Flop Houses

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 12/29/13 at 11:44pm

Hey All,
Are there any Broadway theatres that are famous for having almost, if not all, of their productions to flop? Which ones?

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 12:18am

The Foxwoods (previously known as Hilton Theatre and Ford Center for the Performing Arts) has only hosted floperoo after floperoo.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 12:29am

The Mark Hellinger was a huge flop house until it found God.

A Doll's Life
Merlin
Oliver with Patti LuPone
Grind
Rags
Legs Diamond

After Sugar Babies, it was one big flop house.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 12:36am

Since Hairspray, it seemed like everything that has played the Neil Simon didn’t last too long. Not just in comparison to Hairspray Long Run, but just a long run in general

[tmbyru]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 12:42am

I've always felt that the Marquis is cursed.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 1:05am

Lyceum
Belasco

[LittleEdieFan]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 1:11am

Definitely the Neil Simon. Since Hairspray closed, I have never been in New York when there is a show actually playing in the house.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 1:50am

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1066477

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 3:58pm

Thanks

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 3:22am

Yup, the Marquis for sure. Nothing seems to be able to occupy that theater for very long.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 10:32am

"Yup, the Marquis for sure. Nothing seems to be able to occupy that theater for very long."

The ghosts from the theaters that were demolished to build the Marquis make sure of that.

[ceisen]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 12:04pm

The Marquis has had several big successes: Me and My Girl, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Annie Get Your Gun (1999 revival), Damn Yankees (1994 revival), Victor/Victoria, and Follies (2011 revival--a financial failure but a critical success). It's also had a great number of flops. Even though I've heard that actors and tech people love working at the theatre, it just doesn't have that real Broadway feel. It's a theatre inside a hotel.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 1:21pm

The Lunt Fontanne is one big belly flop house, it hasn't had a hit in the theatre, with a show this house has originated since the original The Sound of Music, however this is about to change for the better, with the imminent announcement that Motown has recouped.

Updated On: 1/3/14 at 01:21 PM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 1:44pm

A Christmas Story was by all accounts a huge success, at the Lunt Fontanne
Updated On: 1/3/14 at 01:44 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 2:56pm

Don't think it made money though, I hear it cost north of $8m to put on, but will recoup in due course with holiday tours and Broadway revivals,

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 3:15pm

I believe the most recent success at the Marquis was Annie Get Your Gun, as TMM did not recoup.

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 3:42pm

I believe the most recent success at the Marquis was Annie Get Your Gun, as TMM did not recoup.

The Drowsy Chaperone was a hit.

Again, the only Broadway flop house (zero hits) is the Foxwoods.

Updated On: 1/3/14 at 03:42 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 3:43pm

The Drowsy Chaperone was a big fat hit in New York, which played the Marquis and this was certainly after Annie Get Your Gun, however the same production bombed when it got to London, but that as another story.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 6:05pm

Did Fiddler recoup at the Minskoff? 'Cuz I know before that and Lion King, there was Tom Sawyer and Dance of the Vampires.

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 1/3/14 at 6:26pm

^While noted explicitly stated, based on this article, I would have to guess it did not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/theater/newsandfeatures/21mcki.html?pagewanted=all

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 5:26pm

Didn't the revival of 42nd street turn a profit at the foxwoods (or whatever it's called this week)?

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 5:35pm

Yeah, I'd hardly call the Foxwoods a flop house. In its short history, it's had 42nd street recoup as well as Young Frankenstein. Plus Ragtime, while it ultimately feel short of recouping, still did very well.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 5:48pm

42nd Street came close, but didn't recoup. Young Frankenstein and Ragtime both lost millions.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 6:46pm

Really, I know Ragtime made a loss and Smaxie you are a more of an authority on theatre than I am, but Ragtime played the Foxwood or whatever it was at the time for 2 years, which is quite a long run. I wonder how much of the loss was down to creative accounting by Livent?

[LittleEdieFan]

Posted: 1/4/14 at 7:02pm

If the rumour that "King Kong" will move into the Foxwoods are true then the Foxwoods flop tradition will continue. The show is a mess..