Days of Wine and Roses to Close Early- Page 2

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 9:18am

While I applaud Kevin McCollom for having the courage to bring an adult piece of musical theatre to Broadway, the commerical production was also poorly produced -- they picked the wrong theatre, the wrong time of the season and had one of the most off tone marketing campaigns in recent memory.   Presumably, they rushed to get this to Broadway so that it could be Tony eligbile (above any other considerations) and had to work with Kelli O'Hara's schedule. But really, wouldn't it have been better to wait until they could get a better venue for starters?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 10:07am

I think it would have made more sense to open right before the Tonys, but I guess that's the gamble you take of trying to find the right theater size, etc. Just sad that this will likely not have a tour, etc, so I'll never really get to experience it.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 10:11am

While a tour is highly unlikely, this could do well in Regional theatre productions. While this chapter may be ending, I believe it will live on in many different forms. 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 10:14am

The only way this would’ve worked would be if they had done a co-pro with Roundabout to add it to their season. 
 

But otherwise- this opened in the worst time of year and was barely marketed, and the marketing they had was poor. This show would’ve faced an uphill battle any year, even pre-pandemic. 
 

Not everything needs to end up on Broadway to receive validation. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:06am

Well then they should open up the Tony’s and make off broadway shows eligible. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:18am

Did they ever promote it on the talk shows?

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:27am

Broadway Flash said: "Well then they should open up the Tony’s and make off broadway shows eligible."

Veering off topic maybe, but HARD disagree with this. The nominating committee would be reduced to a single digit pool of people if they were also required to see every Off-Broadway show in consideration. It becomes a full time job, one that very few working theater professionals could make work. Plus Off-Broadway has a different official season cutoff than Broadway, and casual viewers don't really care about the majority of Off-Bway productions (and you need casual viewers to tune in if you want the telecast to remain on air on a major network).

Instead, we need an awards show that does recognize Off-Broadway (like the Obie Awards or Drama Desk) to get a slightly beefed up ceremony with a highly publicized stream on YouTube or Netflix or another streaming site. This could give Off-Bway shows a bit more clout without muddying the waters for the Tonys and making that show far too complex to pull off.

Days of Wine and Roses was not my cup of tea, but Im glad it was for others. But it certainly wasn't a show that screams "Broadway". I'm glad I at least saw it from the orchestra, couldnt imagine being way back in the Studio 54 mezz for something like this. If we could just boost the signal for Off-Broadway a bit, maybe shows like this wouldnt feel the pressure to transfer.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:36am

I think there are shows that have a reason to be on Broadway but we don’t have many small Broadway houses except the Booth and Circle in the square.  People saying this shouldn’t have gone to Broadway probably would have made the same argument for Kimberly Akimbo.  Imagine Kimberly Akimbo at Studio 54.  And they ended up winning best musical. 

[StageJunkie2]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 11:52am

I have no experience with Criterion Ticketing who sold me my April 28 last performance ticket. Will they automatically refund my ticket back to my credit card or do I have to ask? 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 12:33pm

Broadway Flash said: "I think there are shows that have a reason to be on Broadway but we don’t have many small Broadway houses except the Booth and Circle in the square. People saying this shouldn’t have gone to Broadway probably would have made the same argument for Kimberly Akimbo. Imagine Kimberly Akimbo at Studio 54. And they ended up winning best musical."

Let off-Broadway be its own unique thing and stop treating it as lesser than Broadway. It's not. Broadway is and always has been largely an entertainment-forward commercial enterprise. Off-Broadway is a space for smaller, weirder, more artistic, niche, or challenging shows, in spaces that are the right size for their audiences. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 12:46pm

Broadway Flash said: "I wasn’t talking about people on here, but people on the Instagram posts informing us that it’s closing. The comments were brutal."

Imagine thinking that 99% of "instagram posts" are from people who actually saw this. Lolz. 

 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 12:55pm

Is Cats and Evita commercial?

[Sebastian]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 1:11pm

BETTY22 said: I was wrong with both..........Does a NYT Critic Pix not matter anymore?"

