Avenue Q to close in April 2019- Page 2

[Kad]

Posted: 12/11/18 at 1:53pm

This was my first Broadway show, and I caught it at NWS a month ago or so, and was heartened by how well it held up, and how much life was still in it.

[bdn223]

Posted: 12/11/18 at 2:38pm

haterobics said: "bdn223 said: "I think Tag is more pointing to the last minute Vegas production in lieu of a tour was a financial disaster."

But after that occurred, it toured? I was paying far less attention to such thingsthen(I must have been smarter at the time), but not sure how delaying a tour really impacts anything. Aside from the financial loss of the Vegas staging."

I agree with you, I was just trying to maybe clarify what Tag was talking about, as it was so I wasn’t sure if people remembered that the the Vegas sit down was a financial disaster. Add to that it changed the mentality of Tony Voters who are also road producers. I think maybe Tag was also pointing out that the Vegas production left a bad taste in many people’s mouths limiting the initial financial opportunities that are usually associated with Best Musical Winners. Long term, the show and its producers clearly recovered and then some. Avenue Q, is and will be considered one of if not the most successful “little show that could” to ever open on Broadway. 

Avenue Q is also rarely given its due as a generation defining musical aking to Rent, Hair, American Idiot, and now Dear Evan Hansen. Its the comming of age/generation defining/seat at the table musical of late GenXers and early Millenials who came of age before 9/11 with its satire of being a generation raised by television. 

[Tag]

Posted: 12/11/18 at 3:08pm

At it’s peak height, the producers sold exclusive rights to the Wynn in Vegas, which restricted a national tour and other sit-down productions.  Toronto, LA, and/or Chicago could easily have had multi-year runs.  Many Tony road producers, who had been promised a tour, felt deceived, especially after having “voted with their hearts”.  If they had known their cities would never see the show, Wicked would have won the Tony that year.  After the show bombed in Vegas after 9 months, and finally opened on tour - 4 years after it’s Broadway debut, no one cared anymore.

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 12/12/18 at 1:25am

It's funny: I have the Vegas sitdown of Avenue Q to thank for introducing me to the show (saw it three times at the Wynn), but it was arguably a step backward for a show that could've been truly, truly huge. Like Tag said, the missed opportunities of different city sitdowns and a touring production in '05 were enormous. While the show still made bank in the long-run,no doubt, I can't imagine what the show could've done with a wider audience at its height spreading. IIRC, the producers were fishing for a television deal to bring the project full circle and Jeff Marx said there was also talks of a film version. I have to imagine Vegas all but flushed those hopes down the drain, and it just became a successful Broadway musical. Life goes on, I guess. 

 

bdn223 said: "haterobics said: "bdn223 said: "
Avenue Q is also rarely given its dueas a generation defining musical aking to Rent, Hair, American Idiot, and now Dear Evan Hansen.Its the comming of age/generation defining/seat at the tablemusical of late GenXers and early Millenials who came of age before 9/11with its satire of being a generation raised by television."

Which brings me to this, because you're right: Avenue Q was the first musical to truly go viral. It seemed perfectly on-point, speaking on both a relatable and satirical level in a way that most generation-defining musicals never had before. (and arguably, still have not) Not only did it have that parodic edge to appeal to those millennials freshly out of college, but it also talked directly to them as well. Many of these types of musicals tend to be self-important anthems (pretty much almost all of the ones above that you listed) at heart, but Avenue Q decided to be charming and irreverent instead, and still delivered a great message.

That said, its time has probably come. I don't really get what the producers are saying about not being able to fit in with all of "the great shows ahead" (literally this could be said ahead of any season, ever), so my best guess is that NWS wanted a new show in and this one had been holding residence for the longest at 10 years. 

I'd be amused if it tours, I'm not really sure if the demand is there? The show is a little dated (though don't get me wrong, as a piece of musical comedy it holds up supremely) and creaky just by standards of being essentially an internet meme from 2004/5. You can find productions of it about everywhere you go, and that about kills everything that isn't Disney. It'll be strange having such an iconic production finally die, but y'know, reference to the song at the end of the show here.

I hope with this Rick Lyon can finally start fully licensing community theater productions to use his puppets because yeesh some of those knockoff ones are horrific.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 12/12/18 at 1:58am

@Tag, you are placing way to much baggage on the Wynn thing. It is not a blip on the radar screen, but feel free to show us how inexplicable bias can cloud rationality.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 12/12/18 at 9:53am

I remember seeing the national tour when it came to my home town where I was still living at the time, and the production blew me away. I could tell not everyone liked it or grabbed everyone's attention throughout the whole thing as I saw near the exits and so many people were getting up and getting drinks during the performance (when I realized my city did not have an audience that learned proper theatre etiquette) and it was funny how many did not read the disclaimer with the fact that so many families brought little children to the show. I do think once the more serious tone set in towards Act 1, more people got into it.

