Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 2/10/19- Page 2

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 1:05am

dramamama611 said: "Earned it? Im pretty sure she was upfront about her commitments to Younger before they signed contracts. As said, she isnt really proving to be an asset at the box office, so I doubt many will be too upset by her necessary absences.

If it wasnt ok with the producers, it wouldnt have happened."

I get the impression that this was news that just broke during the last couple of days. Maybe she has been making some guest appearances all along.

You don't think that the rest of the cast will be put off? I saw the show not too long ago on a Tuesday night with Kerston and half the orchestra was empty. Only forty were in the entire orchestra left, leaving a wide expanse of empty seats. I felt so bad for the cast having to look out on a sea of empty seats while performing in the "best musical of the season." (Times and New Yorker)

But, you would know better than me.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 3:29am

I certainly do. Dragging down a show, its star, and making up a number of patrons (did you look at the stage and count people in the audience at the same time??) is ridiculous.  Don't like it? Don't see it. But stop insulting it, her, and pretending you know anything about her schedule or why she is taking time off.  You, very clearly, do not.  

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 11:49am

Saying the MFL cast resents Benanti b/c she "invented her own schedule" is imagining a scenario that doesn't exist. She is a working actor who had obligations after her initial contracted run (including her role in Younger, and many concert dates). Producers offered her an extension fully aware of her conflicts and decided that was ok. This is far from the first time scheduling accommodations have been made for a Broadway star and it will not be the last.  

Hiring a new actress for Eliza and paying her and other company members for weeks of put in rehearsals as she learns the part is an added cost that doesn't make sense for them. LCT shows do not run indefinitely, they will need the Beaumont back for other shows in the upcoming season. So getting a new hire and paying for rehearsals could be a waste of money for them when they will only get 2 months of performances from a new actress. 

If you have some silly vendetta or axe to grind with her, then buy a ticket for Kerston's performance again. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 1:55pm

OlBlueEyes said: "I felt so bad for the cast having to look out on a sea of empty seats while performing in the "best musical of the season.""

All of my friends in shows say they can't see past the first few rows and, otherwise, they aren't paid by how full the house is.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 1:58pm

Hiring a new actress for Eliza and paying her and other company members for weeks of put in rehearsals as she learns the part is an added cost that doesn't make sense for them. LCT shows do not run indefinitely, they will need the Beaumont back for other shows in the upcoming season. So getting a new hire and paying for rehearsals could be a waste of money for them when they will only get 2 months of performances from a new actress.

If you have some silly vendetta or axe to grind with her, then buy a ticket for Kerston's performance again."

Well, Audra, you were fairly civil in your comments. Basically, I love this musical and especially this production and I was distressed to see it doing so poorly despite great reviews, great second reviews and being assigned "best musical of the season" by Times and New Yorker. Despite heavy discounting, especially on weekdays, of all except center orchestras, still leaves under 90 percent occupancy at an average ticket price of $115. This is very substantially less than many other musical are doing that would be considered lesser.

My assumption that Ms. Benanti's decision to join the cast of Younger had just occurred was too hasty a guess. It's possible that it was known of  before casting her into the role, and that was the reason for the original February exit. Perhaps they decided to work around her schedule instead of having to find another replacement.

In my opinion generating a messy schedule for March is going to wind up in the disappointment and confusion of many visitors. But the show, as noted, is not doing that well as things are now. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 2:06pm

OlBlueEyes said: "LuPita2 said: "I understand. You have a crush on Ms. Benanti."

 

Anyone else getting flashbacks to 6th grade? 

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 2:13pm

I was hoping to see a person of color perform as Eliza at some point during this production.

[Moderator]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 2:58pm

Ok all, please return the conversation to the topic at hand, rather than the personal in-fighting. We would hate to have to lock the thread because the discussion devolved to bickering. Thank you so much.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 3:06pm

Havn't had time to read the grosses this week. How is MFL going?

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 4:38pm

SweetLips22 said: "Havn't had time to read the grosses this week. How is MFL going?"

https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=MY-FAIR-LADY&year=2019&allall=on

Since the first full week in March of 2018, only 10 weeks under $1M, of which 4 were below $800k.  Those 4 were the last 4 weeks. Percentage of tickets sold as hovered around 90% all year, but have dropped to the 80% range.  It is winter, but seems to be "fairing" fine, but it is falling.  

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 2/12/19 at 11:12pm

Thank you for your in-depth reply but I just think you might have taken me seriously. I was responding after the Mods. had stepped in re MFL.

Kisses anyway.

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 5:45am

Someone told me they’re worried about Frozen. Given the name, it’s stars, the new casting announced....I doubt it will be closing anytime soon, right?

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 5:48am

Wick3 said: "I was hoping to see a person of color perform as Eliza at some point during this production."

My first thought was Cynthia Erivo. 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 7:05am

Cynthia would make a terrible Eliza.

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 10:07am

theaterlyfe19 said: "Someone told me they’re worried about Frozen. Given the name, it’s stars, the new casting announced....I doubt it will be closing anytime soon, right?"

Not sure why "someone" being worried would matter, unless they have inside info.

You forgot the most important bit on your list, though. The grosses (aka the thread we're in). If you aren't selling tickets, nothing else matters.

[bdn223]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 11:09am

haterobics said: "theaterlyfe19 said: "Someone told me they’re worried about Frozen. Given the name, it’s stars, the new casting announced....I doubt it will be closing anytime soon, right?"

Not sure why "someone" being worried would matter, unless they have inside info.

You forgot the most important bit on your list, though. The grosses (aka the thread we're in). If you aren't selling tickets, nothing else matters."

 

I think many including myself saw the complete rebrand of the show less than a year after opening as a warning sign that it had eaten through most of its advance, as you don't need to rebrand a show if its selling. It's rebrand reminds me of Shrek, which initially tried to sell itself on its own merits, before rebranding and tying itself so closely to the movie 6 months into its run. The problem is the rebrand of Shrek was a sign of desperation, which is why many think Frozen's rebrand is so foreboding. Looking at its grosses though, it seems to be following a similar pattern to Aladdin, which did not come into it's own as a runaway hit until a year into its run. The fact that in the slowest time of the Broadway season Frozen has only fallen below 90% capacity once, is a positive sign. Disney is clearly trying to establish Frozen as a long running hit, which is a tricky task for many juggernauts that often fail to make the transition after the initial buzz has died down. Examples of this include Finding Neverland, the Pippin Revivial, Motown, The Addams Family . We should see if it can successfully make that transition come September, but for now Frozen doesn't look to be going anywhere until at least January 2020.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 11:26am

Sweetlips made me laugh

[bfreak]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 1:10pm

It’ll also be interesting to see if the upcoming Frozen movie sequel (releasing in November) will help at all, or if they will try to heavily capitalize on that.