Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 9/27- Page 3

[minicko88]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 2:35pm

blaxx, Young Frankenstein was 10 times better than the Little Mermaid... However, it was not nearly as good as The Producers... A reliable source close to the show told me that Mel Brook's early ticket price boost was the main reason for it not doing so well. The show had average attendence every week but wasn't making nearly as much as they thought it would. I saw both shows, and there is no way The Little Mermaid was anywhere near the caliber of Young Frankenstein. However, 9 to 5 was a disaster... At least I got to hear Norm Lewis sing a tune... His one song was better than the entire 9 to 5 musical! As for Shrek, its a fun, entertaining show for familys and kids. I loved the show, and Who I'd Be is one of the greatest numbers on broadway in a long time. So I hope it stays open!

[sking]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 6:26pm

One year in and Billy Elliot STILL hasnt recouped at those grosses?
Their weekly costs or initial investments must have been quite a bit higher then rumored.

[camncal]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 7:56pm

Billy Elliot doesn't look that expensive, i wonder why it hasn't recouped.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 8:36pm

Just because a show doesn't "look" expenisve doesn't mean anything. There are many kids in the show which means they need to have some sort of chaperone. That would add to production costs along with everything else involved with a regular nut.

[yankees1253]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 8:57pm

They have a huge company and crew for billy elliot, i'm sure they will recoup by the end of this year. do shows really have to publize when they recoup?.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 9:31pm

"Good lord, what a bunch of nitpicky argumentative queens we have here. Yep, no one outside the theater world knows who she is. But so what? Everyone in the theater does. So, that small group's interest COULD explain why ROA is UP slightly in the capacity department, and UP about 8% in gross since the week before she started.

Or you all arguing that her casting has/will have no effectr at all? Cause that sounds pretty dumb."

Barney Stinson, yes, you are right the grosses went up, but if you say that Kerry Butler's caused the gross increase, you are being ignorant to the other factors that may have caused the sales increase. For example, if you look, the average ticket price was higher the week of 9/27 than the week of 9/20. Likewise, the average price was higher the week of 9/20 than the week of 9/13.

Considering that no one outside the theater community knows who Kerry Butler is, you cannot fully attribute the increase to her casting. You say "so what?" in response to that, but you are forgetting that a majority of the audiences who see this show are people outside of the theater community and are the ones that have a much heavier impact on ticket sales.

Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical, and people will go for the 80s music and rock concert element.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 9:35pm

They have a huge company and crew for billy elliot, i'm sure they will recoup by the end of this year. do shows really have to publize when they recoup?.

No, they don't have to. But honestly, why wouldn't they? It's the best publicity they can get out there.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 9:35pm

"A reliable source close to the show told me that Mel Brook's early ticket price boost was the main reason for it not doing so well. The show had average attendence every week but wasn't making nearly as much as they thought it would."

Yeah, that was pretty much known and not that secret.