Hugh Jackman in The Music Man- Page 30

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 8:33am

Company might be an event for theatre folk, but, for the mainstream, it's not. Group tickets are already available on Broadway Inbound. They're moderately priced, and very cheap by comparison to The Music Man.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 8:35am

CT2NYC said: "Companymight be an event for theatre folk, but, for the mainstream, it's not. Group tickets are already available on Broadway Inbound. They're moderately priced, and very cheap by comparison toThe Music Man."

Thank you. I work a desk job, and this was just a random thought that came into my head during a lull in people coming in. No need for the "is this a joke" comment. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 9:06am

magictodo123 said: "Now that ticket prices for this show have been released, I can't help but wonder...what will be more expensive? These? Or tickets for Company?"

COMPANY will probably be at the TKTS booth within its first 4 weeks on Broadway (if not sooner). MUSIC MAN will never have severely discounted tickets as long as Hugh is in it. Patti LuPone's last financially-successful show was SWEENEY 15 years ago, and the 2007 revival of COMPANY did not recoup. COMPANY is a lesser-known title with lesser-known stars, and it's a show that's often been viewed as esoteric and divisive for mainstream audiences.

[South Florida]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:39am

Don't get the Hugh Jackman adoration.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 1:06pm

I just don’t get the hype around him in THIS - he has been on a world tour doing showtunes, standards, etc and IIRC, there was a whole thread on the tour and how sales weren’t as strong as they could be. In general I don’t think The Music Man is as good of a show as Hello Dolly, but I am looking forward to Sutton being back on Broadway.

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 1:10pm

I think Hugh Jackman doing a broadway Musical is the sell. I like Hugh, have never seen him do poor in any show/film ive seen, plus he always dedicates himself from what I can tell. I got a lot of respect for the guy. However his concert tour wasn't super appealing to me, id rather see him on broadway or in a film or something! Thats just me of course, but since this cast is A-List for Broadway, a show I've never seen done professionally, Im buying a ticket. Just my perspective. Not every so often Jackman is on Broadway and able to be seen in a somewhat intimate setting. 

[binau]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 1:54pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I just don’t get the hype around him in THIS - he has been on a world tour doing showtunes, standards, etc and IIRC, there was a whole thread on the tour and how sales weren’t as strong as they could be. In general I don’t think The Music Man is as good of a show as Hello Dolly, but I am looking forward to Sutton being back on Broadway."

That thread was misguided if I recall. Hugh Jackman’s world tour was financially strong in most areas. 

[LexiGirl]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 2:06pm

I would have normally never have been interested in this revival, and strangely all the shows I’m most excited about over the next year are revivals instead of my typical desire to see the brand new shows being introduced. When Hugh Jackman was announced, it piqued my interest, but not enough to make me want to take a special trip to NYC. I actually don’t watch a lot of the movies he’s in, but have found him charismatic in video clips. Then Sutton Foster was announced, and I was very excited at the possibility of seeing her perform live. I knew that Jackman would make it a really easy sell on getting someone to accompany me, and now I have too many people who want to go with me. So yes, I ponied up some big bucks to see this next December because I think it will be an event, and I missed seeing Dolly!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:40pm

Yeah, I think the thing is that it’s Hugh in a huge Broadway musical. He’s always going to sell shows well but this is now an “event”. Even think back a couple years before “Hello Dolly” when Bette made her Broadway return in her one woman play. That was very well received and sold great but it wasn’t the “event” that “Dolly” was. This is kind of the same thing.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 4:44pm

South Florida said: "Don't get the Hugh Jackman adoration."

Same...

[brian1973]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 6:00pm

Also it has to be said that Scott Rudin really knows how to promote these shows with class. Yes, it’s the same vintage feel as Dolly with the advertising, but it’s stylish and classy. 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 7:34pm

brian1973 said: "Also it has to be said that Scott Rudinreally knows how to promote these shows with class. Yes, it’s the same vintage feel as Dolly with the advertising, but it’s stylish and classy."

