Why Isn't She Loves Me a Monster Hit- Page 2

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:20pm

After Eight said: "Fantod,

 

Of course I'm a fan of She Loves Me. I love it.

 

Just pointing out that fans of other composers might like their scores more.

 

That doesn't seem unreasonable to me. 

 

Why must the slightest observation raise such a ruckus around here?

 "

Because my use of the conditional "might" inherently allowed that others "might not".

So one had to wonder why you felt it necessary to repeat what I had just implied. And to do so in a snippy manner that made it seem as if YOU were trying to "raise a ruckus".

But no harm done.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:26pm

Jarethan said: "...Maybe it's a case of Follies again..a show that so many people love, yet it is never a real hit.  At least, the She Loves Me revivals have gotten better reviews than the Follies ones.  (The original production of Follies remains my favorite production ever, but all other versions I have seen have been somewhat to greatly inferior to the original, not the case with She Loves Me)....

"

You're probably right that with both shows, we who love them are willing to overlook their faults. But FOLLIES carries the burden of telling some very unpleasant truths about aging, nostalgia and foolish choices. SHE LOVES ME, on the other hand, is a traditional "love conquers all" romantic comedy, and a sweet one at that.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 9:42pm

Oddly enough, I think the show isn't "spring."  I believe it's a fall into Christmas piece, and was slotted wrong.  That's not scientific, but the show has always had a holiday feel.  It's about Christmas, ultimately, even if indirectly.  

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:03pm

Auggie27 said: "Oddly enough, I think the show isn't "spring."  I believe it's a fall into Christmas piece, and was slotted wrong.  That's not scientific, but the show has always had a holiday feel.  It's about Christmas, ultimately, even if indirectly.  

 

"

I felt this when I saw it as well.

[Fantod]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:10pm

Mr. Nowack,

what are the admitted flaws of She Loves Me? I've always been under the impression that most considered it to be perfect? The only flaw I can find is that it's not as good as The Shop Around the Corner, but of course very few things are.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:17pm

Gaveston dares to criticize "Hello,Dolly!" ???

May he suffer with constipation for the next week!

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:28pm

I BLAME THE TITLE... it's such a generic title that does nothing to give you a single clue about what the show could be about. It does nothing to remind anyone of why they should go see it, or elicit intrigue... A much better title would have been the original "Parfumerie," or "Perfume" or even "The Shop Around the Corner" like the famous movie based on the same story which came out twenty years before the musical.. at least people would know what they're going to see... I think the best title would have been "THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB" which is how the characters meet. Personally I think that title is sooo marketable and gives you a true sense about what the show is about.. I think SHE LOVES ME (the musical) never became the cultural phenom that YOU'VE GOT MAIL did... BECAUSE of that generic title

This revival is remarkable! It's wonderful! It's perfect... in my opinion it is already a hit!!!! 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:40pm

91 % is a monster hit.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 10:53pm

yeah... agree with Pal Joey... it's not impossible to get tickets... but it's pretty hard to get cheap tickets and anytime I have a hard time getting tickets on the cheap... it's usually because it's a hit lol... 

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 4/4/16 at 11:21pm

Auggie27 said: "Oddly enough, I think the show isn't "spring."  I believe it's a fall into Christmas piece, and was slotted wrong.  That's not scientific, but the show has always had a holiday feel.  It's about Christmas, ultimately, even if indirectly.  

 

"

I thought that too!  I mean not in terms of it being more successful if it were at Christmas, but at the end I thought "it would be nice to see this at Christmas."  But if this is when Laura and Jane were available, it's worth it!!

[Peter2]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 12:31am

The songs are so specific to the characters and plot, there isn't a single one (with the possible exception of the deliberately slight "Days Gone By" that can be performed without explanation outside of the show. 

 

Personally, Im fine with there being shows in the world that are wonderful without being "monster hits." "Beloved" and "regularly revived" are good enough for me. 

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 12:57am

Surely last minute subscriber exchanges have to factor in to some changes in gross depending on how many are made, no?  I saw the last Cabaret revival a few times walking up to TKTS about 30 minutes before and always grabbed front table seats.  I assumed those were subscriber seats that cancelled at the last minute.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 1:07am

PalJoey said: "91 % is a monster hit.

That is patently absurd, particularly for a musical in a smallish theatre like Studio 54, after those reviews, and in a holiday week.  Were it a commercial show, it would probably be on its way to losing its investment, even if it ran for 300 performances.

"

 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 2:21am

It's definitely a Fall/Winter type show.

