Broadway Hits & Flops: 2008

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 4:48pm

Variety published their annual statistics on the Broadway season 2007/08 that wrapped up May 25th.

First the good news:

-5 shows that opened this season have paid off and are classified as hits:

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
A BRONX TALE
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
MACBETH

-Joining the above are the following holdovers from last season which have moved into the "hit" category:

FROST/NIXON
MARY POPPINS
SPRING AWAKENING
(The revival of LES MISERABLES was technically an extension of the “Marius” tour that paid off in 1989)

-The following shows are not yet determined:

BOEING-BOEING
A CATERED AFFAIR
THE COUNTRY GIRL
CRY BABY
GREASE
GYPSY
IN THE HEIGHTS
THE LITTLE MERMAID
NOVEMBER
PASSING STRANGE
THE 39 STEPS (commercial transfer)
THURGOOD
XANADU
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
- 2 holdovers from last year that are still undecided:
CURTAINS
LEGALLY BLONDE

-The next group of shows are classed as nonprofit/miscellaneous and do not get classified:

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA
CYMBELINE
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES
MAURITIUS
OLD ACQUAINTANCE
PYGMALION
THE RITZ
SOUTH PACIFIC
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
THE 39 STEPS (Roundabout engagement)
TOP GIRLS


-And finally the FLOPS....

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2007/08 remount was separately capitalized from the production that ran on 2006/07)
THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION
GLORY DAYS
THE HOMECOMING
IS HE DEAD?
ROCK 'N' ROLL
THE SEAFARER

- and these holdovers from last season that closed in the red:

COMPANY
DEUCE
GREY GARDENS
INHERIT THE WIND
RADIO GOLF
TALK RADIO
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING
TARZAN

The top 10 grossing shows of the 2007/08 season were:

1. WICKED ($71.4 million)
2. JERSEY BOYS ($58.8 m.)
3. THE LION KING ($58.2 m.)
4. MARY POPPINS ($52.1 m.)
5. MAMMA MIA! ($43.1 m.)
6. LEGALLY BLONDE ($36.4 m.)
7. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA ($35.9 m.)
8. SPAMALOT ($35.6 m.)
9. HAIRSPRAY ($35.1 m.)
10.CURAINS ($31.9 m.)

[shh282]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 5:06pm

The fact that Is He Dead? was considered a flop kills me a little on the inside...

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 5:08pm

Company? A flop?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:08pm

It didn't make its investment back, so yes, it's a flop.

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:37pm

What was Curtains' production cost? I'm surprised it didn't recoup.

[SirNotAppearing]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:37pm

Are you kidding? DHP, Karen and Debra all probably cost a pretty penny.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:42pm

"The fact that Is He Dead? was considered a flop kills me a little on the inside..."

I feel the same about The Seafarer

[SahDu]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:48pm

"The Little Mermaid has been making a lot of money, so I would safely call it a hit now"

Can't call it a hit until it officially recoups.
Updated On: 2/15/14 at 06:48 PM

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 6:51pm

Still disappointed "Farnsworth" was a flop. It felt to me like it was running for months by the time I saw it in February.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 7:09pm

I don't know how any DISNEY show can be on either list since they never tell anyone how much a show costs in the first place.

I know they claimed that MARY POPPINS made back it's investment, but who really knows?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 7:23pm

Disney DOES report teh show costs and weekly grosses to Variety.

There is nothing personmal about shows being declared "flops." It simply means that the lost money.

I don't know why people take it so hard when a show they like loses money for the investors. After all, it's not YOUR money.

This list is merely a collection of stats, like the weekly grosses.

[SheepyFuzz]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 8:12pm

Disney probably makes a killing off merchandise. I haven't seen any of it, but it's Disney. They don't do anything half-assed when it comes to merchandise!

[christhefish]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 11:24pm

I find it so upseting when no one goes to see amazing shows. The fact that Grey Gardens, The Year of Magical Thinking and Company all closed in the red is very depressing.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 11:32pm

Money money money
Must be funny
In a Rich-Man's world

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 11:38pm

frontrowcenter, thanks for your input.
Can you point me to a link stating how much TARZAN or THE LITTLE MERMAID cost to mount on Broadway including out of town costs?

[KrissySim]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 12:12am

There is nothing personmal about shows being declared "flops." It simply means that the lost money.
I don't know why people take it so hard when a show they like loses money for the investors. After all, it's not YOUR money.
This list is merely a collection of stats, like the weekly grosses.

It happens not so much anymore but in publishing, a house would often publish a number of commercial things simply to sell, and then take up an obscure or unknown work simply because they thought it had literary value and should be published, even if at a loss.

Even if at a loss. Joyce's Ulysses comes to mind...

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 4:19am

You have to go through Variety's pages and look in reviews or articles aroudn the time a show opens and they usually mention the capitalization costs.

It is more upsetting to see people supporting crap shows, though as discussed many of them simply become tourist attractions and the people that attend go because of name recognition. Even if GREY GARDENS had run an extra 6 months I doubt it would have caught on with the tourist trade.

Updated On: 6/13/08 at 04:19 AM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:51am

It is strange that the Tony nominations have not significantly helped any of the shows at the box office. The win for best musical this year is crucial for the survival and evential "hit" status of any of the nominees.

[Okayfine]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:57am

I don't usually pay much attention to how nominations affect shows, so I can't really comment on the substance of that assertion, but hasn't it become more a matter of who comes across well on the telecast? I've seen some fabulous shows tank after they chose the wrong number or scene to present & some AWFUL shows see an uptick in sales after coming across very well. After all, that's why we see these dogfights every year over airtime. I know that quite a few people are annoyed that The Lion King is getting any time, for example. Like me. :)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:02pm

I'm not - I have been saying for years that the Tony telecast needs to showcase numbers from long-running shows that most likely are out on the road giving viewers beyond NYC a chance at seeing them.

[SgtDonut]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:28pm

Of course, these are only flops financially. Some of the "flops" were actually successes in entertaining audiences. Although I guess that's just naive of me to think that shows are produced for anything more than money.

[Okayfine]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:35pm

frontrowcentre2 - fair enough, but I still disagree because I think the Tony presentation is the chance to showcase & honor what's new, not what's been. Also, if a show is going on the road, I think it's up to the producers to pay for advertising & promotions & that's not in any way the responsibility of the Theatre Wing. I would rather see something like The 39 Steps get some air time over The Lion King. (Unless I'm mistaken, which is always possible [!], plays are not getting time on the telecast this year.)

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:42pm

No, it (I'm really superstitious, haven't said or typed the name of "The Scottish Play" in 7 years), just recouped.

[SgtDonut]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 2:02pm

LOL i'm listening to Superstition by Stevie Wonder right now! OMG coincidence because you said superstitious at the same time...

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 2:59pm

Frontrowcentre I agree this year the win for best musical really matters but I wonder why that award in general matters so much more than revival. All 3 revivals this year (i dont like including grease) are incredible and are equally deserving but in the past shows like La Cage have won the award and then announced closing the next day not not even allowing ticket sales to increase. so if the award matters so much why dont shows wait a little longer to see if the ticket sales increase. For instance passing strange, if it does not win will that mean that right away its going to announce its closing?