In the seven weeks that Disney's "Frozen" made its pre-Broadway debut at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver raked in an approximate $30 million in economic impact.
And it's no wonder. Given that Denver was the only place Broadway geeks and "Frozen" fans could preview the musical prior to its opening in New York City next March, our city became a destination of sorts. Families with young costumed daughters flocked to downtown Denver from across the country for the chance to see Olaf and the gang prancing and singing onstage and to see Elsa unleash her icy fury. According to a study from the Broadway League, a city will likely experience an economic impact of 3.6 times the ticket sales of any touring Broadway show it hosts. This includes revenue from hotels, restaurants, transportation, parking, etc. The 47 performances of "Frozen" over seven weeks from August through October 1 drew a total of 125,900 theatergoers to the Buell Theatre. From hairdressers to stagehands, it also employed 242 people from local unions for four and a half months of rehearsals and performances. [caption id="attachment_25531" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Image courtesy of Frozen's Twitter[/caption]
And if you think about it, these talented Broadway stars and actors made their home in Denver for the summer, tweeting about their daily lives in our gorgeous city and welcoming high-profile guests to see the performance. Anyone who has seen "Frozen," saw it here. That kind of publicity is priceless.
The "Frozen" performance was unique from other Broadway shows playing in Denver, however, because of its novelty -- both as a brand new show and because of the hit status of the Disney animated film it was based on.
'Frozen' will go down as one of the brightest moments in Denver theatre history, and I’m so pleased the Denver Center got to play a part in the show’s journey,” said John Ekeberg, Executive Director of DCPA Broadway.Around for 38 years, the DCPA is the nation's largest and most successful nonprofit theater company. Its new president and CEO, Janice Sinden, has several projects in the works to renovate the center's theaters and continue expanding community partnerships and outreach.
“You just don’t know, when something has never been done before, how it’s going to turn out,” Sinden told The Denver Post. “But it was extraordinary, so we’re thrilled.”
“Balance is important at the DCPA,” she continued. “I bring deep relationships with the community, and especially with the (city’s) administration. There’s a lot of influence that the DCPA can have on the city, and that the city can have on the DCPA and the other resident companies. I think I am uniquely situated to help foster that relationship long into the future.”
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Image courtesy of Frozen's Twitter[/caption]
So with the recent success of "Frozen," is Denver destined to become an arts destination? Well, it certainly hasn't hurt our place on the map, especially in conjunction with previous collaborative experiences.
We are tremendously grateful to the Denver community who warmly welcomed the pre-Broadway debut of Frozen to their great city," said Jack Eldon, Vice President of Domestic Touring and Regional Engagements at Disney Theatrical Productions. "Disney Theatrical Productions has a long history with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, including 'The Lion King' Tour launch and world premiere of 'The Little Mermaid.' We thank our wonderful partners at the Denver Center for another sensational engagement."With the $30 million boost to Denver's economy -- as well as the priceless publicity for our city -- it's hard not to root for the DPCA's continued success.
What DCPA productions are you going to see in the 2017-18 season? I have tickets to see "Something Rotten" this weekend -- and I can't wait! We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and if you have fun photos of you and your friends or family before seeing a big show, please send them to us here!