As for admitted flaws, I think that the extended time spent on some of the non-Georg/Amalia plot lines muddle it a bit especially regarding Kodaly (though I love the Ilona scenes and their scenes together) and the schtick with the waiter. These scenes do make it a wonderful ensemble type of show though so I can't really fault it that much. I also can't deny the flaws pointed out by Gaveston regarding the last few scenes.

Doesn't make me love it any less but there's always room to nitpick, even with favorites.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 3:13am

 "Because my use of the conditional "might" inherently allowed that others "might not"."

 

And equally implied that those others would be "wrong," as your subsequent statements unfortunately bore out.

I contend that those statements are flat-out wrong, no quotation marks necessary.

 

 

[laughingplace]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 4:21am

f

[JM226]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 7:39am

^ i agree...  f!!!!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 7:59am

Maybe this show isn't a "Monster" hit, but by non-profit/Roundabout standards it is doing quite well. You're not often going to see any Roundabout show making $1.2 million a week because of all the subscriber's tickets. For a show that is not well-known outside of theater circles, almost $600,000 at a non-profit is pretty solid business.  

[cristalconnors]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 8:25am

Hoping to see She Loves Me while on a trip into the city this week. Does anyone know where in the theater TKTS or Today Tix seats you? Anyone have any advice on the best way to get good seats to She Love Me?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 10:34am

WhizzerMarvin said: "Maybe this show isn't a "Monster" hit, but by non-profit/Roundabout standards it is doing quite well. You're not often going to see any Roundabout show making $1.2 million a week because of all the subscriber's tickets. For a show that is not well-known outside of theater circles, almost $600,000 at a non-profit is pretty solid business.  

I am not thinking in terms of the grosses for that very reason.  It is the 91% that I am focused on.  If you factor in the fact that there is a huge subscription base, I would have expected 100% this early in the run, with those reviews, a holiday week, etc.  A lot of good points have been raised, but the wrong time of year argument would not apply for anyone who is unfamiliar with the show in the first place.

 

I do think this show is perfect.  The book is so good that I feel invested in all the characters' stories, not just Georg and Amalia's.  And the songs in the tail end of Act 2 are all so entertaining, what's not to love.

 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 11:12am

91% is pretty damn impressive in my book for a show that has not been revived on Broadway in over TWENTY YEARS, especially one that doesn't have the "name recognition" of shows like "West Side Story" or "The Sound of Music". 

 

Yes, it's Roundabout and yes the show depends on RTC's subscribers, but others like myself who are not RTC subscribers have gone to see the show.

 

To discount this production because you feel the show isn't the MONSTER HIT you expected it to be is a virtual slap in the face to everyone who is pouring their heart and soul into this show and performing to a house filled to 91% capacity.

 

 

Updated On: 4/5/16 at 11:12 AM

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 2:04pm

While the capacity fell, the gross went up by $8000 and the average ticket price also went up as well. 

 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 2:26pm

 

I would have expected 100% 

 

Here's a tip for you, for producing theater and for life:

 

NEVER expect 100%.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 3:05pm

PalJoey said: " 

I would have expected 100% 

 

Here's a tip for you, for producing theater and for life:

 

NEVER expect 100%.

I am not saying it is not doing well...I just expected the public to get a little more interested in a show that got the love letters this one did.  Smallish theatre, incredible reviews, holiday week...I had hoped for better.  No doubt, what is driving the question is the hope that it will extend, so I can see it when I return to the city in the fall.  Selling out would probably have increased that likelihood.  91% May not.  Guess we just have to see what future weeks bring.

"

 

[temms]

Posted: 4/5/16 at 4:02pm

I agree with MadonnaMusical and have been saying this for years. "She Loves Me" must be the worst title for a great show in the canon. It tells you nothing at all. It's an "Away We Go!" kind of title, which thankfully was changed to "Oklahoma!" and suddenly you have some idea what it's about.

 

I feel like so many classic musicals could all be titled "She Loves Me" - "Guys and Dolls", "The Most Happy Fella", "Kiss Me Kate", "The Pajama Game", "Promises Promises", "Oklahoma!", "The Music Man", "Brigadoon", "My Fair Lady", hell, even "Via Galactica".  "She Loves Me" would work as a title for any of those shows and would tell you as much about the show as "She Loves Me" does about the show that actually has that title.

 

I have no suggestions as to what a better one would be - "Parfumerie"? Probably not. And it's too late now, the show is too well-known to pull a "Sugar/Some Like It Hot" or a "Here's Love/"Miracle On 34th St" title swap like some things have done. But I contend that had they come up with a better title for the original production - something that in some minimal way gave you some idea of what the show is - it would be done as often as the usual warhorses.