Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 9/25/22- Page 2

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 4:17pm

There will always be Lea Michele fans despite cancel culture. Question is whether that momentum can carry on with the non-GLEE fans in a few weeks or after the holidays.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 4:19pm

Yet again wishing we had gross potential in the weekly reports… sigh.

[The Pesky Pescatarian]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 4:28pm

SomeOtherMe said:  Her career absolutely took a hit. To suggest that it does't work or doesn't exist simply because her entire life wasn't completely destroyed, or because she's currently having a nice career moment (which is still in it's early phases, we'll see how it all plays out) is not totally accurate."

I agree with a lot of what you have written. But I think what a lot of people are shocked about is that when Twitter and the tiktok teens banished Lea to the cornfield, they expected her to stay there. It's pissing them off that she didn't. This is a great learning experience for them that when they said "I thought we all still hate Lea Michele" they're learning that they were just an extremely vocal minority. Atleast compared to the people who buy tickets. 

It also can't be discounted that Lea was lucky enough for role to meet moment. I have a hard time believing we would even be talking about her if not for the Fanny drama and Glee inception of it all. For her sake I hope she isn't stupid enough to squander any of the goodwill this brings her.

 

In other news an all black cast Gypsy with Audra as Mama Rose would have me selling all my worldly possessions. And I don't even care for Gypsy that much!

 

[east side story]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 4:34pm

Rudin was allegedly laying the tracks for a revival of Gypsy with Audra before his takedown. The project either died on the vine, or has been picked up by another producing team.

Also, Sutton has said for years that she wants it.

If the next revival doesn’t star a grand dame of the NY theater scene, it could always be a left field choice a la Tyne Daly.

[DAME]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 5:44pm

east side story said: "Rudin was allegedly laying the tracks for a revival of Gypsy with Audra before his takedown. The project either died on the vine, or has been picked up by another producing team.

No truth to any of this.  

 

[binau]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 5:50pm

Wick3 said: "There will always be Lea Michele fans despite cancel culture. Question is whether that momentum can carry on with the non-GLEE fans in a few weeks or after the holidays."

Well, look at the seating chart here for Funny Girl October 25th (Tuesday) vs Into the Woods for the same date.

FUNNY GIRL



 

INTO THE WOODS

​​​​​​​

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 6:16pm

The Pesky Pescatarian said: "SomeOtherMe said: Her career absolutely took a hit. To suggest that it does't work or doesn't exist simply because her entire life wasn't completely destroyed, or because she's currently having a nice career moment (which is still in it's early phases, we'll see how it all plays out) is not totally accurate."

I agree with a lot of what you have written. But I think what a lot of people are shocked about is that when Twitter and the tiktok teens banished Lea to the cornfield, they expected her to stay there. It's pissing them off that she didn't. This is a great learning experience for them that when they said "I thought we all still hate Lea Michele" they're learning that they were just an extremely vocal minority. Atleast compared to the people who buy tickets.

It also can't be discounted that Lea was lucky enough for role to meet moment. I have a hard time believing we would even be talking about her if not for the Fanny drama and Glee inception of it all. For her sake I hope she isn't stupid enough to squander any of the goodwill this brings her.



In other news an all black cast Gypsy with Audra as Mama Rose would have me selling all my worldly possessions. And I don't even care for Gypsy that much!

"

It's just good timing all around. I think if she took over in some other musical it wouldn't have much such a fuss. But hey, I think cancel culture - for the most part - is pretty stupid. So glad to see the show is keeping people employed and making people money. 

[east side story]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 6:34pm

DAME said: "east side story said: "Rudin was allegedly laying the tracks for a revival of Gypsy with Audra before his takedown. The project either died on the vine, or has been picked up by another producing team.

No truth to any of this.

"

Thanks.

Updated On: 9/27/22 at 06:34 PM

[Andres LaFrazia]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 7:02pm

Beetlejuice Best Week Since April! Phantom Sells Out, Into The Woods To Extend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iya9fxUhz_M

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 8:01pm

Whatever the merits/issues with "cancel culture" I don't see how it has anything to do with MJ. He hasnt been cancelled due to an alleged social offense; he was credibly accused of committing crimes.  Cancellation by the twitter army generally refers to someone being accused of doing something that has become socially unacceptable (with good reason, often!) and usually without any legal proceedings involved. 

