Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/7/19- Page 2

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:08pm

I’m 100% done with the “next Hamilton” talk. A show can be good without it being a sweeping financial success for years and years. And anyone who says “X doesn’t deserve best musical” (or any other award) without saying who from this season does deserve it are just dumb. I didn’t enjoy the bands visit but I think it deserved best musical because it was the best musical that year. It’s not a hard concept. I have no problem with people saying “x didn’t deserve it because I think y should have gotten it” but let’s stop saying “x doesn’t deserve it because I personally don’t like it or because this season is so weak no one deserves it”

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:14pm

Honestly has there ever been another Hamilton?

I know Book of Mormon was pretty impossible to get reasonably priced tickets to for a long time, but I had no trouble getting tickets for Evan or Dolly when I tried and I certainly didn't pay Premium for either and got pretty great seats for normal price.

Hamilton is pretty easy to get tickets to in London, but it is still pretty bad in NYC is it not?

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:45pm

I agree nothing is gonna “be the next Hamilton” cause there won’t be anything like it. But to the people who are composing about talk like that, I mean you are in a grosses thread. Kinda the point. Not debating the show being good or not we’re predicting finiancial success

[Kitsune]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 6:52pm

Impossible2 said: "Honestly has there ever been another Hamilton?


Hamilton is pretty easy to get tickets to in London, but it is still pretty bad in NYC is it not?"

Was Rent's success comparable to Hamilton back in the day? Back in 1996 there wasn't premium pricing, and obviously there's been inflation. But it's the only other recent show I can think of that had a sit-down Chicago production and several consecutive tours - correct me if I'm wrong!

[Brodo Swaggins]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 9:14pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "BMC's $102 ticket average is pretty good, in that they're not papering the heck out of it. But a 16% drop is bad (on top of drops the previous 2 weeks)."

Yeah, the next few weeks will be great for it: spring break for NYC schools + Easter bonanza = $$$. But it's got other issues ongoing, like firing its press rep, branding identity, etc. Did you read the Forbes piece about it from last week? Here: http://bit.ly/2UjOzbn

[Brodo Swaggins]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 9:16pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "The only exception to this is Ain’t Too Proud, which is charging out the gate, but the same happened to flops like Summer and Charlie. Big million dollar+ grosses during the spring and summer and then a drastic drop off after Labor Day. Maybe Ain’t Too Proud can hang on a little longer and buck the trend."

Yeah, as others have said: Ain't Too Proud (while far from great) isn't a complete garbage fire like those other shows. It'll be fine for a long time. Des McAnuff is the luckiest (or shrewdest) guy on Broadway - flop after flop and people still keep giving him chances to recreate Jersey Boys...

[zainmax]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 9:32pm

Brodo Swaggins said: "WhizzerMarvin said: "The only exception to this is Ain’t Too Proud, which is charging out the gate, but the same happened to flops like Summer and Charlie. Big million dollar+ grosses during the spring and summer and then a drastic drop off after Labor Day. Maybe Ain’t Too Proud can hang on a little longer and buck the trend."

Yeah, as others have said: Ain't Too Proud (while far from great) isn't a complete garbage fire like those other shows. It'll be fine for a long time. Des McAnuff is the luckiest (or shrewdest) guy on Broadway - flop after flop and people still keep giving himchances to recreate Jersey Boys..."

I feel CHARLIE and SUMMER had more brand power than AIN'T TO PROUD, tho. And how much of SUMMER did McAnuff actually write? I know there were two other writers.

[zainmax]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 9:34pm

Brodo Swaggins said: "SomethingPeculiar said: "BMC's $102 ticket average is pretty good, in that they're not papering the heck out of it. But a 16% drop is bad (on top of drops the previous 2 weeks)."

