BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON- Coming to Broadway?

[jagfkb]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 9:51pm

Okay, first it was pretty unanimous that the show was not going to transfer. Next, it started gaining notice around the community, and has extended a full 2 months past it's original planned closing. Then, it won all those awards (Off Broadway awards, mostly, but still something of note), and now people on this message board are claiming it's being planned to transfer. i've heard every story from it being the reason "A Little Night Music" is closing to it wanting the Booth. does anyone have the straight story on this? Personally, i'd love to see this show get another chance to wow audiences: it's the perfect mix between the Spring Awakening/ american Idiot sound, the Urinetown/ Title of Show tounge in cheek humor, and the overall feeling of a show which truly deserves to be produced.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 1:24am

It should be transfered since it's selling so well.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 4:57am

It's "pretty unanimous" that it should transfer? Amongst whom? I think its a wonderful OFF B'way show, and would like to see it move to a long-term house (like New World Stages) but I don't think it could sell a bway house for any length of time.

There is no "story" at this point--only speculation. And they would NEVER close ALNM for another show. Why would they close a show that is pulling in HUGE audiences for the possiblity of another show. They are closing it because whenever CZJ is on vacation or sick, they ticket buyers are non existent. they feel without a Hollywood name, that they will have no interest. (I'm guessing advance sales after CZJ were dismal-- if they were ever on sale.)

And the show is on TDF pretty frequently, so it's not like it's sold out (at least in advance) every night....and it's a pretty small theater that houses it now. Just because a show is selling well, doesn't make it a Broadway Show.

For the record: I loved the show. Will be seeing it a second time before it closes. I thought it was the best new musical of the season -- on or off b'way.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 6:49am

As dramamama said, it's not selling well at all. Its final extension is living on TDF, for that small little space, no less. Not that that's any indication of how it would do on Broadway. IN THE HEIGHTS did not sell out at 37 Arts when it played there, but it came to Broadway, recouped, won the Tony for Best Musical, and has been playing for more than two years at the Rodgers.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 8:30am

This show screams Off-Broadway & it would be a huge mistake for everyone involved.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 9:13am

People said the same thing about IN THE HEIGHTS, NEXT TO NORMAL, SPRING AWAKENING, AVENUE Q, and SPELLING BEE -- all of which came to Broadway, won multiple Tony Awards, and recouped their investments.

(For the record, I didn't particularly like BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, but I think the argument of "this show screams Off-Broadway" and therefore wouldn't succeed on Broadway doesn't hold up anymore, as so many shows have proven it to be wrong.)

[jagfkb]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 10:52am

Updated On: 5/27/10 at 10:52 AM

[jagfkb]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 10:52am

^I agree with the above. however, there are rumors going around of a transfer, though they're mainly in other threads. My hope in starting this thread was to see if we could move the discussion here...

[Brick]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 12:28pm

There no such thing as Off-Broadway now. Any show making any splash wants to go to Broadway because it's the only way to have a chance at extended life. The marketing a Broadway production can receive compared to Off-Broadway (the budget alone, national attention possible from talk shows and the Tonys, magazines, etc.) is what is truly desired. And in recent years there have been several shows that once were too "Off-Broadway show" to come to the main stem, but they wanted the big shot, with its big marketing campaign.

IN THE HEIGHTS wasn't selling out Off-Broadway. It needed all the attention Broadway can provide. NEXT TO NORMAL seemed very, very risky. And FELA - whose fate remains to be seen - also seemed like a risky venture.

[victoria saxton]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 1:55pm

I also wonder if it would work in a bigger theatre - half the joy for me was the intimate setting and the chance to get so close to the divine Mr Walker...

Who - by the way is in this month's Vogue - as are the cast of American Idiot and Fela....just saying!

[wexy]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 2:09pm

Belongs off. Look what happened to TOS.
Bloody is intimate with the junk hanging off of the walls of the Public. Keep it running off.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 3:46pm

I think it would be pretty awesome in the Circle in the Square. If they did an environmental setting like they do at the Public, it would be a pretty great experience.

[NotMyBag,Baby]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:24am

Hard to see the show having its same slightly woolly appeal in a bigger house. Broadway would expose flaws that can be overlooked in the infectious heat of the Off-B'way moment in its current setting. Most significantly, I would hate to see this inspired and largely accurate if incomplete stab at American Social History held up to more rigorous academic or historiographical standards, against which it would not fare well. I get it: it's art, more precisely fun art and not scholarship. But they bring up Mr. Jackson for discussion, so there are people out there who are going to complain about the substance of the discussion. The show effectively delivers the political class warfare and abandonment/genocide of Native tribes themes of Jackson's impact for those who were sleeping or listening to "Rent" on headphones during 11th grade history class. But put it on Broadway and you're inviting the Big Boys (and Girls) from NYU, Columbia, etc. to the pissing contest. The folks in the ruffled collars, if you will. It's a downtown show. Put it on B'way, and "Just Plain Folks" will scratch their heads and wish they'd paid the premium for "Lion King", and the Swells will quibble about details and/or lack of polish

[Kad]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:34am

The only house I can see it working in is, as mentioned, Circle in the Square- which is taken by Lombardi.

A transfer would be swell, but I just don't think it's in the cards. And I love the show- I've seen it multiple times. But a Broadway audience and the audience at the Public are different. The show is loud, coarse, vulgar, and a tough sell ("an emo rock musical about Andrew Jackson") to a wide audience. Its historical content, I think, would not be a major issue- it has refuge in its blatant anachronism.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 6:50pm

It appears that investors are being sought for a possible Broadway transfer. The article doesn't really say anything else new- except that options for a life outside of this run are being looked into, particularly Broadway.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140054-EXCLUSIVE-Bloody-Bloody-Andrew-Jackson-May-Rock-Broadway-

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 7:04pm

I finally got to see the show and it was clever and enjoyable. Yet, it dragged a lot towards the end. The audience liked the show and it'd probably be a hit on Broadway as well, just not one I'd pay to see again.