Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

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Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/1/06 at 10:51pm

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=541372

Good for them. I'm sure it has something to do with their new (and genius) marketing plan:

Like when you're entering the Disney theme parks, they have people to take a Polaroid of you under the sign.

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/1/06 at 11:15pm

You know what, YankeeFan, your posts always make me smile.

Anyhoo, congrats to them... it's quite an accomplishment to recoup.

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." -- Maya Angelou

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/1/06 at 11:16pm

Oh thank you Jesus! I was SO afraid Oprah would lose money on this show.

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 12:10am

Gosh, doesn't it feel like Color Purple has been around forever? I can't believe it's only been one year. Congratulations to the producers. This was a risky endeavor which paid off. They couldn't have known when it was announced for Broadway that Oprah was going to come in at the 11th hour and give them a bajillion dollars worth of free publicity. Rape, Slavery, Lesbianism..not an easy sell. That said, does anyone else feel like the tag "The most loved musical on Broadway" is unearned?

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 1:30am

Congrats to all, and thank you, Oprah.

"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 1:36am

Im seeing this show in April here in Chicago and I am really looking forward to it. I have the cast recording and love it to pieces anyway congrats Color Purple...how long do you think it will run?

"Passion can drive you crazy but is there any other way to live"

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 1:37am

why did the show have to gross $60 million dollars in order for them to make back the initial $11 million dollar investment? is that just how it works?

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 2:15am

Well, the show grosses around $900,000 a week, but if you take out theater rental, cast and crew, etc. it doesn't give much to the producers. But I'm glad they recouped. And it does seem like the show's been around forever.

What about the taking of pictures? I've never heard about that.

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 3:08am

She gave them one million dollars.

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#10

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 3:31am

why did the show have to gross $60 million dollars in order for them to make back the initial $11 million dollar investment? is that just how it works?

Yep. Pretty much. The show was capitalized at approx. $11 million initially (plus various other advertising and marketing expenses on top of that -- the Tony performance alone probably cost a few hundred thousand dollars), costs around $600,000 a week to run and has been grossing around $900,000 to $1,000,000 a week for most of the year, so, yeah -- if you do the math, it would take 50+ weeks to recoup, if the weekly profit has been around $250,000 or so, on average.

By comparison, WICKED took 14 months to recoup it initial $14 million investment -- so yes, it sounds about right for COLOR PURPLE (in a slightly smaller theatre and not quite being completely sold out) to take 12 months to recoup $11+ million.

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

#11

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 8:31am

This musical was my only real disappointment during my recent theatre trip. I was happy to see so many African American actors working but it's not a show that I will go back and see again.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#12

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 8:48am

This is one of the shows (along with "The Producers") that's been on my "to see" list forever, but I never seem to make it. And yes, I find the guy with the polaroid kind of tacky. I always feel like I'm walking into Toys R Us when I see him snapping pictures of people under the marquee.

#13

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:14am

Congragulations to this amazing show! I am very glad to hear that it recouped so quickly, and yeah, this is definitely a show I would love to see again!
:)

#14

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:22am

Wow. That's great news. The Color Purple is a great show, and with the tour starting soon, it can only go up from here.

I wonder why they don't start two companies for the road. I think the producers could handle it. Maybe one in Los Angeles and one in Chicago, then branching off from there.

And do we think this will play in London? I don't know.

#15

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:23am

I had no doubt that something associated with Oprah would recoup very quickly! Congrats!

BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless

SOMMS: I knew it was Tink!

#16

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:25am

Another question is, would this show have lasted as long and recouped without Oprah?

#17

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:28am

I haven't seen it yet so I don't know. I've heard both positive and negative reviews.

BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless

SOMMS: I knew it was Tink!

#18

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:31am

What difference does it make? It's a fantastic show and people are seeing it. It has one of the most talented casts on Broadway. People are coming in from out of town to see it. It's exposing new folks to Broadway and NYC. Oprah has absolutely been a wonderful help in the show's success.

#19

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:36am

Realistically, the show would not have recouped this quickly without Oprah's help. During its first few months, she was pushing this thing like no other. First she visited the cast, then she had them on the show for some great performances of songs, then she invited them back, and then appeared at various functions to promote it.

Then after LaChanze won the Tony, she came on the show. The show has definitely received a boost from Oprah, although I'm sure it would've recouped eventually without her help.

#20

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 12:44pm

And let's not forget, she finally decided to go on the Letterman show on the night TCP opened and that was a big deal both for her return to the Letterman show and him walking her to the theatre for opening night. That got a lot of press.

Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

#21

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 1:11pm

Yay! Congrats to the producers, creative team, and cast :) I was there last night (for my third time)! It's such an amazing show!

#22

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 1:35pm

I think though that it has a lot to do with Oprah but also just the extrodinary talent of the show. I also think the movie and book helped as well

"Passion can drive you crazy but is there any other way to live"

#23

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 2:09pm

What's "amazing" to me about this show is that it has lasted for a year on Broadway. Good performances, set, costumes etc. but the book, music and lyrics were immediately forgettable.

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#24

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 2:17pm

I love the cast recording. It's in my car and I love belting out the songs while driving to work. It's very uplifting!

'Hell, NO!'

"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>> “I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>> -whatever2

#25

re: Color Purple Recoups in Exactly 1 Year

Posted: 12/2/06 at 2:25pm

OT: Why are Tony Award performances so expensive?

"Chicago is it's own incredible theater town right there smack down in the middle of the heartland. What a great city! I can see why Oprah likes to live there!" - Dee Hoty :-D

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