The same usher who I was talking to prior to the lottery beginning said that Fences might be taking the theatre once Ragtime closes.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
I guess Smaxie knows more than I do. I heard from someone with the production (ragtime) that the next show is cycle. The load out will take two weeks maybe a little more if there is restoration to do. But i heard the next show wants to start loading in on the 25th.
>The same usher who I was talking to prior to the lottery beginning said that Fences might be taking the theatre once Ragtime closes.<
The usher is mistaken. For the non-believers, here's one of the Fences producers saying in The New York Times that Fences is not going to the Neil Simon.
>I heard from someone with the production (ragtime) that the next show is cycle. The load out will take two weeks maybe a little more if there is restoration to do. But i heard the next show wants to start loading in on the 25th.<
It will not take Ragtime two weeks to load out. And again, how could Orphans' load in when that show's physical production is onstage for three more months in another theatre? There's the prehang for lights that takes place, but even that wouldn't happen for several months.
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
SMAXIE: Please let me know what you do? You can't possibly make your coments with being educated on load outs and load ins and basic production.
I rally don't ever remember a load out for a musical taking less than a week. The only way you would have better info than I is if you work for Hershel. I am married to someone working on Ragtime. Number one "loading out the show" should take more than a week. I am sure there alot of restoration to do since they did alot of work accomodating the theater to ragime. Smaxie since you are so knowledgable about this show, you would know the basement had a lot of constructin done to it to extend the pit for all the musicians. Now that is one of the things that needs to be put back to the way it was before. How long do you think the restoration will take 1/2 day? I belive they also have a lot of carpenter and electrical work to do during restoration. Who do you get you get your info from. I would love if the show could run another month. unfortuately I was told they had to be out.
You still have yet to explain why a show would start loading in on the January 25th, when they do not finish their off-Broadway run until months from now?
I just remember that I was told about two weeks for load out. Could be less, but I don't think so. I remember they had to be out but the 25th, meaning loaded out. I was told that when I asked if they would extend weekely until the end of Jan! I can only think that the restoration will start after the load out and it is extensive. Whatever they did for ragtime has to be un done. Do you know how much restoration has to be done. the only larg thing I can think of is the pit needs to be put back. WHat do you think smaxie and ljay. I bet james the doorman knows, someone should call him! I bet he would know.
You still have yet to explain why a show would start loading in on the January 25th, when they do not finish their off-Broadway run until months from now?
I'd like to know the answer to this as well. That represents a serious flaw in her logic.
Perhaps, inbetween Ragtime and whatever show takes the Simon (Though I hope it's the Cycle...), the Nederlanders are planning a limited run (ala Liza, Robin Williams, etc.).
Anyone else find it odd that Ragtime's extension notice was posted right before Finian's closing? Are both shows being produced by the same person, or could there be a linkage? Seems odd, but the timing it odd as well...
What is this restoration you keep mentioning? Did they paint the walls of the house with stars and stripes? Besides cleaning up after themselves I wouldn't consider anything needing anything close to a restoration.
How odd is it that two shows that have been known to be struggling for weeks both announced their closings a few weeks prior to Broadway's most difficult time for ticket sales? This happens every December/January. Not that shocking.
If AMERICAN IDIOT was to take the Neil Simon, I'd suspect PROMISES, PROMISES would switch from the Broadway to the St. James.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
If AMERICAN IDIOT was to take the Neil Simon, I'd suspect PROMISES, PROMISES would switch from the Broadway to the St. James.
Wait, WHAT? The St. James is a Jujamcyn house. The Broadway is a Shubert house, and the Neil Simon is a Nederlander house. The shows are just not going to swap around between theatre owners like that. Not gonna happen.
Plus, why would American Idiot, which has the potential to be a huge hit, go into a theatre it would have to vacate by the end of the summer? Love Never Dies is still coming in this fall at the Neil Simon. American Idiot will be calling the St. James Theatre home this spring.
The only switch I could see happening is if Memphis closes, and Promises moves in to the more conveniently located Shubert Theatre.
The producers behind PROMISES, PROMISES are not at all happy with the Broadway. They could pay a significant penalty to the Shuberts to be released from their contract if the opportunity to move to another house operated by a different landlord arose.
A similar situation almost happened with HAIR earlier this year. Their producers were at the very end stages of negotiating a deal with the Shubert Organization to take the Shubert, but the higher ups at Jujamcyn swooped in at the last minute and offered them a better deal to take the Hirschfeld.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Mildred: Restoration is returning the theater to the condition it was in before the production loaded in. The producers of the show vacating the theater are responsible for paying for the restoration. Did you happen to notice the basement of the neil simon? All the work that was done for the extension to the Pit to accomodate the 40 musicians? Well that has to be pt back to the way it was before Ragtime. Any electrical work that was put in just for Ragtime has to be taken out. Stuff like that. I dont' know all the restoration that needs to be done, but that is a few things. ALso, Ragtime load in began on Sept 21. I think the first preveiw was in Oct. That seems like more thant 4-6 days.
I know what a restoration is(even thought I don't think you're using the proper term). But the process you're speaking of does not take as long as you're claiming.
"ALso, Ragtime load in began on Sept 21. I think the first preveiw was in Oct. That seems like more thant 4-6 days."
If I'm not mistaken they had at least a few days of rehearsals and other activities in between the load-in and the first preview.
It's a good point that taking apart the additional orchestra rooms that were built for Ragtime will be a big job. Somehow I doubt the next tenant is going to want facilities in place to accommodate 28 musicians.
"ALso, Ragtime load in began on Sept 21. I think the first preveiw was in Oct. That seems like more thant 4-6 days."
Are you KIDDING me right now??
They had a number of Tech rehearsals, meetings, and facilities days (or Installation Days) for lights/set/props/costumes/sound following their initial load-in....like any other Broadway production would have.
So, actually, your timeline verifies what I already said. Typical load-in = around 4 to 6 days. My husband is a PSM in the City. I'm not pulling that number out of my @ss.