I for one am NOT shocked one bit by MJ"s success: its a concert of some of the best music ever recorded, and apparently they did a good job choreographing it. I'm just morally repulsed by it, through and through, and think its acceptance as legitimate by the Broadway community exposes absolutely insane hypocrisy amongst so many. But that its printing money- that shouldn't surprise anyone.

 

<<Edited by moderators>>

Updated On: 9/27/22 at 08:01 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 8:49pm

Regardless of where anyone stands on the culture of de-platforming celebrities, one thing has become abundantly clear in the past 5 years or so: for better or for worse, “cancellation” is temporary. Except for the most extreme cases, hardly a single one has actually “stuck.” That’s been true for most people who were once “cancelled,” and it’s now true for Lea Michele. 

Updated On: 9/27/22 at 08:49 PM

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 9:18pm

Sutton Ross said: "ummm tell that to everyone who worked on Natashia, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 because I am sure they would disagree with you

Ummmmmm, who was canceled in that Broadway cast?"

No one in the cast from what I remember. It was the producers, who wanted to boost ticket sales by putting Mandy Patinkin in for 3 weeks and replacing Oak Onadowan entirely. I absolutely loved Great Comet and was glad I saw it. However, ticket sales declined after Josh Groban left. TBH, I wish he did a full year. Hopefully, he will do that with Sweeney Todd next year. Again, they should have closed the show when ticket sales were declining instead of stirring up controversy. Stunt casting to keep a show open is something I do not care for whatsoever. 

[Ke3]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 9:25pm

binau said: "Calling it now, the next revival of GYPSY will be Lea Michele as Rose."

It would take at least another 10 years before anybody considered her right for that role (the actual age of Mama Rose aside everybody always casts it older). We're almost certainly getting a Gypsy revival in NYC before then. It's already been 14 years since the last one.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 9:27pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "Sutton Ross said: "ummm tell that to everyone who worked on Natashia, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 because I am sure they would disagree with you

Ummmmmm, who was canceled in that Broadway cast?"

No one in the cast from what I remember. It was the producers, who wanted to boost ticket sales by putting Mandy Patinkin in for 3 weeks and replacing Oak Onadowan entirely. I absolutely loved Great Comet and was glad I saw it. However, ticket sales declined after Josh Groban left. TBH, I wish he did a full year. Hopefully, he will do that with Sweeney Todd next year. Again, they should have closed the show when ticket sales were declining instead of stirring up controversy. Stunt casting to keep a show open is something I do not care for whatsoever."

Sutton knows the whole story; no point in taking the bait here. None of the actors were cancelled; the show LITERALLY was cancelled instead.

THAT was a classic example of cancel culture in that a perceived slight was blown up by a twitterverse (and certain actors egging them on) in an effort to stop something they perceived to be socially unacceptable (replacement of an actor with a much more famous, bankable, and unimpeachably talented actor). I actually think its a classic example because it was a rare win for the social justice warriors (really only because Mandy Patinkin was like "get me outta here"; the fact that the producers and audiences shrugged off the Lea Michele nonsense shows the limitation of that community.

Of course, had Oak or Mandy or anyone been accused of committing heinous crimes, and fired as a result, that would NOT be a good example of cancel culture. But apples and oranges. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 10:07pm

No one in the cast from what I remember. It was the producers, who wanted to boost ticket sales by putting Mandy Patinkin in for 3 weeks and replacing Oak Onadowan entirely. I absolutely loved Great Comet and was glad I saw it. However, ticket sales declined after Josh Groban left. TBH, I wish he did a full year. Hopefully, he will do that with Sweeney Todd next year. Again, they should have closed the show when ticket sales were declining instead of stirring up controversy. Stunt casting to keep a show open is something I do not care for whatsoever."

Correct. No one was canceled and they all moved on to other things. The original poster who quoted me is woefully misinformed. 

[Chase Miller]

Posted: 9/27/22 at 11:12pm

Calling her out on her atrocious behavior absolutely did its job, depending on how you look at it. These allegations are something that will stay with her for the rest of her life. She'll consistently be forced to have to address them throughout her career and if it's true that she's mostly a nightmare to work with, it's now common knowledge and employers can decide whether or not they are willing to take that risk. Her career absolutely took a hit. To suggest that it does't work or doesn't exist simply because her entire life wasn't completely destroyed, or because she's currently having a nice career moment (which is still in it's early phases, we'll see how it all plays out) is not totally accurate."

