Across the country, 2,000-seat theaters sit empty. The heyday of “Cats,” “A Chorus Line” and “Les Miserables” is over. Still, “Lion King” comes at a time when New York is generating few major shows-particularly big musicals-with popular appeal. The company sold $3.7 million in tickets on the first day the box office opened last May. Hors d’oeuvres on platters draped in green grass were delivered by women dressed in hoop skirts with spirals of ants seeming to cascade down the sides.Īmong the guests were Laura San Giacomo, David Hyde Pierce, Wendie Malick, Debbie Allen, Lucy Liu, Steve Martin, Alan Cumming and Calista Flockhart.Īlthough Disney will not reveal current figures for ticket sales, it extended the run of the show to Oct. The African-themed after party, held in tents across the street, had the upbeat appearance of one of Disneyland’s Adventureland rides.Ĭelebrities-many of them clad in leopard-print coats and blouses-were entertained by chanting percussion groups at tables illuminated with giant giraffe light fixtures. Staring wide-eyed at the glittering decor during intermission, D’nez Westmoreland, who works for an executive search company in Los Angeles, said: “It’s breathtaking. On Thursday night, the crowd seemed almost as impressed with the theater’s renovations as with the production itself. Every surface of the building was painted, cleaned, rebuilt or restored under the guidance of interior designer Roger Morgan of Sachs Morgan Studio in New York. The 1930s-vintage movie house was fully revamped for the event by theater owner James M. “I decided to put the show on here because it’s a great location,” Schumacher said. Thomas Schumacher, a producer of the show, says that a relatively low $12 to $77 ticket range caters to a variety of economic groups and reflects the production’s message of diversity. Her friend, Christina Frank, a television producer from Santa Monica, said: “Joani went through a whole box of Kleenex.” “A lot of times you hear so much about a show, only to be disappointed,” Joani Robbins, a voice-over actress from Los Angeles, said after the performance. Most of the audience seemed to agree with him. “I’ve not seen anyone walk out without a silly grin on their faces, and usually a few tears.”
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