Broadway hits and flops — Page 2

How can Pajama Game be a hit when it was Roundabout? Am I forgetting something?

"This is depressing. I do love a lot of shows that are considered flops both financially and critically, but to see the likes of COMPANY and GREY GARDENS in the flops list makes me really sad. I know everyone says "it's a business" but it's also an experience when you see a show and if something moves you, you're not thinking "but still...it's a business." It feels like more than that. And lists like this bring the sad reality back into view."

I find it the opposite of depressing. I think it's wonderful that even though a show may fail financially, it can still have a fan base, and a well- loved cast album, and many regional productions, and school productions, and even revivals.

I think it's amazing that even though Caroline or Change didn't make back it's investment, producers brought it to London where it won Oliver Awards.

I think it's amazing that even though Wedding Singer was a financial flop, it has had a national tour, and is gaining an increasing fan base.

I think it's amazing that even though Side Show was a flop, theatre folk (including those on this board) discuss it all the time, and it is hugely popular and being bandied about by Roundabout for a possible revival.

I think it's amazing that even though Ragtime was a flop, it is hugely well- known and has its songs performed all the time at concerts and in regional productions.

I think it's fascinating to know the financial status of Broadway productions, so one can contrast this with their impact, artistic worth, etc. Thank you, frontrowcentre2.

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Well Done Front Row Centre 2 for taking so much time and care by compiling this list, made fascinating reading.

Suprised to see that Sunset Boulevard was a flop.

The flop that struck me was the "No, No Nanette" revival in 1971 - one of the huge hits of the season. From what I've read about the production (and the producers) this sounds like a creative accounting flop.

On the subject of a scaled-down production of Sunset Boulevard, The Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England will produce the show in July.

The Watermill is most famous for John Doyle's innovative style of actor-musicians (Sweeney Todd, Company etc.), mainly because it's such a small space (approx. 220 seats) there's no room for an orchestra!

You are correct, the 1971 NO NO NANETTE was inadvertently listed as a flop..it was indeeed a hit as per Best Plays. (I corrected that.) It was Harry Rigby's revival of IRENE that sing in red ink despite a long run.

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Their list last season was FILLED with inaccuracies.

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Thanks for this excellent list, frontrowcenter. It is yet another tool in my database to try to figure out what cast albums I am missing.

didnt footloose recoup?

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I find it hard to believe that THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE was a flop...

TiffanyB: Why is that hard to believe? The show ran two years but much of that time it was just making back costs without showing much profit.

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FOOTLOOSE did not recoup as of closing. Subsequent income from tours and regional stagings may have pushed it out of the red but the producers have never re-stated its status.

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The first thing I noticed was the flop/hit ratio of shows in the 40s. 8 flops vs. 28 hits!

This is misleading because ONLY shows that got cast albums are listed. There were a lot of flops in the 40s too that were not recorded and today are (justly) forgotten. (MY DEAR PUBLIC; HAIRPIN HARMONY; WHAT'S UP?; ALLAH BE PRAISED; TAKE A BOW; SADIE THOMPSON; RAHPSODY; THE GIRL FROM NANTUCKET... etc)

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Isn't Mary Poppins a hit now? I'm sure it recouped recently.

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