Lord of The Rings Musical Rakes in Over $3 Million in Advance Sales
By: BWW News Desk May. 17, 2005
John Karastamatis, director of communications for Mirvish Productions (which is presenting the show as part of its 2005-2006 subscription season), was elated. "We're excited with the response so far and we're confident that (yesterday), when we open the more traditional forms of ticket buying — phone sales and theatre box office — we'll have an even bigger day." "This is much bigger," said Karastamatis, referring to the $1.3 advance that Broadway's The Lion King earned in 2000 through concurrent internet, phone and box office sales.
The $21.3 million, 3-and-a half-hour musical condensation of Tolkien's hobbits-and-elves trilogy is directed by Matthew Warchus. The Lord of the Rings also features music by A.R. Rahman (along with the Finnish group Varrtina), and the book and lyrics are by Shaun McKenna. Rob Howell's elaborate sets will feature "three interconnected turntables containing 16 elevators;" he will also design the costumes. The creative team spent 4 years developing the show. Simon Baker (sound), The Gray Circle (moving image design), Paul Kieve (illusions direction), Laurie Battle (Tolkien creative consultation), and Christopher Nightingale (musical supervision) comprise the rest of the production staff.
In a previous interview with Reuters, Paul Wallace (who is producing along with Saul Zaentz, in association with David and Ed Mirvish and Michael Cohl) described the show's concept. "We are ultimately dependent on 50 actors and musicians to tell the story rather than technology…We are going to have to break new ground. It is a hybrid of text, music, spectacle and physical theater." Responding to the fears of LOTR purists, he is also quoted as saying that the musical will be "in a very traditional mold" and that "there will be no singing and dancing hobbits."
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