Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 10/27/24 — Page 2

PaigeTurner2 said: "Wouldn't these numbers be expected bythe MHE producers/investors though? I mean, when your average ticket price is so low and you're apparently papering like crazy, how could they be doing any better? I'm not saying this is a winning strategy or anything, just that given the (self-imposed) constraints, I don't think they're doing too badly. Obviously it can't continue beyond previews, but I don't think anything definitive can begleaned just yet."

There is only so long that a show, even a pretty modest one like MHE, can survive by selling tickets at below operating cost prices. The biggest issue is that even with selling the cheapest tickets that they're not getting butts in the seats. There are a lot of things working against MYE. It's a pretty out there concept for Broadway and it's a relatively small show with no huge names to market or the kind of spectacle that the average Broadway audience expects. I know that Darren Criss has a following, but he's not Eddie Redmayne is his ability to bring in an audience (and it's not reasonable to expect that he would be able to). Add in the factors like the twice-delayed opening and it's not a surprise that the show is in the situation that it is.

Previews are valuable in gaging interest and buzz about a show and outside of boards like this, there just isn't a whole lot of interest in MHE. The next two weeks before opening night are going to be critical. Unless they can start filling the theater without nearly giving tickets away, it's not going to survive.

Updated On: 10/30/24 at 03:59 AM

@Wayman_Wong, hopefully you'll plan or get to see MHE. I had no expectations when I saw it last weekend but after watching it, I really preferred it over Sunset Blvd and Tammy Faye.

Quick question about TKTS. I know TKTS prices are up to 50% off but who gets the profit: TKTS/TDF or the show? If TDF gets the profit, then are tickets sold through TKTS part of the show's grosses as reported here?

Ravanne_1 said: "PaigeTurner2 said: "Wouldn't these numbers be expected bythe MHE producers/investors though? I mean, when your average ticket price is so low and you're apparently papering like crazy, how could they be doing any better? I'm not saying this is a winning strategy or anything, just that given the (self-imposed) constraints, I don't think they're doing too badly. Obviously it can't continue beyond previews, but I don't think anything definitive can begleaned just yet."

There is only so long that a show, even a pretty modest one like MHE, can survive by selling tickets at below operating cost prices. The biggest issue is that even with selling the cheapest tickets that they're not getting butts in the seats. There are a lot of things working against MYE. It's a pretty out there concept for Broadway and it's a relatively small show with no huge names to market or the kind of spectacle that the average Broadway audience expects. I know that Darren Criss has a following, but he's not Eddie Redmayne is his ability to bring in an audience (and it's not reasonable to expect that he would be able to). Add in the factors like the twice-delayed opening and it's not a surprise that the show is in the situation that it is.

Previews are valuable in gaging interest and buzz about a show and outside of boards like this, there just isn't a whole lot of interest in MHE. The next two weeks before opening night are going to be critical. Unless they can start filling the theater without nearly giving tickets away, it's not going to survive."

Unfortunately despite being a 4 person cast Maybe Happy Ending is not a modest show, its weekly nut is around $650K, which is more then Suffs, A Wonderful World, & Juliet, and The Notebook. The issue is it's set is massive and costs a pretty penny to be maintained each week. Similarly this is one of the reasons Redwood took the midsized Nederlander over the Booth or any of the smaller broadway houses despite having a cast of 8, the production elements wouldn't fit in a small house, and even if they did they would make operating cost probative.

Updated On: 10/30/24 at 10:45 AM

OH MARY has to be close to recouping right?

Considering their extremely active marketing and social media, I would think if Oh Mary recouped, they would publicly celebrate it.