Nop, neither do good reviews, they only help to not make things worse; as in being the only thing a turist needs to convince themselves to not go to the show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:12pm

RippedMan said: "Did they ever promote it on the talk shows?"

Right? They easily could’ve performed “Evanesce” on a morning show. It’s a upbeat number, despite the underlying despair in the lyrics.

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:23pm

I don't think they promoted it much on talk shows, they also had the worst marketing/merch ever. They should have leaned into the original artwork. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:30pm

ljay889 said: "RippedMan said: "Did they ever promote it on the talk shows?"

Right? They easily could’ve performed “Evanesce” on a morning show. It’s a upbeat number, despite the underlying despair in the lyrics."

Surely it was pitched, as with every single other show. BBB is the press agent and they aren't new at this. A TV performance isn't something that a production can just make happen. It's not like buying an advertisement: it's a press appearance that requires interest from the talkshow producers & bookers. And I really don't think one or two talkshow performances (or even getting Brian or Kelli on the couch at Seth Meyers) would have made a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:34pm

Sutton Ross said: "I don't think they promoted it much on talk shows, they also had the worst marketing/merch ever. They should have leaned into the originalartwork.

"

Wow, that is some fabulous artwork- eye catching and tells you what the show is about very quickly.

[SidebySidebyLogan]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:41pm

StageJunkie2 said: "I have no experience with Criterion Ticketing who sold me my April 28 last performance ticket. Will they automatically refund my ticket back to my credit card or do I have to ask?"

Currently on hold with them and the operator said refunds are not automatic and must be requested. Here’s the number I called 833-274-8497. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:41pm

Fabulous artwork!  This entire season has been plagued with pretty terrible marketing. It seems the genius of creating an instantly recognizable brand logo has been lost in the theatre. I mean "Here Lies Love" and "Once Upon a One More Time" essentially had the same vague logo that told you nothing about the show.

The producers of "Days and Wine and Roses" were clearly frightened to market the show for what it actually is, but I bet it would have actually sold better if they leaned into marketing it as a tragic love story. This poster is indeed perfect.

Updated On: 3/6/24 at 02:41 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:54pm

SidebySidebyLogan said: "StageJunkie2 said: "I have no experience with Criterion Ticketing who sold me my April 28 last performance ticket. Will they automatically refund my ticket back to my credit card or do I have to ask?"

Currently on hold with them and the operator said refunds are not automatic and must be requested. Here’s the number I called 833-274-8497."

 

Sorry, but the information they have given you is incorrect.  Any tickets purchased directly through Criterion Ticketing will be automatically refunded. If the ticket was purchased through a third party or a different outlet, then that outlet would need to handle a refund.

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 2:56pm

Broadway Flash said: "Is Cats and Evita commercial?"

 

Do you ever actually think about what you've written before you hit Post?

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 3:10pm

JSquared2 said: "Broadway Flash said: "Is Cats and Evita commercial?"



Do you ever actually think about what you've written before you hit Post?"

lol seriously. "Is the fifth longest running Broadway show of all time a commercial venture???"

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 3:14pm

I'm going to be the naysayer here and say that this shouldn't have come to Broadway.  The material was (in my opinion) second-tier for all involved and if the performances were great, it was because two incredibly talented artists were forced to make the material better.  Wholeheartedly, I can say these two incredible artists have done much better work elsewhere.  I've never needed or wanted a drink so much than after watching this show, perhaps the exact opposite sentiment the show should have left.

To its credit, I can see Spamalot having a nice life on tour.  Not the same with Days of Wine and Roses (ugh...even the title annoys me...)

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 4:24pm

I’m referring to the original productions.   Or any Sondheim show.  Or next to normal and a bunch of others.  They would have never gone to broadway if we followed the commercial thing that Kad was talking about.  

[Kad]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 4:30pm

Broadway Flash said: "I’m referring to the original productions. Or any Sondheim show. Or next to normal and a bunch of others. They would have never gone to broadway if we followed the commercial thing that Kad was talking about."

Oh, the original productions of Evita and Cats- you mean the huge, spectacular original productions? The ones with elaborate sets, costumes, production numbers, the ones with scores bursting with earworms you can't get out of your head for days even if you hate them? Yes, very not commercial.