349 replies to this topic

[burt]

Tickets for THE LION KING are moving briskly with some performances already sold out.

The elaborate show opens February 15th and runs through March 11th at the 3,600-seat Landmark Theatre on Monroe Park in the Lower Fan.

Tickets run from $30 to $77 (plus convenience fees) except for premium seats which are considerably more expensive.

http://www.richmondcenterstage.com

Click "Events" to order tickets.

[burt]

If you want to dine out before or after THE LION KING, here is Richmond Good Life's listing of restaurants in and near The Fan:

http://www.richmondg...restaurants.htm

[burt]

THE LION KING, opening Wednesday, February 15th has already sold out a number of performances during its 4-week run at The Landmark Theatre.  Even premium priced tickets at $127 each are selling briskly.

Click "Events" at http://www.richmondcenterstage.com to check for seat availibility.

[burt]

The Landmark Theatre is an operation of Richmond CenterStage along with The Carpenter Theatre, Gottwald Playhouse and Rhythm Hall.

I posted the Times Dispatch review in the Events thread. Here is another review of THE LION KING now at The Landmark through March 11th.

By Liz Jewitt at Richmond dot com:

http://www2.richmond...iew-ar-1699416/

[burt]

Richmond CenterStage has announced its Broadway shows for the 2012-2013 season.  The five shows, all musicals, are:

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
BILLY ELLIOT
MARY POPPINS
LES MISERABLES
THE WEST SIDE STORY

Unlike this season, none of them will be in town for more than one week.  And while venues for each show have not been announced, it's likely they will all play at The Landmark Theatre.

http://broadwayinrichmond.com/#3

[burt]

If you've seen THE LION KING, or plan to see it before it closes at The Landmark Theatre on March 11th, you may wonder about the magic of the colorful costumes and how they are manipulated by the actors who wear them.

Check out this story from RVANews:

http://rvanews.com/e...lion-king/57003

[wrldcoupe4]

Went to Lion King last night... incredible.

[burt]

wrldcoupe4, on 25 February 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

Went to Lion King last night... incredible.

Great.

Glad you enjoyed it.  I've seen it here in NYCity and it's truly a visual treat.

Did the house look full?

[burt]

Here's a nice pic of The Landmark Theatre in Richmond:
  (click "previous" or "next" to see other photos.)

http://www.facebook....&type=1

Edited by burt, 25 February 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[burt]

These are recent photos of Richmond CenterStage on East Grace between 6th and 7th Streets (The Landmark Theatre in The Lower Fan near VCU is under the same management.)

The RCS pictures include the interior of The Carpenter Theatre and the members' bar and lounge;  The Gottwald playhouse which has seating that can be reconfigured for about 250 people.  Note the seating near the stage is in a tiered pit that can be lowered or raised in segments.  There's also a shot of a rehearsal room.

If you're curious about the suspended clouds in the starry ceiling of The Carpenter Theatre, they are for acoustic purposes and can be adjusted to accommodate musicians' requirements.

You can flip from photo to photo by clicking "previous" or "next."  

http://www.facebook....&type=3

[wrldcoupe4]

burt, on 25 February 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Great.

Glad you enjoyed it.  I've seen it here in NYCity and it's truly a visual treat.

Did the house look full?

Not a sellout, but all but a couple hundred seats (mostly on the periphery) were taken.

[burt]

Style Weekly theatre critic, David Timberline, adds his praise for THE LION KING:

http://www.styleweek...ent?oid=1672561

According to Weekly Variety, the show grossed $1,293,138 in its first week at The Landmark Theatre.  That figure is about $203,000 less than capacity.

[burt]

Mayor Jones announced today a proposal to finance a $50 million renovation of The Landmark Theatre (see 3rd from last paragraph in this story from today's RTD:)

http://www2.timesdis...ngs-ar-1735139/

In other Richmond CenterStage news, comedian Brian Regan will appear on the Carpenter Theatre stage Thursday, May 17th.

And in an unusual summertime booking, The Carpenter Theatre will present Idina Menzel in concert on Friday, June 29th.

Ms Menzel was the original green-faced witch in WICKED when it opened on Broadway.

