Posted: 7/5/19 at 2:38pm
I believe I read in the NYTimes about a month ago that 'Network', 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'The Boys in the Band' and 'The Lifespan of a Fact' had recouped their initial investments.
Posted: 7/5/19 at 2:42pm
Here is a link to that article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/theater/broadway-box-office.html
Updated On: 7/5/19 at 02:42 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 2:44pm
Posted: 7/5/19 at 2:46pm
AADA81 said: "I believe I read in the NYTimes about a month ago that 'Network', 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'The Boys in the Band' and 'The Lifespan of a Fact' had recouped their initial investments."
Oops, I forgot about TBITB and Network recouping. It wouldn’t surprise me if TLOAF also recouped.
Posted: 7/5/19 at 3:00pm
5 have officially recouped, 13 have lost all/most of their money, and the rest are somewhere in the middle.
R = Recouped; X = did NOT recoup; ??+ = seems likely; ??- = seems unlikely to get to 100%; np = non-profit
NEW MUSICALS
Ain't Too Proud ??+
Be More Chill (X)
Beetlejuice ??-
The Cher Show (X)
Gettin' the Band Back Together (X)
Hadestown ??+
Head Over Heels (X)
King Kong (X)
Pretty Woman (X)
The Prom (X)
Tootsie ??-
MUSICAL REVIVALS
Kiss Me, Kate (np)
Oklahoma! ??-
NEW PLAYS
American Son (I believe the Netflix deal made it whole)
Bernhardt/Hamlet (np)
Choir Boy (np)
THE FERRYMAN (R)
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (X)
Hillary & Clinton (X)
Ink (np)
THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT (R)
The Nap (np)
NETWORK (R)
Straight White Men (np)
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (R)
What the Constitution Means to Me ??+
PLAY REVIVALS
All My Sons (np)
THE BOYS IN THE BAND (R)
Burn This ??+
King Lear (X)
Torch Song (X)
True West (np)
The Waverly Gallery (X)
OTHER
The Illusionists ??+
Mike Birbiglia's The New One ??+
Ruben & Clay's Christmas Show (X)
(edited post-Ferryman announcement)
Updated On: 7/7/19 at 03:00 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 3:09pm
I thought The Ferryman had recouped x
Updated On: 7/5/19 at 03:09 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 3:17pm
And why isn't To Kill A Mockingbird listed as non-profit?
Posted: 7/5/19 at 3:35pm
THE FERRYMAN has not recouped. It’s had quite a few rough weeks at the box office and is hugely expensive to run, so I can’t imagine it’s on track to recoup.
MOCKINGBIRD is a commercial production, and it has turned a profit. Scott Rudin is the lead producer. Lincoln Center Theater is one of many co-producers on it, but it is NOT a nonprofit production.
Updated On: 7/5/19 at 03:35 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 4:30pm
I know it's a season before this, but did HPATCC recoup??
Posted: 7/5/19 at 4:41pm
Posted: 7/5/19 at 4:57pm
jonah3500 said: "I know it's a season before this, but did HPATCC recoup??"
Assuming that's Harry Potter? Uncertain, but it must be close to recouping its capitalization.
The play is capitalized at $35 million. It also cost $33 million to redo the theatre and kick out Paramour, but I believe all or most of that was paid by the theatre owner (Ambassador Theatre Group). The fixed weekly operating cost is probably north of $900k + royalty percentages. It's a big expensive show but they're in it for the long haul.
Updated On: 7/5/19 at 04:57 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 5:42pm
I thought Scott Rudin was famous for never announcing if his shows recouped.
Posted: 7/5/19 at 6:33pm
poisonivy2 said: "I thought Scott Rudin was famous for never announcing if his shows recouped."
He has announced many recoupments over the years. I gather that was more a thing surrounding DOLLY, which was ultimately profitable but did not recoup during Bette’s initial run. It would have been anticlimactic to announce that a month into Bernadette’s run, after touting the record-breaking grosses so much.
Posted: 7/5/19 at 6:37pm
poisonivy2 said: "I thought Scott Rudin was famous for never announcing if his shows recouped."
TKAMB was snubbed by the Tonys. He will take every opportunity to remind the Broadway community that despite their best efforts, the show’s a Mega-Hit.
Posted: 7/5/19 at 7:12pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "jonah3500 said: "I know it's a season before this, but did HPATCC recoup??"
