Ever since Rodgers the Musical ended, there appear to be no plans to put a full time production back in the Hyperion. Which begs the question, do you think perhaps Disney is planning on scrapping the venue for perhaps another attraction for Avengers Campus or will it go back to hosting productions again at some point?
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Status/future of the Hyperion
- Thread starter TheDisneyParksfanC8
- Start date
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Great topic!
I had made the comment earlier this summer that if they don't announce a new show for the Hyperion at D23 Expo, that means it is about to be bulldozed for Avatarland.
And they didn't make an announcement. And so that giant 2,000 seat swanky theater that any mid-sized city of 2 Million people in the Midwest would kill to have in their downtown is still siting abandoned and unused. Forgotten. Forlorn.
I kind of don't blame TDA and Burbank from abandoning their heady, and expensive, goals of putting on Broadway caliber shows for tourists at theme parks. They got burned too many times. They don't have the Dockers-clad managers on the payroll any longer who can even manage the ushers to not yell and bully and bellow at the paying customers trying to get in to the venue. There was even a thread here a few years ago that talked about how the Dockers-clad manager himself at the Rodgers The Musical show was rude and snarky and yelling at the paying customers. So how on earth would the lowly ushers be expected to be any better?
There was also the publicized accusations of rampant racism and bigotry within the ranks of the Disneyland Resort Entertainment Department that put on the Frozen show in the Hyperion. If a show with Black performers pretending to be Scandinavians is still fraught with open racism, what company worth their stock price would want to continue that operation?
Best to avoid the HR headaches, bulldoze that theater, and turn it into a Lightning Lane entrance to Avatar's E Ticket.
www.onstageblog.com
www.broadwayblack.com
thekingdominsider.com
I had made the comment earlier this summer that if they don't announce a new show for the Hyperion at D23 Expo, that means it is about to be bulldozed for Avatarland.
And they didn't make an announcement. And so that giant 2,000 seat swanky theater that any mid-sized city of 2 Million people in the Midwest would kill to have in their downtown is still siting abandoned and unused. Forgotten. Forlorn.
I kind of don't blame TDA and Burbank from abandoning their heady, and expensive, goals of putting on Broadway caliber shows for tourists at theme parks. They got burned too many times. They don't have the Dockers-clad managers on the payroll any longer who can even manage the ushers to not yell and bully and bellow at the paying customers trying to get in to the venue. There was even a thread here a few years ago that talked about how the Dockers-clad manager himself at the Rodgers The Musical show was rude and snarky and yelling at the paying customers. So how on earth would the lowly ushers be expected to be any better?
There was also the publicized accusations of rampant racism and bigotry within the ranks of the Disneyland Resort Entertainment Department that put on the Frozen show in the Hyperion. If a show with Black performers pretending to be Scandinavians is still fraught with open racism, what company worth their stock price would want to continue that operation?
Best to avoid the HR headaches, bulldoze that theater, and turn it into a Lightning Lane entrance to Avatar's E Ticket.
Actor Cooper Howell Alleges Racist Treatment Backstage at Disney Park 'Frozen' Show — OnStage Blog
“An actor who performed in a show at Disneyland is now detailing the racist treatment he endured backstage as well as the theme park’s response to his claims.”
www.onstageblog.com
Cooper Howell Speaks Out About Racism At Frozen: Live At Hyperion | Broadway Black
Cooper Howell is one of the original cast members of Frozen: Live at Hyperion Theater in Disneyland. Recently, he spoke out about his experience.
www.broadwayblack.com
Actor Details His Experience with Inequality at Disneyland’s Hyperion Theater- Calling It, “Heaven and Hell.” | The Kingdom Insider
Cooper Howell, an actor who once appeared as Prince Hans in “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” at Disney’s California Adventure is speaking out about his experience with inequality behind the scenes at the Hyperion Theater. On his Facebook page, Cooper detailed his experience as Prince Hans, a role...
thekingdominsider.com
Former Disneyland Cast Member Details Harassment Claims
www.themeparkinsider.com
Most of the discussions in the Avatar DL thread have mentioned they don't see it taking over the Hyperion. So if it were me, I would raze the venue and turn it into a proper D ticket for Avengers Campus.Great topic!
I had made the comment earlier this summer that if they don't announce a new show for the Hyperion at D23 Expo, that means it is about to be bulldozed for Avatarland.
