I wish I could say I'm more shocked than I am. Again, this was not a movie that was begging for a musical adaptation. And they filled it with a bunch of actors who don't sing. I think they're smart in cutting their losses. Why prolong the agony like GV?
Thats sad... I just saw David Allen Grier on Conan and he was all exicted for the show... Poor guy and the rest of the cast. Maybe it'll pull a Charity?
This is so sad. I really wanted to see Christiane Noll live. I can't believe Mambo Kings was cancelled, but Lennon and Jersey Boys are going to make it to broadway. It really doesn't make any sense...
yeah, with music by JRB and Jerry Mitchell directing, I was actually looking forward to at least hearing about this show, but I guess not. They say "color purple" is going to be the next tenent of the house. That's sad. They put up the marquee and have to take it down already.
Ticket sales were pretty bad, but I haven't really seen a lot of press for it. In fact, I haven't really seen anything at ALL for a show that was supposed to start previews in the next few weeks.
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I am a big fan of the book and tried to look towards this production with rose-colored glasses, but I would be lying if I said I was surprised. I'm just glad I didn't buy tickets.
Well, Im sorry for everyone involved that deserved a shot - but after all the hugely negative buzz this show had been getting, I honestly can't say Im THAT surprised. Color Purple at the BROADWAY would be wonderful! Can't wait for that!
I think it's always a shame when a show can't come together, but I actually think the decision to close unworkable shows out of town is an honorable one.
Truth be told, probably more shows should shutter early. In the 1940s-70s, producers would cut their losses and close shows almost immediately if they were universally panned.
Today's practice of driving flop shows into the mud (Brooklyn, Dracula, Good Vibrations) when its clear they won't ever fly just wastes a lot of money. Fascinating how ego-centric Broadway producers have become.
THE COLOR PURPLE will be an interesting experience. There is no way the show that played Atlanta would have flown in NYC. The producers at least took the smart road and went back to the drawing table. I hope they've come up with a solution. Its great source material. Updated On: 6/27/05 at 01:17 PM
Hmmm.....I hope Color Purple fills it, but only if it does well. I don't want a big theatre like that not selling tickets. Tarzan could move there, when is it coming again?
Michael Bennet- maybe producers don't want to give up as easily on shows because by the time they get those awful out-of-town reviews, they've already invested a ton of money just putting the show on stage.
Plum -- I think that's part of it, but very few shows actually do "out of town" tryouts anymore. And that still wouldn't really explain why things like BROOKLYN or DRACULA hang around. I suppose you could argue that the producers so believe in these projects they think they can somehow find an audience despite terrible reviews, but it seems like a whole-lotta-denial going on to me. Nobody wants to be the person's whose musical closed after 3 performances.
I wonder if any show that started out with abysmal attendance figures managed to find an audience after a few months and have a respectable run. I can't think of any examples, but my memory is short. Anyone?
Mambo King's attendance was not bad. It recieved a lukewarm (harsh I might add) review. This made people hesitant to see it. The theatre was about 3/4 all the time at least. People would say, "I wanted to see it but I read the review and I don't know if I should now," or, " I wasn't going to see it, but my friend saw it and said I had to see it and I loved it!" It burns me when an uptight reviewer kills a good show! Grrr! I hope this doesn't stop new shows from trying out in San Francisco. Before Wicked and La Boehm got good reviews, hardly anyone was coming to see them either (in SF anyway)