Cast changes impact box office

[skies]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 8:57pm

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/celebrity-cast-changes-impact-box-office-take-1435020334

The Wall Street article points out the current drop in box office with both FISH IN THE DARK and HEDWIG with Jason Alexander and Darren Criss.   I wish they would have included Brandy as proof of a draw that improved a box office recently as she seems to have boosted that old chestnut CHICAGO.

Personally I think it can be  more complicated.   Some shows simply start running out of steam, especially those built as a vehicle for a particular star/headliner.   IT will be interesting to see how Taye does with HEDWIG.

 

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:24pm

"Personally I think it can be  more complicated.   Some shows simply start running out of steam, especially those built as a vehicle for a particular star/headliner.   IT will be interesting to see how Taye does with HEDWIG."

Like you said, it is different if the show is built as a vehicle for particular star/headline. For example, "The Producers" was never the same after Lane and Broderick were gone. The shows that have little adverse affect at the box office are the ones with a very good ensemble cast and no real major star. I think Taye Diggs being in HEDWIG will get a little bump in the beginning but don't think it will be sustained because this show IMO was a Neal Patrick Harris vehicle.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/24/15 at 9:38pm

That's a rather stupid story.  First, they are comparing the grosses for Jason Alexander's first week to the previous week, where the gross was inflated by premiums from ticket buyers trying to see Larry David in his final performances.  I don't think anyone involved would expect any replacement to gross the same as Larry David playing a version of Larry David in a play by Larry David.  That said, the first week with Alexander, the play grossed $840K - an amount for a play which would make any producer happy. The story goes on to say the show's numbers are 'dwindling,' but in fact, the numbers improved by 10K in Alexander's second week.  Fish has recouped, is making a profit and has extended two weeks.  Even if it's no longer doing $1 million a week, it's clearly a success, even without Larry David.

[skies]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 1:47pm

"For example, "The Producers" was never the same after Lane and Broderick were gone."

It was fairly unusual but if I recall they both  came back for six months in 2003/04 and reignited the box office.  It actually broke it's box office record when they returned.

 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 1:48pm

The prices were higher.

[skies]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 1:59pm

"The prices were higher."

 Gotcha.   Still I'm sure it was near the capacity crowds they first generated, which was impressive considering how much the box office had dipped in their absence.

[mattporter17]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 2:16pm

I think the ultimate example of this is If/Then. Idina announced she was leaving the show and then they almost immediately announced closing. The figured that she was the main draw of that show, and almost no one they could get for that role would be able to keep up with Idina's box office numbers.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 2:36pm

^Another example I could think of is how The Boy from Oz closed once Hugh Jackman's contract was up.

Or how The Addams Family was doing well at first, but once Nathan Lane left, it wasn't doing as well and it didn't end up recouping.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 3:18pm

And yet, to go back to when dinosaurs walked the earth, Raquel Welch replaced Bacall in Woman of the Year and the grosses remained strong for her run in the show. They were not at Bacall's level but the show made an operating profit each week Raquel was in it. (Rumor had it that Miss Bacall was not pleased that Raquel sold so well.)

 

Then in about 1970 Zsa Zsa Gabor took over 40 Carats, a comedy, after Julie Harris played it for a year and June Allyson played it maybe 2 months and it almost died. Zsa Zsa, like Raquel, brought a whole different kind of crowd into the theatre and sold very well for the 9-10 months she did the show. Like Woman of the Year with Raquel, tickets were discounted but still she sold.

[skies]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 3:26pm

After Barbara Streisand left "Funny Girl" her replacement Mimi Hines played the role and kept the show going for over 18 months, in fact she played Fanny Brice far longer than Babs.

[HedwigInch]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 3:41pm

In case of Hedwig I just think the show is running out of steam, it's aging. It's a niche show as it is. Unless they get a really HUGE star I doubt the grosses will go back to what they were with Neil. None of the other Hedwigs ever came close to a million per week. Not even JCM.

I checked Telecharge for Taye's opening night and so far there are still over 500 tickets left and the theatre is small (roughly 1,000 seats). I know it's still a month away and stuff but for Darren's opening night 1 month prior there were significanly less tickets available. That's of course just opening night and a bunch of other factors besides the actor in the role influence the box office.

[mattporter17]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 3:44pm

Taye might be the last Hedwig, maybe the second to last...

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 6/26/15 at 9:41am

When Emma Stone took over the role of Sally in Cabaret last year, that show was suddenly one of the hottest tickets in town. Roundabout got her to extend for another week, raised ticket prices and made a lot more tables premium.

Roundabout is going to do Cabaret again next season with Reese Witherspoon. (they wish)