A show closing on opening night...

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 1:24am

Why would they close a show just before, or on opening night...?

Seems to me that after going through workshops, production, and rehearsals, they should at least give it a week at the theater, and try to recup some of their money. I imagine it would be a money question, as I can see no other reason.

But what I am puzzled about is: They had to know they were lacking money at rehearsals, so why finish these at all...?
And, if they had money to get through rehearsals, could they not at least give it a go for a few days at their venue?

[courtnyj]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 1:27am

Search: "Glory Days" for the most recent example.

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 1:27am

Because it's a waste of money to keep a show that is selling less than 50% (most of these shows are under 50%) on Broadway if it's going to fail anyway! Saves them time and money.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 1:31am

Um. No.

It's because of the insurance... even though it's never really that much.

just go read the GLORY DAYS threads for a more detailed explanation.

[mikem]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 6:20am

This may be a silly question, but when people talk about insurance in this circumstance, I don't really understand what it is that the insurance policy is designed to cover. Does it have to do with decreased insurance premiums, or is it that the producers have bought insurance specifically against closing quickly? Most insurance protects you about things that are beyond your control, rather than reimbursing you for actively making certain decisions (such as to close). For example, most trip cancellation insurance will not reimburse you if you just decide you don't want to go on the trip anymore -- you have to be sick or something like that.

Or am I looking at it the wrong way?

Updated On: 6/24/08 at 06:20 AM

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:09am

I can't wait to hear the Sage of Broadway explain that "Insurance" remark. DO you think he misunerstood or was taken out of context?

Shows close on (or shortly after) opening night for one reason: Money. A show might be doing poorly in previews and just getting by until opening night hoping the reviews are good and ticket sales take off (It seems like Spring Awakening might have been in that category). But if the reviews are bad, there isn't a flood of ticket sales and the show folds.

Sometimes even when the reviews are good, people just don't want to see it and the show ends up closing sooner rather than later.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 11:56am

There are also times when the reserve funds, designed to get the show through the lean weeks prior and possibly just after opening, are depleted more rapidly than expected.

Some shows optimistically go into rehearsal undercapitalized. The prayer is that additional investors will magically appear. Some times said investors appear and sometimes they don't.

The post that says the answer is "money" is right. Closings are always about money whether the show runs one night or 20 years.

Insurance is taken on a show in case the set burns up, the star breaks his foot or some other occurance. There is no insurance for bad reviews and bad business. Would that there was...

[BrianS]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:19pm

WOSQ, no show goes into rehearsal undercapticalized in the way you used the phrase.

Perhaps someone on the producing end can shed more light, but if a show is doing an out-of-town tryout at a for-profit theater, 100% of the capitalization has to be in place for that run. If the show's out-of-town is at a not-for-profit, the show still has to be fully capitalized by the first NY preview.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 4:30pm

One of the many, many reasons that Glory Days folded opening night is that there was no reserve which is often the first budget item shorted. They were undercapitalized.

40 years ago Hair was taking on new investors opening night. Friends of mine got in at intermission and made a comparative fortune. $400 each got them close to 15 grand over the years.

The Barry Manilow thing, Harmony was it? They went into rehearsal without a huge chunk of change in place and look what happened. And their theatre out-of-town was booked and announced.

It doesn't happen that much any more, but it happens.

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:28pm

Ok...I searched for GD.
Some possible bad moves for this show: Going 90 minutes without an intermission...a good part of the audience might not be able to cope with that, to start with (even if it is just to have a bathroom break!). Shifting the show into two parts, will give the audience a breather where they will have time to think about what they are seeing, and return with a better disposition for the end.
Also, having the show debut in April...perhaps I am way off, but I never thought that time of year was a good time to open any show in Broadway, unless it was spectacular, and had great publicity. It is just after Easter, kids are getting ready for finals, people are not travelling yet, preaparing for summer vacation...

Still, my question has not been answeared. Why go to the end of rehearsals, etc, when you know you cannot open at the end...? Seems like a waste of time AND money they don't have.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:31pm

"Going 90 minutes without an intermission...a good part of the audience might not be able to cope with that, to start with (even if it is just to have a bathroom break!)"

Xanadu is 90 minutes, and audiences seem to cope fine and enjoy the show. It is not a bad move for a show necessarily.

Also, why anyone couldn't sit 90 minutes without going to the bathroom (unless they have a health issue) is beyond me.

Updated On: 6/24/08 at 08:31 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:32pm

It wasn't the rehearsals, love.

They did weeks of previews, where they made virtually no money. When they opened to awful reviews, it was silly to keep beating the already dead horse. You're making it sound like they just gave the one performance.

It didn't have to do with April or 90 minutes. It was just not a show for Broadway, even if they thought it could work.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:36pm

Not to mention A CHORUS LINE is two hours without an intermission, and that ran for 15 years.

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:41pm

millie...then again, many do have a problem. from what I hear, Xanady is a very "engaging" show, and fun, so the audiences will react more positively to being seated for 90 straight minutes.

Maybe blaxx has a point about it not being right for Broadway, but I still think if it was so successful outside of Bway, something just did not click, and I still believe the April thing, etc...influenced a lot.

Gee, blaxx, I guess I'm, a poor researcher. I really just looked at the first couple of headlines that came up, but did not see that they had actually opened. I was under the wrong impression that the show went from rehearsals to the pit...(not the Orchestra one).

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 8:43pm

That's ok, love.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 9:49pm

Merrick closed Ttiffanys in previews because he knew it could not be salvaged .

The same reasoning was behind closing One Night Stand in previews .

Some shows in the 60's folded after 1 night as they had no $$ in reserve to weather bad reviews . Some examples are Billy, Here's Where I Belong & Gantry

Updated On: 6/25/08 at 09:49 PM

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 9:57pm

Thank you, Mr Roxy, for the info.
As a producer, I would try to make wiser decisions, hopefully, than to continue where there is a wall (and is not one made of money).