Will Lemonade Mouth Turn Into A Touring Band?

originally posted here

Pollstar
02:01 PM, Thursday 4/28/11

A number of promoters and talent bookers have recently tried to book a band that doesn’t quite exist. Lemonade Mouth isn’t a scam or a fraud but rather the group at the center of Disney’s latest made-for-TV movie of the same name.

In the Disney Channel Original Movie, which is based on a book of the same name, five high school students form a band called Lemonade Mouth after meeting in detention. After losing a potential record deal at a “battle of the bands,” the film ends on a happy note with Lemonade Mouth playing New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Although Lemonade Mouth may not be ready for MSG, The Wall Street Journal reports that several concert promoters are interested in putting the fictional band on stage.

Ann Savage, executive secretary for the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, Mass., outside Boston, wanted to book the group in October. Although a Disney executive told Savage the group wasn’t available, she thinks a tour could eventually happen.

“Anything’s possible,” Savage said. “Look at the Monkees.”

Lemonade Mouth certainly has the fanbase for a tour.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the first two airings of “Lemonade Mouth,” April 15 and 18, racked in a total of 13.5 million viewers. Last week the film’s soundtrack hit No.4 on the iTunes Store’s album-sales chart and this week the soundtrack is at No.4 on the Nielsen SoundScan chart.

Lemonade Mouth actually has performed live once. During a recent appearance on “Good Morning America” the actors sang and danced while a back-up band performed. This same formula was used for the 10 songs on the Lemonade Mouth soundtrack with the five cast members singing and studio musicians performing.

A live tour isn’t the craziest idea. It worked out quite well for fellow Disney made-for-TV movie, 2006’s High School Musical. After bringing in 16.2 million viewers in its first two telecasts and boasting the best-selling album in the U.S for 2006, “High School Musical The Concert” toured the U.S., Canada and Latin America during a 40-city concert trek 2006-2007. A few additional shows were performed in the U.S., Australia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

“It’s flattering that everybody’s saying they want to see Lemonade Mouth on tour,” Cathleen Taff, general manager of Disney Music Group, told The Wall Street Journal. “But they’re not really a band. Could they be a band? Yeah, they could. But they all have their individual acting careers right now.”

The film is set for release on DVD May 24. You can catch “Lemonade Mouth” airing on the Disney Channel three more times before that.

Click here for The Wall Street Journal story (subscription may be required).

--Sarah Marie Pittma