barcelona20 said: "ACL2006 said: "Bill Snibson said: "Hamilton’s numbers are so insane. MR! is holding strong maintaining the #2 spot for the past few weeks. What else is coming in this season to rival that? ??♂️"
Nothing this season. Everything will be a bargain this season compared to what the MUSIC MAN is charging the following season. Gonna make HAMILTON tickets look cheap."
I just don't understand the desire of people willing to pay big bucks for a revival of Music Man. Hello Dolly made sense to me, but this, I just don't understand."
As a movie star who has little charisma IMO, Hugh Jackman has mega-charisma on stage. He is the sole reason for the ticket prices. I venture that most of the seats would be $100 less he was not in it. While I am disgusted with the prices, I assume that pricing is based on the premise that the show will probably close once Jackman's contract is up, and that that pricing will return the investment and a decent return on investment as well.
I still question whether Rudin should've closed HD, but he did, even though there were a number of female stars (and probably a few in drag) who could have played the role and done decent -- if far from Bette -- business for a while longer. And, who knows, maybe he could've found Pearl Bailey some point. David Merrick and Pearl are the reasons HD ran as long as it did...it was mega-out-of-steam when Bailey took over and turned it into a major hit again.
With Music Man, I can't think of anyone who will want to take over after Jackman leaves AND who will actually sell tickets. I can think of a few movie stars who can sing and would probably even be good, e.g., Jake G., Chris Pine, but I question why they would want to do it. Unless I am forgetting someone, I can't think of a Broadway regular who would sell tickets AND be right for the role.
I would argue that Jackman is more important to MM's success than Bette was to HD, and I assume the prices reflect that. Why? what other male star would sell tickets to MM (LMM??). While business would not have been what it was with Bette, there were other females who would have sold tickets for a decent run. IMO.