Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 7/9/17- Page 2

[BroadwayMan5]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 5:16pm

Will3700 said: "I have tickets for War Paint and Miss Saigon for late September. Should I be worried?  We have 7 other shows as well including Hello Dolly, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen(which I saw in Jan but convinced my sister to see it again)  But I really want to see those two.

 

"

I wouldn't count on War Paint still being around but I think Miss Saigon will make it to its planned closing in January

[bear88]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 5:30pm

Great Comet faces a host of uncertainties, not to mention the question of its costs. For a Fourth of July week, its numbers don't seem too bad. The show wasn't printing money with Groban, except for its last few weeks. (I recall how easy it was to get good seats in April.)

Short-term questions: How does Oak as Pierre affect the box office? Does Michaelson help, assuming we can tell? Do the show's numbers stabilize or even improve from here, or is this the start of a long decline?

Longer-term issues: I assume much of the original cast moves on to other projects once their contracts are up. A transition to a new cast, in a show like this, seems especially challenging.

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:03pm

little_sally said: "It's kind of surprising how little interest there was in the Miss Saigon revival.
 

"

I think they made a big mistake in bringing Allistair Brammer over to play Chris. No offense to him, he is very talented, but I think the show needed a more well known actor in America. An Aaron Tveit or someone who has more fame and would be a draw. 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:09pm

"Longer-term issues: I assume much of the original cast moves on to other projects once their contracts are up. A transition to a new cast, in a show like this, seems especially challenging."

 

If a mass exodus were to happen, it would not only be  a challenging transition but a very expensive one too. 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:39pm

I didn't realise until I read it on here recently that Eva Noblezada was discovered by the miss saigon team on the Jimmy Awards. She was only a high school kid and was cast to originate a lead role on the West End. Thats an amazing star maker story. I am surprised that that wasn't more of a PR selling point. 

 

 

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 6:49pm

I was at War Paint recently, and the mezzanine was embarrassingly empty. I do think that'll be next on the chopping block, followed next by Bandstand.

Also, um, Beautiful posted some particularly poor numbers this week...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:04pm

Sunny11 said: "I didn't realise until I read it on here recently that Eva Noblezada was discovered by the miss saigon team on the Jimmy Awards. She was only a high school kid and was cast to originate a lead role on the West End. Thats an amazing star maker story. I am surprised that that wasn't more of a PR selling point. 
"

A selling point to whom?   I'm not trying to be nasty, but the number of people that have any idea what the Jimmy Awards are is even smaller than the number of people that watch the Tonys.  

[massofmen]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:04pm

Not just this week but for a while. Beautiful is sitting in the 700k range in the middle of the summer. That's not good. 

 

Hogan's you said ghd would last until Jan 1, you want to amend that statement? (They are on tdf for 7 performances in the middle of the summer)

I think cfa might last a very long time. Their op costs must be nothing. They have chairs for a set, it's every producers dream. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:07pm

^They are going to make a FORTUNE once rights and royalties go public.  I know I'll grab them early on!

[Sunny11]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:14pm

dramamama611 said: "Sunny11 said: "I didn't realise until I read it on here recently that Eva Noblezada was discovered by the miss saigon team on the Jimmy Awards. She was only a high school kid and was cast to originate a lead role on the West End. Thats an amazing star maker story. I am surprised that that wasn't more of a PR selling point. 
"

A selling point to whom?   I'm not trying to be nasty, but the number of people that have any idea what the Jimmy Awards are is even smaller than the number of people that watch the Tonys.  

"

A selling point to the same people who loved that Alex Sharp won a Tony for his first job out of college. Its the appeal of the overnight sensation. 

The Jimmy awards wouldn't even need to be referenced, only the fact that Eva was still only a minor when she was cast in an iconic role. 

Updated On: 7/10/17 at 07:14 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:18pm

I totally get what you're saying, Sunny, but I think you're overestimating how much ticketbuyers care. I think people saw Curious because Sharp won the Tony, not because he won it quickly. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:24pm

It's a great story, sure, but I doubt it sold many tickets.   If I remember correctly the show was a success even before it won Tony Awards.  

