A Man of No Importance coming to Broadway? - Page 4

[JoeW4]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 6:02pm

Sorry wait a second - where did this talk about billing come from?

The poster who originally told us that the deal was off (which, by the way, I think we should all take with a grain of salt anyway) said they couldn't decide on a number - which I took to mean a pay conversation.

Anyway, add me to the list of people who thought his accent was not good.

[BJR]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 6:19pm

What a shame. I was excited for this one.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 8:16pm

this parsons talk cuts both ways-- if he isnt as big of a draw as he was a decade ago, hes still big enough of a draw that this production isnt happening without him. hes certainly a Star by Bway standards. 

these comparisons to the Golden Age of Bway are really wild. In those days, Bway wasnt as much of a tourist trap, and it was a legit form of entertainment for many: there were 3 TV channels, 5 movies released a year, etc. etc. It wasnt one of many options. So a Big Show or Hot Ticket was wayyy more of a draw than it is now- and the "big stars" were THEATER stars, not movie stars. Just seems like we live in a totally different universe-- and a much crappier one, to be sure, where a well-reviewed play cant catch an audience.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 8:47pm

Two things are true at the same time:

1. Jim Parsons is a huge name, both on TV and on stage, and like any actor, he has the right to request a salary that befits his talent and name. If the producers lowballed him, then the transfer falling through is on them.

2. Jim Parsons is set for life on Big Bang Theory residuals alone. He shouldn't work for peanuts, but everyone knows Broadway's not the license to print money that network TV is. There are a lot of talented actors in the show that don't have Parsons' reputation or success, and a Broadway transfer would be a huge opportunity for them.

I'm really hoping this isn't completely dead in the water. The Into The Woods revival was a huge success on Broadway despite replacing some of the biggest names in it's City Center cast. The circumstances aren't the same, but maybe there's another actor that could get this production to Broadway?

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 9:08pm

If not Parsons, I feel like this could be a great vehicle for James Marsden to make a Broadway debut in. I also had thoughts about Alfie Allen or Andrew Garfield, although they are much younger than the role calls for.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 11:22pm

I get it. Get your worth. I just can't imagine what he was making in Boys in the Band, he couldn't make here? I guess this is a bigger risk though.  I mean it's not like he was probably getting paid his worth for the CSC run, right? He had to have been making pennies. So, I don't see the difference here? 

[raddersons]

Posted: 1/25/23 at 11:31pm

RippedMan said: "I get it. Get your worth. I just can't imagine what he was making in Boys in the Band, he couldn't make here? I guess this is a bigger risk though. I mean it's not like he was probably getting paid his worth for the CSC run, right? He had to have been making pennies. So, I don't see the difference here?"

Musicals have more expenses than plays. Bands. Typically more rigorous lighting and sound requirements. Choreography. They can devote more money to the salaries of the stars when they don’t when to pay for that stuff. 


Pure speculation, but I also imagine Boys in the Band was a passion project moreso than Man of No Importance was.

[BJR]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 7:27am

Let's also not second-guess without even knowing the particulars. He would've been the main draw, been required to go out and promote it as such. So, his agent would be right to negotiate a proper salary for a commercial run.

Again, I'm holding out hope negotiations can somehow be reignited.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 9:33am

Sounds like it’s dead which sucks. Was curious to see how this would look in a commercial setting. 

[Robbie516]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 10:11am

Maybe he got offered a movie or TV deal which he took over this? Kinda weird to think that he couldn’t settle on a number especially since he has been on Broadway and has gotten good sales records especially since this will be in the spring and involved in Tony mix…we have seen a lot of actors leave this year productions due to a movie or TV contract

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:08am

Whelp, I had really been excited for this. One of my favorite underrated shows and I missed the CSC production (and the original was when I was a little kid) so I was very much looking forward to the supposed transfer. I hope it's not totally dead in the water and may still transfer even if not til next season. It does seem a bit odd that they would go as far as putting up a test event and securing dates and a theatre all before even confirming if they had their lead actor available...

I guess I will say however that my bank account is relieved, at least for the time being...

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:17am

Maybe everyone involved came to their senses and realized what a dumb idea this was and moved on to more sensible projects.

 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:24am

Actually shocking that they were seemingly so close to an announcement without locking down their lead.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:25am

Any chance The Notebook can now com in to CITS?

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:40am

While stranger things have certainly happened, the staging and set for The Notebook would need to be completely redesigned and rethought to go into Circle. 

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 11:43am

I'm going to assume at this point, CITS will sit empty for the next few months.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 8:39pm

fashionguru_23 said: "I'm going to assume at this point, CITS will sit empty for the next few months."

True, and this should be a criminal offense. There's no other theater like it. 

[Wallman2]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 10:23pm

I thought it was an excellent production when I saw it down at the CSC and was looking forward to its transfer.  Parsons has been a big asset to Broadway and I think at long last he would have secured a Tony nomination for his sensitive and compelling performance.  This musical would have been a perfect fit for a Circle in the Square and certainly would have gained this very worthy musical a wider audience than it has ever had.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/26/23 at 10:25pm

Melissa25 said: "Any chance The Notebook can now com in to CITS?"

No. NOTEBOOK is waiting until the fall and will play a proscenium house.

[user1221]

Posted: 1/27/23 at 4:06am

Nicticorax said: "But it feels unfair that the meatiest roles are being reserved for TV/film/music stars, rather than those who have specifically trained and paid their dues in theatre."

Parsons is a classically trained actor with a master's degree from USD/Old Globe Theatre. He spent his twenties performing in Houston for little to nothing, which is why I also find it very hard to believe it's about money, especially when he's been talking in recent interviews about how much he was enjoying doing the show at CSC. There's no truth to this rumor or that he is even the reason behind the cancellation. All that's been confirmed is that the show is no longer happening. If it had something to do with him, then there are many reasons that could've led him to make a difficult decision like this.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Posted: 1/27/23 at 5:40pm

Of course it was about the money. He probably wanted more than what the production could afford and didn’t love the project enough to do it for less. I’m not saying he should devalue his worth, but at the same time he does not have the star power of big A-list celebrities.

CITS has a low gross income potential given it has less than 800 seats and I am certain the producers felt they could never recoup their investment if he was asking for a large sum. If you look at the average gross for a moderately success show at CITS, they’re in the $500,000/week range. That is probably about what it would cost to run the show weekly. Even if they could get the running costs down, it would probably take them several years to recoup.

The show needed a name in it because it is not a show the tourists will likely come in to see otherwise. It is a shame they could not come to a deal because there was a lot of talent in that cast. Personally, I think Mr. Parsons did everybody dirty on this one.

Updated On: 1/27/23 at 05:40 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/27/23 at 10:19pm

I mean it’s his life but I just feel like he must have felt it wasn’t worst the investment as I doubt he’d win any awards etc. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 1/28/23 at 5:21am

Asserting rank speculation as documented fact does not make it so.