Why is Cabaret closing?- Page 2

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 9:53pm

I really wish they would keep running.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 10:37pm

I've written this in other threads but will restate this again, the show is closing because the production rights are being pulled, Roundabout had plans to run this for years and is furious, please there are half a dozen people who would gladly take the role if offered, they whole no one wants to follow alan thing is nothing but PR spin.

[Baiseur82]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 11:02pm

LightsOut just a question. Why would they pull the rights when they are doing such good business. I mean I assume all involved are making a good amount on this. Just wondering what their rational would be. Not saying I don't believe you as this is the only thing that makes any sense I'm just wondering what are the right holds motives (if you know lol)

[SweetLips]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 11:27pm

It's a pity Christian Borle is otherwise engaged.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 11:27pm

It's a pity Christian Borle is otherwise engaged.

[Nicole109]

Posted: 2/18/15 at 11:43pm

Updated On: 2/18/15 at 11:43 PM

[rob136]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:09am

They've already extended the show once. Roundabout is not the type of theatre that wants to milk a show for years, from what I've seen. They're not-for-profit and interested in doing things for artistic motives. Sure, they make some good money along the way, but running the same show for years seriously hampers their ability to meet the artistic goals of the organization.

Production rights being pulled is nonsense; why would the company that holds the rights pull them when they're making solid money? It's literally a choice of getting money vs. not getting money for whatever company holds the rights - why would a profit-maximizing company choose the not getting money route?

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:53am

Rob and Sam are the ones pulling the rights, they own the rights to THIS SPECIFIC iteration of the show. they are pulling it because they realized they don't want to come back every 3-4 months to rehearse a new Sally or Emcee and decided to pull the plug now, yes the shows making money, but Rob and Sam don't need it, they have film careers that have made them more then enough, and for whoever said this was for artistic reasons and roundabout doesn't milk a show, this was done purely for financial reasons and keep in mind the original version of this revival ran for almost 6 years.

[PJPan]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 11:26am

I will say when I saw it back in May, Cumming looked like he was positively sleepwalking through the part. Every gesture was slow and lazy, every move looked like he was giving up on it in the middle of trying. I was so disappointed since I loved him in Macbeth but he had none of the energy or passion during Cabaret (at least when I saw it).

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 12:28pm

Rob and Sam didn't come in to rehearse every replacement last time. Sam especially only rehearsed Natasha, Katie Finneran, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. They could easily get an assistant director/dance captain to do this.

Hal Prince may visit Phantom every so often, but he's not rehearsing replacements.

I'm not saying LightOut's story isn't true (it probably is), but it just seems silly and I can see why Roundabout would be furious.

[Alix]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 12:46pm

This may be a silly question--I honestly have no idea how this works--but if the rights were being pulled, wouldn't that mean it couldn't tour either?

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 12:50pm

If LightOut's story is true, it would also explain why Tams-Witmark is now licensing the 1998 version for the first time in the show's history as of 2014. Royalties are easier to collect for Marshall and Mendes, with less weight on their shoulders.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:05pm

The play "An Act of God" starring Jim Watson begins previews at Studio 54 on May 5th and closes on June 28th.

It is not a Roundabout production.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:13pm

Doesn't roundabout own Studio 54 so in a way they're producing An Act of God so it is a Roundabout production???

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:29pm

That sounds ridiculous to me. Im sure Rob and Sam have their associates just like every other director has.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:31pm

Associates certainly rehearse in company members though stars might demand the original creatives. Maybe Rob & Sam do want to end on a high/ to create a legend for all those who never get to see it now.

I actually prefer the original script so I'm glad that is now being released.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:35pm

Roundabout is not the type of theatre that wants to milk a show for years, from what I've seen.

Lol

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 2:13pm

I subscribed to Roundabout this season and "An Act of God" is not one of the productions listed for subscribers.

[bfreak]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 2:15pm

It isn't a roundabout production. The space is being rented out.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 8:06pm

Roundabout already rents out the Sondheim with Beautiful so Studio 54 being rented out to An Act of God isn't surprising, Roundabout has a budget deficit hence why Cabaret was brought back because it was a moneymaker for them last time around. They seem to be back in track as The Real Thing did well last year and On The Twentieth Century is getting positive reactions, hopefully this will continue with Therese Raquin, Noises Off and She Loves Me.



Updated On: 2/19/15 at 08:06 PM

[mikem]

Posted: 2/19/15 at 9:11pm

Roundabout went through several years of misfires, but seems to be going in the right direction now. They went 3 for 3 last season at the American Airlines (The Winslow Boy, Machinal, and Violet), and On the Twentieth Century looks like it will be a success.

But I think it was pretty clear all along that Cabaret was coming back at least partially to make money for Roundabout, which is why I find all of the proposed explanations for its closing to be confusing. Mendes and Marshall must have known all along that Roundabout's plan was for Cabaret to go on for years, so why be upset about it now? And if they didn't feel the need to rehearse everyone who went into the prior production, why would they feel the need now?

But I also find it confusing that Roundabout is saying that they can't find an Emcee to do the show without scraping the bottom of the barrel. Putting aside that it's not clear they need both a name Sally and a name Emcee, Roundabout was able to cast the prior version for 6 years; I'm not sure I understand why it would be so much harder to do this time around. The Hedwig producers have successfully found names to replace; why can't Roundabout? Also, the show has only had two 8-performance-weeks below $600K in the entire run, and I'm not sure it's had a money-losing week at all. Maybe the new cast would end up losing money, but I don't think the box office would be so bad that they would be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a week to find that out. It seems like it would be worth the risk to try a new cast and see what happens.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 2/21/15 at 10:13pm

If they had been able to keep Emma for another month they might have ended this year with a surplus. They more than doubled the number of orchestra tables designated "premium," which raised the price of a seat from $172 to $252. Then on Friday and Saturday nights they jacked up the price of the premium seats from $252 to $352. And they sold them all.

[AndersonTours]

Posted: 2/22/15 at 10:23am

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's just poor management. My friends who work there say their debt and consistent waste of money is mind boggling.
I'm curious if this tour will really happen. Who will they get if not Alan Cumming? How can they put out a subpar Emcee? That's a joke, of course. They keep speaking out of both sides of their mouth.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 2/22/15 at 10:55am

It also looks like the show is now going to limb to the finish line financially as Tuesday-Thursday performances for this coming week were/are on TDF.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/22/15 at 8:17pm

'I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's just poor management. My friends who work there say their debt and consistent waste of money is mind boggling.'

I think they should make Todd Haimes step down and get someone to invigorate the organisation.