Next Shows to Close?- Page 3

[Barney Stinson]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 2:20pm

I think N2N could be in trouble come September. It's only cracked $300K once since Ripley left - and we're in August. Apparently the nut is only $225K, so the show needs to clear over $250K in grosses to make money.

Would the theater boot them though?

People seem to think AI will close, but it's grosses look fine to me - compared to their nut. Their theater is way too big of course, but absent the theater booting them, why do people think it's doing so badly?

Definitely worried about ROA too. We'll see in September if Constantine Maroulis was selling any tickets or not.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:21pm

I don't think NEXT TO NORMAL has to worry about the stop clause because by the standards at the Booth theater it is actually doing well.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:25pm

In addition to my last comment it is the longest running show at the Boothe. It just recently surpassed Sunday in the Park with George.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:48pm

That's a rather sad track record for the theater!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:52pm

I am wondering why people continuously thing American Idiot is in danger? Yes the theatre is far too large, but in relation to its running costs, the show is not doing badly by any means.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 4:37pm

dramamama,

At least it's something...

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:54pm

American Idiot may be making its running costs, but the real question is if it's meeting it house percent as dictated by the St James. They could be forced out.

[swimmingzeppo]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 6:17pm

Is predicting another pre-opening closing of Spider-man too snarky? If not, it's a really tempting wager.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 9:16pm

I believe the thought is that it has a limited audience and that it can't sustain its numbers through the lean months.

Of course, only time will tell.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 5:49pm

Genuine question: Why is a show like Jersey Boys still around? It seems like there's been no new news in forever regarding the show. At this point is anyone else bored?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 5:56pm

^ I don't understand your question. Jersey Boys is not a show relying on members of this board to be in its audience.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 6:02pm

re: JERSEY BOYS

Have you looked at the grosses?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=JERSEY%20BOYS

So far this year it has grossed $34 million with an operating cost of around $17 million. Each year the Broadway production alone nets around $30 million! It's such a blockbuster hit that it doesn't need a plethora of articles.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/21/10 at 6:21pm

why is Phantom around?
Why is Mamma Mia around?
Wicked?

Because the tourists pay good money to see them. Plain and simple.

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 11:01am

Unless they do something to start drawing audiences in (I've always taken note of their lack of advertising compared to other shows) I don't think Next To Normal will make it through January even, unfortunately. I'd say October or November. I saw the show yesterday and in the mezzanine there were 2 entire rows empty, and 2 rows with only 3 or 4 people in the center. The rest of the mezz just had scattered groups of like 5 empty seats in a row, and a section on the right was totally empty. I wasn't keeping track of time and couldn't believe how empty it was when the cell phone announcement came.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 11:09am

Well....if it makes it to November, they'll hold on for the holiday surge most likely.

I love N2N so I'm certainly not hoping for its demise -- but it's been on TDF nearly every day for months -- they are near the end.

It lasted so much longer than so many predicted.

[evic]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:01pm

The next 5-6 weeks will be crucial for to a few shows .....Students are starting school, early Jewish holidays, lack of group sales advances, new productions finally previewing.....the long runs will all remain but 4 shows are definitely in trouble. I saw Addams was on tkts yesterday.....surprised by this - that was quick.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:01pm

yea, in retrospect it was a dumb question. I guess in a moment of weakness I actually believed more provocative theatre might make a more lasting impression than the commercially viable on Broadway. How stupid of me.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:11pm

I love N2N so I'm certainly not hoping for its demise -- but it's been on TDF nearly every day for months -- they are near the end.

It lasted so much longer than so many predicted.

We agree, again, dramamama! The show is certainly on its last legs, and even if/when it closes (which I think will happen in October), it will have run a lot longer than anyone anticipated, including myself.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:27pm

I didn't think I'd be seeing the show again, but after the rave reviews of the new cast....I couldn't resist.

I'm taking my sister (her first time) on Tuesday night.

Updated On: 8/22/10 at 12:27 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:29pm

All these October predicted closing dates for N2N are so funny.A show that has yet to loose money, is doing OK at the moment etc is only gonna last 2 months...come on, really?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:33pm

But they have come in incredibly close -- and who knows what their advance sales look like. THAT is the most determining show for shows on the brink.

I think it might last to January, but I've been saying that for quite some time.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:46pm

All these October predicted closing dates for N2N are so funny.A show that has yet to loose money, is doing OK at the moment etc is only gonna last 2 months...come on, really?

The fact that the show is (barely) making money in the summer is no indicator of its fall business, when every show but Wicked, The Lion King, and Jersey Boys see a drop in grosses. If n2n's gross is hovering this close to its running costs now, it's going to dip well below that come the fall. Given the discounts their offering in the fall ($59 for all performances, including weekends), it's a fairly safe assumption that their advance beyond Labor Day is very low. As dramamama said, a show's advance is a much bigger factor in determining whether it will run or not than a show's actual weekly gross. Look at WSS, their wekly grosses are still above their nut, but they're widely rumored to be closing by the end of the year to make way for Priscilla. The writing seems to be on the wall for n2n: the advertising has slowed down, huge discounts on tickets, a dismissive review from the NY Times that they opted to not even put in the paper, and a complete lack of buzz around the replacements (completely upstaged by the replacement duo that set up shop on 48th street). I'm as big a supporter of the show as you're likely to find, but let's be pragmatic about this. The show isn't Cats- it's not now and forever, and the end is near.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 1:08pm

As much as the thought of Next to Normal (possibly) closing saddens me, they really have had a great run and certainly outlasted anyone's expectations...I saw the show when it was down in DC and I remember when the news broke that it was coming to Broadway my friends and I were so excited but we were also convinced they would be closed within a couple of months. The fact that they broke even is in and of itself an accomplishment, especially for a show like Next to Normal that is very small and serious and sad.

[tommyboy]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 1:10pm

As for stunt casting, producers don't care how desperate it looks as long as it works!

Read more: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?page=2&thread=1020863&boardid=1#ixzz0xM5KgqR2
CHICAGO got away with it for years -- it moved to the Ambassador theater which was smaller and able to show a still high percentage of seats sold.