Bailey exiting Blonde?- Page 2

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 4:13am

And P.S. I don't have anything against LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL.

I've seen the show six times, and rather enjoy it. Five of those times, I'll admit, I saw it for free, as the show was struggling and offering comps in order to fill the house.

So the show hasn't been doing consistently well, as you say, allofmylife.

And perhaps you should stop having the attitude that this whole board has a vendetta against LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, and face the fact that a lot of people on this board look at things realistically.

If LEGALLY BLONDE is such an expensive show to keep running, as you say, and they've already dipped at least five weeks throughout their run to the point that they had to actually give away tickets for free so that their actors would not have to play to an empty house, it's pretty obvious that the show will have long lived out its shelf life once the kids head back to school this Fall.

Updated On: 8/6/08 at 04:13 AM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 4:33am

We'll see if "The Search for Paulette" repacks the theater. I can't believe that idea hasn't crossed MTV's minds.

And I've been negotiating for the rights to a film property to mount as a potential Broadway show and the studio which owns the rights is interested in financing with an eye to "doing a Hairspray." That really does take a great deal of the pressure off the stage producers (with, of course, the concomitant loss of profit potential).

I'm not saying that is the deal Blonde's producers have, but it is a consideration.

[toanythingtaboo 2]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 5:59am

I don't foresee Legally Blonde lasting a whole lot longer, and when it comes to the West End...I'm really not sure if it will stay for as long as it has on Broadway.

I really hope I'm wrong though.

However, a film may completely turn things around. If they're smart, they will bypass the MTV film and go straight for cinema. 'Hairspray' did well, and quite a lot of people would never have known the original or the show. Which isn't the case for Legally Blonde, so hypothetically the film already is doing well, regardless of whether they should do it or not.

[songanddanceman2]

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

wow how many times is Legally Blonde going to close for another show to go in?, i seem to remember everyone saying this last year to lolol, it made around 500 to 600 thousand a week during the dead season so it sustained fine, and now its pushing the 900 thousand mark.

If it doesn't close or move for WSS i wonder what show we will be saying is going to replace next year???

[once a month]

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

Wanna be a Foster...thanks, you make me laugh...love the way you use your adjectives, lol.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 9:16am

I actually have to agree with WannaBeaFoster somewhat. The reason why it is doing so well now is because of the reality show hype and the fact that it is the summer season. Eventually, the hype will die down, and the show may struggle to fill seats during the fall and winter months, as many shows do.

At first, I was kind of on the fence as to whether or not this show will close. I guess we have to wait till the summer ends to see how the grosses work out towards the end of this year. It seems like a likely possibility for it to close if ticket sales start falling.

[ruprecht]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 9:35am

Why don't we all gather round after the first of the year and see who was right and who was wrong. i'm siding with wannabe myself. What will allmylife and songanddance do with all their spare time?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 9:39am

I have no idea if or when it's closing, but two things struck me...

1) if Bailey signed a six month contract, which was reported by Playbill, that would take her until sometime in January, which would fit with the idea of the show closing after the lucrative holiday period, and WSS moving in.

2) they have a pretty big discount for after Labor Day out right now. That seems to suggest that their advance is not that great after the summer ends.

Who knows, though? I enjoy the show a great deal, and don't wish it to close. Maybe, it will continue to defy expectations and keep playing, or move theaters.
Updated On: 8/6/08 at 09:39 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 9:48am

A curiosity question about WEST SIDE STORY:

Are they still planning to add songs to Bernstein's score? The whole idea of eliminating "Officer Krupke" and replacing it with a ditty called "We're F*cked" is appalling.

[JP2]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:03am

This show has been closing on these boards since it opened.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:06am

From her own mouth, she's there 'til October.

[broadwayboy522]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:24am

It's ashame LB is in one of the most desirable theatres on Broadway. If they were any other theatre they'd probably have a longer run

[notawhittyname]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:32am

Ok, I'm brand spankin' new, so please be gentle.
I am from Bailey's home town and I want to go see this show before it closes (whenever that happens). I'm looking at tickets for the matinee on 9/20. I need to know if this is a decent seat. I really want to be able to see her face. Orchestra section, row F.
TIA for your help.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:38am

I still predict that BLONDE will close on December 28, 2008.

