Rob Lake and the Muppets Closing...and fast!

 

I just heard that Rob Lake and the Muppets was closing on November 16th. What? They just opened on Oct 28th. How can this be? Then I read a review of the show and it points out two glaring problems. One, there was no director for this production. Two, there was no real story or through line for this production. Im sure there was more to pan than that. Ok, I'll do it. How do you go to Broadway with run of the mill illusions? Now, granted, I didn't see the show but the reviewer points out the standard illusions that have everyone has been doing since the days of Thurston. 

I LOVE illusions! I even think you can get by with a few standards. I mean look what the Pendragons did with standard illusions. You can breath new life into them. But that said, Johnathan and his wife Charlotte were more than their props. David Copperfield was more than his props. Doug Henning was more than his props. They all had charisma. 

Let's look at the last time Muppets were in a magic show? That was Doug Henning's last tour. He had a couple illusions with a Muppet like character, one used a mis-made lady illusion. The other was a big illusion that I saw at the Warner Theater in DC but I honestly do not recall the effect, only that it was big and used life sized muppets. Did Rob have something like that in the show? I don't know.

Also, no offense, Rob Lake is not a household name. Doug Henning wasn't a household name either when he first went to Broadway. He also couldn't act, sing, or dance. But he could MAGIC better than anyone. And it was THAT quality that stole the show. Plus his show was called THE MAGIC SHOW and it didn't rely upon star power. It relied upon a story. 

When David Copperfield went to Broadway his show was called Dreams and Nightmares and he brought in Francis Ford Coppola to direct the show. I never say that show and Im honestly not sure if that show really had a story either. BUT it had star power, because at the time David was the most popular magician on the planet.

This production sounded like a good idea, but it appears they botched it. Im not sure the Muppets are the draw they once were either. Maybe the show could have been called KERMIT & His Magical Friends. And Rob Lake could have been THE guy to bring the magic. And then the other Muppets could make appearances. I mean, Andy Griffiths character of the sheriff began as a skit on the Danny Thomas Show. THEN it became its own show. 

I don't know. I wasn't there. Im only going by what Ive read. But its gotta hurt. I know if the show is closing this fast, they weren't selling tickets and they didnt have enough faith in the production to keep it running over the holidays. All I can say is, my best to Rob Lake on his future projects. He's a nice guy.