However, I understood why the show won the Tony Award. It was well-executed, the book added to the show as opposed to drag it down, great lyrics, and it had enough theatricality to still be seen as a show worth paying for. I still wonder if the show is too niche though because it is very New York (not just urban). I saw it a few years ago at New World Stages and it wasn't the same as the touring production and I could tell it lost a bit of steam. That's when I wondered how much longer it'd last and it honestly lasted longer than I expected. 15 years is an excellent run for a show that had no intention of winning the Tony Award for Best Musical or for any show quite honestly.

Updated On: 12/12/18 at 09:53 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 12/12/18 at 10:37am

It also has a very, very strong regional life. It gets produced all the time.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 12/12/18 at 1:36pm

I was not aware about the financial struggle of the Vegas production. Was the London production in ‘06 at least a success?

Sad that one of my favorite shows is closing but it had an impressive run. I saw the national tour in ‘08 and now will go see it at NWS.

[David10086]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 10:11am

I saw the show shortly after the Tonys ( a friend of mine was in the cast at the time, and was able to get me great seats the following August). It was such a fun night at the theater - and one I've always wanted to see again, but didn't (as there's been so much more I've wanted to see over the years).  

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 11:56am

Tag said: "What an impressive run, fueled by some of the smartest producing around. Congrats indeed.

Seriously? Their Vegas deal degraded so much potential for this show."

I agree. I actually got into a polite "argument" with Jeff Marx. He flat-out stated to me that the show was too good (or something to that effect) to tour and people should have to come to it. Of course, I did call the actions on the part of the producers fraudulent, since they actually did announce that the show would tour, only to announce Vegas the next day. He dismissed my argument that the show needs to get on the road while it's still a hot property. However, I pointed out that Disney dismissed the city of Chicago as an important market when it toured Beauty and the Beast. By the time the show debuted in Chicago, The Lion King had opened on Broadway, and no one in Chicago cared about Beauty and the Beast. They were pulling in people off the street to see it for free. Avenue Q's national tour was a mere blip when it finally hot the road. Of course, the "small" production lost a lot in those big touring houses. Not every "hot" show has staying power.

 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 8:36pm

I find that bit about BATB hard to believe. The first three stops on the tour were all in the Midwest (easy driving distance, considering people drive from those areas to Chicago for theater consistently). The Lion King was five hours away for the out-of-town tryout months prior to BATB even coming through Chicago - and I don’t see why a show playing in NYC would affect tickets sales for something playing in their own hometown.

But that’s just me. It played in Chicago almost 6 months and this is the first I’m hearing of it not doing well...not saying that you’re wrong, it just doesn’t make sense to me.

Updated On: 12/14/18 at 08:36 PM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 8:50pm

The first time I saw it was when it toured through Tulsa. Can’t vouch for all of the logistics or drama behind the scenes, but I’m glad I got a chance to see it on tour.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 12/14/18 at 10:37pm

@fosse76 virtually nothing you say is correct. I might have been inclined to believe your Jeff Marx hearsay but I am laughing so hard from the "flat out stated to me" followed by "or something to that effect" combo that I discredit the post from stem to stern. Thanks however.Not much to laugh at today.

[bear88]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 4:09am

Avenue Q is a holiday season staple at a small San Francisco theater, and I finally saw it on New Year's Eve. My wife, who had been reluctant to see it once she heard about puppets, had a great time - in part because of the puppets. My daughter, a non-STEM major in college, could relate. At this point, the show is a mix of occasionally dated references (the Gary Coleman character required a brief explanation afterward) and on-point satire that hasn't aged at all.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 6:52am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I was not aware about the financial struggle of the Vegas production. Was the London production in ‘06 at least a success?

Sad that one of my favorite shows is closing but it had an impressive run. I saw the national tour in ‘08 and now will go see it at NWS."

London production was very successful, playing around 5 years in total, with a few short breaks when it changed venues. Quite a lot of other transfers which came slightly later didn't fare so well, with Drowsy Chaperone and Spring Awakening closing after just a few months.

The show still tours the UK regularly, and is touring again next year.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 10:53am

They’ve postponed closing until May:

http://www.playbill.com/article/off-broadways-avenue-q-pushes-back-closing-date

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 11:10am

I'm glad to hear that. I've been wanting to see this before it closes but my April schedule is filling up fast so May will be a bit easier for me.

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 11:17am

Rock of Ages will be taking the theatre after Avenue Q

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 3/7/19 at 11:17am

Rock of Ages will be taking the theatre after Avenue Q