling in decent numbers. Some weeks better than others.

[frogs_fan85]

There's a 74 seat difference between the Winter Garden and Hirschfeld, that's fairly negligible.

[massofmen]

so odd. why do i think the winter garden is so big? OH thats right because the last time I was in there i saw CATS. and I was a wee lady. :)

[tmbyru]

74 seats? Really? Garden feels so much bigger than Hirschfeld.

[Nick Murphy]

It's a mistake for Matilda to play the Winter Garden. It should be in a smaller more intimate house like the Music Box or the Broadhurst. Bad decision if this is true. Matilda is a wonderful show and deserves a more appropriate home.

[ucjrdude902]

Why would a show WANT to move. Doesn't that cost alot?

[THEATRICAL100]

I agree...besides, there is never any buzz about MAMMA MIA! at all.

[broadwaydevil]

Mamma Mia doesn't need buzz with solid tourist sales. You don't hear much about Jersey Boys or Chicago these days either but both are doing fine. The Winter Garden is a big space and I don't think War Horse (never heard that rumor before this post by the way) or Matilda could possibly fill it.

I also have no idea why Chicago would move. It does well enough to easily be making money every week and a move is a huge expense and a bit risky. Whenever people start talking about all these rumors of moving, I get a bit suspicious because every month someone comes up with a grand plan to move six shows that almost never happens.

[Pippin]

^

There doesn't need to be.

Just like Lion King and Chicago.

Phantom has run for 25 years, and there's no buzz for that either.

These are international tourist shows now. That's the core audience that will keep them open for many more years to come.

Mamma Mia is in no danger of closing for a long long time.

[Jonwo]

It's strange that Mamma Mia! has remained at the Winter Garden for so long, the London production is moving to its third home in September, I imagine the show will eventually move theatres but closing doesn't seem likely unless sales really fall.

[bdn223]

The reason all of this is probably happening now is that since WAR HORSE is only partially produced by Lincoln Center and apparently hey have been plannig the 60th anniversary reival ofTHE KING AND I ever since SOUTH PACIFIC opened, they honestly didnt expect WAR HORSE to be a hit especially with its likly huge running costs, LCT probably told their coproducers we need their theater back by next year so do as you will.

If there is one thing I have noticed though British Producers are worse then Ken Davenport and Disney combined and wont let a show die with dignety...Cat, Les Miz, even Phantom should Of kicked the bucket years ago, though it picked up some steam in recent years, but instead they run them into the ground which will likly we the case of WAR HORSE.

And it is this mantra that is probably causing all this theater hoping which is a rare occurence on broadway especially these days with the exception of the whole RAIN, CATCH ME, Rock of Ages swaparoo, which only happened because Nederlander was a producer

[Jonwo]

War Horse is a moneymaker for the National so it's unsurprising that they want the Broadway production to continue in some form.

[Phantom of London]

Warhorse want to move neat Times Square as according to Riedel, Lincoln Center patrons have now seen the show and getting tourists into the Vivian Beaumont is hard, so want to be on Times Square where the footfall is high.

[Jonwo]

South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza did extended runs at the Beaumount so people will find it if it they want to see a hit show but given that LCT are only co-producers of War Horse, there is no real financial benefit for keeping War Horse at the Beaumount longer, it's already done a year which for a play is pretty good.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Wouldn't War Horse have to do a fairly substantial amount of restaging and redesigning if they moved to a house without a thrust stage? From my understanding, a big part of the reason it's in the New London in the West End is because that theater has a thrust stage and that's what the production was designed for (since the Olivier at the National is also a thrust).

[SondheimFan5]

The tour versions of War Horse are designed for procenium stages and they work just fine. It wouldn't be quite as impressive, but it would still work well. Look at South Pacific.