Assuming that'sHarry Potter? Uncertain, but it must be close to recouping its capitalization.
The play is capitalized at $35 million. It also cost$33 million to redo the theatre and kick outParamour, but I believe all or most of that was paid by the theatre owner (Ambassador Theatre Group). The fixed weekly operating cost isprobably north of $900k + royalty percentages. It's a big expensive show but they're in it for the long haul."
Looking at the "Total For Year" grosses for the show for both 2018 and 2019, it looks like they've grossed about $130MM in their run so far, which has lasted 67 weeks if my math is correct. Even if we estimate the running cost at about a million per week, that would mean they've netted $63MM to date. Which, needless to say, would mean they've recouped and taken in a respectable profit. Right? I know these are rough numbers, but the margins are also fairly wide. Unless I made a big error somewhere?
https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=HARRY-POTTER-AND-THE-CURSED-CHILDPARTS-ONE-AND-TWO&year=2018
Updated On: 7/5/19 at 07:12 PM
Posted: 7/5/19 at 9:05pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said:
"OTHER
The Illusionists ??+
Mike Birbiglia's The New One ??+"
How are The Illusionists and The New One likely to recoup when those shows are over? Is it because they are touring?
Posted: 7/5/19 at 9:05pm
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Updated On: 7/5/19 at 09:05 PM
Posted: 7/6/19 at 12:38am
DoTheDood said: "How are The Illusionists and The New One likely to recoup when those shows are over? Is it because they are touring?"
Sry, that was unclear, I meant they probably got close to recouping or recouped, based on the numbers they posted for their Bway runs.
Posted: 7/6/19 at 4:15am
Why are nonprofit productions treated differently and not expected to recoup? The general public is often unclear on the term “nonprofit.” It doesn’t mean a nonprofit organization can earn a profit and operate in the black. They can most definitely earn more than they spend and carry operating reserves. In fact, the most sustainable nonprofits are those that have reserves to carry them through lean fundraising years. Nonprofit simply means that board members don’t receive a share of the revenue or profits, and there are no shareholders to likewise benefit.
Whether a theater company is for profit or nonprofit shouldn’t make a difference in noting whether a production recoups or not.
Posted: 7/6/19 at 8:58am
I'm surprised What the Constitution Means to Me hasn't recouped yet.
Posted: 7/6/19 at 9:18am
Whether a theater company is for profit or nonprofit shouldn’t make a difference in noting whether a production recoups or not.
Of course it should, because the term "recoup" is meaningless and irrelevant to the way nonprofits finance shows.
"Recoup" means to earn back its initial investment. Nonprofit shows don't have an initial investment, they are built into the company's operating budget for the year, along with the rest of the season, any other programs they offer such as educational workshops, and the overhead to run an institution. All of those programs offset each other. One successful show may help cover costs for a less successful show. The company's annual gala may bring in enough donations to make the year profitable. Furthermore, a nonprofit production does not have investors that expect to be paid back; it is funded by donors. It is a completely different financial structure.
The accounting for a nonprofit production is not separate like it is for a commercial production. We can say whether a nonprofit COMPANY is profitable in any given year, but not an individual production.
On another note, wasn't TORCH SONG a nonprofit production (Second Stage)?
Updated On: 7/6/19 at 09:18 AM
Posted: 7/6/19 at 9:41am
Yero my Hero said: "On another note, wasn't TORCH SONG a nonprofit production (Second Stage)?"
I believe it's much the same situation as To Kill a Mockingbird. There were a lot of commercial producers brought on for the transfer to the Hayes, and Second Stage is actually the last one listed on ibdb.com. I would assume if it was a full Second Stage/non-profit production that they would be the first producer listed.
Posted: 7/6/19 at 9:44am
poisonivy2 said: "I'm surprised What the Constitution Means to Me hasn't recouped yet."
If you look at the grossings for Constitution, it really makes more sense. The show wasn't selling super well in previews but it has really picked up throughout the year over the amazing reviews and spectacular word of mouth.
Posted: 7/6/19 at 9:45am
Yero my Hero said: "Of course it should, because the term "recoup" is meaningless and irrelevant to the way nonprofits finance shows."
I do appreciate the distinction between commercial and nonprofit productions, but I have to imagine that the boards of directors of Roundabout and Lincoln Center Theater have a pretty good idea about which productions have put money in their bank accounts, and approximately how much.
Updated On: 7/6/19 at 09:45 AM
