Posted: 4/16/15 at 10:57am
Was not expecting this to come in so quickly. The summer seems an awfully dreary time.... I love Josh Young. Good luck to them.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Josh-Young-Erin-Mackey-Will-Return-to-Broadway-in-AMAZING-GRACE-Set-to-Open-at-the-Nederlander-Theatre-This-Summer-20150416
Posted: 4/16/15 at 11:08am
Agree it would have been better if they will open in Winter/Spring for the Tony 2016 season. I love this show in Chicago and will come to NYC to see it. I just hope it will find the audience to carry it through!
Posted: 4/16/15 at 11:16am
How much do you wanna bet that the producers are gonna try to get a number on this year's Tony Awards for publicity?
Posted: 4/16/15 at 11:38am
I think you're on point there...I hope they get to perform at the Tony's! Now what are the chances Hamilton will perform too?? Although there may be too few slots (with the shows that opened this year) available?!
Updated On: 4/16/15 at 11:38 AM
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:12pm
"I think you're on point there...I hope they get to perform at the Tony's! Now what are the chances Hamilton will perform too?? Although there may be too few slots (with the shows that opened this year) available?!"
I hope neither one performs. Last year it made me angry that they let shows that weren't part of that season (Sting for The Last Ship and Jennifer Hudson for Finding Neverland, Weird Music Man rap), perform, when shows that were part of last season (Big Fish, First Date, Soul Doctor, The Bridges of Madison County) did not. I know there are limiting factors (cast unable to reunite, money, slots, etc.), but shows that were part of the current season should get first shot. Only if the pass should outside performers be considered.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:18pm
^Three of the shows you mentioned didn't even receive a single nomination. Bridges probably would've performed had it been nominated for Best Musical and/or still running by then. Since neither ended up happening, it would've been pointless (I also felt it was fair enough to have the award for Best Original Score presented during commercials last year).
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:25pm
I like it when new shows get to perform, if there is room in the schedule and it doesn't prevent a nominated show from performing.
It is kind of like a tv show that gives you a teaser about next week's episode .... a sneak peak into next year to look forward to.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:33pm
the #1 impediment to closed shows performing is money. When it has lost everything and closed its books, there is really no rational reason anyone would pony up the large bucks it takes to perform. For an incoming show, it is, of course, money well spent, and the issue is really if you can convince the producer that what you bring has enough starpower or mojo to justify it. For that reason alone, Hamilton is likely (plus they will be in the early stages of rehearsal at that point) and Grace is unlikely even if Grace has enough unspent money since, unlike Hamilton, it is not gonna have the deep advance that could be record breaking by the time of the Tonys
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:41pm
I know there are limiting factors (cast unable to reunite, money, slots, etc.), but shows that were part of the current season should get first shot. Only if the pass should outside performers be considered.
Performances of closed flops really are not that beneficial to anyone other than finicky musical theatre fans. Just as with the performances of currently-running nominated shows are to increase public interest and hopefully generate ticket sales, preview performances of upcoming Broadway shows serve the same purpose and make more sense. I would have loved to have seen Kelli O'Hara perform something from Bridges, but I understand why it didn't happen and that my personal interest in seeing that performance makes absolutely no sense from the perspective of the awards show producers.
The Music Man rap thing was just a another dumb effort at making Broadway appeal to a broader demographic, but that was really just a specialty bit, not an actual "performance".
What I don't miss are the classic hit medleys performed by a group of hosts resembling a school talent show like in the early 80s. God, those were painful.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 2:48pm
Where is the market for this? Who is the audience for this? Is it the Jesus loving tourist? Because Gobspell or Jesus Christ Superstar have never made money on Broadway and they are well know properties. And the non branded, more faith specific religious musicals have all flopped SUPER hard. Is it the devoted New York Theatre Going Community? lol no.
Haven't producers learned that opening a show in the summer that doesn't have a built in audience is sure fire recipe for a show to flop? Haven't producers learned that the Nederlander theatre is a hard sell off the beaten path because it doesn't get as much visibility or foot traffic? You'd have to have a show that has already gotten a crazy buzz (Hamilton) or have a "star." I hate to be "that guy" but there are no names in this show. Not even Broadway names, little less names that any tourist will know. And the reviews were the definition of blah out of town.
This is a recipe for disaster and a quick close. They should have marketed and tried to sell this to the Holy Land theme park because that's the only way something like this will make commercial money. Or toured it around the Bible Belt/Midwest. But every season needs a Scandalous or a Holler If You Hear Me I guess? Listen, I'm ALL for taking artistic risks. Producers SHOULD take artistic risks. But there's a difference between taking an artistic risk and being a g*dd*mn fool.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 3:07pm
Sondheimite, the "producers" of this are not Producers. And if, as has been said and seems obvious, this show is being produced with "church money" then no rules or logic applies. You can't "learn" anything from the past when you have never paid attention to the past. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - Santayana, a naturalist who believed in neither gods nor ghosts.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 3:17pm
With regards to musical numbers on the Tonys, I'm happy with closed, running, and coming shows all doing songs.
The musical numbers are the reason I watch, so the more of them the happier I am.
What else would you want them to fill the time with?
And it ended up being a good thing The Last Ship was on last year's show because I don't think it's going to be on this year's.
Updated On: 4/16/15 at 03:17 PM
Posted: 4/16/15 at 3:21pm
Haven't producers learned that opening a show in the summer that doesn't have a built in audience is sure fire recipe for a show to flop?
The Nederlander may be giving them a good deal for the theater because they need a show in to make a profit of any sort. By this point, the Nederlander will have been empty since early April. This is similar to what happened to Honeymoon, but, unfortunately, we all know how that turned out.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 3:43pm
Maybe people will pay to see Josh stripped to the waist being whipped on a boat?
Posted: 4/16/15 at 4:27pm
tazber, someone pointed out above that the calculus is not pleasing musical theatre junkies. Someone has to PAY for shows to appear.
My money is on Sting appearing, solo, and singing from his Tony nominated score.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 4:39pm
Posted: 4/16/15 at 5:33pm
well, someone paid for it, and that same someone will likely pay for it again.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 6:53pm
I also don't understand who the potential audience for this show is.
Then again I said the same thing about An American in Paris and they seem to be doing just fine.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 7:02pm
Posted: 4/16/15 at 7:04pm
If Last Ship is nominated for score, I would bet that the network pays to have Sting perform. It's a TV special, they need ratings and he's a star name.
Posted: 4/16/15 at 7:04pm
^ Hopefully someday, Josh Young will reach the high level of success he deserves and have floods of fans. :)
Posted: 4/17/15 at 2:39am
My review for BroadwayWorld of the show's Chicago tryout:
Posted: 4/17/15 at 9:57am
This doesn't seem to have a Wikipedia page, so I'm not sure it really exists.
Posted: 4/17/15 at 11:14am
I still stand my my previous statement. The Tonys are meant to celebrate a year of Broadway shows. Weather they were nominated or not, it shouldn't matter. I would much rather see a performance of a closed show than one that has yet to be seen. Nominations or not, everything should get some kind of mention because it was a part of that season. The Last Ship and Finding Neverland were NOT. Also, when Finding Neverland performed, broadway was EXPECTED but not CONFIRMED, so in my opinion, Finding Neverland was the most irrelevant.
Posted: 4/17/15 at 11:22am
