Deaf West's Spring Awakening Extends

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 10:37am

Just got an email from The Guilty Ones Fan Club saying that Spring Awakening is extending two weeks. So much for an "extremely limited run". I guess that means they're doing pretty good in sales.

What show is supposed to come in after them though? Is there a problem with the production?

[Mr. Musical]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 10:54am

When the production makes such a big deal about "ABSOLUTELY X number of weeks," it's always frustrating to me when they extend. Like it's an amazing production and I'm glad it's extending, but I feel like the producers definitely take advantage of the audience in some respects. If you can extend, say limited, say extremely limited, but don't tout "ABSOLUTELY x weeks."

Just my 2 cents

Updated On: 9/18/15 at 10:54 AM

[c0113g3b0y]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 10:54am

Waitress the musical wants the Brooks Atkinson for March 2016. Meaning that S.A. has to close or move by early January 2016. 

I'm hoping that somehow they will manage to find another theatre to move to, or that Waitress changes their decision and switches to another house. This revival deserves a few Tony nominations at the very least, and closing before the nomination cut off date runs the danger of the committee forgetting about it.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 11:08am

Waitress simply doesn't "want it," they have it. So unless they announce a move, SA will be out. 

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 11:10am

I generally don't mind extensions unless you could only get a terrible seat and they announce two more weeks and you could have gotten a better one.

I did grow frustrated when I bought my $30 balcony Little Shop with Ellen Greene seat for a "one night only" event and they announced two more shows and I could have sat much closer for the same price. 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 11:11am

Also, I guess you did not read that whole "let's keep it between us" thing on the email. Lol. 

[c0113g3b0y]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 11:38am

depending on which theatre American Psycho goes to, S.A. could consider moving to the Belasco or the Booth, since Hand to God is closing January 3rd.

[Falling]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 12:17pm

c0113g3b0y-I think a more likely scenario is that Waitress perhaps moves to the Nederlander and Spring Awakening stays put. It's really expensive for a show to move. Unless the producers of Waitress are willing to pay the costs of the move (like the producers of The Audience paid for the moving costs of It's Only a Play in order to secure the Schoenfeld), I'd suspect the Nederlanders may try to work something like that out if Spring Awakening can extend further.

I hope they can-it's gorgeous. I just saw it...and am still thinking about what a feast for the eyes, ears and heart this production is. (Austin McKenzie is amazing as Melchior...just incredible. I hope he gets a nod.)

[c0113g3b0y]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 12:45pm

@Falling:

Someone else in the "Amazing Grace sets closing date" thread said that Amelie would most likely take the Nederlander in spring. Also, isn't Waitress a more intimate-scale kind of musical? Would the creative team want to move to the Nederlander, which has around 200 more seats compared to the Brooks Atkinson? Although you are right that the Nederlander organization might work something out. I forgot that the two theatres I mentioned earlier belong to the Shubert org.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 1:10pm

Mr. Musical said: "When the production makes such a big deal about "ABSOLUTELY X number of weeks," it's always frustrating to me when they extend."

 

Aside from people who want to buy tickets to the last show, I can't see why this would matter. One imagines they were told they did have to vacate by a certain date, and then that date changed. Otherwise, why all the drama?!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 1:13pm

Doesn't Waitress have the Weisslers? So.. yeah. SA is getting the boot. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 1:17pm

"Like it's an amazing production and I'm glad it's extending, but I feel like the producers definitely take advantage of the audience in some respects."

It's supply and demand. There's demand, and apparently they have the means to supply. The production can now be seen by that many more people, so I'm not sure how it affects anyone negatively, other than creating the feeling that you have somehow lost something.

[brdway411]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 1:52pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/despite-strictly-limited-engagement-spring-awakening-extends-on-broadway-363089

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 2:10pm

I feel like the most likely thing would be if the show moved to New World. 

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 2:23pm

I haven't seen the show yet (going tonight) but I would think it would be too big for New World, right?

[brdway411]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 2:24pm

No I think it would fit at NWS, The new version is very simple as far as set, I never saw the original. 

 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 2:44pm

It's not so much whether the physical production will fit at New World Stages, but more a question of whether they can make the economics work there. Right now they are a cast of 27, including swings, which is very large for an Off-Broadway show. Add in the band, crew, and management and I would be very impressed if Ken Davenport was able to make it financially feasible Off-Broadway. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 2:54pm

AEA is totally on point. Let's also remember that the show is currently losing money, and in a limited run situation, a 2 week extension can be a decent bet to add much needed revenue to the pot. That assumes of course that they can break even in mid-January, which is not a foregone conclusion even if they have a bang-up December. The translation of the extra 2 weeks is that the landlord doesn't need the theatre for those 2 weeks for the next show.

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 3:38pm

c0113g3b0y said: "Waitress the musical wants the Brooks Atkinson for March 2016. Meaning that S.A. has to close or move by early January 2016. 

 

I'm hoping that somehow they will manage to find another theatre to move to, or that Waitress changes their decision and switches to another house. This revival deserves a few Tony nominations at the very least, and closing before the nomination cut off date runs the danger of the committee forgetting about it.

 

"

I don't think its the matter of finding a theater to move to. I believe its the availability of the actors as to why it's so limited. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 4:32pm

"I believe its the availability of the actors as to why it's so limited. " 

Not to mention the availability of an audience.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 4:37pm

If they had the audience to sell those additional two weeks, I would say good for them. But I'm not sure they do. Up to this point, Davenport has done nothing to show me he's a smart producer. So I guess we'll see.

I'm genuinely confused why there is talk of Spring Awakening extending longer or moving to stay on Broadway. Did you guys see the grosses last week?

Updated On: 9/18/15 at 04:37 PM

[rjm516]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 4:58pm

This pisses me off too. I'm so happy for the cast and crew and this great production that it's extending. But don't use that b.s 'STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT' marketing b.s. if there's a chance of extending, and if you are going to try to. So lame. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 5:21pm

Well. It's still limited.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 7:15pm

this is now the second show Ken Davenport has produced thats claimed and screamed up and down about no extension possible and then they extended and people wonder why he has no credibility. 

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 9/18/15 at 7:34pm

I wish they could find a way to take this production on tour.

It's so special, and I wish more people had the opportunity to witness it.