Drury Lane Axes Aida's London Plans???

The expected transfer of Elton John and Tim Rice's lavish Broadway musical Aida has been called off, according to this morning's Daily Mail. Or at any rate, it won't be going into the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the theatre earmarked for its opening, which was meant to happen there sometime between spring 2003 and early 2004, with UK casting already well advanced. Strong rumour earlier this year See The Goss, 25 Apr 02) had it that the move was a determined effort by producers Disney to dominate that corner of Covent Garden, where its other blockbuster The Lion King has been playing to packed houses a stone's throw away from Drury Lane, at the Lyceum, since October 1999. But opinion at theatre owners Really Useful now seems to be that the show - based on the classic opera about a Nubian princess forced into slavery in ancient Egypt - won't appeal to the tastes of British audiences. Aida opened on Broadway in March 2000 and, amongst other accolades, has won a Tony Award for Bob Crowley's set design and a Grammy for Elton John's score. The Drury Lane's present resident - Trevor Nunn's NT revival of My Fair Lady, now starring Joanna Riding and Alex Jennings - is currently booking up to the end of June 2003.

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