Biggest broadway flop
Biggest broadway flop
Biggest broadway flop#1
Posted: 10/29/12 at 10:21amI heard one show like in 2000 ran one show....any other cray cray shows like that?doing a report for theatre!
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
Biggest broadway flop#2
Posted: 10/29/12 at 10:49am
"Biggest" would be more about the amount of money lost, not so much how many performances it ran for.
Yes, there are a number of shows that have closed in a very brief amount of time. But since you didn't tell us like which one you heard of like that did what you like said, we wouldn't know what to add. Like.'
More shows close at a loss than at a profit. FLOP is defined strictly by whether or not a show was able to pay back its investors -- as that is the only barometer you can verify.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/20/12
Biggest broadway flop#3
Posted: 10/29/12 at 10:55amI know Pirate Queen ran for about a month, but I'm sure that there are shows that have ran for even less than that. I believe that I heard of a show back in the 80's that closed the day after opening. Forget the name, though.
Biggest broadway flop#4
Posted: 10/29/12 at 10:59amThe most recent example of SHORT runs would be GLORY DAYS which pulled a Bialystock... Opening Night was also Closing Night!!!
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/24/12
Biggest broadway flop#5
Posted: 10/29/12 at 11:21amThe biggest flop I can think of is "Breakfast at Tiffany's" because it only had 4 previews and never made it to opening night. Since you're doing a report, I agree that Not Since Carrie would probably be beneficial.
Biggest broadway flop#6
Posted: 10/29/12 at 12:42pm
METRO. An musical import from Poland (where it was a huge hit). It took place on a huge subway platform built on the stage of the Minskoff Theater 1992. It used lots of lasers which was a very new concept for theater at the time. The show was translated into English. It reportedly cost $13 million (not sure if it was a record but it was extremely expensive for the time) and was financed by wealthy Polish-Americans including Barbara Piasecka Johnson (the widow of John Seward Johnson of Johnson & Johnson family). The musical received scathing reviews and closed after 13 performances.
Updated On: 10/30/12 at 12:42 PM
Biggest broadway flop#7
Posted: 10/29/12 at 12:55pm
By reputation, as far as iconic flops go, I think it will always be Carrie. Thanks a lot to its sheer weirdness and Not Since Carrie.
In financial terms, it has certainly been surpassed--often by shows that have had ostensibly decent runs. The flops that aren't. Even if Spider-Man runs for another year from now and closes, won't it probably still have lost the most money?
Updated On: 10/29/12 at 12:55 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
Biggest broadway flop#8
Posted: 10/29/12 at 2:46pm
In terms of shows that had great promise & flopped badly some examples are
Mata Hari
Breakfast AT Tiffanys
Nick & Nora
Big financial ones (in terms of their dollars at the time)
Via Galactica
Dude
Dance Of The Vampires
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
Biggest broadway flop#9
Posted: 10/29/12 at 2:52pm
One show wonders that at least had an official opening:
Home Sweet Homer
Oldest Living Confederate Widow
the aforementioned Glory Days
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
Biggest broadway flop#10
Posted: 10/29/12 at 3:02pm
Home Sweet Homer had a lot going for it
Yul Brynner
Joan Deiner
Man Of La Mancha Composer Mitch Leigh
I saw it & have a signed Playbill from it but I remember absolutely nothing about it.
Biggest broadway flop#12
Posted: 10/29/12 at 4:00pm
Dance of the Vampires holds the title for most money lost.
Until Spiderman closes...
Biggest broadway flop#13
Posted: 10/29/12 at 4:07pm
Bobbi Boland starring Farrah Fawcett - 7 previews, never opened
Biggest flop that had potential if ego hadn't gotten in the way: Taboo
Biggest broadway flop#14
Posted: 10/29/12 at 5:42pmThe biggest one I know of is "Carrie". It lasted like 5 performances I think, the the Off-Broadway revival lasted longer... by a few months.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/20/05
Biggest broadway flop#15
Posted: 10/29/12 at 9:43pm
I think Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was an overall costlier flop than Dance of the Vampire, but worldwide it's done fine given its stellar BO's in the UK. Hot Feet is up there as well.
Spider-Man will almost certainly close on Broadway at a loss, though it's slowly earning against investment. If they take it out as an arena show, they'll earn it all back easily.
Biggest broadway flop#16
Posted: 10/29/12 at 9:54pmDon't forget ONE NIGHT STAND, music by Jule Styne, book and lyrics by Herb Gardner, starring Jack Weston and Charles Kimbrough. Closed after 8 previews in October 1980. It was the first show I ever saw on Broadway, 32 years ago this week. I loved it. I guess nobody else did.
Biggest broadway flop#17
Posted: 10/29/12 at 11:55pmFrankenstein was expensive in it's day and closed opening night.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
Biggest broadway flop#18
Posted: 10/29/12 at 11:58pmSaw Frankenstein & I really liked it.
Biggest broadway flop#19
Posted: 10/30/12 at 12:00amNo mention of Moose Murders? That closed opening night as well.
Biggest broadway flop#20
Posted: 10/30/12 at 12:12am
Big
Tarzan
Ragtime revival
Leap of faith
Biggest broadway flop#21
Posted: 10/30/12 at 12:34am
Little Johnny Jones starring Donny Osmond
29 previews- 1 performance.
Biggest broadway flop#22
Posted: 10/30/12 at 7:25am
The 80s had some awful years.
Mail
A Change in the Heir
(the aforementioned) Metro
Honky Tonk Nights
Chess
Roza
Prince of Central Park
Legs Diamond (massive financial loss there)
Doonesbury
and of course....Carrie
Biggest broadway flop#23
Posted: 10/30/12 at 7:55amThe Suzanne Somers one-woman show The Blonde and the Thunderbird did not make it to its first week.
Biggest broadway flop#24
Posted: 10/30/12 at 7:56amAt the time I saw "Into the Light," which was pre-Carrie by a year or so, it was the biggest financial flop. One of the most expensive Broadway shows ever produced to that date, and it closed after six performances.
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