Bright Star's financial troubles- Page 3

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 3:59pm

I'd say Bright Star vs. Tuck any day, Bright Star wins the battle! It's sentimental, but not overly precious as Tuck is, Bright Star digs in and attacks the subject matter and isn't afraid it's audience won't go along for the ride- Tuck touches on the serious, never quite working it through. I think Steve Martin should step in, play the younger male lead's father a la Sting in Last Ship- that would surely boost ticket sales! Bright Star is certainly a bright spot in the theatre season- at least for those of us over 14.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:04pm

"Bright Star is certainly a bright spot in the theatre season- at least for those of us over 14."

I'm over 14 and it was the worst show I've seen this spring. But again, this thread is about Bright Star not making money, not people trying & failing to get us to like Bright Star.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:08pm

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "I'd say Bright Star vs. Tuck any day, Bright Star wins the battle! It's sentimental, but not overly precious as Tuck is, Bright Star digs in and attacks the subject matter and isn't afraid it's audience won't go along for the ride- Tuck touches on the serious, never quite working it through. I think Steve Martin should step in, play the younger male lead's father a la Sting in Last Ship- that would surely boost ticket sales! Bright Star is certainly a bright spot in the theatre season- at least for those of us over 14.

 

"

This idea really makes a great deal of sense.

The only obstacle may be Martin has some dates scheduled with Martin Short in late July and August...

 

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:19pm

The headline here for or me here is their weekly nut is $500k for such a small theatre, if they sold every seat in the house, they need to raise $58 from every seat, just to meet their weekly costs. The price you get from TKT's isn't much more than this and if your are on TKT's, you aren't selling all your seats!!!

This is sunk, just hope no one is guaranteeing the loan.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:23pm

I'm not sure I understand the Tuck Everlasting comparisons. I don't see how the two shows are comparable at all. I personally enjoyed Bright Star immensely and didn't enjoy Tuck at all. Certainly people are entitled to the opposite opinion but the shows are completely different--I honestly don't think there's much they have in common. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:33pm

I did my part. I paid full price for my second row ticket.

I think Tuck and Bright Star have a fair bit in common. They both have largely (or entirely) white casts. They are both trying to tell fairly simple stories with a straightforward musical theatre structure. They should both have commercial appeal (in that they're fairly family-friendly and inoffensive). They both feature extraneous dancing from the chorus when they're not technically in the scene, though it works better in Tuck. They both feature fun upbeat numbers and more serious elements

 

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everything with the baby in Bright Star/immortality in Tuck

executed with a lack of finesse or depth. For me, they both feature actors I want to see do well but they're limited by the material. They both have a fair bit of humor in their books. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 4:44pm

I found Tuck to be far more interesting and well-written than Bright Star, which is saying a lot because Tuck is not exactly Hamlet either. I understand the impulse to compare them since they are both somewhat generic, sentimental new musicals with all-over-the-place reviews. I actually really enjoyed Tuck, despite its flaws, however I'm not surprised that it didn't get many Tony nominations. What I AM surprised about is that the Tony voters liked Bright Star so much more than Tuck.

I feel the similarly about American Psycho vs. Bright Star, though I'm less inclined to compare the two since they are so wildly different, and it's easier for me to see how the voters would prefer Bright Star's traditional elements over Psycho's bizarre structure and tone. 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 7:41pm

I thought Tuck had much better-crafted lyrics and generally better storytelling, plus I loved that ballet, but I had a harder go with it. Maybe (and I am not proud of this) I came away feeling better about Bright Star because its aim was so low. I kept thinking of how Tuck could have been made more unique, moving, and exciting. More ITSELF. 

[BrockMButler]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 8:11pm

Of course I'll be in the city the weekend FOLLOWING the Tonys. Now I have a sinking feeling that the show I most want to see may be closed by then. Never want to see a show bleeding money but I selfishly hope it stays open until at least the 16th

[mpkie]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 8:29pm

Scarywarhol said: "I thought Tuck had much better-crafted lyrics and generally better storytelling, plus I loved that ballet, but I had a harder go with it. Maybe (and I am not proud of this) I came away feeling better about Bright Star because its aim was so low. I kept thinking of how Tuck could have been made more unique, moving, and exciting. More ITSELF. "

Honestly, if anyone saw the musical and then re-read the original Tuck Everlasting book, it should really piss one off with what they did to it in the musical. Now that was a well-crafted, well-written book with a fascinating story.

As for Bright Star, I really do wish it some financial success (or less financial burden) because the cast is wonderful and at least if folks went to go see it, they would get to see that amazing cast (and band). Everything else is .... uh....

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 8:41pm

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "I think Steve Martin should step in, play the younger male lead's father a la Sting in Last Ship- that would surely boost ticket sales!"

You do realize The Last Ship closed without making a dime, no?

[brian1973]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 8:52pm

This is such a shame. A beautiful show with real heart.. And an ORIGINAL story.

 

comparing it to the dire The Visit makes me sad too. That was a boring mess.

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 9:00pm

brian1973 said: "This is such a shame. A beautiful show with real heart.. And an ORIGINAL story.

comparing it to the dire The Visit makes me sad too. That was a boring mess."

 

Or you can use it to realize how subjective art is?!

