Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 11/3/24- Page 3

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 11/7/24 at 9:09am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "MHE’s weekly is, I’m told, $750K per week. This is the new normal.

So just to break even they will need to increase grosses by 2.5X what they’re currently doing.

I’m sure they were also hoping that the presence of Darren would be helpful to the preview sales, which it clearly isn’t."

Correct, all that automation is expensive.

[Ravanne_1]

Posted: 11/7/24 at 3:14pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "MHE’s weekly is, I’m told, $750K per week. This is the new normal.

So just to break even they will need to increase grosses by 2.5X what they’re currently doing.

I’m sure they were also hoping that the presence of Darren would be helpful to the preview sales, which it clearly isn’t."

Besides their weekly operating budget, they also have to start making back the money that they spent on development (which would be in the millions). We know that it normally takes a show months to pay back back the investors before a production would be judged as profitable.

The problem for MHE is that even with the discounts, they're not filling the theater. We're now less than a week before opening and the odds are that sales this week won't be better. As I've said before, DC may have a following but he's not that big a name. And if people aren't rushing to see this show when tickets are half price, the odds are that they're not going to when paying full price for seats. Outside of MHE getting absolutely stellar reviews, I will expect to see capacity down following opening night.

[OMG U Guyz]

Posted: 11/8/24 at 9:22am

I think it will just based on Elton’s participation alone - and they’ll probably try to extend thru the holiday season to make a little money but it all depends on reviews. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/8/24 at 6:24pm

Ravanne_1 said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "MHE’s weekly is, I’m told, $750K per week. This is the new normal.

So just to break even they will need to increase grosses by 2.5X what they’re currently doing.

I’m sure they were also hoping that the presence of Darren would be helpful to the preview sales, which it clearly isn’t."

Besides their weekly operating budget, they also have to start making back the money that they spent on development (which would be in the millions). We know that it normally takes a show months to pay back back the investors before a production would be judged as profitable.

The problem for MHE is that even with the discounts, they're not filling the theater. We're now less than a week before opening and the odds are that sales this week won't be better. As I've said before, DC may have a following but he's not that big a name. And if people aren't rushing to seethis show when tickets are half price, the odds are that they're not going to when paying full price for seats. Outside of MHE getting absolutely stellar reviews, I will expect to see capacity down following opening night."

I remember being shocked when the How to Succeed box office went up when Darren Criss took over for Daniel Radcliffe.  I assumed this was all due to the Gleeks, but it has been a long time since Glee.  I really did think he would still sell a decent number of tickets, but -- although he has been involved with some successful TV productions -- the parade has moved on.  A shame, particularly given all the positives written on this board abut the shw and his performance.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 11/9/24 at 9:27am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Moving RAGTIME to Broadway would be completely foolish from a financial standpoint, and it's not like one person is bankrolling it: it's still going to hit up the same investor pool as all other Broadway shows. (Its lead-producer is Tom Kirdahy, Terrence McNally's widower and a seasoned producer, but he's not going to self-fundit.)"

Aside from Into the Woods, I have not understood NYCC's transfer strategy so... it could happen for a limited run. Though I wish they could get Joaquina back or at least someone closer to Joshua Henry's age. I wouldn't mind Kate Baldwin for Mother either if Caissie's Next to Normal transfers.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 11/12/24 at 3:12pm

gibsons2 said: "So, Glengarry to Belasco?"

Correct, which is also a Jeffrey Richards show... One show (possibly) closes, another opens, same office.... 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 11:55pm

Why yes, I am going to pop into these old grosses threads to point and giggle at the vultures who tried to write Maybe Happy Ending's death warrant back in the fall.

I hope all of you have a blessed day!

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 12:26am

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Why yes, I am going to pop into these old grosses threads to point and giggleat the vultures who tried to writeMaybe Happy Ending's death warrant back in the fall.

I hope all of you have a blessed day! "

So obnoxious.

I'm happy to have been wrong about MHE. I'm glad the show turned it around. But we can only go on the knowledge we have at the time. I don't think anyone cares about this except you and the one other poster who bumped another thread.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 2:51am

Mr. Wormwood said: "BroadwayRox3588 said: "Why yes, I am going to pop into these old grosses threads to point and giggleat the vultures who tried to writeMaybe Happy Ending's death warrant back in the fall.

I hope all of you have a blessed day! "

So obnoxious.

I'm happy to have been wrong about MHE. I'm glad the show turned it around. But we can only go on the knowledge we have at the time. I don't think anyone cares about this except you and the one other poster who bumped another thread."

Yep. Obnoxious as hell. I’ll wear that badge proudly on this one (though I was going more for insufferable?)

[binau]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 3:01am

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Why yes, I am going to pop into these old grosses threads to point and giggleat the vultures who tried to writeMaybe Happy Ending's death warrant back in the fall.

I hope all of you have a blessed day! "

MHE is one of those very, very rare 'little show that could' success stories. It might be the most successful I've ever seen - unlike previous examples (e.g. Fun Home) this show didn't even appear to NEED the Tony to sell out. And yet 'Here We Are'. 

Anyone who has been championing MHE from the beginning must be absolutely thrilled - and I think you can have bragging rights and the satisfaction that dreams come true. I think any commenting predicting its failure in the beginning actually reflects what an amazing and unusual achievement this is - in any normal or typical world these predictions would have been right 90% of the time. It really is a remarkable achievement. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:27am

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Why yes, I am going to pop into these old grosses threads to point and giggleat the vultures who tried to writeMaybe Happy Ending's death warrant back in the fall.

I hope all of you have a blessed day! "

Calling people “vultures” and then say “I hope you all have a blessed day” is so Trumpian of you.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:54am

I do wonder how the show would play minus all the direction/design, but I was really taken with Maybe Happy Endings. And I'm happy for Criss. He gave a fantastic performance. 

[inception]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 9:18am

RippedMan said: "I do wonder how the show would play minus all the direction/design, but I was really taken with Maybe Happy Endings. And I'm happy for Criss. He gave a fantastic performance."

I think the two performances by Criss & Shen are what make it.  The set is cool, and when I walked out I thought to myself, "I can't wait for the coffee table book."  But the set isn't the show, & honestly I can't remember the songs. I remember Criss's face at the last moment.  The cast makes this such a delightful show.

The only song I still hum from any show I saw last Fall is "Jennifer Lopez has a back-up plan" from Big Gay Jamboree.  Now that is a show I'm very sad failed.  It had almost everything. My only complaint might be that the men in the cast all had too many clothes on for a show with that title.  Otherwise,  loved it more than DBH which I saw about an hour after.

[binau]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 10:24am

I agree it's the performances that are central but even though I don't love the score I thought I'd take a listen to the full show again so I could hear all the dialogue and I do think it really works in context, and I love the book. I completely forgot about the joke something like you got a 10 and Criss is like "she is a 5" LOL. Plus the production itself just presents everything and everyone in the best possible light. 

In my mind, it's almost like the show might not have done any one thing 'the best' this season, but as a whole achieves more than most else this season ('the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'). 

I think it could even survive replacing Darren if they find the right person.