[metoog]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:38am

I understand, and know, that group sales change virtually daily... but, I am looking to bring a high school group to see a show in March. When I was searching the site yesterday, almost every show was available for my March date, but Legally Blonde stopped selling group tickets in November, the week of Thanksgiving. That just seemed really odd to me, since many shows use advance sales and group sales to pace their longevity, and often sell a year in advance.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 10:54am

The one thing that is wonderously stupid about this site is the inane predictions - often utterly wrong - from people who have no inside information at all (and I'll be the first to admit I'm one of them).

Do you guys actually pout and plant your feet wide apart and cross your arms when you prognosticate? It's better for the back.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 11:02am

They'll announce the theatre that "West Side Story" will be playing in on February 13th, so we'll know then. All of the Nederlander theatres are occupied, but isn't "Rent" closing? So I'm thinking it'll move into The Nederlander Theatre. I don't kmnow about the sizes of the theatres and all that, but I'm saying this just because "Rent" is closing.

EDIT: "Rent" is closing in September, I noticed, so I guess it might not be The Nederlander. I do think "Grease" could close, but I have seen its rankings on the Broadway grosses. When should "West Side Story" be moving to Broadway after its out-of-town tryouts?

The Brooks Atkinson Theatre - Grease
The Gershwin Theatre - Wicked
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre - The Little Mermaid
The Marquis Theatre - 9 to 5
The Minskoff Theatre - The Lion King
The Nederlander Theatre - Rent
The Neil Simon Theatre - Hairspray
The Palace Theatre - Legally Blonde
The Richard Rogers Theatre - In the Heights
Updated On: 8/6/08 at 11:02 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 11:07am

They're going to announce the theater it's playing in 10 days before the first preview?

Come on, now...we can do better than that.

[BS]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 11:13am

"I also know that the MTV taping of this show in a way backfired in the producers face."

Please explain this comment?

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 11:17am

"They're going to announce the theater it's playing in 10 days before the first preview?"

It starts previews the 23rd? On a Playbill article it said they are announcing the theatre on the 13th. I thought it would start a couple of months after the O-T tryouts.

[metoog]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 11:28am

The older article states...

"The revival of the classic American musical West Side Story — directed by its librettist, current Gypsy Tony nominee Arthur Laurents — will begin previews at a Broadway theatre to be announced Feb. 13, 2009, according to a casting notice searching for the lead roles of Tony and Maria."

I believe it means "at a Broadway theater to be announced" and "will begin previews Feb. 13, 2009"


The newer article restates it better with slightly different dates...

"The new Broadway production of the landmark musical West Side Story, directed by librettist Arthur Laurents, will begin previews Feb. 23, 2009, at a Nederlander theatre to be announced, the producers confirmed July 16."

[sweeneyfan1]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 3:29pm

I know for fact that Blonde is closing mid september and i have a very reliable source

[James885]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 3:44pm

It's just a hunch, but I think WSS will end up playing the Palace. It's between the Palace and the Nederlander, and the Palace is a much more desirable theater than the latter. Legally Blonde is doing well now because it's a tourist show and we're in the middle of the tourist season, but once fall comes around, the grosses might drop.

Another thing to remember is that Legally Blonde still hasn't recouped its investment, even after playing for over a year. If it doesn't look like it's going to make it's money back, the theater owners might try to push it out in favor of booking a highly anticipated revival of a classic musical.

Not trying to bash LB or anything. Just trying to look at it objectively.

Updated On: 8/6/08 at 03:44 PM

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 5:01pm

The only people anticipating yet another revival of West Side Story are on this site. WSS is one of those shows that has been beaten to death and unless they come up with something better than "The Sharks will finally speak Spanish" it's going to be another short run.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 5:26pm

Allofmylife, you are truly hilarious. You attack others when they make valid predictions of when LB could close. Or you just attack them if they say anything negative about the show.

BUT you have no problem bashing and making predictions on a revival that doesn't even have an announced cast yet! lol!