Chicago Open-Ended Runs

So they have Wicked, and I hear they are getting PC Spelling Bee and Urinetown. What other shows do you think that they should get???????

-Chicago
-The Color Purple

CHICAGO has played in Chicago several times through tours and regional productions. I don't think an open run would last.

However, if THE COLOR PURPLE does well at the Tony Awards, I predcit that when they send it on tour, they will also create an open run in Chicago since it has so many home-grown roots in Chicago (Oprah Winfrey, Gary Griffin, Felicia Fields).

I actually think URINETOWN could run in Chicago longer than SPELLING BEE because it is cheaper ticket price, it's in a hipper/cooler theatre, (and it is a better musical).

I read that they will be using the urinetown.com site, but it not updated yet. I searched for site for the Mercury Theater, but couldn't find one.

Chicago actually has a good history of healthy long runs.

-Blue Man Group
-Naked Boys Singing
-Joseph
-Shear Madness
-Forever Plaid
-Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
- and Wicked is breaking Chicago box office records.

It would be cool to add The Color Purple to that list.

I doubt Vicki would go, but I could see it coming to chicago. Its not a HUGE type production like Wicked is, so I think it could sustain itself. But are there enough theaters for these shows? where would CP play if Wicked is still running. Another question, when do Spelling Bee tickets go on sale and how close is the Mercury Theater to the Oriental?

RentBoy,

The Oriental is downtown, but the Mercury is a little bit north of the city, by Wrigley Field.

The theaters downtown are pretty large (2,000+ seats), but I could see The Color Purple playing at either the Shubert Theatre or the Royal George Theatre (across the street from the Steppenwolf).

The theatres are about 15-20 minutes away from each other. You could totally catch a matinee of Urinetown or Bee then head to Wicked.

taxi or el train.

"El tren" is Spanish for "the train". I'm nitpicky. :p

Cubs game followed by a performance of Urinetown, anyone?

I am counting the days until it opens!!

"And in the case of URINETROWN - the "sit-down" could be eight weeks, if ticket sales are slow. Inlike WICKED and SPELLING BEE, the show is not affiliated with "Broadway In Chicago", which spends tons of money on advertising."

It's not going to have an 8-performance week, if I recall correctly. That said, Chicago open runs tend to last quite a while, so that statement is wrong, entirely. Since most shows that are produced are not-for-profit, they run until they start seriously losing money. The initial "investment" isn't an investment that has to paid back, since most is raised through fundraising..

The open-ended run of "Fully Committed" starring Bronson Pinchot at the Royal George a few years ago closed after six weeks. No one wanted to see it. In NYC, the show ran over two years.

The Royal George, however, is a rental house. It's also a commercial theatre.

"Yea. Chicago is kinda iffy with long runs. Shows that you would think would catch on in Chicago... often don't. At least not recently. A lot of the stuff Fosse cites is older. There were attempted long runs of Hedwig and Rocky Horror that closed pretty quickly...not all that long ago... it's sort of hit and miss... I guess all theater is."

The long-run bookings stopped the moment Broadway in Chicago took control of the commercial venues downtown. All the shows I mentioned were in the 902 (except for Cats. Les MIz I believe was 1989). Also, Ragtime's financial woes from Livent caused it to shutter prematurely. Broadway in Chicago is partially owned by Clear Channel, who presents tours in practically every major market. As such, they have no vested interest in keeping a show in any of its markets for long periods of time. Wicked and Spelling Bee are open runs because David Stone insisted on it. BIC books shows into four downtown theatres, yet rarely are any two ever occupied at the same time. Despite the success of Wicked, if it were not for Stone, BIC would probably not even have booked a return engagement of the tour for another couple of years. I'm concerned for Spelling Bee ONLY because of its location. It's a tourist heavy area, but the theatre itself isn't exactly out in the open for walkers-by, unlike the others.