DIS Walt Disney Co

By Charles Passy 

"Frozen" already has established itself as a cinematic blockbuster, but with the Broadway version of the musical set to open on Thursday, the question remains if theatergoers will similarly warm to the winter tale.

Early signs bode well for the show from Walt Disney Co.'s theatrical division. The production already has grossed nearly $4.8 million during four weeks of preview performances, according to the Broadway League, the trade group that tracks the industry. This represents almost 98% of its potential gross for the period.

Moreover, in the week ending this past Sunday "Frozen" grossed $1,356,241, which put it ahead for the seven-day period of such long-running musicals as "A Bronx Tale: The Musical," "Anastasia," "Beautiful," "Come From Away," "Kinky Boots," "School of Rock," "The Book of Mormon," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Waitress" and the revivals of "Chicago" and "Hello, Dolly!"

Disney officials declined to comment on "Frozen's" advance sales or other aspects of the production, including its budget. But tickets for the show are on sale through March 2019, which indicates the entertainment giant is anticipating strong demand, according to theater-industry insiders.

The "Frozen" movie, released in November 2013, has proved to be one of Disney's biggest hits in recent years. To date, it has grossed $1.2 billion world-wide, making it the 10th-highest grossing film of all time, according to Box Office Mojo, a film website.

Disney's theatrical division brings with it a fairly solid record on Broadway -- most notably, with its production of "The Lion King," which marked its 20th anniversary this past fall.

Still, Disney cold face some challenges. Theater-industry insiders note that "Frozen" is competing with a handful of new shows that are based on popular cinematic and other entertainment brands.

The "SpongeBob SquarePants" musical opened in December. And now playing in previews is the two-part play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

There's also "Mean Girls," based on the movie of the same name. It opened in previews this past week and nearly equaled "Frozen" with its seven-day gross of $1,320,146, according to the Broadway League.

"Frozen" also will face competition, in a sense, from Disney itself, specifically, from its two current musicals on Broadway,"The Lion King" and "Aladdin." But veteran Broadway producer Ken Davenport disagrees. He says "Frozen" will allow Disney to build on its success. "Many people have seen 'Lion King.' They want something new," he adds.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 21, 2018 18:48 ET (22:48 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.