Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:30am
Just curious what the reason(s) are for producers these days giving such long closing notice dates, i.e. Fiddler, Curious Incident, An American in Paris, etc. Some still give that short notice, as we've seen with 3-4 new musicals this season, but when I saw Fiddler was closing I expected a couple of weeks or a month and the closing date isn't until next December.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:35am
It's an effort to drum up business in the meantime.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:36am
Many of those shows also rely on group sales - both educational and otherwise. This allows them to book as many groups as possible prior to closing.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:38am
Some of them I think make strategic sense right out of the gate. Les Mis, for example, has been running a pretty interesting digital marketing campaign saying that the world's most famous musical will play its final Broadway performance in September. Fiddler certainly makes sense to run through one more holiday season if possible. Some of these other closings are shows that benefit tremendously from group sales, as well...
Posted: 7/20/16 at 10:26am
also remember that these notices are marketing and nothing more. They can be changed as the wind does.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 10:32am
It's usually so the show coming in after has time to announce and start selling tickets.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 10:52am
MinnieFay said: "It's usually so the show coming in after has time to announce and start selling tickets."
Nope. Not true.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 12:15pm
MinnieFay said: "It's usually so the show coming in after has time to announce and start selling tickets.
There are shows that post closing a week in advance, and the show that comes in after them seems to do just fine. The two have absolutely zero correlation.
The producers of a show don't consider how much time another show "needs" to market when they choose a closing date.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 1:02pm
MinnieFay said: ""Nope. Not true.
Yes, true. "
Sorry but no. It's not important but you are guessing and your guess is wrong.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 1:48pm
Unless it is currently bleeding money, most shows will close either immediately post-Tonys (lack of nominations/wins to promote), Labor Day, or New Year's, because of the typical drop-off in business during Sept and Jan-Feb. Giving as much notice as possible is a help to the company (to plan another job) and the box office (for those who were waiting to buy tickets).
Posted: 7/20/16 at 2:43pm
It's usually so the show coming in after has time to announce and start selling tickets.
Not really true, but it does have a bit of truth in it. Unless a very specific contract has been put in place, a show is renting a theater week to week, where everyone has an out.
Now, I am producing a musical, and we are losing money . . . I may go to the theater owner and ask for reduced rent for x amount of weeks. This may help me make some more money. As a theater owner, I may say okay, since I have found a new producer who wants the theater after those x weeks. Contracts are signed, deals are made. Show A announces a closing date, Show B announces an opening date, and theater owner gets rent (even if its reduced) for the entire time.
But mostly its to drum up business to get those who have been lazy about seeing a show to actually buy a ticket. And yes, a show can move its closing notice, but if another show is waiting to come in . . . . then its harder to extend.
Updated On: 7/20/16 at 02:43 PM
Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:16pm
@nycgogetter "a show is renting a theater week to week, where everyone has an out."
absolutely wrong.
The remainder of what you say evinces a complete lack of awareness/understanding of how things are done on Broadway.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:29pm
LOL. I hate agreeing with Hogan only because of what a smug and pompous jackass he is.... but yeah, he's right. nycgogetter - I have no clue what you're talking about.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:26pm
Liza's Headband said: "LOL. I hate agreeing with Hogan only because of what a smug and pompous jackass he is.... but yeah, he's right. nycgogetter - I have no clue what you're talking about."
were I inclined to add a pull quote to my profile, I suppose I could do worse. I don't think I am smug or pompous but I don't mind being called a jackass and yeah he's right 
Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:43pm
All these shows struggled this past winter, and only the promise of a better summer kept them going. None of them would survive another winter like that, so it was determined that they should close. Since they did well enough to make it through the fall, there's no reason not to think they wouldn't survive through the end of the year, hence the lengthy closing notice. (Of course, one or two or three of them may have been kicked out, but the next tenants aren't ready to move in until next year, so no reason to close before then).
Posted: 7/20/16 at 7:14pm
Fiddler is on TDF for 13 dates. I still say they may not make it until 12/31
Updated On: 7/20/16 at 07:14 PM
Posted: 7/20/16 at 8:15pm
It's in better shape than Paris. Literally no idea how they can afford to run till January, unless they magically have tons of groups planned for the fall.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 8:37pm
Should have plenty of empty theaters for the coming season.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:08pm
Sorry if you feel I am mistaken, I can only talk about my experience, and where I have been involved with an ailing production that renegotiated the contract with theater owner to get a discount in payments to the theater to stay put in the theater that did not have a another show lined up (and probably would not in three months), everything was re-negotiated, putting the theater owner in the driver's seat much more so than the original agreement we opened with.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:59pm
nycgogetter said: "Sorry if you feel I am mistaken, I can only talk about my experience, and where I have been involved with an ailing production that renegotiated the contract with theater owner to get a discount in payments to the theater to stay put in the theater that did not have a another show lined up (and probably would not in three months), everything was re-negotiated, putting the theater owner in the driver's seat much more so than the original agreement we opened with. "
Where was this? I can only recall a single instance remotely similar to this in this century, and I would not hold it up as a paragon.
Posted: 7/20/16 at 10:30pm
It was about 8 years ago now. It was a last ditch attempt to keep a straight play open to a certain date (NOT A MUSICAL). Royalties to creatives and rights for music were all renegotiated, a smaller house with nothing lining up to get in when the producers started talking to everyone about closing. The more I think about, the more that this may have been a very unique situation, as it was my first commercial theater outing.
