"13" To Officially Close Jan 09- Page 2

[LotteTBS138]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 3:45pm

Shouldnt it have closed Jan 4 of 08????
American Buffalo only last one real week plus previews. How does this thing last a few months?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 3:55pm

Because they're probably not paying the kids a star's salary. You've got three celebrities in American Buffalo to pay. The show also has bad word of mouth and poor advance sales, even for a limited run. 13 is family oriented, and families equal more butts in seats. It got better reviews and has a better word of mouth (at least from the kids and parents). They can surely sustain a little longer. Anyway, the producers definitely knew this was going to happen eventually. It was an uphill climb from the beginning.

~Steven
Updated On: 11/21/08 at 03:55 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 5:05pm

blaxx, You can argue that the show isn't good, but to say the cast isn't good is absurd.

I never said neither of those two things. But to say that 13 brings the most talent ever in one cast, is just an overly positive and condescending note.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 5:11pm

Overly positive, maybe, but he certainly didn't mean it in a condescending way.

~Steven

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 5:36pm

Although definitely not the best of shows, I thought it was really fun, and it will be missed (at least by me).

[EugLoven]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 6:09pm

At least now the kids can focus on doing their homework and spending time with their families at nighttime.

Congratulations to the high-school drama-teachers across America. Y'all got yourselves a fundraising boost come Spring 2009!

[TBD2]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 6:42pm

OK, I know that some people ARE experiencing some belt tightening this year. I also know that most of the country's economic woes are self-imposed. Can we PLEASE stop yelling "the sky is falling" every time a show closes?

Celebrate the shows you enjoy, lament their closing. Wish the departing casts good fortune in their next roles. Don't scare people away by laying blame on the economy. Encourage them to come see the next BIG thing! Spark the economy, don't mire it.

Just for grins, I spent a little time on ibdb.com doing some searches on past shows. Interestingly, it appears that over the past 50 years just as many musicals have run for less than 4 months than have run for more than 4 months (roughly). I didn't have time to do a detailed analysis, but it appears to me that shows open and shows close (well, except Phantom..). Life goes on. As long as there are new shows to replace the old then enjoy the variety.

I've got nothing against '13' or its cast, but maybe it just wasn't the right show at the right time. I wish the cast members well.
Updated On: 11/21/08 at 06:42 PM

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 8:29pm

I'm reminded of the 2004-2005 season. So many new musicals that year, and they just kept closing and closing...

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 11:32pm

The 2005-2006 season wasn't so hot either.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 11:56pm

"I'm reminded of the 2004-2005 season. So many new musicals that year, and they just kept closing and closing..."

Yeah, but '04-'05 also gave us FOUR new musicals that all ran longer than a year on Broadway. That's pretty great. There's always a positive side.

"Shouldnt it have closed Jan 4 of 08????
American Buffalo only last one real week plus previews. How does this thing last a few months?"

And I don't get it when people pit shows against each other like this. Everything is its own commodity. Why did the strip-show with no content, Oh Calcutta, run on Broadway for 3 years, while the Pulitzer- prize winning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George only ran about a year? Why did Annie get kicked out of its theatre for Merrily We Roll Along and then move across the street, only to be kicked out by Oh, Brother? Why did The Boy From Oz sell out constantly and become a hit while Caroline or Change flopped in the same season? Why did The Magic Show, not even nominated for Best Musical, run longer than The Wiz, which WON Best Musical that same year?

Consumer taste. Word of mouth. Circumstances.

It's not like one person decided 13 should run longer than American Buffalo. It's not like any show's fate is really linked to another's, in this way. Unless it's Wild Party/ Wild Party perhaps.