Friday matinees... discuss!

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Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:08pm

So Book of Mormon went first, and announced their Friday matinees for the summer. And now Rock of Ages... which officially makes it a thing, huh?

What do you all think? Who's the target audience? Are there really enough tourists coming in for the long weekend to fill out houses on a Friday afternoon?

And what do you think the TKTS booth will do? Open early? Sell Friday matinees on Thursday night?

And will other shows follow suit?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:10pm

I'll be curious to see how it pans out.

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:15pm

I think it's a good idea for the summer, but what performance are they dropping to offset this?

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:26pm

For the summer, both will take Monday off, do Tues thru Thurs night, two on Friday and Saturday, one on Sunday. So the trade-off for the summer is losing a Sunday evening show and gaining a Friday matinee.

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:31pm

Goodness gracious. When does ROA start theirs?

CHURCH DOOR TOUCAN GAY MARKETING PUPPIES MUSICAL THEATER STAPLES PERIOD OIL BITCHY SNARK HOLES

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:32pm

This plan would also appeal to people who work in administrative offices that have "Summer Fridays".

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:37pm

ROA starts up May 23, and BOM (not sure I like the acronym but whatevs) starts May 30.

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:39pm

I can't imagine a Friday matinee selling better than a Sunday evening performance during the non-summer months, or regular weekends. But I guess it's a good thing to have in place for the long weekends, so people will know about it in advance?

"Rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love." -Neil Patrick Harris

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:39pm

6 perfs in 69 hours. Wowzer! Keep an extra dance belt in the make-up room.

Not sure the Sunday Mat will have any energy.

Updated On: 1/6/11 at 02:39 PM

#10

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/6/11 at 2:44pm

#11

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 6:26am

If both shows meet with some success with their Friday matinees, we could be looking at some changes in the future all over b'way.

I have no real "feelings" about it, but I think it's great that some producers are TRYING something different. From a traveler's point of view it has great potential: I can book a hotel room for only two nights (Fri & Sat) and potentially see SIX shows. I like that. (So maybe, I DO have a feeling about it!)

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

#12

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 7:01am

Why stress about **** you have no control of?

Don't sweat the small stuff.

One of the best life lessons.

#13

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 7:44am

Why do seemingly intelligent people use mawkish, empty platitudes like "Don't sweat the small stuff"?

I guess where there's smoke, there's fire.

CHURCH DOOR TOUCAN GAY MARKETING PUPPIES MUSICAL THEATER STAPLES PERIOD OIL BITCHY SNARK HOLES

#14

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 9:58am

I don't see ANYONE stressing out, or even complaining. They are just DISCUSSING the plan -- in quite a civilized way until you jumped in.

#15

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 10:16am

Drammama
how do u figure seeing 6 shows in 2 days
I only counted 4
Friday: 2 (2 &

Saturday: 2 (2 &

#16

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 10:28am

She said two nights, which implies she would be in the city for three days:
Friday matinee and evening (spend Friday night)
Saturday matinee and evening (spend Saturday night)
Sunday matinee and evening (go home)

#17

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 10:44am

Friday: 2 (2 &

Saturday: 2 (2 &

CHURCH DOOR TOUCAN GAY MARKETING PUPPIES MUSICAL THEATER STAPLES PERIOD OIL BITCHY SNARK HOLES

#18

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 3:11pm

As an above poster mentioned, I think this would work well for summer months, with people out of school and taking early Fridays (or even the entire day off).

Depending on the amount of tourists that take long weekends in NYC throughout the year, I think it may work better than having a matinee in the middle of the week.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

#19

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 4:34pm

joeyvalcort, if you admit don't like "BOM", just spell out the whole damn title. It's a message board, not a tweet.

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

#20

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 4:48pm

Ohh, snap. Okay, you've got it. Book of Mormon. Guess I was just trying to make fetch happen.

Thanks for the discussion all!

#21

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 5:20pm

If it's in place of the Wednesday matinee, I can only imagine it would do better. And any Sunday night performance I have ever been to has been pretty deserted. I personally love the idea! I would love to go to the city and be able to see 6 shows on a weekend.

"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim

#22

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/7/11 at 5:52pm

What BwayGuy said: 2 nights = 3 days. If I wanted to see two shows each day (IF there were 6 shows playing that I wanted to see) I'd be in theater geek heaven.

#23

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/8/11 at 5:20pm

I'm suprised La Cage hasn't switched up their schedule an added another matinee since they sell so much better. They could be dark on Mondays & Tuesdays, Wednesdays @ 2:30 & 8:00; Thursdays @ 8:00; Fridays & Saturdays @ 2:30 & 8:00; & Sundays @ 3:00.

A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.

#24

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/8/11 at 5:45pm

^As an actor, I would despise that schedule. Even if I got two days off.

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert

#25

Friday matinees... discuss!

Posted: 1/8/11 at 6:04pm

The talk of a Friday matinee stems back all the way to 1969. In his legendary book on Broadway. THE SEASON (a must read if you haven't) James Goldman writes that when polled, theatre goers have routinely stated that one of their top preferences for a show time would be a Friday matinee.

Its a little surprising that its taken so long for Broadway producers to actually try it but about time they did.

Summer is the perfect time for a test run: as previously stated, the tourists are here already with their days free and many New Yorkers take four day weekends (with a Friday matinee perhaps being the only time some of them would venture to the theatre on a weekend).

Here's betting it proves a lot more popular than the Sunday evening performance.

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