What's Next For The Imperial?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:48pm

What'll it be? Curtains or High Fidelity?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:49pm

High Fidelity

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:51pm

High Fidelity until BILLY ELLIOT opens in 2007-08.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:54pm

Is SPRING AWAKENING rumored for the O'Neil, or is it CURTAINS?

[ashley0139]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:54pm

Can we dream for Les Mis? Just for sentimental reasons...

[Producer2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:55pm

same for jerome robbins' broadway?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:56pm

SPRING AWAKENING is the O'Neil. CURTAINS is supposedly going to go into a different theatre - I'm not mentioning it because we will have the wrath on us of fans of the show that will have to close to make room for it.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:58pm

yes...i am one of those fans

:P
grrr...

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:58pm

I'm surprised High Fidelity would put itself in such a large theatre. I don't see it having such a huge appeal that it could last that long in the Imperial.

Unless it's just that amazing.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:03pm

I take it Michael Bennett and I have some of the same sources (and yes, let's not mention the theatre slated for CURTAINS for the sake of the peace and sanity of the board)

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 08:03 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:04pm

I don't think they are choosing the Imperial because its that amazing. They are chosing it because its the only thing available! I would be shocked if HIGH FEDELITY has more than an 18 month run. And I mean that with all respect. It has no star power and limited appeal.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:07pm

I disagree about the no star power. True Broadway fans will see it for Will Chase and Matt Caplan, along with the kickass ensemble. However, I think the Imperial if far too large for the show, it seems like it should be in a smaller theater.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:09pm

True Broadway fans can collectively sell out about one week of performances.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:10pm

I agree, Les Mis for sentimental reasons.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:10pm

I was just about to say the same thing Michael.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:10pm

Agreed, but I think this show will have many people coming to see it because High Fidelity is a very popular movie.

[Patronus]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:12pm

Exactly. As much as I like Will Chase, I just don't see him selling tickets based on his name and Matt Caplan probably wouldn't be a name known to "true Broadway fans" as much as "Rent fans".

Frankly, I'm in interested in seeing High Fidelity in spite of Matt Caplan, not because of him. :)

Agreed, but I think this show will have many people coming to see it because High Fidelity is a very popular movie

Box Office Gross for High Fidelity: $27,277,055

I wouldn't say that High Fidelity was a very popular movie based on ticket sales. It was a good movie, but again it isn't a huge enough name to be a driving force.

For comparisons sake:

Box Office Gross for Interview with the Vampire: $105,264,608

That didn't exactly help Lestat, did it? Updated On: 8/17/06 at 08:12 PM

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:12pm

High Fidelity is a very popular movie.

Hardly.

[MargoChanning]

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

A "star" is someone who sells tickets to more than just "true Broadway fans." Chase and Caplan are unknown to 99.5% of the public (heck I see 100 shows a year and have no idea who Matt Caplan is) and thus are not stars and will not prompt tens of thousands of people per week (which is what you need for a show to be successful) to spend $110 a piece to see just them. The film that it is based on was a tiny indy cult hit that relatively few people saw or remember so name recognition won't have any significant impact on the box office. The show had BETTER get rave reviews or else it will struggle.

[magicfingers]

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

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 08:17 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:21pm

"I can't imagine the producers of rent and ave q would do something less than amazing."

Haters-beware, of course.

I'm excited to see Will Chase again.

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:21pm

Don't shoot me because I found this out from another thread on this site. But Curtains is rumored to be going into the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, correct?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:22pm

Not to be mean, but frankly, lots of shows have been fantastic in their workshop settings and have fallen flat on their a$$ after they actually start production. I wish HIGH FIDELITY well, but we know nothing until it opens out of town.

The rumour is for CURTIANS to come in next spring before the Tony deadline. So whatever show will have to close to make way for it will have at least 5 more months of playing time, assuming they can sustain it.
Updated On: 8/17/06 at 08:22 PM

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:23pm

I honestly didn't even know there was a movie called High Fidelity till I read that there was a Broadway show using the movie as source, so I doubt it is THAT popular. Will Chase will hardly sell tickets based on name recognition alone (even if he gets rave reviews, Thoroughly Modern Millie never recouped even when its star got raves and won a Tony for her performance). I'm not sure that the show is a sure fire hit.
However, I can see Curtains succeeding at the theatre-that-must-not-be-named, I personally think that it is THAT amazing to fill that theatre and I expect musical theater fans will want to honor Kander & Ebb by seeing their last work together.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 8:24pm

This may be coming from Left Field but has DRS announced a closing date, or High Fidelity an opening? I don't wanna see DRS go...I enjoyed it both times thoroughly, plus they make the little joke about Omaha... :-P

Cheers,

Christopher

Edit: I didn't look down the threads long enough. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now. Well not really....Glad I got to see d'Arcy James when I was in the city a few weeks ago...I'm very sad to see this go.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 08:24 PM