HANGMEN Returns to Broadway - Previews & News Thread

https://playbill.com/article/martin-mcdonaghs-hangmen-will-return-to-broadway-this-spring

Martin McDonagh's Hangmen will make its long-awaited Broadway premiere this spring. The Olivier-winning comedy will begin previews April 8 for a limited 10-week engagement at the Golden Theatre. Opening night is set for April 21.

Hangmen had played only 13 preview performances when Broadway went dark in March 2020 and quickly announced that it would officially close and not return to the Great White Way when theatres reopened. At the time of that announcement though, theatres were hoping for an April 2020 return.

Updated On: 4/6/22 at 10:02 AM

Ticket info (via Telecharge):

American Express Card Members can get early access to tickets thru 2/3 at 9:59am.

Tickets go on sale to Audience Rewards Members on February 3.

Tickets will go on sale to the General Public on February 7.

I’m just stoked to see a “new” McDonagh play. He could write the phone book and I’d go see it. (I assume the analogy works for writers, as well)

Stevens was superb - I saw a preview. But the whole company was perfection.


Is the set still in the Golden? It was a massive hydraulic driven piece.

Updated On: 2/1/22 at 10:49 AM

Jordan Catalano said: "Now bring back VIRGINIA WOOLF, too!"

YES!

Auggie27 said: "Is the set still in the Golden? It was a massive hydraulic driven piece."

No, it was dismantled per the NYT. Thoughts of a Colored Man was also in that theatre.

It's a big ol' risk to produce yet another play this season. But there should be plenty of discounts and I'll probably check it out again after seeing it at the Atlantic 4(!!!!) years ago.

Jordan Catalano said: "Now bring back VIRGINIA WOOLF, too!"

Immediately my reaction as well.

Need Metcalf, Tovey, and Ferran.

Loved this show. Glad it's coming back!

Too bad Dan Stevens is not back. I saw right before closing and he was award worthy, Allie has a great character to work with.

LOL

I saw this before the shutdown. Bringing it back is a waste of resources. It’s just not a great show. lol Give another writer of color a chance and the theater space. Put something new up that continues to progress the landscape of Broadway.

I hope they’re pulling a DIANA and have a Netflix plan or something in place cause chhh… lol Anyone putting additional money up for this has to know it’s basically charity lol

I saw it at the Atlantic. There is no mezzanine there, but it might be ideal to see it from one on Broadway, or at least from the back half of the orchestra. The set is striking and can best be appreciated from a bit further back.

OhHiii said: "OffOnBwayHi said: "LOL

I saw this before the shutdown. Bringing it back is a waste of resources. It’s just not a great show. lol Give another writer of color a chance and the theater space. Put something new up that continues to progress the landscape of Broadway.

I hope they’re pulling a DIANA and have a Netflix plan or something in place cause chhh… lol Anyone putting additional money up for this has to know it’s basically charity lol"

You do realize there are 20+ theaters sitting empty on Broadway right now, right? The show was critically lauded and a good deal of buzz around it in 2020. It’s not a stretch to see why they’re bringing it back.

Apparently getting an entire show company back to work amounts to just charity….

LOL."

LOL Why put a show up that may not finish the entire run (leaving the theater empty AGAIN) and more than likely not make a profit?

A quote in the NYT article from the lead producer, Robert Fox, even admits this:

"I don’t think anybody’s putting it back on because they think they’re going to make a lot of money, but they believe it’s a wonderful play of Martin’s, and hopefully people want to see a dark mystery comedy and enjoy themselves.”

It makes no sense. Put something up in one of the empty theaters that feels like a sure commercial bet, or give a underrepresented writer of color a chance to mount their "wonderful play" on a Broadway stage.

After all the talk these past two years, the industry is doing the same stuff. And it's even more repulsive because many folks, including the lead producer, know what the outcome of this mostly white show will be.

OffOnBwayHi said: " LOL Why put a show up that may not finish the entire run (leaving the theater empty AGAIN) and more than likely not make a profit?

It makes no sense. Put something up in one of the empty theaters that feels like a sure commercial bet, or give a underrepresented writer of color a chance to mount their "wonderful play" on a Broadway stage.

After all the talk these past two years, the industry is doing the same stuff. And it's even more repulsive because many folks, including the lead producer, know what the outcome of this mostly white show will be."

What exactly is your objection? That the play is about Manchester and British people? That it will not turn a profit? That it's a bad play?

Broadway real estate isn't just up for grabs, and plays by "underrepresented writers of color" require producing force behind them, same as anything else. Broadway is not regional theatre, "they" don't just "pick" plays to do — it requires a whole machine to get an individual production on its feet. Hangmen already had a producing team and passionate underwriters before they were shut down. They probably even got some government assistance money, like many productions did.

If you only want to see plays by authors of color, go see For Colored Girls or A Strange Loop and skip this, but to pretend like this is pushing out other plays that are more deserving is just not true. Most likely there will be several empty theaters during the spring season. This is hardly taking away real estate from somebody else.

Also, commercial theatre isn't charity -- it's tax breaks :)

Updated On: 2/2/22 at 02:01 PM