It's a shame that a lot of Disney's recent broadway shows have recieved a lot of "meh" receptions.
If it hadn't been for that danged Poppins (which was Cameron Mackintosh's baby anyway) and Newsies, Little Mermaid would have shut down the chemical factory.
Disney Theatrical was THAT close to cutting their losses and getting out of the business, except for a few small-scale previews of Sister Act and Leap of Faith they had playing other cities.
Beauty & the Beast cashed in on the movie's reputation during the Broadway blight of the 90's, and Lion King had what was then revolutionary new staging.
But Mermaid and Tarzan basically underlined the problem with "$100 video rentals"--If they change the whole thing for no reason, like Tarzan, the audience is disappointed, and if they do it straight, like Mermaid, what's the point?
Aladdin at DCA was a good musical, made better by the fact that it was free, and in a place where it wasn't competing with other Broadway shows; the commercial stage version had some uphill problems to overcome. But at least it's the stage version of a
heterosexual movie, and that's a fresh change on Broadway.
