Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 9/10/17 — Page 2

Itonlytakesajourney said: "I wonder who they'll get after Berndette, Gavin, Kate, and Beanie leave. Of course Will Burton and Melanie Moore as well, but they're minor characters with little onstage appearances. Betsy Wolfe could've been a great Irene if she wasn't Carrie. Anyways, this isn't the place for casting ideas, butI do wonder who Rudin had up his sleeve."

Are Creel and Kate both signed on through July?! All the articles say they extended and will perform with Bernadette, but not with any further clarity.

haterobics said: "Itonlytakesajourney said: "I wonder who they'll get after Berndette, Gavin, Kate, and Beanie leave. Of course Will Burton and Melanie Moore as well, but they're minor characters with little onstage appearances. Betsy Wolfe could've been a great Irene if she wasn't Carrie. Anyways, this isn't the place for casting ideas, butI do wonder who Rudin had up his sleeve."

Are Creel and Kate both signed on through July?! All the articles say they extended and will perform with Bernadette, but not with any further clarity."

I'm not sure, but if they extended their contracts they are bound to go beyond March (their rumored departure date before the announcement). I'd say Bernadette, Gavin, Kate, and Victor stay until July, where they'll be replaced.

haterobics said: "Jarethan said: "Once Peters leaves, whether it is 3 months, 6 months or 12 months later"

Well, she's already signed on for 6."

Won't matter at all once they bring Mandy Patinkin in three weeks into her run

After Eight said: "Not the elitists, the smug, superior, "smart"set,the push-the-envelope brigade,the self-proclaimed"intellectual" crowd.They can't abide it, just like they can't abide anything wonderfulthat fills people with joy. Does that make them grinches? Frankly, I'd say they're far worse!"

I'm curious how I enjoy Dolly (saw Bette 3X so far), but also adore a lot of the shows you deride with the above terms?!

qolbinau said: "It's pointless discussing but I do think the idea that Murphy would have won the Tony is a little controversial - the competition between LuPone and Ebersole would have been more fierce without Bette, I bet!

And RE: Murphy's grosses - I do indeed wonder if they are artificially elevated because some people thought they were seeing Bette and didn't bother to get refunds. Similarly, as mentioned Bernadette is opening in the slowest time of the year for Broadway, which makes things a little bit more difficult. That said, Bernadette is a much, much bigger name than Murphy (Bernadette has over 10 times the amount of Twitter followers as Murphy) - I can already see that while Bernadette's run is definitely not going to be the Bette smash-hit, she is managing to sell a decent chunk of expensive orchestra seats already early into the run. Hopefully it has a strong start (cf. War Paint & Follies), but with stronger popular appeal and great reviews can maintain a healthy 6-month run after Bernadette's initial rush of fans starts to die down."



I doubt that the War Painters would have given Murphy a run for her money. Murphy is a great Broadway actress in a great role in a great production of a great show, and she is doing it proud, according to the reviews and boards. I would venture that the critics reviews have generally said that Murphy is giving a better performance than Midler, singing far better...what she can't capture is the Midler legend, and the audience's history and ongoing love affair with her. I am taking bets that Peters will gert the same kind of reviews as Murphy...I can just see her doing So Long, Dearie now.

Ebersole and Lupone, at least one of whom is a great Broadway actress (arguably both, but not IMO) have also each won 2 Tony awards, but are starring in a dog that continues to die a slow death. Between cutting into each other's votes, they would have been constrained by the dislike for the show --- sure there are people who like / love it, but I daresay they are in the minority, otherwise it'd be doing better.

(NOTE: I haven't actually seen Murphy in the role yet; ironically, I am on an Amtrak train making its way to NYC as I type this, and am going specifically to see Murphy tonight).

kdogg36 said: "I lovedHello Dolly!, but I know people who would find it a chore to sit through it. This is nota character flaw, but an utterlybenign difference of opinion."

I loved Dolly all those years ago, but now found the whole thing silly and trite. Just means my 'style' of theatre has changed. Same with brussel sprouts--used to hate them, now I love them-go figure.

I wonder if the Shuberts are cutting Mackintosh a break on the rent at the Broadway? That's an awfully big house to have sitting empty all fall. And there's nothing even short-term booked for the spring before King Kong is scheduled in fall 2018. I'm not sure how much renovation or change may have to happen before the ape lands, but it seems like a limited run could go in for the spring.

evic said: "Probably enough to feed and house the people who are suffering in Florida."

I think you're overestimating what a Broadway show makes, and underestimating what the toll of a hurricane costs.

All of this talk about whether or not people knew they were seeing Donna Murphy instead of Bette Midler makes me think of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tries to make up with the Korean salon workers by taking them to see Midler's Broadway show only to find that her understudy was going on instead. It really contributes nothing to this conversation but it keeps making me giggle.