HONEYMOON IN VEGAS struggling on Broadway- Page 15

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:10pm

^ They don't deserve to play to empty houses. How would you feel if you were on that stage nightly and see that the show you are performing has practically no audience? Yes, they are paid nicely but come on!

[bwaybby]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:12pm

I'm sure they'd be happy to perform to 50% houses for 100% of their paychecks so long as having a 50% house wasn't a sign of imminent closure. That is why it sucks for the cast I'd think...

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:13pm

"A friend of mine saw it Tuesday night and said the mezzanine looked as if it only had a little over 100 people and those few in the rear mezzanine moved down to front 5 rows."

Now that's interesting. I wonder how strict the ushers are about enforcing assigned seating if there are so many empty seats.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:18pm

Sometimes when a house is very undersold like that the ushers are instructed to move people from the rear to particular seats closer to keep there being a mad rush when the lights go down. Many times at MISS SAIGON we would close a giant curtain cutting off the rear mezz and be told where to reseat those with the cheap seats in front mezz.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:19pm

If the house is that empty then the ushers will sometimes be told to move people forward. It's called dressing the house and is done because it's often better for the actors to have a small audience concentrated into one area rather than scattered throughout. Audience reactions can sometime be contagious (like yawning), so you're more likely to get that smaller audience to be more engaged with the show if they are sitting in one area. If you are sitting in a row all by yourself it becomes even easier to check out, get bored, get restless, etc, than you will if you have more people around you.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:23pm

They should be dressing the house with comps to at least generate word of mouth. Having 47% total attendance paid and comped is inexcusable.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:25pm

Broadway61004, that's really insulting. Most theater actors are in it because they have a passion and calling for it, not to make money. If that was their pursuit, they'd be on Wall Street or in real estate or in Hollywood. Their salaries don't make up for the fact that they are heartbroken that their show isn't catching on. Cashing the check is not the most important part of the process.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:27pm

^Thank you Wilmington!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:28pm

That's so funny. It reminds me of an hilarious interview where Geraldine Page said she HATED A Chorus Line because the message was, "We love it! Don't pay us!".

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:42pm

Well the divine Geraldine Page got it wrong. The message was that the dancer's life is finite and that you do it as long as you can for your love of the art and because that's who you are - a dancer. Money never comes into the equation. Even Cassie is auditioning for a spot that will pay minimum.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:44pm

So what she was saying was that it is unrealistic and devalues the work of the artist. Cassie… "Don't pay us, we love it!"

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 10:52pm

Ushers were saying that they weren't permitted to move people before the show, but many did at intermission.

The whole thing felt kind of sad. They are giving 110% on that stage and they deserve more of an audience. Not the best material but it was good fluff.

Also, Zachary Prince gave one of the best understudy performances that I've ever seen. If I hadn't known, I would think he was the regular in the role.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 11:40pm

WIlmington that is true and wrong. We all want to get paid. And we all want to make a steady paycheck. I'm sure they're all happy to be doing the show, but if they were all offered Wicked they'd jump ship knowing they could at least play out their contracts.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 2/25/15 at 11:45pm

loving something isn't gonna pay your bills! Honestly though, when it starts to get warmer, I do think things will pick up. I, for one, am finally seeing it over Spring Break in 2 weeks. I suspect their nominations WILL help them because people will think, oh wait, maybe its actually good, instead of assuming its a tacky crap vegas show just because of the title

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 12:35am

The same way the New York Times review from Brantley was going to give them an increase in business?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:03am

"Honestly though, when it starts to get warmer, I do think things will pick up."

Hey sweetie, it's gonna be 68 and sunny today. Whatdaya say we go see HONEYMOON IN VEGAS.

Great idea, pumpkin. When it was 30 and snowing, I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in seeing it. But now that the weather is warmer, it all of a sudden feels... right.

Phillypinto, this is what you are expecting to happen in thousands of households, correct?

[seahag2]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:17am

Though I don't think Honeymoon will catch on, I think the idea is that once people are not off-put by wandering around the city in snow, they'll be more willing to see broadway shows in general. Except all of the shows I assume will increase in ticket sales (same goes for museums, sports events, etc) and Honeymoon will still be at the bottom of the list.

