Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/19/24- Page 2

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 12:38am

bowtie7 said: "Any idea why the Moulin Rouge per ticket average dropped so much ($113.71 this week vs. $146.90 last week)? That seems a strange drop for a long run show."

Boy George isn’t in the cast anymore. 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 12:39am

bowtie7 said: "Any idea why the Moulin Rouge per ticket average dropped so much ($113.71 this week vs. $146.90 last week)? That seems a strange drop for a long run show."

First week without Boy George.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:22am

I how ironic, given the consensus on this board was that he was terrible.  I stupidly thought MR was doing great…I did not realized how significant BG’s contribution was to the box office.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 3:31am

jkcohen626 said: "Another solid week for most shows.

The dramatic increase for Stereophonic continues to be incredible to behold. It's less dramatic, but Suffs also seems to be turning into a word of mouth hit. Illinoise also saw a nice bump. Three shows I'm rooting for!

I continue to be shocked by the performance of The Great Gatsby and Water for Elephants. I would've pegged both as mega flops, but here they are in the $1 million club week after week."

Critical raves, Tony nominations and word of mouth must be boosting Stereophonic, a 3+ hour play without stars (but with a terrific cast recording). 

A lot of the new shows are doing well, and Hell’s Kitchen is one of the most successful new musicals in years. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 8:43am

In regards to &Juliet, they could maybe start stunt casting if Betsy ever leaves, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Hopefully. But maybe they could stunt cast for Romeo, give Ben a break, and see if that boosts sales? 

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 10:17am

I guess it shouldn't by this point, but it still manages to dumbfound me week after week how much some people are willing to pay for some of these shows. Like who is shelling out $237 to see Chicago when it's playing at 70% capacity? I even really liked Chicago.....you know, like when I saw it 20 years ago. 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 10:30am

I'll note again about Heart of Rock and Roll: Broadway really isn't their end goal. This is a show that will do well with a tour, it would be super popular on a cruise ship, and regional theaters will be happy to scoop it up once those rights become available. That's ultimately where they see the money. 

So getting it to this week's road conference was of the utmost importance to them. It was never going to close before this week, or ever announce a closing prior to this week (because you can't have an air of "failure" around the show while you are trying to get those presenters interested in it). Producers have the cash, so they are keeping it open to fund their long term plans for it. And it's smart. Broadway is sadly just too crowded for this (it also didn't help that I don't think the advertising was robust enough for this one, especially with a crowded season), but it should find a life in the regions.

I do think it would be a great summer tourist show, but at this point they would need a miracle turnaround with those tourist dollars to sustain a run.

Sometimes Broadway is not the be-all/end-all, which we are seeing here.

 

Otherwise the only shows in "trouble" seem to be Patriots (but they have Netflix money behind it, and perhaps they are ok sinking cash into it to finish the announced run), The Notebook (does anyone know their exact break even? I can't imagine they are grossing much more than their nut. And with no Best Musical nom...maybe Maryann can win actress but that usually doesnt mean much at box office...it's hard to see a path for this beyond Labor Day), and Back to the Future (their grosses would be fine for some other shows, but its just too damn expensive to run. We will see if these numbers are their new threshold or just a dip before increased summer dollars).

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 11:10am

audra, what you are describing is a pivot. It's not a dumb pivot, but no sane person produces a $16 million Broadway musical with the expectation that it will lose its entire investment.

Touring, international, regional/amateur, and cruise ship licensing generate income, but those productions are all separately capitalized and royalties only trickle back to the Broadway entity. IF they ever see a dime of profit, that's going to be a long time from now.

People are quick to throw out "X show will do great on the road and on cruise ships!" But when there are a ton of options from which to choose, those programmers are going to gravitate towards the ones that were hits on Broadway or have a sheen of quality surrounding them. In terms of populist or branded shows, Heart will be competing against & Juliet, BTTF, Beautiful Noise, Once Upon A One More Time, and Great Gatsby, AND shows that have been kicking around for a bit like Six, MJ, and Moulin, AND recent/future award-winners, AND old faves.

It will be much more lucrative for the authors and director.

Updated On: 5/23/24 at 11:10 AM

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:23pm

Yes, I understand your point entirely. But finding success in regional markets is almost always easier when the show has spent time on Broadway (even as a flop). There will be more press, more powerful industry figures will have seen it, you can advertise it as a Broadway musical which has pull for the general public, etc. Disaster was famously upfront in admitting that they knew they would not be a success on Broadway, but they needed to produce it there for licensing.