Shortly after Richmond's National Theatre re-opened as a concert venue (about four years ago) Menzel performed there.

http://www.richmondcenterstage.com

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

burt, on 02 March 2012 - 01:07 PM, said:

Mayor Jones announced today a proposal to finance a $50 million renovation of The Landmark Theatre (see 3rd from last paragraph in this story from today's RTD:)

http://www2.timesdis...ngs-ar-1735139/

In other Richmond CenterStage news, comedian Brian Regan will appear on the Carpenter Theatre stage Thursday, May 17th.

And in an unusual summertime booking, The Carpenter Theatre will present Idina Menzel in concert on Friday, June 29th.

Ms Menzel was the original green-faced witch in WICKED when it opened on Broadway.

Shortly after Richmond's National Theatre re-opened as a concert venue (about four years ago) Menzel performed there.

http://www.richmondcenterstage.com

Well, that was rather unexpected... but I love it!
Even though it's sort of a memory blackout thing (aging will do that to you ), I went to see THE LION KING luckily before it ended on Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Although the Landmark was spectacular in all it's beauty, I did believe maybe there was room for a little bit of improvement, but am shocked that Mayor Jones would invest so much into renovating it. I knew money would go to Shockoe revitalization, James River, and Port of RVA industrial park, but I never would have guessed that he wanted the Landmark renovated! But, I am definitely happy about it.

[burt]

RVA-Is-The-Best, on 02 March 2012 - 03:07 PM, said:

Well, that was rather unexpected... but I love it!
Even though it's sort of a memory blackout thing (aging will do that to you ), I went to see THE LION KING luckily before it ended on Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Although the Landmark was spectacular in all it's beauty, I did believe maybe there was room for a little bit of improvement, but am shocked that Mayor Jones would invest so much into renovating it. I knew money would go to Shockoe revitalization, James River, and Port of RVA industrial park, but I never would have guessed that he wanted the Landmark renovated! But, I am definitely happy about it.

"Financing" the renovations does not mean the city will pay the whole bill -- just that they will negotiate the financing (I think.)

And Wednesday was not the closing of THE LION KING.  It is in Richmond (at The Landmark) until March 11.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

burt, on 02 March 2012 - 05:32 PM, said:

"Financing" the renovations does not mean the city will pay the whole bill -- just that they will negotiate the financing (I think.)

And Wednesday was not the closing of THE LION KING.  It is in Richmond (at The Landmark) until March 11.

You got me there... my grammar is just about as good as that of a housefly... what I meant to say was I SAW the LION KING on Wednesday at 7:30.... I'll try monitoring what I post before I say something stupid (like Short Pump is actually a good place )

[burt]

A "sit-down" engagement of a hit show like THE LION KING benefits the city's economy in many ways.   It might be a while before it happens again in Richmond.  Next year's Broadway series will offer a number of shows but none will play longer than one week at The Landmark Theatre.

And if the Mayor's plan to finance a $50 million renovation of the old theatre materializes the building will be out of commission for quite a while.  Technically, the downtown Carpenter Theatre has the stage and facilities to mount big shows but its seating capacity (1,800) is about half that of The Landmark (3,500.) Big touring shows are reluctant to play in houses with less than 2,500 seats where weekly gross ticket sales can approach or exceed $1 million (the first week's gross of THE LION KING at The Landmark was about $1.3 million.)

Here's a story of the impact touring shows have on the local economy from today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...eco-ar-1736575/

Edited by burt, 03 March 2012 - 10:30 AM.

[burt]

Variety reports that in its second week ending Sunday, February 26th, THE LION KING pulled in $1,405,764 at The Landmark Theatre.  The show will end its 4-week run in Richmond this coming Sunday, March 15th.

The third and fourth week grosses will be posted when they are available.

Meanwhile. it was the second highest gross among the ten national touring shows ending February 26th. WICKED in Tempe (Phoenix) topped the list.

[burt]

The Times Dispatch reports today that THE LION KING has only a few scattered single seats available for a few of its 6 remaining performances at The Landmark Theatre.

Over 90,000 people will have seen the show during its 4-week run in Richmond.  

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...nce-ar-1748853/

[wrldcoupe4]

The LION KING will have entertained 93,000 people and grossed over $5.5 million when it finishes up this weekend. Economic impact of nearly $20 million to the local economy. It's also the highest grossing engagement at the Landmark, ever.

http://rvanews.com/e...-landmark/57533

Edited by wrldcoupe4, 10 March 2012 - 10:36 AM.