Yeah, the next few weeks will be great for it:spring break for NYC schools + Easter bonanza = $$$. But it's got other issues ongoing, like firing its press rep, branding identity, etc. Did you read the Forbes piece about it from last week? Here:http://bit.ly/2UjOzbn"

Thanks for sharing!!! I love stuff about showbiz. Do any other shows use SM influencers? I want to be one. Hahaha.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 9:46pm

The Producers & The Book of Mormon were extremely difficult to get tickets to in the beginning. The Producers died once Lane & Broderick left. The Book of Mormon was a tough ticket the first 3-4 years.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/8/19 at 10:01pm

I feel like one difference is that Book of Mormon has maintained a very high standard in casting. Meanwhile, Hamilton's casting choices for its Broadway cast have been puzzling, and yet they're still able to charge enormous prices for a cast that's very variable. The night I went Michael Luwoye was incredible, but there were many cast members who were really not special at all.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 12:40am

Mike Barrett said: "I agree nothing is gonna “be the next Hamilton” cause there won’t be anything like it."

Something will be... maybe not this season, but something will...

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 1:25am

ACL2006 said: "The Producers & The Book of Mormon were extremely difficult to get tickets to in the beginning. The Producers died once Lane & Broderick left. The Book of Mormon was a tough ticket the first 3-4 years."

For what it's worth, I got 6th row dead center orchestra tickets to Book of Mormon for $90 during the 3rd week of previews at TKTS. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 1:42am

I keep forgetting that King Kong and The Prom are still open. I'm keeping an eye on Hadestown and Oklahoma! I can see ticket prices soaring with good press.

How expensive it is to run The Cher Show? For some reason the numbers for that show and Pretty Woman confound me. I can't tell if they're doing well or not.

Ain't Too Proud is doing AMAZING. Is it just the fans showing up in the early weeks or maybe a response to the lack of diversity in the current lineup of shows? 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 1:45am

I suspect Ain’t Too Proud is thriving in part due to good word-of-mouth. This may also do well with the bridge and tunnel crowd.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 2:22am

I saw Ain't Too Proud in the Berkeley Rep, and it was a huge success there. I had problems with the musical as theater, but it's quite entertaining (especially during the mid-Ephraim Sykes-as-David Ruffin section) with terrific choreography and Temptations songs. It turned my college-age daughter into the fan of the group.

Yeah, it' a less interesting version of Jersey Boys with a disappointing book. But I don't think this will fade quite as quickly as Summer. It's got mostly respectful reviews, and should play well with older audiences that aren't looking for high art - just a fun night out.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 8:40am

Impossible2 said: "Honestly has there ever been another Hamilton?

I know Book of Mormon was pretty impossible to get reasonably priced tickets to for a long time, but I had no trouble getting tickets for Evan or Dolly when I tried and I certainly didn't pay Premium for either and got pretty great seats for normal price.

Hamilton is pretty easy to get tickets to in London, but it is still pretty bad in NYC is it not?"

I feel that it was easy to get tickets to Hamilton back in summer and fall 2015 when it was in previews and the first few months after opening. Nowadays, I think the scalpers that buy ~90% of the tickets when the seats are released (some of us even think producers themselves put some tickets up on stubhub...)  Sure, the producers don't release all of the premium seats but when they do, it's priced at $849. They only reduce those prices to $229 less than a week before the performance. 

I have friends visiting me in May and from looking at a few dates in May for Hamilton, only seats left for sale are premium seats at $849 or Ticketmaster verified resale tickets priced at insane amounts (i.e. $400 for rear mezz.)

[Rogerdellibovi]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 8:49am

haterobics said: "Mike Barrett said: "I agree nothing is gonna “be the next Hamilton” cause there won’t be anything like it."
 

I agree. One crucial thing with hamilton is how even the tour was extremely difficult to get tickets to. In Cleveland they had a digital lottery to be able to buy tickets, and you could only buy up to 4 if you won. My friends and I had it open on both our phones and laptops hoping to get in. Only one of our devices (out of 6) was able to get tickets. I had a very different experience with the Book of Mormon tour, where tickets were easy to get. 

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 8:57am

ccbway said: "This board likes to make sweeping generalizations"

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 9:04am

Brodo Swaggins said: "SomethingPeculiar said: "BMC's $102 ticket average is pretty good, in that they're not papering the heck out of it. But a 16% drop is bad (on top of drops the previous 2 weeks)."