While I'm sure Heart of Rock and Roll would have loved to be a Broadway success story, and this is indeed a hard pivot, it is nevertheless the explanation as to why a closing announcement hasn't happened despite some folks on this board who keep shouting for them to close up shop. It's sad the show isn't doing well, but Huey Lewis and Tyler Mitchell know that there are other viable avenues for this show other than Broadway. And they will find earnings from those avenues as creatives, long after earnings from being a producer dry up.

[DAME]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:25pm

MayAudraBlessYou2 said: "Yes, I understand your point entirely. But finding success in regional markets is almost always easier when the show has spent time on Broadway (even as a flop). There will be more press, more powerful industry figures will have seen it, you can advertise it as a Broadway musical which has pull for the general public, etc. Disaster was famously upfront in admitting that they knew they would not be a success on Broadway, but they needed to produce it there for licensing.

While I'm sure Heart of Rock and Roll would have loved to be a Broadway success story, and this is indeed a hard pivot, it is nevertheless the explanation as to why a closing announcement hasn't happened despite some folks on this board who keep shouting for them to close up shop. It's sad the show isn't doing well, but Huey Lewis and Tyler Mitchell know that there are other viable avenues for this show other than Broadway. And they will find earnings from those avenues as creatives, long after earnings from being a producer dry up."

This show could grow on its broadway run ( no matter how short).  I can see it having some tour life, a Vegas engagement, and some cruise ship runs. 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:42pm

"This show could grow on its broadway run ( no matter how short). I can see it having some tour life, a Vegas engagement, and some cruise ship runs. "

I agree and think it would be perfect show on cruise ships like "Hairspray", "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever".

[bear88]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:49pm

I will defer to others who understand the economics of this better, but from the time it was announced, I never understood the logic of Heart of Rock and Roll.

I gather that it’s a pretty entertaining musical, but the reason for its existence is nostalgia. And aside from the prominent role his songs played in Back to the Future, Huey Lewis wasn’t a big deal even at the time. He and his band made pleasant if largely generic music and I heard him sing the national anthem more than a few times at 49ers games. Lewis seems like a nice guy, but his band was less interesting than the Go-Gos. And we saw how using their back catalog in a musical worked out. At least that show had a little niche appeal due to its plot.

If I am in charge of programming, why would I choose this over the many musicals associated with singers or bands or even time periods? Lewis is probably more popular in the San Francisco Bay Area than in most places. I think I will be waiting a long time for a theater here to take it on.

I remain puzzled why anyone thinks the show will ever make money, or even get much exposure, once it closes on Broadway.

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 2:09pm

"I remain puzzled why anyone thinks the show will ever make money, or even get much exposure, once it closes on Broadway."

Having seen it on Broadway, the answer is simple. It is very entertaining show with a bunch of catchy songs that were hits. If Corey Cott tours with the show, it would have charismatic leading actor in the show. If you were a teenager in the early 80's when Huey Lewis was popular you would be in your mid 50's right now. That is the age group that is a major part of Broadway show audiences in NY and on tour. Don't live in NY so I have no idea on how they marketed the show but if they do decent job of selling it on tour I think it would do well.  As I said in previous post, this show would be perfect for cruise ships. It would fit in very nicely with shows like "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease" and "Hairspray".

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 2:26pm

bear88 said: "I will defer to others who understand the economics of this better, but from the time it was announced, I never understood the logic ofHeart of Rock and Roll.

I gather that it’s a pretty entertaining musical, but the reason for its existence is nostalgia. And aside from the prominent role his songs played inBack to the Future, Huey Lewis wasn’t a big deal even at the time. He and his band made pleasant if largely generic music and I heard him sing the national anthem more than a few times at 49ers games. Lewis seems like a nice guy, but his band was less interesting than the Go-Gos. And we saw how using their back catalog in a musical worked out. At least that show had a little niche appeal due to its plot.

If I am in charge of programming, why would I choose this over the many musicals associated with singers or bands or even time periods? Lewis is probably more popular in the San Francisco Bay Area than in most places. I think I will be waiting a long time for a theater here to take it on.

I remain puzzled why anyone thinks the show will ever make money, or even get much exposure, once it closes on Broadway."

Must be pretty dull life if you question the existence/purpose of why shows come to be 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 2:34pm

High schools will LOVE this (or at least from what I've heard.)  Nice message, wholesome fun, lots of ensemble. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 2:57pm

dramamama611 said: "High schools will LOVE this (or at least from what I've heard.) Nice message, wholesome fun, lots of ensemble."

They would have so much fun with that imagined life sequence 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 2:58pm

Like I said above, any talk of high school/ cruise ship/ touring/ regional/ int'l/ community licensing is more a creative matter than an economic one. Yes there are earnings, but the money comes in small drips and the terms are, typically, better for the authors than the investors (especially as the years go on). $16 mil is so much money to make back exclusively from those income streams.

