Posted: 8/13/22 at 8:58am
Hearing from cast members that there are no plans after the show closes in Chicago.
All talk of Broadway has suddenly stopped.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 9:04am
Posted: 8/13/22 at 9:25am
I’ve heard they will spend the time necessary to fix it. And bring it to Broadway only when it’s ready.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 11:00am
They need to completely fix it and then bring it to NYC. Would 2024 be too soon?
Posted: 8/13/22 at 12:13pm
BETTY22 said: "Hearing from cast members that there are no plans after the show closes in Chicago.
All talk of Broadway has suddenly stopped."
I asked my agent friend with a client in the show and he said yup!
Here's what I posted in the other DWP post:
As is, this musical won't be coming to Broadway
So, That's All!
Posted: 8/13/22 at 1:44pm
Whenever thing like this come up, it’s important to acknowledge all the employees of the production who put their eggs in this seemingly lucrative basket, and who are then left suddenly without the Broadway gig they reasonably expected. I hope they all find new gigs quickly.
Speaking from a broader industry/artistic perspective:
I haven’t seen the show, so I can’t personally weigh in on its quality. But if, in fact, the creators/producers/investors are re-evaluating the situation due to the negative feedback, then I think that’s for the best. I hope for their sake (and for audiences' sake) that they go back to the drawing board, and are able to come up with a version of this show that works.
But even if not - even if this is the end of the line for them - it’s a good lesson to the powers that be that negative consequences can come from indulging in lazy mediocrity.
Again, I’m not personally labeling it as such, since I haven’t seen it - I’m just referring to the general reception. And again, I’m not relishing in anyone’s unemployment - like I said, I hope they all find new gigs quickly.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 2:24pm
I'm sad for the cast, but I am also happy to see that the show's producers are doing their job and not moving forward with what is clearly a production that's not ready for Broadway. Too many times, we see producers move forward after terrible out of town reviews only to flop in NYC. If they think Prada is fixable and have the $$$ to retool, then that's great and, if they decide to abandon the show completely, that's a sign a smart producers knowing when to pull the plug and cut their losses.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 2:34pm
Out of town reviews are the same as home town reviews and any review that is less than rapturous is a red flag on its own.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 5:17pm
The problem is when they have to increase the capitalization in order to fix the show, and go from like $18M to $21M and raise more money!! It dilutes all the current investor’s investments.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 5:40pm
BdwyFan said: "The problem is when they have to increase the capitalization in order to fix the show, and go from like $18M to $21M and raise more money!! It dilutes all the current investor’s investments."
We don't know the extent of the changes. There's a world in which they keep Anna and the existing authors and the design team while replacing like 25% of the costumes & set –– maybe they add a co-bookwriter and up Shaina to co-composer. That's the most economical option and would mean McCollum feels there's enough salvageable material.
If they're replacing the director and some (or all) of the authors, that means basically starting from scratch...and the eventual Broadway capitalization could be prohibitively expensive.
Updated On: 8/13/22 at 05:40 PM
Posted: 8/13/22 at 5:42pm
Do we know if any show doctor types or possible new creative team members are being flown out to Chicago to give their diagnosis for the show? I remember Addams Family had everyone from Mike Nichols to Jerry Zaks (who eventually agreed to come on) weighing in, pretty much at Nathan's demand.
Posted: 8/13/22 at 5:46pm
There's a world in which they keep Anna and the existing authors and the design team while replacing like 25% of the costumes & set.
But there is still the HUGE Elton problem. And he is not known for working for cheap. There is no way I could see to fix this without starting from scratch. Sorry for all involved, I know they worked hard on it and it has to be a major dissapointment, but as they say, "That's the showbiz".
Posted: 8/13/22 at 5:53pm
Lola Getz2 said: "There's a world in which they keep Anna and the existing authors and the design team while replacing like 25% of the costumes & set.
But there is still the HUGE Elton problem. And he is not known for working for cheap. There is no way I could see to fix this without starting from scratch. Sorry for all involved, I know they worked hard on it and it has to be a major dissapointment, but as they say, "That's the showbiz"."
I'm aware that Elton and Anna are the biggest problems. But working with him is probably cheaper than outright replacing him & others. Whether the results are good or not is another story. And they have the benefit of a lyricist who also could be engaged to compose additional material if the parties agree to that (or a change of arranger/orchestrator, etc).
At this point, they probably aren't aiming for brilliance. They are aiming for coherent, competent, and entertaining that can generate somewhat better critical reviews & WOM. "Bad shows can still make money"
Updated On: 8/13/22 at 05:53 PM
Posted: 8/13/22 at 9:55pm
"Bad shows can still make money""
Ain't that the truth. Good points about the score, and if that were the only problem I might agree, but am not holding my breath. I hope I am wrong and someone with enough money and talent can fix it but I highly doubt it. We shall see.