Yeah, the next few weeks will be great for it:spring break for NYC schools + Easter bonanza = $$$. But it's got other issues ongoing, like firing its press rep, branding identity, etc. Did you read the Forbes piece about it from last week? Here:http://bit.ly/2UjOzbn"

I just read the Forbes article and that is really interesting. I'm not big on instagram or twitter but I can see how SMI can target the younger audience more (I'm in my 30s). The only drawback though is there is a lot of fake followers (I think some influencers pay some bots company around $500 for every 10k followers they have...) In addition, the people who know about Be More Chill are those who are in their 20s and teenagers so not sure if SMI will help them or not. 

From the article, it seems like their weekly nut is $500k/week. At its current state, I'm not sure whether they can recoup that $9 million investment unless they can market to people who can pay full price $169 seats. 

[bowtie7]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 10:11am

Impossible2 said: "Honestly has there ever been another Hamilton?

 

I would think the opening of Phantom of the Opera would be the closest. Like Hamilton it created interest far beyond the usual Broadway show. (Just like Hamilton made Lin-Manuell Miranda internationally known, Phantom did the same for Andrew Lloyd Webber, an even more amazing achievement for an non-performer who never really jumped off the page.) The finances were different in the days before premium tickets (though scalped tickets were crazy expensive). Phantom also really changed the touring world, basically bringing a duplicate of the elaborate original productions to every city (for engagements that where five or six times as long as most touring shows) which immediately sold out. Phantom is also still going strong 30+ years later--we'll have to check in on Hamilton in 2045.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 11:41am

Wick3 said: "I feel that it was easy to get tickets to Hamilton back in summer and fall 2015 when it was in previews and the first few months after opening. Nowadays, I thinkthe scalpers that buy ~90% of the tickets when the seats are released (some of us even think producers themselves put some tickets up on stubhub...)Sure, the producers don't release all of the premium seats but when they do, it's priced at $849. They only reduce those prices to $229 less than a week before the performance.“

i can confirm it was not easy to get tickets in November 2015 which was technically still autumn. The crowd for the in-person lottery was insane and I and a friend ended up buying nosebleed (last row of rear mezzanine) tickets via the Marriott Marquis ticket concierge at a 625% markup.  When my friend and I returned in February 2016 those tickets probably would’ve been 4 times what we paid. 

Side note: It was my first time seeing Hamilton and even though I was in pain (no legroom up there) the entire show, it began my love affair with the show which I’ve seen twice again (in Chicago). I hope to see the tour when it stops through here in OKC this summer and again on Broadway again someday.  

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 1:54pm

I've seen Hamilton 3 times in London and spent a total of 200 quid for the 3 shows.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 2:39pm

@Miles2Go2, sorry it wasn't easy for you. We just had different experiences. If you look at the Hamilton cancellation line thread reports started around November 2015. I myself was able to get cancellation tickets that fall after waiting only ~3 hours in the line. I should have said early fall then! I guess my point was just there was a time when it was easier to get tickets for Hamilton on Broadway.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 3:24pm

Kitsune said: "Impossible2 said: "Honestly has there ever been another Hamilton?


Hamilton is pretty easy to get tickets to in London, but it is still pretty bad in NYC is it not?"

Was Rent's success comparable to Hamilton back in the day? Back in 1996 there wasn't premium pricing, and obviously there's been inflation. But it's the only other recent show I can think of that had a sit-down Chicago production and several consecutive tours - correct me if I'm wrong!"

 

In my lifetime of theatre going, there has  NEVER been anything close to the Hamilton 'phenomenon'.  Not Dolly, not Fiddler, not A Chorus Line, not Rent, Not BOM, Not Les Mis, not The Lion King.  The closest have been Phantom AND (while Lane and Broderick were in it) The Producers).  NOTE clearly, the latter was a a very temporary phenomenon because the show was dangerously associated with the two of them, particularly Lane's performance, which I believe will be permanently ensconced in theatre legend.  Without Lane, Kaput.

By the way, I am not a Hamilton groupie.  I LOVED Hamilton the first time, was a little restless the second time, and periodically bored the third time (I have commented before that I have never been a big fan of the staging...it remains too busy for means that business has detracted from my enjoyment).   

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/9/19 at 3:33pm

When was Fiddler ever that huge? In its initial run?