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 9:06pm

^i do realize last ship closed without recouping. The point I was trying to make was that Sting kept it opened longer by joining the cast. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/9/16 at 11:32pm

brian1973 said: "This is such a shame. A beautiful show with real heart.. And an ORIGINAL story.

 

comparing it to the dire The Visit makes me sad too. That was a boring mess.

 

"

The visit was one of the greatest musicals in recent memory. 

Updated On: 5/9/16 at 11:32 PM

Posted: 5/9/16 at 11:56pm

Hairspray0901 said: "This is upsetting to me as I LOVE Bright Star but looking at grosses and being at the show twice where the house is clearly not full it was pretty obvious something like this was coming. I don't want to see anyone in the Bright Star cast go, they're all insanely talented but, perhaps Steve Martin should join the show to boost sales? He could even join the band as the banjo player. I could definitely picture him as Daddy Cane or Daddy Murphy. (Ouch those character names lol). 

I thought the same thing -- if Steve Martin joined the band onstage, that would surely boost sales -- the way it did when Sting joined the cast of "The Last Ship."  I'm not a Sting fan, but I went to see the show when he was in it and I thought it had a very talented cast and I admired him for going so far as to join the cast to keep the show afloat.  You can't say he didn't try his best. 

 

I think Steve Martin joining them would make a huge difference in sales.  Since the band is onstage the entire show, and Steve loves playing the banjo and undoubtedly loves the show -- that adds lustre to the proceedings.

 

Though I wished like hell they would have fixed the giant plot hole (no need for spoilers -- anyone who's seen it knows what I'm talking about).  Since we all knew even before intermission where it was all heading, fixing that would have made for a better show and better word of mouth.  I wanted to LOVE this show --  if this show could be successful like "Once," it would mean work for more bluegrass musicians.  I liked it a lot, but couldn't give it the kind of enthusiastic review I can for "Dear Evan Hansen" or "Gotta Dance," mainly because of that giant gaping plot hole.

 

I went back and read the reviews for "Bright Star" in the cities where it played before it came to NYC -- and in those reviews -- in every one -- that plot problem was prominent.  However, in those reviews they assumed it would be fixed before they opened on Broadway.  Did the producers/director not see what so many audience members and so many critics wrote about for more than a year before it opened?   

 

The cast is first rate, as are all the musicians onstage.  If only the book could have been at that same level. 

 

"

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 12:05am

Just so I know we're on the same page here, is the plot hole you're referring to...

 

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How the baby survived being thrown out of a train? 

Or do you maybe mean...

 

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How they never explain how she came to be the head of a literary magazine? 

 

[starcatchers]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 9:10am

JBroadway said: "Just so I know we're on the same page here, is the plot hole you're referring to...

 

 

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How the baby survived being thrown out of a train? 

 

Or do you maybe mean...

 

 

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How they never explain how she came to be the head of a literary magazine? 

 

 

 

"

 

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Google "Iron Mountain Baby."

And two: 

 

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Presumably she graduated from Chapel Hill, got the job, and moved up in the ranks? 

I think by "plot hole" they just meant how obvious the outcome is. 

Updated On: 5/10/16 at 09:10 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 9:29am

"Did the producers/director not see what so many audience members and so many critics wrote about for more than a year before it opened?   "

 

As I said before, one can assume they were being what I like to call "precious" with their writing. As first time theater writers, they probably did not care to see and fix the problems. And the director clearly didn't push enough to have the problems fixed. So what we have now is a messy and uneven book.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 9:48am

Steve Martin is hardly a first-time theater writer. I'm surprised he was apparently unwilling to do the work that seemed obvious to so many. 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 9:54am

 I guess I meant first time musical writer. That's true, isn't it?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 10:05am

Yes

[UnwoundFantasies]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 11:00am

When I saw the show for the first time, I was able to figure out the ending on my own as it's pretty predictable. But I've seen it with a total of 6 different people and none of them knew the ending or were able to predict it. So either they're (and the general audiences) aren't very perceptive or the plot isn't TOO easy to figure out. 

[TFMH18]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 11:12am

Concerning the plot's predictability, I think it may be different for us who post on here who are generally "theatre people" opposed to the general public. When I saw the show for the first time, I figured out the ending at intermission. It was clear to me because, as someone who sees so much theatre, I know that every person on stage has to have a "purpose" as to why their story is being told. Hence, the outcome here. However, I have since seen the show with three more people, none of whom are what I'd consider theatre peeps, and when it ended I asked them whether they saw it coming and they each said not at all. 

For the record, I adore the show and I think its earnest simplicity is stunning. Hope it can manage to find a bit of success-- and yes, I've read the article on which this thread is based. I know it's an uphill climb, to say the least. But here's to hoping anyways! 

[newintown]

Posted: 5/10/16 at 11:13am

I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who are entirely unaware of the principle of Chekhov's Gun - that is "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off."

The most obvious clues to upcoming events could be carefully laid in most audience members' laps, with  a large sign describing how it will come out, and they still will be surprised. I remember people actually gasping at the Act I curtain line of Proof, and wanting to stand up and ask, "What else could possibly have happened after that obvious set up?"

But perhaps most people only pay partial attention when watching a play, film, or TV show, using other parts of their mind to think about other things, like dinner or the trip home or if the person sitting next to them will touch their leg or not.