DIANA: THE MUSICAL Closing on December 19th — Page 2

Not that it impacts Broadway, as protocols are already in place--But not a great sign in general.

"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a statewide mandate that will require masks to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues have implemented a vaccine requirement.

The new mandate goes into effect on Dec. 13, 2021.

It will be effective until Jan. 15, 2022, at which point the state will reassess its effectiveness based on Covid-related public health conditions."

Yes, those involved need to be notified 2 weeks out, but the show can announce whenever. You'd think they would've given the public more notice, to hopefully encourage any holdouts to get their tickets, but this has not been a production noted for particularly smart choices.

"So bad, it's good!" and "cult show" will never be a viable marketing strategy for a Broadway show, particularly not at this moment in time... and especially for a show that was more or less forced to adopt it in response to how it was being received. They were clearly caught flat-footed by how the Netflix taping was received online and spent the better part of their actual run trying to recalibrate.

I imagine there are a lot of off-kilter theater companies and artists who would love to get their hands on this show, though.

Already had purchased a tdf ticket for what is now closing. I’m sure it will be special.

Trish2 said: "Not that it impacts Broadway, as protocols are already in place--But not a great sign in general.

"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a statewide mandate that will require masks to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues have implemented a vaccine requirement.

The new mandate goes into effect on Dec. 13, 2021.

It will be effective until Jan. 15, 2022, at which point the state will reassess its effectiveness based on Covid-related public health conditions.""

Not the best sign,true,BUT I wish my stupid red state would do this! We have one of the worst governors,whom I hope won't get re-elected. You New Yorkers are lucky to have someone competent in charge.

Hairspray0901 said: "I wonder if the Netflix release hurt the show; being the order things happened due to the pandemic. I know I for one had interest but once I saw the first 30 minutes or so of the Netflix show I said “nope. Not paying to see this.”"

Same here.

This show may have closed this quickly, regardless of the Netflix film. So, the producers may have improved their position by selling the proshot to Netflix - depending on how that deal was fashioned.

When I was deciding what shows to watch last minute at TKTS, being able to watch Diana on Netflix definitely influenced my decision to NOT watch it. I had a limited amount of time/shows to go to, so I was trying to make the most of it (I have the same thoughts about Hamilton at the moment).

I even kind of replayed the show in my head to see if there was anything really worth going for, but nothing really stood out to me except a few songs and all the quick changes.

I enjoyed it on Netflix. I also enjoyed it when I saw it at the La Jolla Playhouse. But even then I didn't think it was fully Broadway material, I was hoping they would change a lot more than they did. Especially the set.

valebal7 said: "Could "Once Upon a One More Time" go into the Longacre in the spring?"

Im not sure anything will be looking to open this spring. Right now it seems like unless you are an unbridled hit out of the gate or have across the board raves you are taking a huge huge risk. NYC traffic probably won’t pick up until school lets out in the summer.


I think new musicals opening before summer or fall are really gambling. Maybe some have money to burn.

What we must remember is that this is not closing at a total loss. I don't remember where I saw exact figures, but I believe Netflix paid about $12M for both acquisition + filming. So of that, we should assume about $5M was divided up amongst the investors, and the show was capitalized at $18M. So proportionally, it has done better than shows like Be More Chill and Tuck Everlasting. My numbers could be a little off, but the point is this recouped about 25% of its capitalization, which is FAR better than it would have done without the pandemic/filming (and the producers probably knew that deep down when they made the Netflix deal). And the film will certainly help with licensing (if not touring), not that licensing can bring a flop of this scale to 100%. But all in all, it's a better situation than some other flop shows have been in.

As for what's next at the Longacre –– ONCE UPON... is lead-produced by the Nederlanders, and while not impossible to play a Shubert house, it's unlikely. ALMOST FAMOUS, SING STREET, or KIMBERLY AKIMBO are possibilities. Whatever it is is probably lined up already and the Shuberts have given DIANA a nudge.

Other 2021/early 2022 closing possibilities in order of likelihood:

1) GIRL/NORTH
2) THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN (which for some reason is still scheduled through March)
3) AIN'T TOO PROUD
4) JAGGED
5) TINA
6) AMERICAN UTOPIA

ggersten said: "This show may have closed this quickly, regardless of the Netflix film. So, the producers may have improved their position by selling the proshot to Netflix - depending on how that deal was fashioned."

I really hate to say this, because I am a massive supporter of proshots, but the recording is what sealed the deal. The reception of the show was made clear, and the closing was planned before the show even reopened. I personally have known for a couple months, and I’m not close to the production. If it’s any comfort for anyone, I assume the cast and crew have known far longer.

That being said, I am still surprised they actually went through with closing this early. The show has been well attended, so I thought they’d milk it for a bit longer.

Updated On: 12/11/21 at 01:41 AM

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "As for what's next at the Longacre –– ONCE UPON... is lead-produced by the Nederlanders, and while not impossible to play a Shubert house, it's unlikely. ALMOST FAMOUS, SING STREET, or KIMBERLY AKIMBO are possibilities. Whatever it is is probably lined up already and the Shuberts have given DIANA a nudge.

Other 2021/early 2022 closing possibilities in order of likelihood:

1) GIRL/NORTH
2) THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN (which for some reason is still scheduled through March)
3) AIN'T TOO PROUD
4) JAGGED
5) TINA
6) AMERICAN UTOPIA"

I’m not too sure Ain’t Too Proud belongs on this list. I spend a considerable amount of time at the Imperial and it has never not been an absolute madhouse with attendance. If America Utopia closes, it’s not because of ticket sales, but long term logistic issues. Plus it originated as a limited run anyway. It was only brought in post pandemic to fill the space left by Frozen closing, and has only kept going for this long because it’s very well attended.