JUDY & ME To Close 12/14

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 12:10pm

There's no press release, but the people who have been receiving comp offers to this show have been informed that this is their last chance. The show is closing this Sunday.

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 12:18pm

thank god

[yeah]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 12:31pm

Who cares?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 1:22pm

"Who cares?"

Obviously not you, so why did you bother to click on the thread?

[Kalimba]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 2:15pm

I didn't realize it was still playing.

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 2:20pm

this show is such a hot mess and never had over like 40% capacity despite the venue being extremely small.
the book is so poorly written.
while chris breck has some good moments, the fact that he delivers every line while nervously laughing becomes extremely annoying. if he gets into an acting class and gets rid of that, maybe he'll get better.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 2:31pm

In a statement producer Dr. John Schaefer said, "Judy and Me — a play by Peter Mac can no longer afford the rent at St. Luke's Theatre which exceeds $34,000 a month. Further our choice in a young PR firm with little experience and their inability to secure a mainstream review (despite their commitment and protestation to the contrary) will force us to close our doors on December 14th at 7 PM. I would like to note that audience reaction to the show has been wonderful. Audience attendance to the show has not been great. Both Peter and I are grateful that we have reached a secular audience with this groundbreaking production. We can confirm at this time that there are offers of a tour in the near term. So to that end Judy and Me will rise again."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/124176.html

Updated On: 12/10/08 at 02:31 PM

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 2:35pm

if this show got a mainstream review it would've been gone even faster...

Updated On: 12/10/08 at 02:35 PM

[Tom1071]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 3:07pm

I was mildly curious to see this show and since I won't be in town this weekend I guess I won't get the chance.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:24pm

You're not missing anything.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:37pm

Quiet, please. There's a lady onstage.

[yeah]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:40pm

Everything about this smelled of bad, strange, odd, and just obnoxious. In that producers note, it sounds like they're trying to place the blame on the PR team and not the fact that they had a bad book, an inexperienced cast, lack of direction...I could go on.

I'm sure the theatre world won't mourn this loss too badly.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:55pm

Interesting to note that with comments like "who cares" and "thank god" ... that no one is posting the usual (and ridiculous) comments about how can you be glad a show is closing since it is putting so many people out of work. Do they only feel that way about shows they like? Or saw?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:57pm

At $34,000/month, I'm surprised they played as long as they did.

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 5:59pm

---------
Interesting to note that with comments like "who cares" and "thank god" ... that no one is posting the usual (and ridiculous) comments about how can you be glad a show is closing since it is putting so many people out of work. Do they only feel that way about shows they like? Or saw?
---------

this is not a professional show. it's not equity. they are probably being paid less than 100/week. i doubt this is any of the cast's primary income.

moreso, why should i be sad that a poorly conceived and poorly portrayed piece of theatre is closing? people whose careers are in theatre know that they don't ever have job security.

Updated On: 12/10/08 at 05:59 PM

[yeah]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 6:02pm

iamchanging, I couldn't agree with you more.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 6:02pm

How dare you use the word "theatre" when describing this piece!

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 6:03pm

hahaha

[Usnavi]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 6:17pm

never heard of this show. sounds extremely campy.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 6:38pm

YOU'RE ALL HOMOPHOBES!

[yeah]

Posted: 12/10/08 at 10:26pm

Yes, I'm incredibly homophobic. The jig is up! hehe

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 11:33am

I saw the show a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. It was very sweet and genuine. I particularly liked the actress playing the mother and the young actor who played the two love interests.

That said, I agree that it's tacky to call out the publicists as the reason for the show's commercial failure. I think the sad truth in the current state of commercial Off-Broadway is that this show probably would've lasted just as long with a better company representing the show. I don't think reviews would've been overly kind to it, especially not to the point where it would drastically increase sales.

The show doesn't do anything new, and it isn't flashy enough to attract tourists or even curious New Yorkers to spend $55 a ticket. It should've stayed as a small success Off-Off-Broadway.

[SamanthaAlexander]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:21pm

I saw the late Ms. Garland in 1961 and having wasted my money to see this rubbish last month, I must say that the real Judy Garland would be quite embarrassed by this shabby production which would have been better suited for a high school auditorium. The atrocious singing was the final nail in the coffin for me. The reviews I have seen of this show have been on point with what I and my husband felt upon leaving the theater.

Now I have to address the elephant in the room, which is the highly unprofessional and tacky statement as to why the show is closing. Anyone who remembers the real Judy can tell you she never stooped to such levels. This is another reason why this show does not in any way represent her. And according to talkingbroadway, this man even poured all of his retirement money and his home(!) into this show in one of the worst recessions ever. The stupidity astounds me. I've worked in the New York theater world for 38 years and I can tell you if a show doesn't do well its because of the show and not anything or anyone else. Comping tickets was a good idea because I don't know anyone in their right mind who would pay their exorbitant prices to see this show, especially when people are losing jobs left and right! What was this theater thinking when they gave home to this nonesense? Theyre lucky they lasted as long as they did.

[yeah]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 6:36pm

Samantha, not only am I jealous that you had the chance to see Judy Garland perform live, I'm also jealous that you so beautifully worded exactly what I feel.

They've put so much money into this show, between rent for the theatre, paying the "actors" and the "crew," running ads on Playbill, Broadwayworld, Theatreworld, Ticketmaster, TDF (not sure if the last few cost anything, but, you get my point), without it being any good. I adore the fact that they're trying to place the blame on the PR team. I just love it!

[pattilupuppy]

Posted: 12/11/08 at 8:20pm

yikes