Broadway Grosses - OUCH for Shrek and Mary Poppins!- Page 2

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 5:52pm

Aren't the terms different for South Pacific since it is produced by Lincoln Center? LCT is non-profit.

Updated On: 9/14/09 at 05:52 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 6:00pm

Ouch for In The Heights.

[saveusmike]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 6:01pm

Blaxx, Yes I mean to say about the times review, Brantly didnt completly tear it apart like he did 9 to 5. So I was considering that good in that sense. It was a OK review

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 6:19pm

Mr. Brantley said this though: "TRUE HAPPINESS. Shrek The Musical is DEFINITELY A CUT ABOVE, in the best tradition of screwball comedy." He also called Sutto's performance, "an inspired, take-charge musical comedian in the tradition of Danny Kaye and Carol Burnett."

[winston89]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 6:23pm

millie_dillmount, you're right due with saying that grosses are different/don't matter with shows like South Pacific due to the fact that they are non profit productions. They technically can't flop or recoup for that matter.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 6:35pm

I'm always shocked at the In The heights numbers. Every time I went this summer the theater was packed. I know that was the summer and numbers are normally better then but I was still shocked to see it not at the top. Then in the other seasons there were very little seats open.

[snowskittle]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:01pm

Ugh! Even Wicked is down.

[jo]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:27pm

A bright spot - A STEADY RAIN! It took in $ 767 thousand for a 5-performance week ( 100.0% of capacity). If extrapolated to an 8-week performance week, that could amount to $ 1.227 million a week. Its average ticket price ( $ 143.35) is the highest of all shows, plays or musicals.

[iWannaBEaSedaris]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:31pm

I think South Pacific is actually now just making money for Lincoln Center. It made back the money for the non profit rather early on since the minimums for a Non-Profit show are a little lower.

With productions like Piazza and South Pacific running for a while, it gives LCT the chance to perhaps be more adventurous with less well known material in the future.

[saveusmike]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:06am

I noticed Wicked declined also. I have a ticket for October 31st does anyone think it will still be running?

lol.

Updated On: 9/15/09 at 01:06 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:11am

"Mr. Brantley said this though: "TRUE HAPPINESS. Shrek The Musical is DEFINITELY A CUT ABOVE, in the best tradition of screwball comedy." He also called Sutto's performance, "an inspired, take-charge musical comedian in the tradition of Danny Kaye and Carol Burnett." "


What, do you work on Shrek's publicity department? If you're going to hack up a review, at least use [...] to show you did it.

Brantley ACTUALLY said:

"Tis love, the fairy tales tell us, that turns dross into gold and clods into gods. So it seems appropriate that about halfway through the leaden fairy-tale-theme costume party called ?Shrek the Musical,? which opened Sunday night at the Broadway Theater, it?s a love scene that gives us a startling glimpse of true happiness."

"?Shrek,? for the record, is not bad. The maiden Broadway venture of DreamWorks Theatricals (a stage-oriented arm of the company that made the movie), in association with Neal Street Productions, it is definitely a cut above the most recent offerings from its creators? direct competitor in cartoon-inspired musicals,Walt Disney."

Hardly high-praise, considering Brantley loathed Tarzan and Little Mermaid.

The only aspect of the show he DID outright praise was Sutton. Don't go forming a Frankenstein's monster of a rave review out of out-of-context words.

Updated On: 9/15/09 at 01:11 AM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:19am

I saw Poppins last night and the mezzanine was half empty and the balcony was closed off entirely, but apparently attendance was like that last fall too and they're still running so I am not too concerned for them. Shrek, on the other hand, might not make it to see Christmas.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 6:00am

"Ugh! Even Wicked is down."

I hope your "Ugh!" was not serious. Are we going to point this out every week it encounters a 2 to 3% decrease in audience attendance percentages while it is still in the high-90% range? We have seen these percentages before.

Wicked BARELY declined. It is still pulling in one of the largest grosses on Broadway and more than enough to cover weekly running costs.

[ivandixon]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 8:51am

Normally, an musical with expensive running costs thats doing 49% business would be dead in the water. But there's no way that the high-profile execs @ Dreamworks would endure the embarrassment of closing Shrek before the national tour begins. If it's doing 18% business it'll probably still be running. I disagree about a Xmas surge in sales, however. With the limited run of White Christmas at the Marquis, the two MSG shows, Nutcrackers ad nauseum and a possible two-week run of A Xmas Carol with F. Murray Abraham, James Garner, Stockard Channing, Timothy Hutton, Wayne Knight and George Wendt......there's a lot of competition for holiday business.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 12:25pm

"I disagree about a Xmas surge in sales, however."

Shrek made $1,268,342 and $1,260,282 during the weeks ending 12/28/08 and 01/04/09 which are holiday weeks and it was running during the same time as "White Christams."It also made over $1,000,000 during Thanksgiving weekend.

[ivandixon]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 1:11pm

True. Shrek did 80% Thanksgiving week and 95% Xmas week. But that was six weeks into the run and was probably sold long before the production opened. But the first three weeks of December were at 61%, 41% and 65%...again only six weeks after opening.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 2:00pm

"I disagree about a Xmas surge in sales, however. With the limited run of White Christmas at the Marquis, the two MSG shows, Nutcrackers ad nauseum and a possible two-week run of A Xmas Carol with F. Murray Abraham, James Garner, Stockard Channing, Timothy Hutton, Wayne Knight and George Wendt......there's a lot of competition for holiday business."

What are you talking about? If you look at past grosses, there is usually a surge in sales for most shows open during the holidays. The competition doesn't matter, especially when the number of tourists increases during the holiday seasons. People who can't get tickets to the shows like White Christmas will buy tickets to other shows instead. Also, tourists may see multiple shows. If Shrek is around by the holiday season, it will see an increase in sales, especially since it is a family-friendly show.

[Disneywed]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 3:47pm

I feel like I should hide under my desk for this post...but I really enjoyed Shrek.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 12:35pm

Rock Of Ages and Next To Normal were Off-Broadway shows first and everyone got to see them at first including critics.

Shrek was reviewed in its out of town tryout and received more tepid reviews on Broadway than either Rock of Ages or Next to Normal. Since Seattle, Shrek just didn't generate much buzz or enthusiasm even with its MAJOR branding recognition.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 6:36pm

Is Shrek a show they could use "stunt casting"? Not that I want them to, I was just curious as to what parts celebrities could play. All the roles do require good vocal chops.