Updated On: 2/26/15 at 01:17 AM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:25am

Despite what the small handful of die hard fans want you to believe you just can't blame the weather for the lack of interest in the show. During two of the most lucrative weeks of the year (Christmas and New Year's) the show still pulled in absolutely abysmal numbers, ranking as the lowest grossing musical for both of those weeks, and the second lowest grossing show on Broadway overall for one of those weeks.

The goal posts keep getting moved.

"Wait for the holidays, the tourists will come" (they didn't)

"Wait for the reviews, ticket sales will pick up" (they didn't)

"Wait for the warm weather, people will find this show" (I'm willing to bet that's going to be proven false)

It's great that somebody has the money to keep throwing at this show, but there comes a time when reality is going to hit, and hit hard.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:28am

Phillypinto, please sit down with a calculator and try to understand how preposterous what you are suggesting is. Figure out what it would take to break even and then what it would take to pay back the priority loans so that they can pay one penny to the investors. Make a list of all the shows opening in the spring and calculate what percentage of all April visitors to the city it would take to make Honeymoon solvent by the 4th of july. On the back side of the sheet, plot out a marketing plan to differentiate this show no one has ever show the slightest interest in -even over Christmas-from the competition. In order words, get yourself tethered to reality instead of defending people that every single person in the business (including many who are involved in Honeymoon) think are insane. If you will do all of this, you will see that you have hitched your wagon to the wrong horse, and staying in your wagon makes about as much sense as following that horse over Niagra Falls. Your enthusiasm for the show is admirable , but we have all had shows we wished had succeeded but didn't. And when the numbers don't add up, we don't act crazy like the people keeping this and On the Town open. When you say things like what you said, you jump from being naive to nuts. Why would you want to do that?

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:52am

LMFAO!
okay 1st of all, i am not rooting for this show. I haven't even gotten a chance to see it yet lmfao
2nd of all, why would i waste my time with that? Maybe you'd sit down with a calculator and try to figure all that out, but i have better things to do.
3rd, you act like things like this have never happened to shows before. It still CAN become a hit. These are the worst months of Broadway, and its a new show with award season still far away. Im sure they new that they opened at a bad time. All the investors are probably filthy rich anyway, and might not see this as losing that much money. Who said Tony Danza is throwing money in the show? Michael Riedel? half his info is wrong anyway

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 1:54am

"When it was 30 and snowing, I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in seeing it. But now that the weather is warmer, it all of a sudden feels... right."

idk about you, but i sure as hell wouldn't go into the city when its snowing and freezing

[devonian.t]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 2:10am

Fisherman Bob, you always make me chuckle.

PS I'm wearing a scarf today so there's no way I'm going to the theatre...

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 6:46am

I lived in Manhattan for 24 years. If anything, people enjoy going more when it's cold because you fight cabin fever. Have to get out. I had friends who felt the same way: stop off at the TKTS booth on blustery night at 7:25. In you go to a show you might not otherwise bother with. The spring/summer tourists want to see the same 5 shows, and generally are not talked into much of anything. Branding is B'way, and it's one reason why a "Jersey Boys," "Mama Mia" and now "Beautiful" can do so well. The Branson effect works.

But here's the only nod to strategy I can give these deep-pocketed producers. If this show can stick around until the title itself "sounds like" a B'way (hit) brand, and though they may speak of it differently, it's the same syndrome, the show has a shot as a slight uptick by summer. No one in town the last six months will suddenly take interest, that much is probably true. But if people who can't get into "Beautiful" won't be lured back to "Les Miz" or a third "Wicked Lion," they might try it. Or that other show we argue about, the desperately unneeded "Gigi," already competing with "On the Town" "American in Paris" for those take-me-back-to-the-50's-please dollars. Still, what a horror of a financial journey to get to that point, the last week of June.

Updated On: 2/26/15 at 06:46 AM

[Eurotrash]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 7:36am

Indeed, once 'Gigi on the King in Paris' is in full swing, there may be some self-combusting ticket sales.

[stevie3]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 8:21am

Hey Sweets, I like your positive attitiude. You should be more than excited to see this show. It is really a true American Broadway Musical Comedy. There are so many other shows out there which I consider an American Horror Story but this one makes you feel alive and You will be Wowed, and when intermission comes make sure your in your seat on time cause the beginning of the second act is a trip. Wheather or not the show lasts nobody knows for sure but you will be able to know that you saw a quality show that you will never forget. PS get the CD after the show its awesome