Ty's Toy Box Blog » Licensed characters on stage

Shrek the Musical headed to Broadway

Toy Box Mommy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:00:24 +0000

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… nope, it’s Shrek the Musical!

Personally, I’m a longtime fan of the Shrek franchise, and let’s just say that I had my doubts about this one. I did. But apparently it was a huge hit this summer in Seattle, where the show debuted. Here’s a taste:

And here’s Larry Osterman, who saw it in Seattle and predicts it will be a Broadway smash:

This show’s going to be BIG when it hits Broadway. I’m talking Hairspray big.

It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a really long time. The main characters are brilliant, and the writing is very funny.

[...]

One very nice touch in the show is that just as the movie of Shrek had lots of clever references to classic fairy tales, the musical version of Shrek is filled with clever references to other Broadway shows[1]. For instance, there’s a scene where the fairy tale characters are all interviewed by Lord Farquaad (the villain). The characters all stand in a line on stage and Farquaad interviews them using the “G_d Mike” (as Daniel calls it). The characters then sing a clever song about how they want Farquaad to pick them. It’s a pastiche of A Chorus Line.

(Osterman’s commenters disagree, but he certainly seems sold….)

Previews begin on Broadway on November 8th, 2008. You can get ticket information online, if you’re so inclined.

Don’t forget to visit the Shrek Store here at Ty’s for all things Shrek!

And don’t forget—you have until Saturday to enter to win Teddy Ruxpin from Ty’s!

July heat brings August… ice?

Toy Box Mommy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:35:08 +0000

Disney on Ice, that is. Obviously.

As if the Disney on Ice phenomenon wasn’t already an empire unto itself, the latest incarnation is hitting the country next month with all-new bells and whistles:

Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy takes flight this fall as Feld Entertainment’s newest ice spectacular, featuring four fun-filled classic and current Disney stories. Set to launch on a 70 city, two-year tour in August 2008, Worlds of Fantasy showcases beloved characters from Disney/Pixar’s Cars, Disney’s The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, as well as a live debut of the magical cast of new Fairies from the highly anticipated October 28th DVD and Blu-ray(TM) release of Walt Disney Pictures Tinker Bell.

In a captivating “fairy tale” segment, audiences will enter into the wondrous world of Pixie Hollow and meet the Disney Fairies from Tinker Bell. The entire ice floor will transform into springtime, as the fairies’ magical role in the mysteries of nature is finally revealed. For the tour’s first nine cities, Worlds of Fantasy performs before the movie releases in the U.S., serving as a sneak preview of the enchantment to come.

The piece details the other new features of this upcoming tour, including:

A bonus experience, complimentary with ticket purchase, the Disney Princess Pre-Show will tour nationally for the first time in Feld Entertainment history. Prior to each Worlds of Fantasy performance, families will be treated to an exclusive collection of enchanting ball gowns and mementos from the Disney Princess stories. The exhibit features beautiful settings for photo opportunities.

Do you have a little girl who’s a Disney Princess fan? I think this Pre-Show may well blow her little mind. Just sayin’.

You can learn more, check the schedule, and purchase tickets through the official Disney site. Hey, consider it a simple way to cool off in the summer heat, thinking about your favorite characters on ice. Heh.

Little House takes to the (musical) stage

Toy Box Mommy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:35:12 +0000

Listen closely, because this is the only time you’ll ever hear me say this: I sort of wished, for a moment, that I lived in Minnesota. I know! But the thing is, Minnesota is the only place where one can go see Little House on the Prairie the musical. Can you really blame me? But maybe you live in Minnesota, or are planning to visit Minnesota, and can get on over to the Guthrie Theater to check it out.

My intrigue is based on several things. First and foremost, there was nothing I loved better than Little House when I was a kid. I read my set of books to tatters, and I never missed an episode on television. As far as I was concerned, Melissa Gilbert was Laura Ingalls. I had dreams about putting Nellie Oleson in her place. And I would be embarrassed about all of this except that I know all of this was true of every other girl my age, too.

And my daughter devoured the series, too, which made me happier than it should’ve, probably.

Anyway, I think it should’ve come as no surprise to anyone that the upcoming show broke the Guthrie’s box office record:

Tickets for the Guthrie world premiere of Little House on the Prairie, the new musical based on the series of books of the same name, went on sale June 27.

During that first day, 5,461 tickets to the musical were sold, breaking all previous box office records. Previous record holders included the 2007 Guthrie WorldStage presentation of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear (3,639 tickets sold in one day) and the 2006 staging of the annual holiday show A Christmas Carol (1,363 tickets sold in one day).

Right. Obviously! I mean, Melissa Gilbert is playing Ma. That sort of makes my brain hurt, but for the most part I think it’s really, really cool.

