Book of Mormon - Box office Smash

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:17pm

I noticed yesterday in last week grosses that 'Book of Mormon' was a sell out, I am looking for tickets in the next 2 weeks for a ticket online, but cannot get anything. The show is still in previews.

Why has this show gone so popular, when a show like Finans Rainbow did nothing at the box office, even with 'dream for' reviews?
Updated On: 3/15/11 at 02:17 PM

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:24pm

It's hip, edgy, and probably appealing to a much wider, younger, and more eager audience. Stone and Parker and Lopez were a pretty good-looking team on paper, and now that preview reviews are spilling out on the Internet, it's confirming hopes that the product would be as good as the creative time... sort of the exact opposite of SPIDER-MAN.

[dave1606]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:28pm

That really isn't a fair comparison. I loved both shows, but I don't think you should pit them against each other.

Finian's was a delightful revival but simply never caught on the way it should have.

I think the reason Book of Mormon is so popular is a number of things:

1. It is bringing in a cross-over audience with the names of South Park creators.

2. It is actually really good! I think word of mouth is spreading.


There is a certain percentage of the audience for Book of Mormon that would simply never go and see Finain's Rainbow or any revival. The problem with Finians was that it was never a show for tourists. There weren't big enough names, and it just got caught up in the Winter doldrums.

Is it a pity? of course! But at least it got to have a bit of a run and a delightful cast recording too. I think we all wish for a world where shows like Finian's, Scottsboro Boys, and Book of Mormon could all run for years and be hits. However, that is not the case, and in a season where the big musicals seem to be disappointing Book of Mormon is a clear hit, and I predict will be one with the critics as well.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:34pm

have heard nothing but great things - now its about managing expectations...
cant wait to see the show in a few weeks

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:44pm

It has a huge amount of buzz and the guys are actually on a press junket promoting it.

That AND its an original show.
Jon Stewarts joygasm.

Posted: 3/15/11 at 2:57pm

No one cares one teeny bit if a show is original.

[April Saul]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 3:14pm

Phantom, when you see it, you'll know. It's just brilliant. I enjoyed Finian's Rainbow, but you leave Mormon floating on air. I'm so lucky to have seen it early with a dirt-cheap ticket and arranged for a return trip with family and friends next month.
I think it'll be huge hit and will run for years--doing for Broadway what people thought that Spiderman might. So it's really good news for New York theater...

[Finch]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 3:29pm

It is sharp, funny, clever, creative, blasphemous and original. It is very nice for a team to create something fresh for this season. It is the first season in a while that has one new show after another opening. When I looked at the Times on Sunday, there are still 9 more new shows [some are revivals] that I want to see this spring; and I just saw 3 last weekend. Of the 3, Mormon was by far the best. The originality of this show made me feel, again, that Broadway...theater in general, is alive and breathing well. Originality does matter.
Updated On: 3/15/11 at 03:29 PM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 4:19pm

just from trying to get tickets to see the show again during previews, it does look like it's sold-out for previews. Once the reviews come out it looks like this could end up being the "must see" show of the season. I doubt any discounts will be valid after the show opens and could only imagine how insane the rush/lotto will be during the summer.

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:31pm

it won't last. the demographic its selling to is too small. You cannot bring families to the show.
after all the 20 and 30 somethings with money (which there are few of in this country) see it it will die out.
Also it cannot tour so it won't win the tony.
Flash in the pan.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:36pm

massofmen, if you had to put a number on it, how long will it last before it closes? Ya know... ballpark.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:36pm

Cannot see why it cannot tour? However I don't see this stopping in 'Salt Lake city'!

Thought this is the new Avenue Q and would appeal to the same demographic!

Only chance I have of getting tickets is going to the box office this Friday or doing the lottery, where I have a good chance of leaving empty handed.
Updated On: 3/15/11 at 05:36 PM

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:43pm

I completely disagree that there is a limited paying audience. People thought the same thing for Avenue Q, and that had a long and healthy run to a much bigger demographic than anticipated. And since 'Book of Mormon' has even more 'prestige' attached to it, I think it stands an even better chance of running for a long period of time. 'Wicked' long? No, because there's nothing to even begin to compare with that. But it certainly has a few years ahead of it.


I would love it if it stopped in Salt Lake City! I grew up in a predominantly Mormon community, and I've been advising all my Mormon and fellow raised-among-Mormon friends to come out to NYC and see the show however they can. They have a great sense of humor about everything, including their religion. I think it would play fantastic out there.

Updated On: 3/15/11 at 05:43 PM

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:45pm

What was the last show that had this kind of box office plus almost universally boffo audience reviews inside of three weeks?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 5:50pm

Billy Elliot? That would be my closet approximation. Of course, that was a transfer, so it had a bit of a leg up ahead of time.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 6:05pm

BILLY ELLIOT? Pfft. Flash in the pan.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 6:09pm

haha- I know it's on tkts now and all, I guess. X)

Another one? Jersey Boys? I remember going to an early preview and the literal 5 minute applause after the Big Girls/Walk Like a Man/Sherry montage. It might have been a bit slower picking up steam, but it obviously did pick up!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 6:49pm

Because it's f*cking brilliant.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 7:34pm

Crap! I've just been checking for tickets too and all the discounted and cheap ones are gone for when I get there! Would I likely have any better luck by calling them or going to the box office direct with the discount print-off?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 10:06pm

I had to choke a nun to get the ticket for Saturday that I bought this afternoon. That and reload Telecharge about 5,000 times until a presumably returned ticket came up.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 10:15pm

Scarywarhol, was that ticket full-priced?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 10:28pm

Unfortunately, yes--I can't remember the last time I bought a full-priced Broadway ticket! It seems as though the availability using discount codes is now extremely limited, if the codes even work at all. Which makes sense, considering how well it's selling. I couldn't find anything for the next several weeks of performances with the BroadwayBox code plugged in, but something would occasionally pop up without it. I think the earliest I could find when searching with the code was well into April.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 10:30pm

And to think, I had the opportunity to buy a good $45 seat like a week ago. I'm seriously kicking myself now. I'm taking my chances (slim though they may be) for the lottery next week or standing room.

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/15/11 at 11:23pm

i think people are getting very caught up in the "coolness" factor and keep forgetting that what DRIVES broadway tix sales are GROUP SALES>

so how many highschools are coming to see this? How many colleges> How many church groups? None.
And Q didn't have a dream where different characters of history are "having sex" with each other. Ave Q didn't say th F word about 25 times and def didn't use the C*%t word 15 times.

So which markets will this play in? Families and women run the bway show ticketing. The mamma mia crowd. They aren't coming to see this. So road presenters cannot sell this show. Its a limited demographic and they are coming in DROVES to see it. WHich is awesome as Ithink the show is EASILY the best of the season (CMIYC was horrible) but again, if you are a road presenter how do you sell this show to your subscribers who love Oklahoma and Mamma Mia, and Wicked?


tell me..do not base it on how much you like the show, base it on logic and who sees broadway musicals. Green Day was a HUGE seller at first as well.....then their demographic died out..

[siny]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 12:35am

Haaaaaaay, I am a 51-yr-old woman and I loved the BOM - saw it twice in fact, including once with my 2 children. So, don't assume that women and families won't come to see it. And I loved Mamma Mia, btw, but so what ? Why don't we just wait and see what happens with the box office ?