Closing notice has been posted for The Full Monty in Melbourne, the first stop of a projected Australian tour - so it won't be going to Sydney or beyond. Some nights only 400 or 500 in audience. Other nights were better. Not enough business or advance to warrant continuing.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I bought a front row ticket to see it here in Sydney. I was so looking forward to this because I love the show on Broadway. I'll have to play the cast recording again instead.
This production has been plagued by problems. It was first to open mid 2003, then they lost a major backer. It was booked to open at Her Majesty's (1600 seats) around October then the producers got greedy and moved it to the State Theatre(2,200 seats).The owners of Her Majesty's are now suing the producers for AUS$7million for lost income. (Not only did they lose Monty but also The Producers and Hairspray because of a clash of dates).
I saw the show at the final dress and it was a terrific production. The US production team announced to those assembled that they hadn't been as excited about a cast for this show since the originals. The only person in the cast that would be familiar name to those on this board would be Paul Mercurio (Strictly Ballroom).The show opened January 2 and will close at the end of this month.
its a fun show but maybe down under they dont understand it
"Look on the Bright Side
Not on the Blackside
get off your backside
shine those shoes!
This is your golden opportunity:
Your the lightning and the news!"
-Assassins
Aussie audiences DID get it - in fact, the performances I attended in Melbourne had an audience even more enthusiastic than the best of those on Broadway.
The Sydney advance was just too low to even consider proceeding with the opening there. Even as business fell off in Melbourne, if there had been a better advance in Sydney, there might have been some hope of continuing on there.
By the way, no need for a man to hide behind a hat to sit in the audience for this show anywhere...the men usually ended up liking it better than the women who dragged them there. Will never forget the final performance of Jarrod, Andre, and Romain in London - I was sitting next to a gigantic footballer (we call them punters) and his girlfriend...and I thought "uh-oh...this guy is gonna beat me up when I cheer during the show"...instead this big brute was beating me to the cheering, anticipated and led the laughs and applause in every scene, and was on his feet screaming at the end before I was - and it turned out he had been back to see the show many times and was a major fan! It was the same way in Melbourne - the men liked it even better than the women (the men must relate to other men seeking self-worth and personal triumph!)...there just weren't enough of them!
I can understand it not working in England. Changing the locale to the U.S from the original England would put the potential audience off side. It would be like doing a re write on Chicago calling it Chichester and taking it to Broadway.
Call me cynical but I can't help but think that as the show isn't doing well here and the reception in Sydney is unknown it might be easier to close it here. In view of the pending court battle, the producers can get up and say "we don't have the AUS$7 million you want and the show flopped anyway...so you didn't miss much".
sorry if offended anyone with my thought i dont know a lot about australia and i know full monty is a risque show.
"Look on the Bright Side
Not on the Blackside
get off your backside
shine those shoes!
This is your golden opportunity:
Your the lightning and the news!"
-Assassins
No offence taken, but Australia is a lot more broadminded than most of the U.S. We aren't as PC orientated as you lot seem to be. e.g. when the Janet Jackson story aired on tv here this week they didn't bother with putting those pixel things over the image of her breast.
wow that means im moving to australia if i dont become a big broadway actor
"Look on the Bright Side
Not on the Blackside
get off your backside
shine those shoes!
This is your golden opportunity:
Your the lightning and the news!"
-Assassins
Ah, the secret is out...I'm the one who is replacing Hugh Jackman in "Oz"...so I get to kiss Jarrod (that's the good news, the bad news is that he's gonna have to wear a dress!). For those who haven't a clue about that - see the Ricky Martin thread.
If you had been at that final London performance, you would have had your photo taken from the stage by Romain and his little blue camera.
