Reidel: Money Rolls for Purple (advance ticket sales near $10 million)

[hilltop]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 3:36am

From Reidel's June 22 column:

Lucille Goldsborough, 82, was touched by the movie version of "The Color Purple" when she saw it back in 1985. But she was moved to the point of tears when Fantasia won "American Idol" in 2004.

So when her church, Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal in Fort Washington, Md., offered a seniors' trip to see Fantasia on Broadway as Miss Celie in "The Color Purple," Goldsborough was among the first to sign up.

On Wednesday, she and 55 other "Jewels of the Ebenzer" (as the seniors call themselves) boarded a Peter Pan bus at 6 a.m. to make the 6 1/2-hour trip to New York to see their idol.

"I saw every 'Idol' program she was on," Goldsborough said of Fantasia during the ride up. "And I prayed for her. She's a very special girl."

The Jewels of the Ebenezer - which included a few grandchildren and the odd husband - is just one of hundreds of groups from black churches around the country that have made the pilgrimage to see "The Color Purple" since it opened in the fall of 2006.

The groups have become a marketing phenomenon, turning the $10 million musical, which received mixed notices when it first opened, into a very profitable show for its backers, who include Oprah Winfrey.

Stand outside the Broadway Theatre on any given day, and you'll see four or five buses, some from as far away as Chattanooga and Atlanta, unloading their passengers.

(Not all the groups are from churches. The show also attracts student groups, labor groups, even family reunions.)

What was a steady stream of business last year has turned into a torrent since Fantasia joined the show in April. "The Color Purple" now regularly grosses more than $1 million a week, and advance ticket sales are nearing $10 million.

Church groups are an enormous and, for Broadway, which has long struggled to attract black audiences, relatively untapped market.

Ebenezer African Methodist alone has a 10,000-member congregation. The church has already sent two groups to "The Color Purple" and plans to send more in the fall.

The cost is $160 per person and includes an orchestra ticket, transportation and dinner after the show at Applebee's. . . .

Fantasia, live onstage, did not disappoint. Critics have cheered her performance in "The Color Purple," and on Wednesday, belting out the song "I'm Here," she blew the roof of the theater to such an extent that the Shuberts will probably have to raise that "facilities charge" they tack on every ticket to repair damage. . . .
link Updated On: 6/22/07 at 03:36 AM

[jimnysf]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 4:03am

Good thing they didn't go on Tony night or they would have missed her since she didn't perform in "CP". Hope she doesn't miss any more shows and dissapoint these fine fans.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 8:24am

jimnysf, Fantasia wanted to perform on Tony night. As originally announced, the plan was to have her do the evening performance and rush straight over to Radio City to do her number on the telecast immediately after.

The organizors of the event, however, didn't want to take the chance of her being late because of traffic or some other uncontrollable circumstance, so after very strong urging from them, the producers decided to pull her from that evening's performance and have her head over early between shows.

Though people may have been let down to miss her perform, placing the blame on Fantasia for "dissapointing" anyone in this given situation is directing misgivings in the wrong direction.

Updated On: 6/22/07 at 08:24 AM

[richs52]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 9:22am

"and dinner after the show at Applebee's. . . ."

The Olive Garden and Red Lobster must already be booked for that night....

Updated On: 6/22/07 at 09:22 AM

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 9:24am

Regarding the Tony night performance/absense from show--

I spoke with the box office the other day, and Fantasia WANTED to perform that night, but logistically, it was not going to work- there simply was not enough time.

The problem was that the employees at the box office were not notified that she was going to miss the evening show until the last minute, so they were (obviously) telling customers that she would be in the show.

Needless to say, when it was announced that she was out, there was bedlam at the box office.

But, again.. Fantasia WANTED to perform.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 9:26am

"The Jewels of the Ebenezer - which included a few grandchildren and the odd husband"

Ha! The odd husband.

Riedel cracks me up.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 9:39am

Transportation from and to Maryland, dinner, and a theatre ticket.

Dont tell me we cant bring down that $125 theatre ticket. Even as group sales, this proves it.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 10:07am

what a nice article! i really like Fantasia :)

[singingbackup]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 11:16am

Except the show opened Winter 2005 (December 1) NOT Fall 2006...where's a decent editor when you need one?

