ASSASSINS CLOSING EARLY- Page 3

[fuzzyman7]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 5:28am

I went to the Studio 54 box office on 6/30 to return my 7/23 tickets to Assassins. The person at the box office recommended I hold off a week as they'll probably extend.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 10:10am

If that is true, I will be extraordinarily pissed off! Trying to plan this trip is becoming a nightmare!!

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 10:25am

Tourists come in once a year to see a show. New Yorkers ALSO support the theater EVERY DAY. The problem is that many tourists come from less sophisticated and urbane climes and don't want these types of shows...but there are many New York area people who have now become used to pap TV and movies and expect the same from Broadway -- overstimulated sensory experience and not too complex.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 10:39am

Does anyone know if there are frequent understudies for the Sunday evening performances? If so, I will try to change my tickets at the box office for the matinee if they extend the run.

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:01am

"Assassins" was simply BRILLIANT!!! I saw the show twice and loved it!! What a cast!! It is a true shame that the show has to suffer when other mediocre productions are still running. Don't like the path that Broadway is going down these days!!

Posted: 7/1/04 at 6:18pm

ASSASSINS is not a show I care for, it never was. The fact that it is closing however is something to be upset about.

There should be room for shows like ASSASSINS, or the many shows that are driven to play off-Broadway, to open and survive through a full season on the Great White Way. Broadway suffers from a societal and media culture that caters to the lowest common demoninator. I can name the shows currently playing, but you can do that too, so I won't. When these types of shows, marketed and focused-grouped within an inch of existence, become hits individual creativity and art are erased and are no longer part of the equation.

Blame the corporate producing presence, blame the Hollywood group-think art-by-committee mentality, blame the near extinction of any theatre creator with the muscle to drive a show from conception to opening night (composer/lyricist/bookwriter/director/choreograper), blame the I'm-just-as-imporant-as-you mentality that pervades society as a whole and is reflected in the demand of investors to be named as producers with name-above-the-title;

Gotta run....to be continued... Updated On: 7/1/04 at 06:18 PM

Posted: 7/1/04 at 6:46pm

Very sad to hear this. Saw it last week and it's grown in my book to become my second fave Sondheim musical behind SUNDAY. And as an added "flavor", Reagan is still being honored with half mast flags and Clinton was in NYC the day I saw the show, signing his book a few blocks away. Interesting vibe.

The show is beautifully staged, the performers incredible, the whole experience was electric...it's what most Broadway shows should only hope to aspire to. Let's hope it gets a stay of execution.

[J.]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:00pm

Can someone explain to me why so many Rounabout Shows close prematurely when they selling so well? Same thing happened with NINE. It won Best Musical, sold out everynight and closed a few months later.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:10pm

His name was John Stamos.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:38pm

Roundabout operates under a special LORT agreement with Equity which allows them to pay a certain number of actors in their shows a lower wage for a limited period of time. After that time expires, Roundabout would have to start paying every actor (understudies et al) the regular Broadway minimum which would drive up weekly running costs. That's not a problem when they clearly have a bonafide hit on their hands like "Cabaret" which will clearly be doing sold out business for the foreseeable future. But if the LORT deal is about to expire and the advance is very weak (usually around the time all of their 50,000 or whatever subscribers have already seen the show) they tend to close the show rather than risk continuing on with the higher running costs.

Their huge subscriber base gives the illusion that their shows are doing better with the regular, single-ticket buying general public than they actually are -- their attendance numbers will be in the high 90's, but the reality is that once all the subscribers have seen the show, those numbers would dip dramatically and being a not-for-profit, they don't want to risk the loss (as in the case of "Assassins" which apparently only has a very pitiful $90,000 advance).

Updated On: 7/1/04 at 07:38 PM

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:45pm

The other thing that just happened at Studio 54 is that the actors' contracts have all just been re-negotiated and starting Sunda the 4th, the Roundabout is going to be paying the amazing cast of Assassins significantly more money than they were making on their special non-profit LORT-like contracts they were previously on.
No coincidence.

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:47pm

Oh, and the understudies rarely go on at Assassins for the leads.
Most of the changes thus far have just been within the chorus.
Although, at the end of next week Barbour and Harris will be out.

[boborunstheshow]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:48pm

i tell ya, when the last comment thing says "margochanning" you know, no matter what the topic is, something inteligent has just been posted. its like celebrity advertizing for BWW

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:49pm

I couldn't agree more bobo. A salute to Margo!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:53pm

* MargoChanning does a deep curtsy, arms outstretched *

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:54pm

HEIL!

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 7:58pm

I have habits of not reading the long posts.
Take that.

[wally]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:05pm

at the end of next week Barbour and Harris will be out.

Do you know which shows? And how do you know about it?

[TheNPH]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:08pm

Why/When will NPH and Barbour be out?

Is it for Broadway Barks?

Updated On: 7/1/04 at 11:08 PM

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:32pm

"The problem is that many tourists come from less sophisticated and urbane climes and don't want these types of shows.."

That is quite possibly the most arrogant thing I have ever read on this board. Without the tourists Broadway in the form it has taken over the past decades is dead. Think before you make insulting statements, I do.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:36pm

It was directed at SamIAm.

[wally]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:39pm

The celebrity portion of Broadway Barks is in between shows, 5:30 I believe. I don't think all those actors would miss their shows that day!

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:44pm

No, it's not B'way barks.
Barbour will be out W,Th, F.
Harris will be out Th, F.
Chris Peluso and Merwin Foard will be on for them.
Ken Krugman will be filling in for Merwin.
(Can't wait to hear Merwin sing Czolgosz's part...)

[J.]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:46pm

thanks you margochaning. that was the answer i was looking for and it makes a lot of sense. i forgot they had subcriptions. Everyone knows that a Sondheim show is not going run more than a year but if this show closes on July 18 it will have played fewer performances than TABOO which was a flop so its weird. Everyone wants to go see Disney shows or the British-imports becasue they know how make theatre for the majority theatre goers who want fun and spectacle. If Sondheim type shows were more popular that would be nice but if youre trying to work IN the business you want to get close to the "recycled-pop." Updated On: 7/1/04 at 11:46 PM

[Alix]

Posted: 7/1/04 at 11:46pm

I saw ASSASSINS last week and thouhgt it was incredible...I left 54 shaking. I'm sad its closing but I don't that this cast could ever be replaced and I'm glad its going out while it is still the amazing experience it is. I am going to try to see it again next week...really such a unique show!