Out of all the places I’ve visited in the last 6 months, one of the most enjoyable experiences was visiting the Greg Frewin Theatre for one of Greg’s performances. The people I’ve dealt with are wonderful, and I really hope they are successful. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, they have made a deal with Disney and will be hosting Aladdin Jr. during the summer of 2006. Below is a rather lengthy update on the theatre, the Disney show, and a couple of other things:
When the theatre first opened last spring, they were expecting large crowds. Greg Frewin had traveled the world and performed to sold out crowds. They just assumed that selling tickets in Niagara would not be a problem. However, this didn’t happen. There had been so many bad magic shows in Niagara in the past that many people would not give it a chance. Add that to the fact that most people had never heard of Greg Frewin (I hadn’t!) and it just wasn’t going well. Even though Greg is local to the Niagara Region, he had rarely performed locally. Crowds were very small in the beginning but Art Frewin had considered this and was prepared for it. They had always planned on giving it a year, and as I mentioned in a previous write-up, they planned on being here for the long haul (a 20 year lease).
The good news is that ticket sales continue to rise and sales records have been set and broken 4 times in the last month. Word of mouth has finally taken hold and people are starting to know who Greg Frewin is. The theatre is selling more seats now than they did during the summer tourist season, which of course bodes well for summer 2006.
Greg’s appearance with Santa Claus drew a record crowd at the Pen Centre shopping mall.
The show itself always received rave reviews but there was a bit of an issue with the food and service during the dinner portion. The cook was preparing the meals in groups; all the chicken, then all the steak. This angered patrons who had chicken served to their table and others at the table had to wait for their steak. The entire kitchen staff had to be replaced to do it but the problem has recently been solved. The new cook totally restructured the kitchen and how it is run.
Greg’s magic show will remain the drawing card but the theatre always planned on presenting other acts as well during matinees or even having special attractions one night of the week. Art’s plan is a long term one. Aladdin Jr. is only the first of several Disney plays. Each spring for the next several years there will be a new Disney musical for a 4 month run. Nothing has been decided yet on what they will be beyond 2006. Aladdin Jr. should be fantastic. Greg has been consulting with the shows producers to make the “magic” of the Genie more magical. The backstage is huge, and both shows will be able to use the same stage area.