Heidi Chronicles to close?- Page 2

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:16pm

Pinto, there has been much discussion of the fact that Heidi is a play of its time that does not appeal outside of that time. there has also been discussion of the fact that Ms. Moss is (like many other similar mistakes that have been made in other shows) not a significant enough draw to overcome the lack of interest in the material. 

You have no obligation to research anything, but when you make statements (absolute ones, especially) without knowing what you are talking about, it not only undercuts your argument but also makes you seem like a clown. I thought you were starting to recognize this when you posted a halfway decent list you researched the other day. Maybe you don't care what others think of you: that's not a really swell posture for someone who purports to want a career in this business. The other show that makes no sense is LOL, something that ought to come at both the start and finish of most of your posts, unless you prefer to use a smiley face so we know you are just joking. 

Roxy, thanks. I TRY not to condescend, though I fall victim to it occasionally but then I regret it. We don't need to agree with each other on this board, but I think we do need to separate our opinions from facts, and make sure we know what we are talking about before we post the latter. Opinions we all get to have. Whether a show makes sense is sometimes clearer in hindsight than beforehand, so when say that a show doesn't make sense before it is clear, we are obviously expressing an opinion. Smart people make mistakes, like the one you mention re Last Ship. But the same producer has made up for that mistake in spades subsequently. It is well to remember that the same mind that brought Book of Mormon to Broadway also brought Testament of Mary.

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 03:16 PM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:30pm

The only absolute statement I made was the fact that people know the play, which is true. I don't think you can ever really tell whats gonna hit, and whats not. I mean, who could really tell if Constellations was gonna do good? Whats the other play that doesn't make sense?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:35pm

Hogan said it: LOL- Living on Love. 

You also made an absolute statement by saying Hogan doesn't think anything makes sense. 

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 03:35 PM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:41pm

oh when he said LOL i thought he just wasn't making sense again. And because it seems like he doesn't! How does Living on Love make any less sense than Curious Incident, Wolf Hall, Fish in the Dark, Hand to God, or Constellations?

"We don't need to agree with each other on this board, but I think we do need to separate our opinions from facts"

Im not using any opinion

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 03:41 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 3:50pm

Hogan's posts are totally coherent. 

And Living on Love is a light, decidedly stylistically out-of-date comedy that is totally reliant on the bankability of its star... who has a niche audience, due to opera's considerably smaller cultural presence. It's a gamble at best. 

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 03:50 PM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:02pm

"Living on Love is a light, decidedly stylistically out-of-date comedy"

Thats your opinion 

"that is totally reliant on the bankability of its star... who has a niche audience, due to opera's considerably smaller cultural presence. It's a gamble at best. "

Thats true, but I want to know why he thinks this show doesn't make sense to him, but yet shows like Hand to God and Constellations do 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:06pm

This never should have opened in a Broadway house. It should have had an off-Broadway run. At most, it should have been produced through a company like Roundabout that could have minimized their losses.

We're not in a period of time where people have the luxury or the mindset to spend $150 to watch this play.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:08pm

I agree about Roundabout

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:13pm

Both Hand to God and Constellations are coming in with much critical praise. 

And the show is stylistically dated.  It is written and structured in the style of a midcentury three-act comedy; although performed with one intermission, it has three distinct sections of plot, just like the comedies of Kaufman & Hart and Garson Kanin and countless others. Considering it's adapted from an obscure play by Garson Kanin, this isn't surprising. Plays just aren't written in that structure anymore. 

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:17pm

Living on Love was also praised at WTF.  And theres someone in it who has big fans. Hand to God doesn't even have that

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:27pm

Its reception from the Times at WTF by their third-stringer critic was warm but hardly a rave. 

Hand to God is marketing itself as counter-programming to a season of names, British imports, and revivals and is coming in with raving pull-quotes and an awarded lead performance already set. It's still a risk but it's a sensible one. 

Fleming has big fans, sure. But she is not a bankable stage acting star. Not yet. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:27pm

Hand has nearly universal raves plus is "edgy". Living needs raves for it to have any chance and it will not get them. The Longacre will be having a new tenant sooner rather than later.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:46pm

I have a feeling they will get nice reviews, with raves for Fleming and Sills

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:50pm

Sorry Pinto 

Nice reviews do not sell tickets.Agreed Fleming and Sills will get good reviews.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 4:54pm

Yes because clearly good reviews are selling the tickets lately

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:12pm

Philly

Fairly decent reviews (including a rave from Brantley) did not help save Honeymoon. Barring raves (which no on expects) decent reviews will not save The Visit. Sideshow was not helped with good reviews. On The Town is not being helped by a nice set of glowing reviews.

If Wildhorn ever got reviews like town, he would think he died & went to Heaven. He would be happier than a pig in ****.

Normally great reviews would be a great help selling a show. This season, it seems to be the opposite. Living, if they are lucky, will get acceptable reviews. They will not be enough to save what is essentially a dinner theater offering masquerading as a Broadway show.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:22pm

"They will not be enough to save what is essentially a dinner theater offering masquerading as a Broadway show."

Mr Roxy, whether reviews are good or bad, it doesn't really seem to be having that much of an impact on most shows. Your comment means nothing!!!!!!! Word of mouth will sell a show though!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:30pm

Re Word Of Mouth

I saw it and the chatter in the mens room was not great. In addition, many people left at intermission and never returned. They will not have good worth of mouth. Negative word of mouth is just as powerful as good word of mouth. You seem to think the show is better than it is. You are entitled to your opinion as am I . The future will tell us who was right or wrong.

Word of mouth exclusively will not sell a show. Never has & never will. If paying customers leave prematurely, what do you think critics will do?

Updated On: 4/10/15 at 05:30 PM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:32pm

Im not even talking about Living on Love. just speaking generally

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:35pm

My comments apply to any show.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:38pm

Yeah, but Philly used more exclamation marks, so he wins.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:40pm

Your comments don't apply to any show when you say:

"I saw it and the chatter in the mens room was not great. In addition, many people left at intermission and never returned. They will not have good worth of mouth. Negative word of mouth is just as powerful as good word of mouth. You seem to think the show is better than it is."

[evic]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:41pm

Shows like Heidi and Love Letters are ridiculous to revive no matter who is starring in them....in their time they were hits, but today's audiences just do not care.  And it is not like they are classics written by O'Neill or Williams.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:45pm

did anybody care about A Delicate Balance?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/10/15 at 5:47pm

Exactly evic

Did not see this production of Balance. After seeing the Stritch version I knew nothing could surpass that cast.