Drama Book Shop closing next year

[BeingAlive 2]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 2:56pm

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/popular-broadway-bookstore-close-after-rent-hike

Over rent. Heartbroken. 

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 3:05pm

New York isn't the New York I dreamed of when I was a kid.

It's now just like everywhere else:  gentrified, expensive, and pointless if you're not a bank or corporation.  

The slow (but accelerating) death of America can be seen in examples like this and I, for one, am ready for it to finally die so maybe we can start over on better ground.  

[Kad]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 3:08pm

This is a major loss. This is more than just a bookstore. It's a community center, performance space, town hall, library, and more, all in one.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 3:14pm

Dang. Whenever I go to the city, my dad and I always stop here on my last day before he drops me off at the airport, I always get some type of book for the flight home.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 4:00pm

Heartbroken.  While I hope they are able to re-open, my gut feeling says we may never see it happen.

 

I love that place.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 4:16pm

Heartbreaking, but unsurprising, especially after Colony closed.  At least they're planning to reopen.  I wonder if Triton will be next.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 5:30pm

On the Twitter, Lin said: "Nnnnnnope. We’ll get into it when I get home from Puerto Rico. @dramabookshop"

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 5:50pm

I doubt there is much that can be done....the article states they were barely making a go at it at the current rent.   So, unless he's going to subsidize their rent I don't see him changing anything.  And unless he's willing to do that FOREVER, isn't it just postponing the inevitable?  And 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 6:10pm

dramamama611 said: "I doubt there is much that can be done....the article states they were barely making a go at it at the current rent. So, unless he's going to subsidize their rent I don't see him changing anything. And unless he's willing to do that FOREVER, isn't it just postponing the inevitable? And"

 

Not suggesting that he should do it (or has any obligation to do it) -- but if LMM wants to put his money where his mouth is, his royalties for just one week from all of the various HAMILTON companies could pay the rent for the store for the next 2-3 years!

 

[persephone88]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 6:15pm

NO!!!! We love this store so much! It is our first stop every time we are in the city. It is such a welcoming, friendly place, and has such an amazing collection of plays and books. Really really sad about this.

[bandit964]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 8:27pm

It makes me very sad to hear that people would go into the store, utilize the staff, then go purchase elsewhere. I always buy all my scripts from the Drama Book Shop. It's my favorite place to visit on payday! I make amazon purchases semi-often, too, but have made a point to never order a play from Amazon, and always patronize the Drama Book Shop.

[BenElliott]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 8:47pm

I'm in acting school right now and this is where we all go to buy our scripts. This store is loved by so many and has been around for so long, I'm sure there's something to be done.

[Damiensta]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 9:06pm

No wonder everything is closing on that block this past 2weeks . If they raised rent so much

[BroadwayMan5]

Posted: 10/24/18 at 9:14pm

I am devastated to hear this. I really hope they can figure something out or re-open still in the theatre district. I've feared this news for a long time. I almost always buy something when I visit there even when I don't need to just to support everything that shop represents for bookstores, independent businesses, and theater.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:05am

The Signature has that book store that's open during the day and after the show. They can't be doing big business there.

I realize that space itself is much smaller than the Drama Bookshop now, but that was my first thought for a place where it could go where it would be subsidized. It would also bring people to that cafe there plus they have rehearsal/performance space.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 10:11am

Without renovation, that space would allow for a small fraction of the stock that Drama Book Shop currently has. It would totally defeat the purpose of a niche store like this.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:21am

JSquared2 said: "Not suggesting that he should do it (or has any obligation to do it) -- but if LMM wantsto put his money where his mouth is, his royalties for just one week from all of the various HAMILTON companies could pay the rent for the store for the next 2-3 years!"

While that may or not be true, he can't just simply give them money. There are legal hurdles that the owners may not want to deal with.

[JennH]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:24am

Sad, but they do say that they're looking to re-open elsewhere. And NYC'ers of all kinds are nothing if not resilient AF.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:24am

Damiensta said: "No wonder everything is closing on that block this past 2weeks . If they raised rent so much"

Much like apartment landlords pricing apartments for multiple tenants and not single tenants, commercial landlords are pricing their properties for large corporate tenants. It's nothing but pure greed.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 11:53am

Fosse76 said: "JSquared2 said: "Not suggesting that he should do it (or has any obligation to do it) -- but if LMM wantsto put his money where his mouth is, his royalties for just one week from all of the various HAMILTON companies could pay the rent for the store for the next 2-3 years!"

While that may or not be true, he can't just simply give them money. There are legal hurdles that the owners may not want to deal with."

 

Don't worry --- the lawyers could figure out a way to make it work.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 12:05pm

Lin recently tweeted that he went to the store and signed everything with his name on it, and told people to go spend money there. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Lin-Manuel-Miranda-Does-His-Part-for-the-Drama-Book-Shop-20181025

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 12:06pm

The link broke on me, but LMM just signed every bit of merchandise with his name on it at the DBS before heading off to Puerto Rico for their Hamilton launch.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 12:34pm

quizking101 said: "The link broke on me, but LMM just signed every bit of merchandise with his name on it at the DBS before heading off to Puerto Rico for their Hamilton launch."

After. He just came back from PR.

[followtheneon]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 1:06pm

haterobics said: "quizking101 said: "The link broke on me, but LMM just signed every bit of merchandise with his name on it at the DBS before heading off to Puerto Rico for their Hamilton launch."

After. He just came back from PR."

And for those wondering, they sold out of everything he signed within 30 minutes. I walked over there maybe 40 minutes after his tweet, and they said everything was sold out. I hope he goes again because it clearly made an impact.

[Playbill_Trash]

Posted: 10/25/18 at 1:59pm

“And for those wondering, they sold out of everything he signed within 30 minutes. I walked overthere maybe 40 minutes after his tweet, and they said everything was sold out. I hope he goes again because it clearly made an impact."

How selfish of him. Why did he only sign everything with his name on it? Why stop there? Have him sign every item in the store. We all know in his moment that would bring the value up 1000%.

”Where’d you get that LMM signed copy of Flowers for Algernon?

The LMM sale at the drama book shop!”