God, I hated the Dolly TV spots. 

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 7:41pm

It looks like they are adding a Tap Number, prices just went up!

[jo]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 7:53pm

qolbinau said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I just don’t get the hype around him in THIS - he has been on a world tour doing showtunes, standards, etc and IIRC, there was a whole thread on the tour and how sales weren’t as strong as they could be. In general I don’t think The Music Man is as good of a show as Hello Dolly, but I am looking forward to Sutton being back on Broadway."

That thread was misguided if I recall. Hugh Jackman’s world tour was financially strong in most areas."

D'accord!

Check out the financials from the tour ( there is still the second leg of the North American tour and Mexico to go)  --
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man._The_Music._The_Show.

For Madison Square Garden alone, he sold $ 4.2 Million worth of tickets for 3 shows!  Which Broadway star even comes close to those kind of figures when they do solo concerts? Those are rock star figures! Btw, in 1 of the shows -- Phil Smith of the Shubert Organization and Ted Chapin of the Rodgers&Hammerstein Org were both in attendance, showing how much respected he is by theatre royalty, too.

Btw, the tour gained him a lot of new fans -- I have seen a few social media entries saying this will be the first time for them to visit the USA...or NYC...or even Broadway...just to see THE MUSIC MAN, because they had seen Hugh in his tour. I am flying from overseas to do the same thing , although in my case I have seen him perform live since OKLAHOMA! in London.

 

Updated On: 9/17/19 at 07:53 PM

[Terracentric]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 8:32pm

Re: Hype around Hugh --- why?

jo said: "...Btw, the tour gained him a lot of new fans -- I have seen a few social media entries saying this will be the first time for them to visit the USA...or NYC...or even Broadway to see THE MUSIC MAN, because they had seen Hugh in his tour..."

My guess is we have The Greatest Showman film and soundtrack to thank and/or curse. That was that leggy movie that started as a flop but went on to break all sorts of records. The soundtrack even went platinum. Without The Greatest Showman's success, I don't think there would've been sold-out arena shows, an unusually early ticket sales date, and higher than usual ticket prices (which is way less than what the Hamilton TOUR charged last year by the way).

 

 

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 8:40pm

Terracentric said: "My guess is we have The Greatest Showman film and soundtrack to thank and/or curse... ...Without The Greatest Showman's success, I don't think there would've been sold-out arena shows, an unusually early ticket sales date, and higher than usual ticket prices."

That's ignoring the he's the biggest superhero star of the past two decades and got an Oscar nom for leading the movie adaptation of Les Misérables. I do think TGS helped, yes, but I don't think that is the first thing most people think about when they think Hugh Jackman.

Updated On: 9/17/19 at 08:40 PM

[jo]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 9:52pm

DoTheDood said: "Terracentric said: "My guess is we have The Greatest Showman film and soundtrack to thank and/or curse......Without The Greatest Showman's success, I don't think there would've been sold-out arena shows, an unusually early ticket sales date, and higher than usual ticket prices."

That's ignoring the he's the biggest superhero star of the past two decades and got an Oscar nom for leading the movie adaptation ofLes Misérables. I do think TGS helped, yes, but I don't think that is the first thing most people think about when they think Hugh Jackman."

Yes, 2017 was his biggest year  ( apart from 2006 when  6 of his movies were released which included The Prestige and The Fountain and XMen-3)!  LOGAN ( $ 619 million in the box office) and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ($ 435 million in the box office, excluding the home video/streaming sales) were his two film releases. He filmed them one after another ( he was screen-testing his leading ladies for Showman while filming Logan in New Orleans). It is his versatility which is appealing. Film and theatre and now concert stage...and even the occasional hosting of the Tonys/the Oscars/Global Poverty Festival!  Action, drama, musicals, rom-com and sci-fi! He has had success in most film genres.