And they didn't make an announcement. And so that giant 2,000 seat swanky theater that any mid-sized city of 2 Million people in the Midwest would kill to have in their downtown is still siting abandoned and unused. Forgotten. Forlorn.
I kind of don't blame TDA and Burbank from abandoning their heady, and expensive, goals of putting on Broadway caliber shows for tourists at theme parks. They got burned too many times. They don't have the Dockers-clad managers on the payroll any longer who can even manage the ushers to not yell and bully and bellow at the paying customers trying to get in to the venue. There was even a thread here a few years ago that talked about how the Dockers-clad manager himself at the Rodgers The Musical show was rude and snarky and yelling at the paying customers. So how on earth would the lowly ushers be expected to be any better?
There was also the publicized accusations of rampant racism and bigotry within the ranks of the Disneyland Resort Entertainment Department that put on the Frozen show in the Hyperion. If a show with Black performers pretending to be Scandinavians is still fraught with open racism, what company worth their stock price would want to continue that operation?
Best to avoid the HR headaches, bulldoze that theater, and turn it into a Lightning Lane entrance to Avatar's E Ticket.
Actor Cooper Howell Alleges Racist Treatment Backstage at Disney Park 'Frozen' Show — OnStage Blog
“An actor who performed in a show at Disneyland is now detailing the racist treatment he endured backstage as well as the theme park’s response to his claims.”
Cooper Howell Speaks Out About Racism At Frozen: Live At Hyperion | Broadway Black
Cooper Howell is one of the original cast members of Frozen: Live at Hyperion Theater in Disneyland. Recently, he spoke out about his experience.
Actor Details His Experience with Inequality at Disneyland’s Hyperion Theater- Calling It, “Heaven and Hell.” | The Kingdom Insider
Cooper Howell, an actor who once appeared as Prince Hans in “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” at Disney’s California Adventure is speaking out about his experience with inequality behind the scenes at the Hyperion Theater. On his Facebook page, Cooper detailed his experience as Prince Hans, a role...
Former Disneyland Cast Member Details Harassment Claims
www.themeparkinsider.com
TP2000
Well-Known Member
That could be an option too. The exact planning and plotting of Avatar Land and other DCA additions is unknown at this date.
But what I think we can confidently surmise after last weekend is that the Hyperion Theater won't reopen with a new show, and will eventually be bulldozed for a ride with robotic actors instead of live actors.
The era of live stage shows in Anaheim is rapidly coming to an end. And we'll never see another Hyperion Theater show, with all the HR headaches and PR nightmares that entails, ever again.
CaptinEO
Well-Known Member
Looks like this was limited to one actor. Not discrediting what happend at all and it's terrible how they treated him, but I don't think having a show in the hyperion is a PR disaster. Who knows if the stage director is still even employed there (lets hope not).Great topic!
I had made the comment earlier this summer that if they don't announce a new show for the Hyperion at D23 Expo, that means it is about to be bulldozed for Avatarland.
And they didn't make an announcement. And so that giant 2,000 seat swanky theater that any mid-sized city of 2 Million people in the Midwest would kill to have in their downtown is still siting abandoned and unused. Forgotten. Forlorn.
I kind of don't blame TDA and Burbank from abandoning their heady, and expensive, goals of putting on Broadway caliber shows for tourists at theme parks. They got burned too many times. They don't have the Dockers-clad managers on the payroll any longer who can even manage the ushers to not yell and bully and bellow at the paying customers trying to get in to the venue. There was even a thread here a few years ago that talked about how the Dockers-clad manager himself at the Rodgers The Musical show was rude and snarky and yelling at the paying customers. So how on earth would the lowly ushers be expected to be any better?
There was also the publicized accusations of rampant racism and bigotry within the ranks of the Disneyland Resort Entertainment Department that put on the Frozen show in the Hyperion. If a show with Black performers pretending to be Scandinavians is still fraught with open racism, what company worth their stock price would want to continue that operation?
Best to avoid the HR headaches, bulldoze that theater, and turn it into a Lightning Lane entrance to Avatar's E Ticket.
Actor Cooper Howell Alleges Racist Treatment Backstage at Disney Park 'Frozen' Show — OnStage Blog
“An actor who performed in a show at Disneyland is now detailing the racist treatment he endured backstage as well as the theme park’s response to his claims.”