Sail away with Nickelodeon

Toy Box Mommy — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:32:38 +0000

Ever seen those commercials for various cruises where they promise that Junior will have just as much fun as Mom and Dad, thanks to the special activities they have on board for kids? Has anyone besides me ever regarded such ads with a bit of disbelief? I mean, sure, in the commercial the kids are hanging out at the “Kids Klub” and having a blast, but we all know that in reality, little Jimmy clings to Mom’s leg and sobs while the disinterested teen in charge cracks her gum and checks her watch.

(Not that I’ve ever been on a cruise. I am just a pessimist like that.)

Anyway, who knows—maybe regular cruises really are loads of fun for little kids… but I doubt it. The Disney Cruise, sure, that makes sense as a family option that will be a big hit with kids. I get that. And now there’s another contender: Nickelodeon is hitting the high seas:

Taking place on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, the largest ship in the cruise industry with a capacity of more than 4,000 passengers, the “Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean” will match the family-friendly amenities of Freedom of the Seas with a packed schedule of Nickelodeon activities and entertainment. The cruise will visit four exotic Western Caribbean destinations including: Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and a special stop at Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination, Labadee, which will be Nickelodeon-themed.

In some ways, I could see “selling” your kids on the idea of Nickelodeon Island almost easier than Disney. Think about it—it can’t possibly be as crowded as visiting the Magic Kingdom. And the entertainment roster looks like a little kid’s delight:

The “Nickelodeon Family Cruise by Royal Caribbean” will offer an experience complete with Nick-themed on-board activities such as live game shows featuring the trademark Nickelodeon slime; visits with kids’ favorite Nick characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants; appearances by the network’s live-action stars; and much more. In addition, Freedom of the Seas offers a multitude of activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the H2O Zone water park, an ice skating rink, a nine-hole mini-golf course, 10-route rock-climbing wall, and full-size basketball court.

You know, I’ve always wanted to meet SpongeBob….

Reservations opened up yesterday; see the August itinerary here and start thinking about whether or not you have a suitable bathing suit, and if a life-size Dora will make your kid cry. Not necessarily in that order.

The Backyardigans get positively medieval

Toy Box Mommy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:25:58 +0000

Fans of The Backyardigans have less than a week to go before the next big hour-long movie event, “Tale of the Mighty Knights,” according to a recent press release:

[P]remiering Monday, Jan. 14 (7 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET/PT) [...] in “Tale of the Mighty Knights,” royal knights Uniqua and Tyrone are ready to do mighty deeds in service to their King (Pablo). It seems like a pretty simple task until the King asks them to babysit an egg, which grows legs and runs away! A rock opera soundtrack moves the action along as the knights pursue their egg in Goblin Land and encounter a grabbing goblin (Austin), through Fairyland where they meet a tiny and mischievous fairy (Tasha), and finally to Dragon Mountain where they face a mighty baby dragon (Adam Pascal). Will the knights conquer their greatest challenge yet?

And as if that isn’t exciting enough, the movie will spawn a live stage show, too:

Based on the primetime special, The Backyardigans Live! will follow the success of previous Nickelodeon touring shows Go, Diego, Go Live! and Dora The Explorer Live!. The Backyardigans Live! tour will visit over 50 cities across the USA kicking off in York, Pennsylvania on March 28, 2008. Nickelodeon’s live stage shows have been among the top grossing touring family shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

During Backyardigans Live!, Pablo, Uniqua, Tasha, Tyrone and Austin will need the audience’s help as they face a mighty dragon and return the egg to the king. The stage show will have the entire family singing, dancing and laughing along to songs from the rock opera.

Other scheduled tour stops include: New York, NY; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Tampa, Florida, San Antonio, Texas; and Houston, Texas. For schedule information visit http://www.nickjr.com.

Personally, I always find live versions of animated characters to be a bit frightening. (Then again, I’m also scared of clowns. Draw your own conclusions.) But with the wild success of the Backyardigans (not to mention the music being something adults can enjoy without bleeding eardrums), my guess is the stage show will be wildly successful.

Rock on, Backyardigans!

High School Musical on stage, on tour

Toy Box Mommy — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:15:34 +0000

I was five years old when I saw the movie Grease for the first time. I’m sure a lot of it went over my head (at least, I’m sure that’s what my mother was hoping when she found out that on a rainy day at camp, they’d loaded us all up and taken us to a decidedly PG-rated movie), but I loved it. I wanted to be a pink lady (not because of anything that meant, but because I liked their jackets) and I spent a lot of time singing “Look at me / I’m Sandra Dee” to my dolls.

After a while we bought the record (yes, the record) and I often lay on the floor of the living room, hairbrush held up to my mouth in lieu of a microphone, crooning “Summer Nights.”

The point is, I was hooked.

And so it’s possible that I was teasing my daughter just a little bit about her infatuation with High School Musical, because she’s not even in high school and whole parts of the story go completely over her head, I’m sure, when she pointed out that the music is just fun. And didn’t I remember being a kid and liking something like that?

I suppose I do.