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:46pm

What show broke the record for highest gross for a show in a theatre under 1,000 seats before Dear Evan Hansen?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:46pm

massofmen said: "Hogan's you said ghd would last until Jan 1, you want to amend that statement? (They are on tdf for 7 performances in the middle of the summer)

I think I'll wait just a little while longer

I think cfa might last a very long time. Their op costs must be nothing. They have chairs for a set, it's every producers dream. 

I more or less agree, though the set is not really even a blip on the screen of the op costs which are not anywhere near nothing but also not the kind of albatross that's hung around the neck of show's like Comet and Ground Hog.

@Sunny People buy tickets to shows that they've heard are great, and/or with actors they've heard are great. It is insulting to suggest that people wanted to see Alex Sharp because of a human interest story. 

[JBC3]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 7:51pm

I am coming in this weekend for one of the three five-day trips I make to NYC each year to see shows. I have to tell you, it was pretty tough to fill out my dance card with things I really, really wanted to see.

To me, there were a lot of OK possibilities (Bandstand, War Paint, et al), but not many where I felt I would really be missing out. So two slots went to a Joes Pub show and Spamilton ... quality fillers per se.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 8:15pm

People must have hated that "War Paint" number, which I really enjoyed. Before the Tonys they had sell-out crowds, over a million a week, and then bam. Now it's barely hanging on.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 8:47pm

RippedMan said: "they had sell-out crowds, over a million a week, and then bam. Now it's barely hanging on."

This is exactly what a lot of people on here predicted would happen to this show, though. It had three killer months when all of the gay diva fans threw their wallets at Patti and Christine (myself included), but there's only so many in that demographic. Now it's about to flatline.

[WaffleOnWheels]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 8:54pm

I'm only 15, and I saw War Paint with a friend last month for my birthday.

We, at the end of the curtain call we both came to the conclusion that the most climactic moment in the show was Lupone's entrance. 

Therein lies the problem. I saw a good chunk of people leave at intermission. They want Patti and Christine, and don't even think prior to what the show actually is. They get there, and regret it.

Think about it. Would you pay large amounts of money to see a show about two women singing in isolation about each other for two and a half hours, if you didn't know it was Lupone or Ebersole? The people who wanted to see this show for the leading ladies already have, leaving little audience left.

I happen to find the score to be hauntingly gorgeous, but I was honestly terribly not impressed by the book.

I feel bad, because of the potential I truly believe this show had. 

Updated On: 7/10/17 at 08:54 PM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 8:58pm

Astutely put, WaffleOnWheels.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 9:00pm

RippedMan said: "People must have hated that "War Paint" number, which I really enjoyed. Before the Tonys they had sell-out crowds, over a million a week, and then bam. Now it's barely hanging on."

 

BroadwayWorld has also completely neglected the fact that many hoards of people, myself included, absolutely hated War Paint. I found it to be borderline unwatchable, and plays out like a melodramatic SNL skit (not to be rude to SNL). I'm excited for something more worthwhile to open up at the Nederlander.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 9:06pm

HH, wouldn't you guess that the running costs of DEH are also on the low side? Not much in elaborate sets, a relatively small cast and a seven piece orchestra. If I'm right, it's hard to believe that it hasn't recouped yet. 

[markypoo]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 9:08pm

In addition, much too much attention is paid to the men in their lives.

The story is/was supposed to be about Arden and Rubenstein.

Period.  End of post.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 9:59pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "HH, wouldn't you guess that the running costs of DEH are also on the low side? Not much in elaborate sets, a relatively small cast and a seven piece orchestra. If I'm right, it's hard to believe that it hasn't recouped yet. "

 

As I have stated on here before, DEH is expected to recoup by late August or early September. Also expect to see CFA recoup by September or October. Their weekly nut is insanely low for a musical, hovering between $400 and $450k on average.  

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 10:28pm

I think before Labor Day sounds right, though we might not hear until later (or ever), but this week makes it seem like it might be even sooner. That wagon has to be filling up.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/10/17 at 11:06pm

I mean, I get what people are saying about War Paint, but the two ladies NEVER met, so I'm not sure what you'd want more from the book? The show, as conceived, would always be vignettes. There wasn't much "drama" to them, besides being revivals. I just wonder what another director would have done with it. I don't think it was the best directed/designed as it could have been.