It sounds like to me she's been given a second chance and she is earning the respect of her cast and the public.  I don't think she will have to address anything throughout her career IF she keeps herself in check. People are allowed to grow and change.

[binau]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 2:08am

If cancel culture means we see people experience loss of job or career opportunities from social media backlash, it obviously exists. To claim otherwise seems absolutely absurd - the only way you could do so is if you have a different definition of what it means, such as feeling your moral code means it was deserved or thinking that to be ‘cancelled’ you truly need to disappear forever (if so I can understand why you wouldn’t like the term). The people involved, the reasons why, the severity of it, the length of time it happens for etc all can change but obviously people on social media can and do affect these outcomes.

Updated On: 9/28/22 at 02:08 AM

[bear88]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 4:56am

Apples, oranges.

Great Comet, as much as I loved it, was on its last legs. Bringing in Mandy Patinkin, even for a few weeks, was a bid to revive interest in the musical and keep it running a little while longer. It was an easy target, and neither Patinkin nor the creatives wanted the ugliness. It still irks me but this incredibly diverse show was the one that got successfully targeted.

Funny Girl is a very different situation. If not for Lea Michele, the show would probably have closed by now. Despite her Broadway experience, Michele is the ultimate in stunt casting - an actor closely associated with the role because she played an actor starring in the musical on a successful TV show. If Lea Michele had returned to Broadway in any other musical, she wouldn’t have stirred the frenzy and interest she’s drawn this month. I don’t know how long it will last, but Michele turned a dying show into a hit. But it’s kind of a fluke.

MJ is a show with someone impersonating Michael Jackson, one of the most successful pop stars in American history. I’m not surprised the show is a success. People never stopped listening to his music.

 

[binau]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 7:28am

I kind of like what people used to say that there is a difference between stunt and event casting as stunt casting implies questionable casting decisions to achieve publicity and ticket sales. Stunt casting is Jerry Springer in Chicago. Lea Michele is Event casting. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 10:57am

ElephantLoveMedley said: "binau said: "Calling it now, the next revival of GYPSY will be Lea Michele as Rose."

...wait, but she would actually crush this role in a few years when she's the right age for it. Wow. What a great casting idea."

I have always wanted to see a production of Gypsy in which Rose is played by someone who is actually the age that Rose would have been in real life.  Rose was 21 when Gypsy was born and 22 when June Havoc was born.  Given the age that the girls are supposed to be at the beginning of Gypsy, Mama Rose would have been 31 - 32 at the beginning of Gypsy and in her 40s at the end of the show.

So, Michelle is already the correct REAL AGE to play Rose, much more correct than the people who have played her to great acclaim.

I think there would be additional layers of subtext to be explored by having a younger woman play the role, e.g., she's in her early 30s, but already knows it's too late for her...what does that suggest?  IS the relationship with Herby much about sex?

So, /i say that some brilliant producer should encourge her to follow-up starring in Jule Styne's second best score follow it with an appearance in his best score.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 11:56am

Jarethan said: "So, i say that some brilliant producer should encourge her to follow-up starring in Jule Styne's second best score follow it with an appearance in his best score."



I don't think she has the right "look" to star in "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol"

Updated On: 9/28/22 at 11:56 AM

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 1:14pm

I can't see Audrea as Rose at all. To me, her voice is too legit and operatic for the role. Donna Murphy, on the other hand, is my choice. But that ship may have sailed.

[Lot666]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 3:36pm

Oh Phantom, you're just killing me. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 3:42pm

sondheimfan2 said: "I can't see Audrea as Rose at all. To me, her voice is too legit and operatic for the role. Donna Murphy, on the other hand, is my choice. But that ship may have sailed."

I love Murphy, but - and maybe Lupone has ruined it for me - I want a Rose that can belt these numbers, and Murphy doesn't quite have that kind of voice. She's the definitive Passion for me though. And same with Audra, not sure she'd be my first show. Foster showed in The Wild Party she's not that kind of vocalist. But I'd be interested to see her play such a desperate character instead of her usually smiley/charming self. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/28/22 at 4:19pm

Michele is also walking on the thinnest rope. It only takes another wave of complaints about her language or behavior and she's donzo.

She better act like Shirley Temple on pacifiers for the next decade at least.