And so I was not terribly surprised to learn that High School Musical has taken to the stage with roaring success. Disney had always planned to license it for school/amateur productions, but when the property proved such a smash hit, they went ahead and expanded into professional production as well. The results thus far have been very positive. (The effort I’m expending not to type “duh” at the end of that sentence is substantial.)

But if Disney runs out of HSM-themed avenues, my offer of the synchronized swimming idea still stands. You know, just in case they need it.

I can’t stop humming

Toy Box Mommy — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:10:17 +0000

I’ve told you before that my son is a big Spider-Man fan, and perhaps I didn’t pay the Webbed One due respect when I wrote about him. At least, my son didn’t feel that I did. But as superheroes go, I do enjoy Spider-Man. I mean, hey, consider some of the alternatives. The Incredible Hulk? He’s, like, every mother’s nightmare. I mean, just think about how many shirts and pairs of pants that guy goes through. And we’re not made of money here, you know. You have to take care of your things. Also, if you can’t control your temper, you’re going to be spending a lot of your life in time-out, mister.

Wait, sorry. I veered a little bit off-course, there. What were we talking about?

Oh! Right! So, Spider-Man. Is there anything he can’t do? I mean, he can walk up walls, he can shoot webs, he can sing on Broadway….

What’s that? Oh, no, that wasn’t a typo. Haven’t you heard? Fasten your seatbelts for Spider-Man the Musical:

Marvel Studios has confirmed that plans are underway to produce a Broadway musical based on Marvel’s ever popular Super Hero, Spider-Man. Produced by Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment, and SONY Pictures Entertainment (billing in formation), the musical will be directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with U2’s Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics for the project. A reading is scheduled to take place this summer. No dates for a Broadway opening have been confirmed at this time.

Playbill is reporting some of the casting call details, including that there will be a so-called geek chorus:

[...] consisting of “three teenage boys and one girl” are described to “meet to ritualistically retell the greatest Spider-Man stories.”

Oooooo… kay….

At first, you know, I was speechless. But I’m warming up to the idea. I mean, why not? It’ll be like West Side Story meets… ummm… wait, don’t tell me… well, I’m sure it’ll be interesting. Spider-Man can perform the classic hit “Swingin’ in the Rain” and maybe Mary Jane can sing “Arachnids are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Yeah, I’m starting to visualize it now. Very catchy.

It’s really a shame they didn’t hire me to help with the score. I’m a natural at this.

Taking the good and making it… more slippery

Toy Box Mommy — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:06:50 +0000

It seems like just yesterday that I was musing about taking good movies and retooling them for the stage, and how it seemed to me like the transition between the two mediums must be sort of difficult. Okay, it wasn’t yesterday, but just a few days ago. And that’s long been the formula for bigger-and-better success when it comes to a good piece of entertainment: If it works one way, do it another.

So I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that High School Musical is heading to the ice rink.

But I have a confession to make. I don’t get it. I know this is a common thing for Disney productions, to become an ice extravaganza. And I know people love them. But I don’t see the appeal. Heck, I can’t even sit through the commercials for most of the Disney On Ice spectaculars without wondering how a person actually skates while wearing a big puffy dog costume, or whatever.

What makes it so magical to do it on the ice? Is the added dimension of wondering whether the actors might fall on their behinds so intriguing?

Oh well. When the excitement of Fill In The Blank On Ice wanes, they’ll need a new gimmick. I’d like to suggest they stick with the water theme, but change it up a little bit. High School Musical At Sea? High School Musical Synchronized Swimmers? I really think there’s an untapped market out there.

And Disney? Feel free to use my excellent ideas, free of charge. Consider it my gift to you. No need to thank me.

The Little Mermaid headed to Broadway

Toy Box Mommy — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:14:33 +0000

Have you heard? Disney is busy making The Little Mermaid into a musical. A few years ago I probably would’ve rolled my eyes at this—how could they possibly make that into a stage production?—but I am now older and wiser and have come to believe that Disney knows what it’s doing, whether on the big screen or the big stage. Ahem.

Once you stop and take it all in, it makes such perfect sense I almost wonder what took them so long. Little girls everywhere are still clamoring for all things Disney Princess. Here’s a way to please both the kids and the parents, and if other Disney stage extravaganzas have taught us anything, it’s that audiences will eat this stuff up with a spoon.

I’m torn, because on the one hand I have to maintain just a smidge of righteous indignation over the typical Disney heroine treatment; the story has been vastly changed from the original, and the girl can’t be happy until she lands a man. It’s hard for me to see past that, as prevalent as it is in Disney folklore. On the other hand, when I’m able to set that aside? I have to confess that The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney movies. The music is great (and will lend itself well to a stage production), the characters are lovable (even Ariel, poor man-seeking girl that she is), and what’s not to dig about a villain who’s part octopus?

If your interest is piqued, keep your eye on the Broadway production’s blog for news and updates (hat tip: Animated News). I was particularly intrigued by this post on different puppetry styles employed in various Disney stage productions (The Lion King and Finding Nemo are both discussed). The creativity and sheer amount of manpower that goes into these productions astounds me!