Bailey exiting Blonde?

[hereandnow21]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 11:03pm

I know in the original contract and it was also in one of the articles either on here or Playbill.com, that Bailey's immediate contract was for 2 weeks and would extend to 6 months based on ticket sales. Any word on if she has been extended to 6 months?

[yankee_fan907]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 11:04pm

With as well as she has been doing (and this is coming from an Autumn suppoter), I see no reason why they wouldn't. Ticket sales have been fine lately.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:05am

She's staying with the show, but the show won't be open for six more months. WEST SIDE STORY has to be ready to move into the Palace in February.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:14am

If you think that the owners of the Palace theater are going to kick out Legally Blonde, which is currently grossing 90% capacity and has a loyal audience for yet another version of West Side Story, especially one which will probably turn off 50% of the audience, you are the King of Fantasy Island.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:19am

It's the middle of the summer, dear.

Come Fall, all the kids will be back in school, the Palace will not be a-fillin', and your LEGALLY BLONDE direct deposits will be no more.

But feel free to keep shilling in the mean time.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:21am

and your LEGALLY BLONDE direct deposits will be no more.


- LOL. <3

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:27am

*Eye rolling*

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:29am

For once I must say that I agree with foster.

Blonde is a show that has just managed to pull through until tourist season. After the tourists leave, it is hard for that show to stay open. I don't see it staying around much longer. Sure, the show does fine business during summer and thanksgiving/christmas. Maybe even around the time of most college spring breaks. Considering that a lot of college students who go to school around NYC come to the city to see shows during their spring break. But, other then thoes times, the show doesn't do well.

I do think that Blonde won't be around for much longer.

However, I do wonder how well something like West Side Story will sell. Just taking a look at Gypsy which is a revival that both theatre goers and critics have been giving high praise. You would see that the ticket sales don't match the high praise it is getting. It isn't selling out at all and you can easilly get a ticket for it on TKTS or the box office day of. Despite all three of its leads getting Tonys it isn't selling well. I wonder what the situation will be with the West Side Story revival. The Palace is a big theatre and not so easy to fill up.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:33am

winston89, to be fair, GYPSY has also been revived four times within a very close range of time (including a production as recent as just four years ago.)

WEST SIDE STORY, on the other hand, hasn't been seen on Broadway in almost thirty years.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:41am

I understand that Gypsy has been revived four times and I do realize that the last production at the Shubert was four years ago. I have heard people on the streets passing by the theatre going "didn't they just revive that?" I also understand that if it wasn't for Patti LuPone they wouldn't have had another Broadway revival. That being said, I am sure that once this revival closes another one will come around before we know it. Just considering how often this show is revived.

However, when it comes to revivals on Broadway, I wonder what side of the coin West Side Story will land on. Will it be like South Pacific? Something that most if not all current theatre goers never got to see the first time around because they were either too young or not even born yet? Or will it be like Gypsy. A show that is revived and got high praise and stars that got Tonys and despite that being an easy ticket to get. I hope that it is the first one. But, we shall see.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:42am

GYPSY isn't doing that bad. Business is starting to slip a bit. But the average ticket price is higher than a lot of other shows.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:45am

ljay, enjoy your GYPSY direct deposit while it lasts!

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:49am

Broadwaybox has a discount code called "BAILZ" that starts Sept 3 and runs until October 13. If they're using her to promote the discount code I'd guess she's in the show for at least that long.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:13am

I wouldn't go by promo codes to determine how long a show will last. For example, not that long after A Chorus Line announced its closing there were still discount codes on broadwaybox that were good until mid september despite them just comming out and saying that the show was going to close august 19th.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:16am

I'm not talking about the show itself but, rather, Bailey's run.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:41am

Well, Baily's run is going until Feburary or so (provided that the show does in fact not close to make room for West Side Story.) Keep in mind that they only offer discount codes that are good for a few months at at time and then give out new ones. So I wouldn't determine the lenght of her run based on a discount code.

I think it says something negative if they have to have discount codes just to get people to see Bailey in Blonde.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:44am

I wish "Legally Blonde" was giving me money for shilling for them, because it is almost a full time job on this site, with some of the creepy hatefulness the show engenders.

Sorry Wannabe (oh what an appropriate name) but I derive my money the old-fashioned way: I get screwed on a daily basis by Hollywood studios and one of the biggest directors in the world in particular.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:45am

Allofmylife. I like this show I really do. However, I am a realist and I can see that this show can't last much longer. I am not at all saying those things because I hate the show.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 1:47am

I give up

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 2:18am

If they put someone in the lead who has had at least five years experience on Broadway, in supporting roles and maybe a lead or two, why won't the show last?

It has been on the boards for 68 weeks. It has been above 50% every week. It has exceeded 90% capacity 12 weeks, or 17% of the time. It has been above 80% capacity 34 weeks, or 51% of the time.

It has been above 70% capacity 45 weeks, or 66% of the time and above 60% capacity 61 weeks, or 90% of the time.

That's a good rate. Assuming the nut is covered at what, no more than 70%, they have had 45 weeks so far above operating level.

They're also counting the $$$ from two different TV streams and who knows how this show is financed?

All I am saying is, don't make comments like "They can't survive at this rate" without actual knowledge of their financials.

It just makes you look stuuuuuupid.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 2:23am

I know what the grosses are for this show. I also know that the MTV taping of this show in a way backfired in the producers face.

Before you start to swing that judgmental pendulum my way take a look at all the other posters on here who have been saying the same things I am saying about Legally Blonde. Don't come across as just pointing the finger at me when I am not the only one who has said things along these lines about Legally Blonde.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 2:24am

Honey doll, if they have all of this financial support, why hasn't the darn show recouped yet?

Hmm?

[commasplice]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 2:51am

"That's a good rate. Assuming the nut is covered at what, no more than 70%, they have had 45 weeks so far above operating level."

It doesn't matter what percentage of the theatre is filled. What matters is how much money they're bringing in. The theatre could be at 100% capacity each week, but if the average ticket price is poor, it doesn't matter; it's possible for the show to make more money at a lower attendance capacity because people are paying top dollar for seats. (For example, the week of January 13, Legally Blonde played to 57.6% capacity. Gross was $530,107, average ticket price $68.02. A few weeks later, the week of February 3, they filled a slightly higher percentage of seats, 58.4%, but grossed less: $438,635. Average ticket price that week was $55.39. The change in attendance wasn't much, but there was a big flux in gross.) You can't talk about any show like it's a game of attendance percentages alone.

Updated On: 8/6/08 at 02:51 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 3:37am

Actually, Winston, I was calling Wannabe but will never be stuuuuupid, not you. Sorry it you took offense.

I also wondered why it hasn't broken into the black until a friend of mine pointed out how enormous the actual cost-to-produce was.

But I also know that shows based on movies often have "alternative" investments that aren't measured in the traditional fashion.

And commasplice, thanks for the insight.

I just wish people would stop saying shows are going to close when there has been absolutely no evidence of this in any way. I realize it makes you look all on the inside and all, but seriously, unless you are one of the producers/investors or are sleeping with one, you, like me, really know Jack ****.

*********note: hey cool, I forgot and swore and the programs asterisked me. I obviously meant to say chit. Oh well....

Updated On: 8/6/08 at 03:37 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 3:57am

WEST SIDE STORY would not have booked its out of town engagement without having a theatre already booked on Broadway.

They're going into the Palace in February.

Don't believe me now, that's fine, but time shall tell, my dear.