Posted: 10/15/23 at 2:24pm
…in a play.
Someone have Michael Arden call him about “High Noon” if it ever gets off the ground.
Posted: 10/15/23 at 7:39pm
Why Broadway? Why New York?
I can understand a Hollywood star wanting to do a turn on the stage,to flex their acting muscles, feel credible etc. That can be done anywhere. If I was that famous, I would not want to be complicit in drawing audiences in based on name alone, and then charging hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. It is a con, to fuel your ego. If you really only care about the acting, do it somewhere else smallscale and or support a local non-profit.
Posted: 10/15/23 at 7:45pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Why Broadway? Why New York?
I can understand a Hollywood star wanting to do a turn on the stage,to flex their acting muscles, feel credible etc. That can be done anywhere. If I was that famous, I would not want to be complicit in drawing audiences in based on name alone, and then charging hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. It is a con, to fuel your ego. If you really only care about the acting, do it somewhere else smallscale and or support a local non-profit."
Damn. And I thought I was a purity queen.
For all the Broadway bucket list movie/TV stars who took one shot at the stage and went straight back to what they were doing, I think it's good that he wants to revisit a challenging medium that he clearly enjoyed the first time.
Posted: 10/15/23 at 7:46pm
Complicit? A con?
Seems a bit extreme just because someone says he wants to be on a Broadway stage again, a goal hundreds if not thousands of actors around the world have contemplated given that Broadway is considered if not the standard then one of two (the other being London).
Until a show is identified, his role has been cast, and ticket prices have been determined, can't we just appreciate that a popular actor may wish to appear on an NYC stage?
Posted: 10/15/23 at 7:56pm
I'm talking specifically about Hollywood stars. Those who get to Broadway based on fame alone. Those who allow producers to rip off the public by charging astronomical prices for something that otherwise would be up on TKTS every single night. I know there is an argument that it brings newcomers to the theatre, but I also suspect it discourages them from ever coming back. Especially it was not a great play to begin with. If it really is just all about the love of acting, then the lure of their name in lights on the great white way should not really be reason enough to benefit conscienceless producers out for a buck.
This is just an argument I'm having inside my own mind, relevant to the econmy of 2023. Is that not what discussion forums are for?
Posted: 10/15/23 at 8:17pm
Oof, Jay, I’ve defended you on this board before but this is a truly out there take.
Posted: 10/15/23 at 8:31pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "Why Broadway? Why New York?
I can understand a Hollywood star wanting to do a turn on the stage,to flex their acting muscles, feel credible etc. That can be done anywhere. If I was that famous, I would not want to be complicit in drawing audiences in based on name alone, and then charging hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. It is a con, to fuel your ego. If you really only care about the acting, do it somewhere else smallscale and or support a local non-profit."
Um, like Chris Evans already made his Broadway debut in 2018’s LOBBY HERO:
Posted: 10/15/23 at 10:29pm
^^The particular irony of this debate is that Chris Evans' Broadway debut was at a non-profit theatre, where they barely highlighted him in the marketing, and the production's average ticket price was around $100 for the run (and, for my money, he was actually quite good)
Updated On: 10/15/23 at 10:29 PM
Posted: 10/15/23 at 10:34pm
“If I was that famous, I would not want to be complicit in drawing audiences in based on name alone, and then charging hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. It is a con, to fuel your ego.”
and this post is a con to fuel your insecurities yet here we are :-/
Updated On: 10/15/23 at 10:34 PM
Posted: 10/16/23 at 10:16am
I think it is a perfectly reasonable take. Perhaps badly expressed. Not necessarily aimed at the likes of Chris Evans. More the current late stage capitalism broken business model, which is obscene, and BroadwayWorld articles like "celebrities coming to Broadway in 2024". I also think any newcomers attracted by star names are more likely to fall for ridiculous fees from the likes of bway.com. Which again will discourage them from ever coming back.
What exactly justifies the cost of a ticket to Merrily We Roll Along right now? I don't get it.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 10:17am
I've never actually seen the word "conscienceless" used by a human being until now. :
Posted: 10/16/23 at 10:23am
It's something called an "adjective".
Every day is a learning day.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:14am
Kad said: "Oof, Jay, I’ve defended you on this board before but this is a truly out there take."
You should see what I was just about to post to another thread where everyone is valorizing a Trump supporter. I would have been pilloried, but I would have been right.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:21am
Jay Lerner-Z said: "This is just an argument I'm having inside my own mind, relevant to the econmy of 2023. Is that not what discussion forums are for?"
Certainly -- just as they are also a place for people to call you out for sounding batsh*t crazy.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:23am
Jay Lerner-Z said: "What exactly justifies the cost of a ticket to Merrily We Roll Along right now? I don't get it."
I don't think you really want to "get it" considering your earlier comments in this thread, but beyond factoring in the real total production costs, what the market will bear has always shaped ticket pricing (like almost every good or service worldwide). When enough customers are unwilling to pay the asking price, pricing adjustments are made.
About the only difference nowadays is that dynamic pricing algorithms can now frequently, quickly, and easily make these adjustments compared to people having to convene a meeting, review sales data, and make decisions more slowly.
Bottom line? $599 is a top ticket price for some performance of Merrily because enough people perceive they will receive enough value from the show that they are willing to pay it and have the means to do so.
Updated On: 10/16/23 at 11:23 AM
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:38am
The market is broken. Famous faces are propping up this unfair system. The world continues to revolve evermore around the elite. What I don't get is why the "proletariat" put up with it.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:47am
Jay,
every so often, there is a thread of people who complain that the prices of Broadway are too high and therefore they can’t see a Broadway show. Oftentimes they forget that there is great off Broadway shows as well as great regional theatres etc that also produce great work. Usually though, these are the same self entitled people who also thing that the NY Library archives should be distributed to the public for the same reason. If you think that the prices on Broadway are too high, then don’t go. It’s as simple as that. But, if people are willing to pay top dollar for something the producers will keep their prices as is. If they notice that the people aren’t buying tickets at the prices they initially set up, then they will adjust as need be. Clearly for something like Merrily, people are paying the prices the producers set, if they weren’t then they would review their price set up and adjust accordingly if need be.
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:52am
Jay Lerner-Z said: "The market is broken. Famous faces are propping up this unfair system. The world continues to revolve evermore around the elite. What I don't get is why the "proletariat" put up with it."
This is a perfect sermon for a play (Kushner's plays do a great job of amplifying many comparable themes), a Times Square soapbox where people can gather round and cheer you on, as well as the campaign trail and ballot box. Go for whichever suits your purpose best.
Updated On: 10/16/23 at 11:52 AM
Posted: 10/16/23 at 11:57am
But his presence didn't jack up prices for Lobby Hero.
Honestly, so much fuss over a hypothetical situation.
