NeoPatrick

Whoa. Next July? No, Patti is leaving the show I think in March and it will most probably end then since it is "Patti Lupone Gypsy". In fact a lot can happen by then.

Gardyloo

Right now "Shrek - the Musical" is midway through its shakedown run in Seattle, and will be moving to Broadway in December (some previews in November.) Tickets for Broadway are on sale now.

We saw it the other night and thought it was pretty good. As it's in its first-ever performance here, there were some rough edges, probably some songs that will be dropped (or maybe others that we didn't see added) and some of the actors were not up to or seemed better than their parts.

Several of the songs are definitely Broadway-ready.

It captures much of the irreverence and humor of the movie, the sets and costumes are fabulous, and it will probably be quite good by the time it opens in NYC.

For your all-girl trip, it's noteworthy that the Princess Fiona character is probably the strongest of the parts.

No press reviews have been allowed during its run here, but I suspect they will be favorable by the time it gets to Broadway.

missypie

Is South Pacific going to have a long run, or will it close before July, too?

HowardR

Assuming the show continues to draw a crowd, South Pacific will probably be around next july.
As for no press reviews being allowed at Shrek, I think it's more of a case of it still being in previews and not "officially" oopening yet. . Obviously, they could not stop anyone from buying a ticket and reviewing the show.

dalenemoore

No, The Little Mermaid is NOT horrible. It is quite beautiful and really fun. (I am a 51 year old lifelong theatre buff, who has a high standard, too, but am not a snob. While there are some aspects of the show that may be over-hyped, overall it is definitely worth the ticket price. Watching and listening to Sierra Bogess in the title role is worth every penny. She is magnificent in every way. I splurged on orchestra seats (row R to the left of the stage, not the super high priced center, on a Tuesday night) and had a perfect view. There are some spectacular sets and the music and sound were excellent. This show is perfect for young ladies and their moms, especially those that grew up with and loved the movie. My 22 year old son, who is a grad student at Columbia U, and loved the movie when he was 3, agreed that the play has gotten a bad rap. The only big drawback of Little Mermaid is that infants were allowed into the theatre and there was crying during the performance. Ridiculous! On another note, stay away from Phantom-the NY Broadway performance wasn't worth the money (though other performances I've seen in other cities were). Lion King is always great but get your tickets way in advance. I hear South Pacific is good-won Tonys!

missypie

Good to hear about Little Mermaid. Lion King has been on the girls' list, then off, now on again. Last I checked, they had just released tickets through March.

Centralparkgirl

>> but am not a snob << dalenemoore

I don't think one has to be a snob if they didn't enjoy 'The Little Mermaid' or any other play for that matter. In fact, I loved the movie and thought other Disney productions ('The Lion King,' 'Beauty and the Beast' to name a few) were terrific. I had excellent seats to TLM (FREE tix btw) and the three other women with me (all different ages) felt as I did that it wasn't a great production. That's what makes horse races! So, if someone is visiting NYC and has a limited number of days, 'The Little Mermaid' would be the last musical that I would recommend.

luvtravl

Took my teenage nieces to NYC last October and saw Wicked, Mamma Mia and Xanadu. My favorite was Wicked, 17 year old's favorite was Xanadu and the 15 year old's was a toss-up between Mamma Mia and Xanadu. Xanadu was lots of fun and we did onstage seating (that meant viewing from behind some of the action) but the girls are both very interested in theatre and loved being part of the production. Maybe something to consider with your daughters?

centex

You'll love Wicked! Clever story, funny characters and such talented performers. It lives up to the hype.

missypie

I've sort of seen Wicked. Our neighbor's friend actually secretly videotape an early Broadway performance and we borrowed the DVD....illegal, yes, but I did just pay full price for three tickets.

NeoPatrick

missypie, I wish you hadn't told us that. You're making my blood boil!

missypie

Yeah, I had never seen a pirated DVD before. Afterwards, I realized why it's illegal-I did think: Well, I've seen this now...don't need to see it on Broadway. Of course, a few years have passed and I AM paying to see it on Broadway.

MomDDTravel

missypie - I cannot imagine pirated DVD is even close to how amazing it is in person.

missypie

Is Lion King closing next year? I keep going to the ticket site, and it keeps showing tickets only available through next February. I looked on line and found one message board rumor that it was closing. Anybody know?

NeoPatrick

I personally don't have any knowledge, but I can't imagine Disney closing that cash cow! It is still wildly successful. Most shows only sell tickets up to about 6 or 8 months ahead.

HowardR

Again, Neopatrick has it totally correct. The Lion King is definitely not closing in February...and probably not for many years to come!

missypie

Okay, I'll keep checking the web site.