[gustof777]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 1:16pm

That was suprisingly nice for Reidel.

[Capt_Fluellen]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 1:45pm

"The organizors of the event, however, didn't want to take the chance of her being late because of traffic or some other uncontrollable circumstance..."

They were worried about traffic??? Really??? The Broadway Theatre is on Broadway between 52nd and 53rd. Radio City is on 6th Avenue between 50th and 51st. Total walking time for Fantasia to get between the two buildings = 5 minutes. It's not like she had to come in from Jersey and they was a potential for a tie-up at the tunnels. They could have carted her over to Radio City in one of those contraptions you always see Cleopatra being carried around on in movies about ancient Egypt and it still would have only taken 5 minutes. Traffic. Give me a break.


Updated On: 6/22/07 at 01:45 PM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 2:25pm

the Shuberts will probably have to raise that "facilities charge" they tack on every ticket to repair damage. . .

Starting on Monday, that will indeed be the case for all Shubert houses...

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 2:40pm

Technically, Dec. 1st is still the Fall.

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 2:54pm

I love that a show prominently featuring a lesbian romance is such a hit among churches.

[hilltop]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 3:40pm

I've never read such a sentimental piece from Reidel. If you click on the link, you can read the rest of the article discussing the "Jewels" meeting with Fantasia after the show. A fan wrote the following to him:

//I just wanted to say thank you for that lovely story about the church seeing Color Purple and meeting Fantasia. Made me cry a little.//

And he replied:

//Thanks for the kind words. I cried a bit myself while I was writing it!//

First Clive Barnes, now Reidel? lol

[hilltop]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 3:45pm

Testing123, or anyone from the board who is going to see the Color Purple, can you ask again about the cast recording? I have a bad feeling that her record label is blocking it. It wouldn't surprise me.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 3:57pm

Can we take a moment to say that Riedel is cute as a button?

[Hank]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 4:58pm

I agree, it's a nice story. We all knew for some time that Purple drew a lot of bus loads from African-American groups from all over, and last winter there was a lull with the weather fears and all, but it's good to see it doing so well now.

[bially082]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 5:35pm

Hilltop-I work at the Color Purple. What do you mean her record label is blocking the recording? Are you saying "why isn't she being recorded?" The answer to that is simple. When a show is recast it is NEVER rerecorded. Why would they do anything different with this show? As I'm asked at least 50 times per performance. FANTASIA IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE ON THE CAST RECORDING.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 5:43pm

Correct me if I am wrong but there have been shows, or a show, re-recorded when they were re-cast. Didn't they re-record Wonderful Town? (I think) And I secretly have a crush on Reidel.

Updated On: 6/22/07 at 05:43 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 5:45pm

When a show is recast it is NEVER rerecorded. Why would they do anything different with this show? As I'm asked at least 50 times per performance. FANTASIA IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE ON THE CAST RECORDING.

Get a clue, dear. GREASE was rerecorded with Brooke Shields. WONDERFUL TOWN, as uncageg said, was rerecorded with Shields. HELLO, DOLLY! was rerecorded with Pearl Bailey. I'm sure others will add to this list.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 5:47pm

Thanks Wanna Be!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 5:54pm

Kiss of the Spider Woman was re-recorded with Vanessa Williams.

[hilltop]

Posted: 6/22/07 at 6:03pm

//When a show is recast it is NEVER rerecorded//

bially082--maybe you should check out this link, as one example:

http://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Broadway-Revival-Brooke-Shields/dp/B0006SSRGA


//Why would they do anything different with this show? As I'm asked at least 50 times per performance.//
Isn't the fact that you're asked 50 times per performance a sign that customers want to hear Fantasia, not LaChanze? If the Color Purple redid the cast recording, it would outsell the original easily. Why wouldn't the Color Purple want that?

From testing123's early report, it's possible that they were planning to redo the cast recording and now plans have changed. That's a shame. Fantasia would have given the show's music far more exposure and critical acclaim than LaChanze ever could. Updated On: 6/22/07 at 06:03 PM

[bially082]

Posted: 6/23/07 at 4:52am

Brooks SHields requires now that when she replaces it gets rerecorded. So did Williams. IF they demand it, then it sometimes happens. In this case, it will not happen. Fantasia has expressed no interest in it.