Strada musicals take awards

Press, 14 May 1987, Page 27

Strada musicals take awards

PA Wellington Three stage musicals fancied by New Zealanders through the investment company, Strada Holdings, have blitzed the nominations list for Broadway’s Tony awards. The musicals, “Me And My Girl,” "Starlight Express,” and “Les Miserables” have 32 Tony nominations and are competing for the “Best Musical” award. The critics and the public are hailing the shows as three of the biggest successes to reach Broadway, says Strada’s project finance manager, Ms Philippa Smith. The Tony nominations virtually guarantee them a run on Broadway of years, she adds.

"Me And My Giri” is nominated for 12 awards, including best musical and best performance by both a leading actor and leading actress in a musical.

“Les Miserables” is nominated for 12 awards, including best musical and best performances by both a leading actor and actress.

“Starlight Express” has

received nominations for seven awards including best musical, best original score, and best choreography. New Zealanders contributed S4M (50 per cent) towards pre-production costs for “Me And My Girl” in a special partnership established in February, 1986, by Strada Holdings.

The show opened on Broadway in August, 1986, and has played to 90 per cent to 100 per cent capacity audiences since. “We expect we will recoup all our pre-produc-tion costs by the end of next month and from July partners will start to receive cash payments from the show,” Ms Smith says. “As the show’s running to- capacity houses, investors can expect substantial pay-outs during its run on Broadway, which is expected to last for some time.” Gross box office sales to April 26 were more than SNZ24OM.

“Starlight Express” is the biggest show Strada has financed, New Zealand participants raising SNZ6M (37.5 per cent) towards pre-production

costs Ms Smith says "Starlight Express” is playing to between 90 per cent and 95 per cent capacity houses. In its first six weeks, it had the biggest gross box office receipts of any show in Broadway history — SNZ6:BM. '

“Les Miserables” had the biggest advance bookings for a stage show (more than S2SM) when it opened on Broadway in March.

New Zealand participants contributed 56 per cent (SNZSM) of the preproduction costs through a Strada special partnership.

“Les Miserables” opened in London two years ago and continues to play to capacity audiences there. American theatre critics are claiming the New York box office success of “Les Miserables” indicates the show may run for five years or more on Broadway. Other musicals in which Strada has an interest are “Chess,” "Phantom of the Opera,” and “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in London, and “Cats” in Sydney, soon to move to Melbourne.