HEAD OVER HEELS is probably a good comp. It gets done plenty, kids have a good time with it, and the investors have been paid back a little bit of money. If 10 years from now the investors have been paid back 50%, maybe they'll view that as a win considering the short Broadway run.

Which is still better than a show like LEMPICKA, which will be lucky if it gets half the number of licenses as HEAD OVER HEELS.

Updated On: 5/23/24 at 02:58 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 3:09pm

Head Over Heels gets produced a LOT? (I'm truly asking)  I've not heard of any productions of in my area....not just recently, but at all - not is schools, community or regional theater.  Lots of schools would still have issues with some of the content - and I'm in a very liberal part of the country. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 5:45pm

dramamama611 said: "Head Over Heels gets produced a LOT? (I'm truly asking) I've not heard of any productions of in my area....not just recently, but at all - not is schools, community or regional theater. Lots of schools would still have issues with some of the content - and I'm in a very liberal part of the country.

"
I don’t know about it being doing in schools, but yes it does get done fairly often regionally. 

 

Updated On: 5/23/24 at 05:45 PM

[MezzoDiva47]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 5:55pm

if the heart of rock and roll reps can convince the presenters that it is a tour worth scheduling then it either goes direct to non-equity or lowest tier seta at best

major city tour houses are already struggling with attendance

some fairly successful broadway shows are getting only one week in most markets

bringing a show to broadway and blowing $20 million for the purpose of licensing also seems irresponsible

why not go the ‘my way’ route and release direct to licensing

[Kad]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 7:01pm

In many parts of the country, a show having been on Broadway (or even just having been in NYC) remains a big selling point.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 8:02pm

Ensemble1696584123 said: "Obviously not about these specific grosses, but Cabaret did a performance yesterday that was never on the schedule on Seat Geek when I was looking at tickets. Was it a buyout performance?"

They had a special performance for the road conference attendees.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 1:31am

hearthemsing22 said: "bear88 said: "Must be pretty dull life ifyou question the existence/purpose of why shows come to be"

Perhaps. I am posting on a thread of a theater message board devoted to Broadway grosses, and I am questioning the reasoning of producers who thought Heart of Rock and Roll would have commercial success on Broadway in a crowded spring season and why it’s still open given its grosses. I am not questioning the quality of the musical, which has received a lot of positive feedback (including from you). 

I also understand Kad’s point that a Broadway run makes a show more marketable for licensing. I suppose it would be a bad look to announce a closing date during the road show if they’re hoping for a tour. But while the pickings have been slim in the post-pandemic era, there are a lot of musicals this season and theaters can be more choosy. They need to be. 

Many people wondered why the Head Over Heels  producers kept that show open at a loss for months. Was it actually worth it due to licensing? It doesn’t seem likely but I’m curious.

I’m just trying to understand the rationale, because I may be underestimating how much money can be earned back by licensing the show for cruise ships, regional productions and schools.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 8:22am

bear88 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "bear88 said: "Must be pretty dull life ifyou question the existence/purpose of why shows come to be"

Perhaps. I am posting on a thread of a theater message board devoted to Broadway grosses, and I am questioning the reasoning of producers who thought Heart of Rock and Rollwould have commercial success on Broadway in a crowded spring season and why it’s still open given its grosses. I am not questioning the quality of the musical, which has received a lot of positive feedback (including from you).

I also understand Kad’s point that a Broadway run makes a show more marketable for licensing. I suppose it would be a bad look to announce a closing date during the road show if they’re hoping for a tour. But while the pickings have been slim in the post-pandemic era, there are a lot of musicals this season and theaters can be more choosy. They need to be.

Many people wondered why theHead Over Heelsproducers kept that show openat a loss for months. Was it actually worth it due to licensing? It doesn’t seem likely but I’m curious.

I’m just trying to understand the rationale, because I may be underestimating how much money can be earned back by licensing the show for cruise ships, regional productions and schools."

Think about this season. Think about how many serious shows we have. Then think about fun. Pure fun shows that we have. We had that with a few shows that have closed at this point. if someone wants a purely fun night out at the theater, I think Heart knows it can absolutely deliver in that department. I know fun isn't enough to keep a show open, but it gives theatergoers a break from all the serious that we have. 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 8:23am

I think Heart of R&R is MUCH more likely to be a widely produced HS show than Head Over Heels. The content of HOH is going to be an immediate no in a lot of schools.

Heart can tap into schools that want to do 80s shows but find Wedding Singer too raunchy or BTTF (when it becomes available) too technically challenging. It still has Footloose for 80s competition.

Updated On: 5/24/24 at 08:23 AM