GLORY DAYS Full Annoucement on Playbill...

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:12pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116211.html

The full creative team. Ticket prices. Student Rush.

And only about 10 days of previews!? This whole thing just seems pretty rushed.

Updated On: 3/26/08 at 02:12 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:18pm

$97.50. A bargain.

Bets that if the reviews suck, it'll close on opening night?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:22pm

It does seem quite rushed, but for all we know the creative team has been working quite hard since they closed in Virginia and have made improvements to the piece (they did get raves out of town too). Either way, I won't be seeing this one during my summer trip but if it's still playing in the fall I'll definitely catch it, it sounds like a neat concept (and from what I hear it has some nice twists at the end).

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:30pm

It is somewhat rushed, but I never really got the whole 3-4 week of previews. I am sure they can do what they do in 30 days in just 10 days. Daniels Evans mentioned in an interview, that in London, they were lucky if they got 7 performances.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:53pm

Glory Days played Signature's ARK space, which features almost the same configuration as Circle in the Square. It's the same cast. That production just closed in mid-February. It got mostly terrific reviews and from some tough cookies like Peter Marks in the Washington Post, a former New York Times critic. In this case, since it's a show that will not sell a lot of tickets in advance of reviews, it makes absolutely no sense to have a long extended preview period. They are doing the right thing.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:53pm

I can't see how much they could have been doing on it, considering one of their writers is in Cry Baby (has he left the cast yet?)

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:54pm

Looking so forward to this!

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:56pm

About freakin time.

"I can't see how much they could have been doing on it, considering one of their writers is in Cry Baby (has he left the cast yet?)"

That is an excellent point.

[hubee]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 2:59pm

OMG this is actually happening!

Yah, I guess Andrew and Nick are leaving Cry Baby then?

[BenKaye]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:00pm

I don't know what the producers of this were thinking. This is WAY too rushed! Yes, they're already prepared, but 10 PREVIEWS! And it just conveniently opens the day before Tony ineligibility. This is in less than two months. Can they really get the word out quick enough? And yeah, one of the creators of it is in Cry-Baby.

I really think this is a big mistake, which is going to cost them.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:04pm

First preview is April 22, Opening is May 6. That's 2 weeks, and I assume 16 performances? 2 weeks sounds sufficient.

I guess they've decided they weren't going to tweak it for Broadway, and just keep the same production as they did in in DC, and cut the rehearsals down.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:08pm

The first preview is on a Tuesday. So that's not a full week. And they need one day dark.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:10pm

Shows used to open after 2-3 previews. 3-4 week preview periods are of more recent vintage. They'll paper and get people in at a discount for previews and sink or swim on reviews in a week and a half. If it doesn't end up working, is it your money being lost?

All of this hand wringing and lamentation is beyond ridiculous.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:13pm

They get, what, a week or 2 in London?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:24pm

Yeah, in London it happens quickly. And US regional theatres tend to open productions after less than one week of performances. They may take two if a show has certain technical demands. A week and a half of previews probably feels like a luxury to the Signature crew. It's a gamble, and who the heck knows how it will all turn out. But the fact that the show was configured for a similar space, has the same cast, the same director, the same creative team and only ceased performances about 5 weeks ago means that it doesn't necessarily need to have a long extended preview process.

As far as rewrites... I'm not comparing the Glory Days writers to this team, but Comden, Green and Bernstein wrote their score for Wonderful Town in a mere five weeks. So, anything's possible. And some pretty respected critics thought the Signature production was already up to snuff. Where would we be if some producers didn't decide to take a risk and throw caution to the wind every once in a while? Broadway dies on cautiousness as it is.

Updated On: 3/26/08 at 03:24 PM

[Brandy_Breath]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:26pm

At the Signature, they played the Max not the Ark.

So glad the original cast is sticking with the show.

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:34pm

Yes it was in the MAX and the set-up was pretty much identical to Circle in the Square. All the discussion of it being rushed is ridiculous. The show was in fantastic shape when I saw it. It has 4 people and no set changes. Why would they need 4 weeks of previews?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:42pm

Sorry about my MAX/ARK mix-up, but I stand by the rest!

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 3:43pm

actually, it was rushed... behind closed doors.

the Producers informed the creative team that they would have 3 days to raise $500,000 or the production would not come to Broadway

with rich friends and a some good shmoozing (?), Nick was successful.

3 days for $500,000 is pretty rushed to me. the cast and set are staying the same however so I don't think they need much time?

Nick may take a leave of absence from "Cry-Baby" and return once the show opens. Andrew Call is obviously leaving "Cry-Baby" for good.

Nick didn't need to make that many changes -- this is a book musical. the music, on its own, is not great. The book makes this musical what it is, folks.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 8:32pm

Really? The book makes this musical? Did we see the same show?

I wish it the best in any case.

[jbdc]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 8:56pm

The show is going to cost them next to nothing. They will recoup in a month if reviews are even mixed to positive.

And Cry-Baby will close by the time this opens, anyway. So the writer will not have to miss any shows.

This might also be a delightful little shake-up for the tony nominations.

[BenKaye]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 8:56pm

To all the people who have seen this show.

Without giving too much away, does the show really go anywhere? Does it just remain in the one setting for the 90 minutes? Just the 4 guys, reminiscing about high school? Is that the whole show, or is there something else?

I'm just curious as to the structure of the show. But spiler free please.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 9:14pm

The telecharge page indicates that this show will have student rush tickets.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 9:15pm

I can't imagine that most Tony voters will have time to see this show...

I don't know, a best musical nom seems unlikely.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 3/26/08 at 10:55pm

BenKaye- Yep, that is the show. One setting, 4 guys reminiscing. 90 minutes.