Cooper Howell Speaks Out About Racism At Frozen: Live At Hyperion | Broadway Black
Cooper Howell is one of the original cast members of Frozen: Live at Hyperion Theater in Disneyland. Recently, he spoke out about his experience.
Actor Details His Experience with Inequality at Disneyland’s Hyperion Theater- Calling It, “Heaven and Hell.” | The Kingdom Insider
Cooper Howell, an actor who once appeared as Prince Hans in “Frozen: Live at the Hyperion” at Disney’s California Adventure is speaking out about his experience with inequality behind the scenes at the Hyperion Theater. On his Facebook page, Cooper detailed his experience as Prince Hans, a role...
Former Disneyland Cast Member Details Harassment Claims
www.themeparkinsider.com
DCA needs a show with how sunny the park is. A nice place to rest.
Not sure why they did an Avengers show that only was meant to last 2 weeks. Maybe their sales of dining packages for Frozen or Captain America didn't make it "worth it" for Disney to run the show.
Given that World of Color and Fantasmic are funded by dining packages, I could see some spreadsheet balancer solely looking at this metric this shuttering live shows.
The sad part is people need a space to relax and rest from the heat and this show served that purpose even if on paper it may seem like a cost.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
This is definitely an issue - those ushers seem to hate people with a passion I haven’t seen even from the TSA! Haha. Had a similar experience, of all places, at the Frozen sing along in Orlando, I was scolded for changing rows! How dare I! Haha.
I don’t want this to come across wrong, but it’s always amusing to me when anyone in live entertainment claims racist producers etc.
Producers cast actors based on what they look like. Hamilton is known for its diverse casting - I once saw an incredible standby go on for Aaron Burr - he was phenomenal. Do you know why he’s the standby? He’s too tall. That’s life in show business.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Isn't that a great thing to experience?! I've seen it before myself at both the Hyperion and the Fantasyland Theater.
I don't know what it is that Disney does in their usher training materials, but management and the training system really want their theater ushers to be miserable bullies. How dare a paying customer even attempt to access a park theater venue!
That whole thing was silly, and none of it added up when you thought for a few moments. Where is he now, I wonder?
But it's worth mentioning because that industry seems to attract people who are into drama. And not just the dramatic arts, as their profession requires, but the backstage work drama that today requires constant attention from HR and Legal.
What a huge relief for TDA that must be to have the Hyperion gone from the park operation!
And just think of all the people they don't have to employ any longer without a Hyperion Theater operating a large-scale Broadway production; lighting techs, audio techs, stage managers, technical directors, costuming and costume care staff, hair and makeup artists, prop and supply techs, stunt directors and choreographers, musical directors, physical therapists and dance instructors, senior managers with a theater arts education, a gaggle of executives in Glendale heading up "live entertainment", etc., etc.
Plus of course, out front, a grumpy Dockers-clad manager leading a small infantry battalion of very angry ushers.
The cost savings on abandoning the Hyperion Theater, along with the Fantasyland Theatre, must be huge for them! And just think of all the potential HR scandals and bad publicity from the hired help they no longer have to worry about!
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disneylandcm
Well-Known Member
What is sad to me resort-wide is what TDA has forgotten about regarding live entertainment: it’s still far less expensive to mount than an attraction. Which means they can continually change and update it to keep the parks experience feeling fresh. That applies to stage shows, parades and small presentations like Five and Dime. Entertainment now a days, if it is mounted, remains the same for years. I miss the days when each summer brought a new parade and stage show. (Which goes to show you how OLD I am!)
gerarar
Premium Member
The initial (short) run was paid by Marvel/Disney+ to promote their show(s).
It was up to Live Entertainment to continue running and funding it, but they chose not to and sunset the show.
Also apparently the actor(s) were not local to the area? So all their accommodations were paid for which added a lot onto the production's expense. But then they could've just recasted imo.
What is preventing them from razing the venue?
MK-fan
Well-Known Member
Once upon a time……
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Disney Irish
Premium Member
They would have to do it without the Dick Tracy characters as those are owned by Warren Beatty. They gave up most if not all claims to the characters years ago. Its probably why they never did a land or attraction.
DLR92
Well-Known Member
That why I mention a loose based, taking something not too literal based on actual franchise that no longer owned.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Not sure they would do that without the IP tie-in.
DLR92
Well-Known Member
Not everything needs to be IP driven.