is the Cort cursed?

[children&art]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:22am

i read online (maybe playbill or broadway.com) that every show that has run at the Cort has closed quickly, not done well, or is just plain cursed with bad luck.

after reading reviews of "Barefoot" it would appear that this trend continues.

[jasobres]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:23am

Naaaaaaaaaaaah.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:23am

I have to wonder if -- saleswise, this has nothing to do with poor reviews -- the location is somewhat detrimental.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:27am

It's not a great theatre in terms of size or location, and it has almost always housed small plays, so one wouldn't expect many great runs. But there have been a couple of exceptions. The Magic Show played almost 2,000 performances there from 1974-78.

[children&art]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:43am

oh, yeah location was mentioned as well.

but i would have thought patrick wilson in "barefoot" would have been a sure-fire hit.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:44am

He isn't that big of a star, really. But a beloved actor doesn't ensure good reviews... and hey, people might still go see it even though the reviews weren't so great. It's not a flop yet.

Updated On: 2/17/06 at 11:44 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:51am

But Patrick Wilson is FAR from a star in the world beyond message boards. Go up and ask any random person on the street "Who is Patrick Wilson?" and you're gonna get mostly puzzled looks. And even many of those who do know who he is aren't willing to spend $96 to see him in a clunky, dated old Simon play. Amanda Peete either.

I don't know, to me it sounded doomed from the moment it was announced. Why on god's earth would anyone bother spending millions to revive THAT play on Broadway? Who's the audience for it? It belongs in dinner theaters, not on Broadway in 2006.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:53am

The Cort is not the most desired house in town by a long shot.

The location and the 2 balconies work against it.

Any real hit that has played there was an accident or a limited run. The Magic Show was a major sleeper hit, and there was no other theatre at the time to put it in.

I like the theatre. The sightlines are reasonably good except for the boxes and the acoustics are great.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:55am

boring play, not the theatre's fault.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 11:57am

I'm with Margo, and said as much in the Reviews thread. This was a bad idea, with dubious casting choices--an unnecessary revival if there ever was one. "Simon's season?" I'm afraid ODD COUPLE and BAREFOOT are not SREETCAR and MENAGERIE. Again, I like Simon, but I'd rather see the flawed but interesting (risk-taking) GINGERBREAD LADY, which actually Clayburgh might've played to a faretheewell.

Updated On: 2/17/06 at 11:57 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:05pm

I remember my parents talking about seeing Maureen Stapleton in GINGERBREAD LADY and just raving about it. Maybe some place like Second Stage or perhaps even Roundabout (if a big enough star can be secured) might think about bringing it back at some point.

Updated On: 2/17/06 at 12:05 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:20pm

And to think that their are so many wonderful plays just waiting for someone to take a financial chance on them. I am staying away from revivals with a few exceptions ( like Sweeney). I even think Chorus Line is a huge mistake.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 12:36pm

I think in this case it might be the weird 60s redo of the play, in addition to the lack of necessity of a revival. I mean, who really hasn't seen this a million times already?

That said, if we're just speaking about recent tenants, I don't think you can blame a theatre for making James Earl Jones sick. You likewise can't blame a theatre for Mario Cantone being really annoying, nor can you blame it for a lame children's musical about a frog and a toad. Farrah Fawcett on Broadway was just a bad idea to begin with.

Also, the first time I walked by the theatre, it was totally by surprise. I didn't even know it was there. It's stuck way off the main strip, just like the Belasco.

Looks like I'll have to try and check out Barefoot soon. Don't know how long it'll last.

[CJR]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:06pm

I dont think it's cursed, just more the fact of location and size.

The Cort just needs the right show. The Ambassador used to be nicknamed 'the theatre where Broadway goes to die" and I was CERTAIN Chicago's move there meant it would be closing shortly thereafter. It's been there 3 years now.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:34pm

"Sarafina" was fabulous!

[TinyDancer]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 1:35pm

Updated On: 2/23/06 at 01:35 PM

[pab]

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

I don't think that location has anything to do with it. I don't think that when most people choose to get theatre tickets that the thought most present in their mind is where the theatre is located. They might have comments once they get there but it's not a factor that I think would stop anyone from attending that theatre. If you put a bad production in any theatre people will not attend.

I've seen some really good shows in the Cort such as "Home", "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "The Heiress".

[TinyDancer]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 5:25pm

Updated On: 2/23/06 at 05:25 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/17/06 at 8:43pm

Both the Cort & the Longacre are cursed

To a certain extent, so is the Lyceum

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:43am

If any theatre is cursed, it is the Longacre. Again, it has two balconies, which is a hard sell. They haven't had a bonafide hit since Diana Rigg's MEDEA in 1994 and in recent years have played host to some of the most notorious flops in recent memory: PRYMATE, THE OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL, TALLER THAN A DWARF, FASCINATING RHYTHM, ONE MO TIME, etc. It briefly looked like the curse would be broken when VIRGINIA WOOLF opened, but that ended up closing earlier than expected and at a loss. We'll see how WELL fares there...

At least the Lyceum had I AM MY OWN WIFE, which had a healthy run and broke even many weeks, even if it did fall short of returning its investment.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:51am

It is on the "other side of the road." Being in New York, I see people everyday who are wlaking aorund and "Let's see tihs, it looks fun!" The problem is it's out of the loop and therefore it has "walk - ins."

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 12:50pm

The Cort and the Longacre are not cursed. They are less popular theatres that usually get crap bookings. People like to blame the theatres for bad shows, but the theatre is only as good as the show inside of it.

I saw Ain't Misbehavin' and Children of a Lesser God at the Longacre, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Magic Show, Sarafina and The Heiress at the Cort. All wonderful evenings.

The Cort needs a marquee like the Walter Kerr, that would be visible from Seventh Avenue, but it's a lovely, good-sized theatre, that is equally suitable for plays and small musicals. The Longacre is pretty drab inside, with its baby poo brown interior. But a good renovation would certainly make it more desirable.

Yes, both theatres have unpopular second balconies. But the visibility is not bad up there in either theatre, and it's a virtue to sell the second balcony at a cheap price to fill it up.

The Nederlander was once considered the unluckiest house on Broadway. After 10 years of Rent, will it still be so when that show eventually closes?

[QMAN03]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 12:52pm

Yep, the location is bad. WHen I was in NY last, I wanted to see the marquis, pictures, etc. But I wandered around for about ten minutes trying to find it (I was on the wrong side of Broadway). And when I finally got there, it's a pretty run down street.

Actually, The Little Dog Laughed might be a good fit for the Cort if they go for a limited engagement.

And as for the Longacre, hopefully that curse changes when Well opens.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 1:06pm

The Cort is basically a victim of Rockefeller Center. The Cort used to have three other theatres surrounding it: the Playhouse, the Windsor and the Vanderbilt. All were torn down for various reasons, leaving the Cort as the sole survivor on the block.

Because of all of the theatres that used to be on that block, 48th Street was once known as the "Street of Hits". Still, I'm always happy when the Cort and the Longacre are in use, and hope that a good hit or two in those theatres will reverse their recent hard luck streaks.

Well is a terrific play, so I'm hoping it's a big success for the Longacre.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 1:33pm

Was Laugh Whore not a hit? I know it only ran for a short period of time (october-January) but with the special and all, I guess I just assumed it was a hit.