"Mamma Mia!" to Close on Broadway- Page 3
"Mamma Mia!" to Close on Broadway
#50Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:32pm
This was my first Broadway show, so it will always hold a place in my heart. I do like it, but not as much as other shows. And, 14 years is an excellent run.
"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005
"You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy.
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AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#51Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:42pm
"wait a minute, the show made over $800,000 last week. Why is it closing?"
Most likely because they've reached the point where the strong weeks during the heavy tourist seasons are not enough to float them through the leaner weeks.
announcing a closing now for the end of the summer gives them the benefit of being able to put out the "see it now before it's gone" ad campaigns during the summer, and even the possibility of adding additional weeks due to "popular demand."
Jonwo
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/16/06
#52Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/9/15 at 11:59pm
""wait a minute, the show made over $800,000 last week. Why is it closing?"
Most likely because they've reached the point where the strong weeks during the heavy tourist seasons are not enough to float them through the leaner weeks.
announcing a closing now for the end of the summer gives them the benefit of being able to put out the "see it now before it's gone" ad campaigns during the summer, and even the possibility of adding additional weeks due to "popular demand.""
The lean weeks have been very poor so i imagine Craymer has realised that its time to pull the plug before they lose more money in the months after summer.
bryan
Broadway Star Joined: 5/12/03
broadwaysfguy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/14
#54Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 2:11am
Congrats to the broadway mamma mia long run, for making so many people happy and for employing so many people.
This show is fun, and has introduced new generations to the simple joy of a well written ABBA pop song....
I really believed like many others this show would continue for years.
Its a stunning achievement to make the DECADE CLUB on broadway, the only other members are:
Phantom
Chicago
Cats
Lion King
Les Miserables
A Chorus Line
Beauty and the Beast
Rent
Miss Saigon
Wicked
Jersey Boys (will join in nov 2015)
The original Mamma Mia is still running in London where i first saw it 6500 shows and fifth longest running musical in West end history(after les miz, phantom, blood brothers and cats)
#55Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 2:12am
When we're all dead, probably. ^
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
VotePeron
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/2/13
#56Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 2:15am
It angers me so much that JERSEY BOYS is among the small decade list.
#57Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 2:19am
Why? Many people like Jersey Boys, so naturally it deserves to be open as long as people keep going to see it.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
candydog2
Featured Actor Joined: 8/11/07
#58Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 6:26am
I'm surprised that it's actually closing, shows like this really do seem like they'll go on forever.
Saying that, I sort of thought that moving out of the Winter Garden might kill it. It just seemed a lot more prominent right in the middle of Broadway and 7th.
bfreak
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/6/11
#59Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 6:33am
"It angers me so much that JERSEY BOYS is among the small decade list."
While Jersey Boys wasn't the absolute best show I've ever seen, I think most people would agree it was pretty entertaining and a better-made show in terms of reaching different audiences than say Mamma Mia.
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#60Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 7:02am
Sad news.
And bad news.
For if Broadway now sees the closing of a bright, joyful show with tuneful music that entertains audiences royally, what is going to now come in to replace it? A show of the same kind, or some dirgical by one the present-day critics' darlings, some pretentious bore from Great Britain, or some asinine, infantile drivel dredged from a sewer that the critics will swoon over?
You know the answer.
We all do.
Bad, bad news.
#61Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 7:12am
After Eight, are you somehow timewarp-broadcasting your messages from the mid-1970s?
Because what you call "dirgicals" haven't dominated Broadway's box office for at least a couple of decades. Unless you are including PHANTOM and, frankly, the music there just isn't good enough.
MAMMA MIA's replacement has been running for years already: it's called JERSEY BOYS.
aj88
Featured Actor Joined: 3/18/15
#62Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 9:12am
I do feel bad for the people that will be put out of work and hope they all find fast employment but I'm also part of the group that has been wishing this show to close for some time.
I saw it aound the time it opened because I do admittedly love ABBA but the whole show was just weak fluff to me...fun perhaps at the time but less so now.
Im sure there will be a lot of hype as its closing nears since it has that stamp of being a show than ran over a decade.
theateraddiction
Understudy Joined: 2/20/15
#63Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 9:35am
I think Misery is a possibility, but I know there has been some talk of Rebecca trying again, so I'm wondering if they'll want their old theater back now that it's available.
philly03
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/07
#64Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:21am
Rebecca needs to open this year or the current producers will lose the rights. VWB has been very gratuitous towards Sprecher, however, given that they have extended the rights from 2013, then 2014, and now 2015. Hard to believe it could be the THIRD time the marquee was up at the Broadhurst!
#65Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:26am
"A show of the same kind, or some dirgical by one the present-day critics' darlings, some pretentious bore from Great Britain, or some asinine, infantile drivel dredged from a sewer that the critics will swoon over?"
Ironically, MAMMA MIA! is in fact asinine, infantile drivel dredged from a Great Britain sewer that the critics swooned over and gave darling reviews.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
#66Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:31am
Finally. It's garbage no matter if it had you dancing in the aisles or not. Pure junk. Painful.
Next, Phantom. Enough is enough with these epic runs. These theaters need new tenants.
#67Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 10:45am
"These theaters need new tenants."
Not if the shows keep raking in cash and pleasing audiences every week.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
Updated On: 4/10/15 at 10:45 AM
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#68Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:08am
I wonder if this will resurface in a few years a la Les Miz. Maybe they'll send out a revamped tour, and then play a limited engagement on Broadway? I wonder if they'll try and do a "revisal" type thing and restage it or something.
#69Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:10am
I look forward to MAMMA MIA! being featured at Encores! in 2067.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
#70Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:21am
Sad to see it go, but happy it had such a long run. I remember seeing the original London cast shortly after it opened and have fond memories of seeing the pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago with my dad. Loved the show and had a wonderful time. If that's considered garbage, please let Broadway be blessed with more garbage in its future. There will always be other options available to those who wish to see something else.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#71Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:35am
Always sad when a show closes, regardless if it's a long, long run or a premature closing.
Having actors, musicians, crew, box office personnel out of work is not a good thing.
I saw the show right after it opened and really, really enjoyed it. Saw it many times during the C Carmello years. She was fantastic!
MegInManhattan
Stand-by Joined: 3/10/14
#72Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 11:57am
I've been a fan of Mamma Mia since 2001, but actually have never seen it on Broadway (saw Toronto and then a nat tour). I will definitely be going on Broadway sometime during the summer now. It had an excellent run and has created a lot of jobs and made a lot of money worldwide. All involved should be proud.
#73Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 12:09pm
This is terrible news for any theatre fan that visits New York and I tell you why.
Just like Rock of Ages both shows were light hearted fluff shows and enjoyable both in there own way, but both shows performed on a Sunday Night/Monday Night when seeing a Broadway show is challenging.
So going to make those Sunday/Monday evenings very difficult now.
#74Mamma Mia!
Posted: 4/10/15 at 12:36pm
A harmless, fun, joyous night out at the theater that did a lot for our city post 9/11. Is it a masterpiece? No. Did I have a smile on my face the whole night? Yes. Besides, that overture is downright infectious.
