Brooks Confirms 'Frankenstein' for Hilton, Casting- Page 4

[Popular]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:16pm

Ok, you know what.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since I haven't actually heard the podcast interview. It's the title of the article I have the most beef with. He didn't actually CONFIRM anything.

I still don't care for how the whole subject is being handled though. And yes, I understand it's business. That doesn't make it less tacky.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:17pm

Surely we should also be criticizing William Ivey Long for saying a bigger castle would have to be built. It's not exactly subtle is it? And he hasn't waited for PQ's closing notice.

[kec]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:20pm

"The Pirate Queen is sinking; the grosses have been going down for weeks."

Hmmm... my look at the grosses since the show opened says differently. The grosses have NOT been going down for "weeks." It's actually gone up and down, with the most significant drop being last week, not surprisingly, since that is after the Tony nominations were announced.

I am well aware that the show has not done as well in the grosses as some of the others that have opened this season, but I find it a bit tiresome to almost constantly read that the show has been "sinking for weeks" when the numbers indicate otherwise.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:23pm

I am the first one to admit that Brooks often speaks out of turn and often says things that may be considered poorly timed or inappropraite, but frankly, it is not Brooks' responsibility to soothe the feelings of the PQ team. He is talking about his own project and has no obligation to talk about another show in his press discussions. Frankly, if the PQ cast has not been told that they are in trouble, I would be very surprised and more surprised to hear that this cast does not already KNOW they are in trouble without being told. If closing and opening dates for sequential shows have not been announced, it is not Brooks' fault, it is the fault of the PQ production team and the theater and producers of PQ.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:26pm

I don't know about that, kec.

If I remember correctly, the show went slightly up from the last week of previews to the opening week, and it has gone down since, getting the major drop last week.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:38pm

That was indeed my point, devionian.t.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:38pm

THE PIRATE QUEEN, % attendance:


3/11 - 85.2
3/18 - 81.1
3/25 - 81.3
4/01 - 80.7
4/08 - 75.2
4/15 - 83.4
4/22 - 77.7
4/29 - 73.5
5/06 - 72.6
5/13 - 73.5
5/20 - 64.2

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:41pm

4/15: Iceberg, right ahead!
Updated On: 5/25/07 at 01:41 PM

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:49pm

I think a lot of this is that people feel really badly for all the people involved in The Pirate Queen. I certainly do. It's a lot of talent completely wasted and no matter how many people say they like the show, I think that deep down they know there are certain basic problems with it. Most of this emphasis on Mel Brooks looking like the villain, twirling his evil mustache in the wings, is stemming from pity for the Pirate Queen team. But I think we all knew it wasn't going to last long.

No one is to blame, unless you want to point fingers at the composers for creating something so mediocre.

[amalou]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:59pm

"It's the title of the article I have the most beef with. He didn't actually CONFIRM anything."

He only says "It looks like" it'll be the Hilton. And he goes on to say how cool it would be because he needs a big stage. I like Mel Brooks (though I think the original movie of the Producers was MUCH better than the musical) and I don't really think he did anything wrong. The only problem I have with this whole thing is that they made it out to be a confirmation when it's not really a confirmation.

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 2:37pm

I gotta go o/t for a minute here:
He said he saw 42nd Street at the Hilton-that's not where he saw it. It played the newly-rennovated (at the time) Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
I only did see it once but I still have the playbill and remember which theater it was at.
And it wasn't the Hilton, which to the best of my knowledge, didn't exist yet.
Must say I do feel terrible for the PQ cast, crew-this must be awfully upsetting. Even if they were aware they were doomed from the time the reviews came out, this has to be putting salt in the wound. My deepest sympathies go to them. With any luck, we'll see them again in something more successful really soon.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 2:58pm

bwaygirl- The Hilton was the Ford Center. They just renamed it.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:02pm

Ha, yes. 42nd Street was at the now-called Hilton.

And I feel worse for the talented 40+ cast, ensemble, etc. of CORAM BOY who are in a great show that was unnecessarily panned.

I feel bad people will be out of a job, but if the show is not good, it should not be open. That's the life of a thespian.

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:11pm

oh, okay. Those coporate theaters (what happened to the ones named after the real theater folks.) are so confusing.

[Popular]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:24pm

While I can understand why people are feeling sorry for the cast, here is why I wont despair over their situation...

I haven't heard of even one person connected with the show publically asking for sympathy, whining, moaning, saying something bitter, or stooping down to bad mouth in return. They have been very classy and with good humor about how they are handling they naysayers - TRUE PROFESSIONALS - despite the fact that it must've stung a little!

They go to work still full of pride about what they are doing up there each night and are lucky enough to be loving what they do and who they are doing it with. At least that's how it seems to me.

That, my friends, is nothing to feel bad about at all! :)
Updated On: 5/25/07 at 03:24 PM

[i_heart_roger_bart]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:25pm

Well, I know how you PQ fans feel. They did the same thing when The Producers didn't have a closing date, back when they were planning to put YF at the St. James. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm PISSED it's going to the Hilton. YF belongs at the St. James! Not the damn Grinch!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:26pm

I've heard of one actor in the company who said, "I got a year's worth of paychecks. I have no complaints."

[NDR]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:37pm

My only comment here folks - despite rudeness, feelings,etc. - is that The Pirte Queen's grosses (not capacity as some folks like to point out) are fairly good. I don't see PQ closing soon if the grosses (not capacity) remain where they are.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:40pm

I doubt $598,689 is "fairly good" for the Hilton.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 3:42pm

And for a show the size of The Pirate Queen.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 4:06pm

How have the grosses for PIRATE QUEEN been "fairly good." The show should not have come to New York like that after the Chicago reviews.
Brooks' comments were very much misdirected by the headline.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 4:10pm

I'm tired of fighting with people on here who have no clue to what is going on.
Um, you mean like you had no clue what was going on with Susan Stroman getting a tour "in front of the cast"? Talk about arrogance...

I don't love Mel Brooks and I'm not too optimistic about Young Frankenstein's adapatation, but does anyone honestly believe that Pirate Queen would have lasted until Halloween? It's an expensive musical with a big cast and they're playing at an average of 75% and based on the grosses, not making enough to break even on a weekly basis, let alone about paying back the initial investment.

Be realistic. Don't make Mel Brooks out to be the bad guy just for announcing what you (or the Pirate Queen fans you sympathize with) refuse to admit to yourself.

[queenbee2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:05pm

I try to get out, and they keep sucking me back in.

Please, orangeskittles- enlighten us with your knowledge. Exactly what does it cost to run the Pirate Queen every week, and what is their original investement. Then please tell me where you got this information.

I can't wait.

-QB (whose favorite thing about this board is watching people speculate what running cost/weekly nuts are with ZERO knowlege of the facts)
Updated On: 5/25/07 at 05:05 PM

[Julian2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:13pm

If PQ closes soon, dose that not mean the cast can collect un-employment?

Just saying.

But while were on the subject of the St. James, I would rather the Grinch would go to Madison Square Garden, instead of mucking up the Broadway Theater situation by claiming limited runs in May, and closing that theatre off as an option to open runners.

[James885]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:17pm

I think it was mentioned earlier somewhere (I forget where, maybe it was Riedel's column) that the total investment for The Pirate Queen was somewhere around $16 million. I don't know their exact running costs but I would guess that in a theatre the size of the Hilton, they would have to gross about $1 million a week in order to recoup their investment. This is just speculation of course. I don't know anything about their running costs or if the cost of the investment is true.

And I would venture to guess that they almost certainly are not breaking even with attendance in the 60's