The Winter of Broadway's Discontent

Thanks to the current economic downturn and the usual winter doldrums, fifteen Broadway shows are expected to close in the next six weeks. High-profile Broadway musicals on the list include Spring Awakening, Spamalot, Grease, Young Frankenstein, Hairspray, and 13.

Those productions that are battling on are generally offering huge discounts on tickets, or even giving them away free.

Disney is offering a "Kids Go Free!" deal for its three family musicals – The Lion King, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid – for three months after January.

Although Billy Elliot is bucking the trend and doing well, big budget productions are particularly vulnerable.

A $4.5 million revival of Godspell has been scrapped while a lavish $16 million musical version of A Tale Of Two Cities closed in November, just two months after it opened.

Source: Telegraph

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A Little More "Hairspray"

Can't get too much of a good thing? There seems to be an emerging trend of musical sequels. High School Musical led the way, of course, with High School Musical 4 now in the works.

Next is Hairspray 2, a movie musical sequel to the 2007 movie Hairspray, which was adapted from the Broadway musical Hairspray, which was adapted from the original 1988 movie Hairspray.

Got it?

Writer-director John Waters, director-choreographer Adam Shankman, producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are all on board for the sequel.

Source: Playbill

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"Boots" to Broadway

The 2006 Miramax film comedy Kinky Boots, about a drag queen who saves a failing shoe company with a line of fetish footwear, is being turned into a stage musical.

Veteran Broadway producers Daryl Roth (August: Osage County) and Hal Luftig (Movin' Out) are in talks with Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde) to direct the new show.

Before directing Legally Blonde on Broadway, Mitchell choreographed the film-to-stage adaptations of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, and The Full Monty.

Source: Reuters

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