Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/29/2007- Page 3

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 2:20pm

Well, they don't have any stars or marquee names, they have a small orchestra, that alone saves them $20,000 a week, which is why there costs are at around $675,000.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:10pm

Remember guys that having a small orchestra doesn't necessarily mean a production saves money.

Each Broadway theatre is obligated to contract a certain minimum amount of musicians for musicals. I have no idea what that minimum is for the Hilton (though I bet PIRATE QUEEN does meet the quota) -- but you wouldn't save money by having say 4 musicians in the pit of the Imperial Theatre - as the producers would be required to pay for 10, whether or not they actually play or not...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:19pm

I still do think that critics have an impact on ticket sales. But some shows are critic proof, in both respects. Something like TARZAN is still running, while JOURNEY'S END is slowly dying.

Shows like TARZAN have a built-in audience. And the reason I don't think you can use shows like JOURNEY'S END, GREY GARDENS, and COMPANY to gage critics' influence is because they are shows that already have very limited audiences.

We all kind of knew from the beginning that GREY GARDENS would be a tough sell. It's such a specific, specific show that really requires prior knowledge to fully appreciate its genius.

COMPANY...it's a great production, but there are no stars, most of the acting is sub-par, the marketing is horrendous, and COMPANY was just done on Broadway about 10 years ago (even if it did suck.)

I guess people just aren't interested in them....once the real theatre buffs and culture whores are out of the way, it's on the tourist's shoulders. Sad.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:34pm

I cannot find anybody to go see Company with me

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:40pm

The Hilton minimum is 10

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:54pm

No, the contractual orchestra minimum for the Hilton theater is 19. The Special Situations Committee granted Pirate Queen a waiver for artistic reasons. They are indeed saving money with their smaller ensemble.

Back in the days of the original Chorus Line there were numerous cases of productions having to pay "walkers", musicians who didn't play but brought the orchestra size up to the house minimum, but this is unheard of these days. The Special Situations committee has made this unnecessary, much to the consternation of many Local 802 members.

Updated On: 5/1/07 at 03:54 PM

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 7:00pm

I cannot find anybody to go see Company with me

Aww If I knew you I'd go with you. :)

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 11:38am

Attending theater alone is not all that intimidating. You can generally strike up a conversation with nearby audience members during the intermission. I have met some very nice people in the COMPANY audience.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 11:47am

Looking at the grosses, I don't see Grey Gardens failing as much as it is in a little slump. I think as it gets closer to the Tony Awards attendance will increase.As for Company, I think it has alot to do with what munk said "...there are no stars, most of the acting is sub-par, the marketing is horrendous". Unfortunatly, unlike Sweeney Todd, they dropped the ball on this one. I can't even bring myself to see it agian...and this is from an avid theater goer.

[stockmanjr]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 5:47pm

This is the second week in a row that we've seen legally blonde with a riddclously low average ticket price. It was in the low $50's range last week and now this week $48.34. That number isnt quite as bad as radio golf's average ticket price of $36.99!

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 5/2/07 at 7:42pm

Aww If I knew you I'd go with you. :)

:-P Thanks anyway. Its not so much seeing the show alone that I don't want to do, but I tend to fall asleep on the train, and it is easier to fall asleep knowing that the person next to you isn't somebody who just got on who would get all sketched out if you started drooling on their shoulder.