Flops That Got Revivals — Page 2

I don't know if the original production of "Chicago" was a flop in the technical sense, but it wasn't terribly successful. It got swept up in the tide known as "A Chorus Line."

The revival came about in an interesting way. It's written that John Kander was flying across the country (I forget whether it was NY-LA or LA-NY) and reading a theatre book. He came across this bit of trivia: "Mos Tony Award nominations without winning -- 'Chicago', 1975." When he gotoff the plane, so the story goes, he called Ebb and said, "Freddie, we're reviving 'Chicago'."

Not sure but I'm just sitting her waiting for Carrie to be revived. Or at least a CD. Please?

You really can't tell A Fleur, there are way too many factors. The most important is the weekly nut they have to make to break even, but other factors like size of the theatre, attendance, etc. all come into play.
For example, KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN ran for I believe over 800 performances and never made back its investment. Hence it's a flop.
The recent CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF revival recouped its investment in the few months that it played on Broadway.
You can't tell.

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so in short, it goes:

Wicked was such a critical flop but schwartz is laughing all the way to the bank.

financial flop example : gypsy/SITPWG/watever sondheim show won a gazillion tonys... and closed 3 weeks later.


Where might one place Glory Days then?

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"A big fat ol' floppy flop McFlopperson"

ah, i see now the reviews for Phantom 2 are already in the bag. :P

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Has there ever been a show that flopped in it's initial run (during a time without cast recordings) and then went on to be revived successfully (and thus recorded)?

I actually thought of PAL JOEY but wasn't sure. Thanks for that information...

The decision to make a cast recording is usually done long before the status of the show is known.

I think "Showboat" may come close to meeting your requirements. No initial cast recording. I think it made money on the initial run, but was revived and (flopped) but recorded.

EDIT: The original "Pal Joey" with Gene Kelly was a success, it ran 374 performances.

Here's one that's closer. Porter's "You Never Know" was a flop, but was never revived, but did have subsequent studio cast recordings.

"The Hot Mikado" 1939 was a flop that didn't get a cast recording that was later revived (not on broadway) with a recording

Updated On: 7/14/08 at 10:59 AM

I think that the original production of Sweeney didn't recoup during its run, but did later after touring and licensing and all of that. But I could be completely wrong.

I know at some point, someone decided that any show that doesn't recoup is a flop... but... that definition has never sat well with me... in the movies... a flop is a huge financial disaster... and the actual definition of the word flop... is not a small failure... so... I just think it seems odd to call a show like Grey Gardens a flop just because it lost money... it succeded in so many ways.

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Morning's at Seven opened in the late 30s and flopped. It opened again in the 50s and flopped again. Dead and buried twice.

Third time was the charm, I think it was 1980 and it ran over a year, made money and won 3 Tonys. Within the last few seasons Lincoln Center Theatre mounted it yet again for the 4th full Broadway production and it was successful.

Some shows run and make some but not all of their initial capitalization back. Sunday in the Park With George was one of these that it was estimated returned 75% of its capitalization. Jekyll & Hyde was another long-run that closed at a partial loss as was the original Chicago, Tommy, 42nd Street revival and Ragtime among many others.

Variety classifies as a flop any show that did not at least break even. Partial return to them is still a flop.

There is a French term for critical success but financial failure, success d'estime. I haven't seen its usage in a while, but it used to be commonplace in articles and books.

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How can we forget Chu Chem? This show blew up in Philadelphia in the mid 60s and closed after half a week and the departure of both its stars in a huff.

Late 80s and the Jewish Rep revives a revised version, and composer Mitch Leigh gets the idea that it is now Broadway material. Wrong. Chu Chem dies in 5 weeks and it was one of those embarrassing productions that looked like cheap community theatre.

See the entry in Not Since Carrie which I just reread for the umpteenth time.

Neither Candide nor She Loves Me have ever had financially successful Broadway runs either the original runs or in revival.

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"A Sondheim show is one where he wrote both lyrics AND music."

Who decided on that definition?

When I've heard Sondheim speak he says there is no such thing as a Sondheim show as they are all collaborations. I think he said something similar for his Lifetime Achievement Tony Award acceptance speech as well.