Big in New York, Flop in London (and vice versa?)

Whatare some of the biggest examples of shows that were successful in New York but flops in London, and vice versa? Specifically I'm thinking of shows thatplayed both cities in the same production--so weren't reworked much or anything between cities.

It always seemed that, until the Chicago revival, London didn't really take to Bob Fosse. Sweet Charity with Prowse was a minor hit but even less so than New York, I've read Pippin was an utter flop in London (I can't even fidn out when it ran or who was in it) and then when London first got a Chicago they didn't even get the Fosse production (and it flopped).

I saw Rent in '99 in London and it was, I thought, virtually the New York production. AM I wrong? It closed a year or two later--so ti ran 2 or more years (3 or more?) but nowhere the US run--still I';m sure it recouped and there were rentheads when I went (unfortunately :P )

Maybe you mean the recent Rent Remixed fiasco of a flop by Kylie Minogue's designer/concert director, William Baker?

I wasure Rent ran over 2 years... Maybe it closed soona fter I saw it then--anyone have the dates?

RENT in London ran at the Shaftesbury from May 98 to Oct 99 and whilst this isnt anywhere near the success seen in NYC I dont necessarily think it can be called a flop. 15 months is a fair run.

I've heard that the original production of Grease on Broadway was such a hit that it had to change theatres to hold a larger audience. However when the original production opened a year later in London (with Richard Gere as Danny Zuko... Gere was Barry Bostwick's understudy on Broadway.) it was an utter flop lasting only like 200 performances. It even had Elaine Paige in the cast as Sandy during the run.

I suppose you could consider Mary Poppins in London a flop, but the Broadway production seems to have outlasted it. Not sure on actual timeframes but *seems* way more successful on Broadway.

Starlight Express ran for eons in London... not so much in the US. That could be said about other ALW shows too.

Updated On: 9/24/09 at 08:41 AM

Spring Awakening ran for about four months in total, including the run at the Lyric in Hammersmith. It closed at the end of May.

brochatkid, Chess on Broadway was a completely different script, let alone physical production, from the London production. You're right that it was pretty successful here, though.

Poppins made a profit in London but not a huge one, from what I understand. It ran for just over three years (more if you include the Bristol try-out), and the show's only just reached the three year milestone on Broadway (opened end of 2006). I'm sure it's been more successful on Broadway, but not massively so.

The RUG shows are tricky. I have no idea if Woman in White made any money here (although we all know it was a disaster on Broadway); I wouldn't have thought so given the length of the run.

Yeah my original intentinw as when they were the same, or virtually the same production--so Chess doesn't count (it ran 2 or 3 eyars in London?) Bombay Dreams was revised for Broadway too wasn't it? (of course this threadis general--so feel free to open it upto shows that had DIFFERENT productions over the sea and flopped :P )

Re my original listing, does anyone knowwhat the run of Pippin was in London? And how long did Chorus Line run--I know ti was a success but not on the Broadway level

City of Angels

What a shame!

Eric -- according to the Wikipedia (so take this with a grain of salt =D) Pippin opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 30, 1973 and ran for 85 performances.

A Chorus Line in London had a fairly successful run. I don't know if it turned a profit, but it ran from July 22, 1976 through March 31, 1979. And fun fact -- Petra Siniawski, the London Cassie, is the only Cassie ever (well, in a Bennett production anyway =)) who didn't wear a red costume -- she wore a blue leotard onstage.

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What about Blood Brothers? was that changed up for Broadway?

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Festen

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Wasn't "We Will Rock You" huge over there too?

The Producers ran for just over two years in London which is pretty decent considering it was at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane which is a barn of a theatre. Chitty was very successful in London and the longest running show at the London Palladium.