News for Sep. 02, 2006

Curtain falls on Lord of the Rings this weekend

9/02/06, 5:57 pm EST - Xoanon

Theatregoers in Toronto will say their last goodbyes to Mr. Frodo this weekend as the musical version of The Lord of the Rings takes its final bow on Sunday. The Lord of the Rings may be the most expensive musical ever staged - with an estimated cost of $28 million - and was supposed to provide a big boost to Toronto's tourism industry. But critics gave it mixed reviews, praising the special effects and sets but complaining the story was too long and confusing, and the box-office suffered. David Mirvish, producer and owner of the Princess of Wales theatre, said the show's running costs alone were 50 per cent higher than its musical hit The Lion King, and the show would have had to sell out - which it did not - to recoup its production costs. [More]