Btw, The Greatest Showman soundtrack was certified triple Platinum in the USA and was reported to be the best-selling album worldwide in 2018, outranking all other pop music stars.  It did win a Grammy for the soundtrack and Hugh Jackman as principal artist.  

Hugh Jackman is an Oscar short  ( he did get nominated for Les Misérables) of attaining an EGOT stature. And he has been awarded a Tony/Emmy/Grammy for performing in different types of the performing arts. 

His next project for filming after his tour and before Music Man  is a romantic sci-fi thriller - bringing together his past successes in many genres-- it is  called REMINISCENCE ( Black List script by and to be directed by Westworld's Lisa Joy-Nolan and supported by WarnerBros).. By the way, his upcoming indie film called BAD EDUCATION to be released  on HBO has just had a record-breaking deal at the Toronto International Film Festival ( supposedly purchased in the $ 17.5 to $ 20 million range).

So, there are many concrete reasons why people may want to see Hugh Jackman on stage. It is not just his musical theatre or concert stage fame that are bringing in the audiences. Who knows - some of them may be Wolverine fans who still cannot get over that he has left the character in his film choices now?

Of course, to each his own!

 

 

Updated On: 9/17/19 at 09:52 PM

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 10:47pm

magictodo123 said: "CT2NYC said: "Companymight be an event for theatre folk, but, for the mainstream, it's not. Group tickets are already available on Broadway Inbound. They're moderately priced, and very cheap by comparison toThe Music Man."

Thank you. I work a desk job, and this was just a random thought that came into my head during a lull in people coming in. No need for the "is this a joke" comment."

I was actually thinking about how expensive The Plaza Suite might be. I know Matthew Broderick has been on Broadway recently but SJP hasn't plus I think there is appeal in them doing a show together. 

 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:01pm

I don’t think Hugh is a great actor. But this seems like his wheelhouse. A character that just needs a decent voice & charisma. So I can see why it’s a big deal. I mean he did “The River,” but it wasn’t such an event as this.

But the fact that he sold that show shows his star power.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 7:20am

There are some themes in Music Man that are deep- and the music is really good. I did get my tickets- and I think this will be an excellent production. I have always liked The Music Man and in today's world, I think it has something important to say.

[Andres_Zayas]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 2:55pm

He most likely wouldn’t need one, but if Jackman had an alternate like Donna Murphy was to Bette Midler in Hello Dolly, who would you like to see?

[Valentina3]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 2:58pm

Andres_Zayas said: "He most likely wouldn’t need one, but if Jackman had an alternate like Donna Murphy was to Bette Midler in Hello Dolly, who would you like to see?"

Honestly? Nathan Lane. Mostly because it's Nathan Lane.
But realistically - Norm Lewis would be cool.

[binau]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 3:10pm

After previews, they appear to already be selling 8 shows a week. It's unlikely there is going to be a 'Donna Murphy' in this production. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 4:35pm

qolbinau said: "After previews, they appear to already be selling 8 shows a week. It's unlikely there is going to be a 'Donna Murphy' in this production."

Yes, and remember...Donna Murphy didn't start til after the Tonys. Rudin and Bette aren't dummys: They knew comparisons (good or bad) would begin as soon as the alternate began performances. It was completely deliberate to delay her start til after the Tonys. That wouldn't be feasible for MM, since it opens 8 months before the Tonys; Jackman's also 20 years younger than Bette and is used to an 8-show-a-week schedule.

[bryan2]

Posted: 9/19/19 at 11:58am

If you haven't seen Hugh live in a Broadway show you have no clue what he is like live. 
He is beyond description. I never liked him very much until seeing him in Boy From Oz...and I could not believe the wonderful feeling he gave the entire audience..very similar to the way Bette made you feel like you were in the room with greatness. I do believe the Music Man is one of the best musicals ever written and with the right Harold Hill it is amazing. I do have reservations about Sutton Foster..her voice to me is  not Marion and I cant really believe she would accept this part...." I loved her in Milly ..perfect part for her I thought...and in Chaperone she was good...but I want to be proven wrong..