Young Frankenstein should be a case study in how not to market a Broadway show

[billynj]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:12am

Young Frankenstein should be a case study in how not to market a Broadway show


I was the first one here to tell all of you about the crazy pricing scheme they had and that it would not work.

Instead of letting people discover the show and tell their friends wow this show is good fun, Mel anointed himself as the next big show on Broadway.

A mega hit by coming out with crazy prices. now that the show is the FRANKENSTIFF that I said it would be. they are discounting the tickets by half on some nights in advance ...nice way to kill a show ...tell everyone your the greatest before anyone has even scene the show ...

and then flop

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:22am

I think, actually, Glory Days should be a case study in how not to market a broadway show.

[once a month]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:27am

That happened with Tommy Tune as well. He did Broadways 'first' info-mercial, for his show The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public. It was a 30 minute BORE...but I do recall Tommy on camera stating that the public should come-just look at his track record! How embarrassing! Bravada should never be used until after the 'product' has been tried and found true!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:43am

Whatever YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is doing with their marketing seems to be working quite well for them. Regardless of anything (or how tickets are being sold), they are still playing to capacity nightly.

GLORY DAYS should be the case study as the ONLY buzz its creating now is the fact that it was a show that had a one-night-only run on Broadway (excluding the preview performances). People in my office NEVER heard of GLORY DAYS before today (and several see shows on Broadway several times a year) and it is due to its immediate overnight closure.

This is how NOT to market a show.

[joe5]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:52am

I agree with Brody, it is doing very well. I think out of all the new muscials this season. It's a blockbuster compared to all of the others. And I wouldn't be surprized at all. If it gets a nod for Best Muscial.
Updated On: 5/8/08 at 09:52 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:07am

I think YF is more a case study in hubris. I think it is just an example of how not speak about your show before it opens. I think the marketing is fine, I think it was Mel Brooks 'tude and the pricing structure that was questionable.

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:48am

Once a Month, what does the Oldsmobile Bravada have to do with this?

[Cutielyricist]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 11:24am

Three weeks ago, my friend and I walked by Young Frankenstien at ten after eight, and the house staff was outside there handing out free tickets on a friday night. I had no intention of seeing that show again, even free... but my friend went in...at about nine pm he texted me "WHY did I do this..."


I don't think it was just the "Marketing"

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 11:36am

that's hysterical...I guess I would see the show for free again.

[localonedude]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 12:09pm

http://money.aol.com/special/real-life-signs-were-in-a-recession?icid=1615984945x1201926519x1200302866 dear billy we are in a recession all grosses are down . Have you bought a gallon of gas lately ? Do you have a car ? Get out of your bubble . life doesnt revovle around broadway .

[billynj]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 3:34pm

my dear local one dude... thats a stretch ...Mel blew it with his arrogance instead of letting the show be discovered ..he said I'm the king and the king is charging never before seen prices... gas prices are not hurting Mermaid

I think Bettyboy said it the best, Hubris

[jpbran]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 3:58pm

Actually, the Little Mermaid is down 15% this past week. (Granted MANY shows were down, but still...)

Posted: 5/8/08 at 3:58pm

Just admit it. You hate Mel Brooks.

[Steve2]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 4:10pm

Billy, you are confusing marketing with pricing. The marketing actually has been quite good with the Times Square billboard, busses, taxis, TV and also this website. The 450 seats was a PR disaster however.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 4:22pm

The word of mouth must not be all that good since the new ad campaign stresses all seats are 50-120. There is not a mention of the 450 tix. Also the ads are in every magazine and paper including both gay bar rags, Hx and Next.

A discount was floated earlier to get through the sparse winter-spring months. We probably all got it at least once through the web. Not a good sign for an expensive show 6-8 months after opening.

Word of mouth is what sells a show after about the first 6-8 weeks. You can live on your big advance for a while but then your advance has to be maintained.

[NS]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 4:31pm

'Billy, you are confusing marketing with pricing. The marketing actually has been quite good with the Times Square billboard, busses, taxis, TV and also this website. The 450 seats was a PR disaster however.'


Pricing is all part and parcel of marketing. You talking solely of advertising, which is just a part of the marketing.

[localonedude]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:39pm

hubris thank god some said it for you billy! Its not a stretch that the economy is in recession ! mabey not in your bubble. You have some weird thing with MEl we get it you dont like him! Giving your opinion is one thing but to constantly go out of your way to trash the show with the intention of getting people not to go is a little weird..We get it you dont like MEl or Yf.beating a dead horse here

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:43pm

A pointless statement from the original poster!

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:08pm

Young Frank last week or the week before took over a million dollars, that does not have flop written all over it!

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:11pm

I think 'Frankie' will be around a little while longer.
Its amusing to see people on here ripping it apart (most havent seen it!) and basically they are just p****ed cos they arnt being told its takings! Sob!
Mel Brooks has proved a lot of people wrong and Broadway now has a very steady hit out there that is very, very healthy!

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:13pm

A few things:

Rsscoe- a million dollars in a house like the Hilton, with their operating budget, is not nearly as much as it would be for other shows.

I own the THE PRODUCERS coffee table book, and in there Mel comes off as being really humble, only trying to please the Broadway community throughout the process and desperate to fit in.

Unfortunately, the theater community embraced him.

Then, his head grew about eight sizes and he started acting like a shmuck.

We created this monster when we liked THE PRODUCERS. Now we're dealing with it.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:22pm

Where did the million dollar number come from? They're not releasing any of their grosses.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:29pm

Listen to you guys!!! You still wont let it go will you!

[BDavis0092]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:34pm

I think YF gets a bad wrap just because of those ticket prices, and while I can see the justification for that I don't think it's a bad show. I think it's up there with the other good shows (the few) of this season.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 10:38pm

I agree. There arnt many of those tickets sold now anyway. Its now just a show that is selling better than a lot of other shows now playing- a fact a lot of people on here dont like!