Great Comet closing in January? — Page 2

Reality check: no one has a clue how it will sell post-Groban. The show as a brand/name value -- at B'way prices, not in the rarefied climate of prior iterations -- is hardly proven. The Groban outs have not sold well, and you can find it on the board at most performances -- with Groban. I liked the show a lot, and love the score; but loved Groban's contribution a great deal. I cannot imagine the average ticket buyer paying these top prices without someone comparable. Which as many have noted, is hard to find. This will not automatically be a big seller over the summer. (See Tonys.) If there's a substantial advance after July 2nd, it's big news.

would the Great Comet go back to off-broadway (similar to Avenue Q?) I'll admit I enjoyed the show a lot more when it was in the Kazino tent.

*ding ding ding*

Wow, that's pretty... perfect casting.

I would love to see Ingrid in a show. I don't think it'll be nearly as good as Sara Bareilles in Waitress but I've also loved her music for a long time. Though I do think Brittain works very well in the show (but I know everyone doesn't share that opinion). I don't think Ingrid is as expressive of a performer as Sara but there's no reason she couldn't do one big emotional song.

But when stunt casting for a female performer was mentioned I was really thinking of someone playful and charming taking on Helene. It's not as easy to sing as Chicago, at least the way Amber does it, but it does feel like more fun for a big name to want to do.

It might be the best decision. Pierre we'll have to wait till the fall, and everyone's contracts run till November, which by then could bring a name for Natasha or Helene. Anatole would be very difficult to stunt cast. Not only does the role require a range most celebrities don't have, it's extremely physical and requires the ability to play violin (unless they simply add another ensemble member who can play violin)

Willie4316 said: "Anatole would be very difficult to stunt cast. Not only does the role require a range most celebrities don't have, it's extremely physical and requires the ability to play violin (unless they simply add another ensemble member who can play violin)"

I saw Blaine Krauss as Anatole tonight, he didn't play the violin during that segment, just dance around with what looked like a handkerchief in hand.

Updated On: 6/14/17 at 01:13 AM

I would love to be wrong, because I think Great Comet is a fantastic show that I would happily see multiple times if I lived near New York, but I just have my doubts about its staying power. It seems like the hope was that bringing in a mainstream star like Josh Groban would draw crowds and that, along with stellar reviews and possibly some major Tony wins, would allow it to keep running after Groban and the original cast leaves.

It's worked, up to a point, but Great Comet hasn't turned into the must-see show of the season. Instead of Hamilton, or anything close, it seems more like a combination of Hedwig and Fun Home, acclaimed musicals that have a cult following and a relatively short Broadway run. Hedwig steadily lost steam after Neil Patrick Harris left, and it must be a much cheaper show to stage than Great Comet. And Fun Home also has a small cast and is easy to tour.

For many people, myself included, the show is the star. But it doesn't have an easy hook to draw audiences, and the mix of mainstream Josh Groban fans and an avant garde downtown musical was always a weird fit. (The irony, for me, is that I knew almost nothing about Groban and was more interested in seeing the musical, and I thought he was fantastic.) Oak will draw some curious Hamilton fans, but even if that bit of "stunt casting" works, they have to do it again in three months.

There are so many potential great Natasha replacements I can think of, some who'll bring box office numbers, some who might not as much. Not gonna lie - I'd love to see Rihanna in the role, even if she does a bit poppy renditions of the aria. I doubt they'd get her to be replacement, but hey Carly did it (yes I know riri is a much bigger name). Pippa might always come back. I was very pissed that Rhiannon Giddens did not get her debut in Shuffle Along, and she could really knock either Helene or Natasha out of the park.

Valentina3 said: Not gonna lie - I'd love to see Rihanna in the role, even if she does a bit poppy renditions of the aria. I

"

When the "big name" thing was posted, I thought of something from the Hollywood universe, so my brain said "Oh! Oh! Anna Kendrick as Princess Mary!"

I support your celebrity dream casts, pals.

Seeing it for the second time on the 5th, so I think that's Oak's third show. Am excited to see him, my gf is going to be crushed Brittain is going to be out. She loves her.