High Fidelity will be missed...

A true indication of producers mismanaging a show. Unfortunately, I think it it's very easy to see some reasons why High Fidelity closed so soon.
There was absolutely no advertising on this show. Word of mouth is good, but not enough these days. The producers should be ashamed of themselves for not giving this show the chance it deserved.

I've been talking with my friends and they think Brantley's review closed the show. I disagree. Reviews were bad, but not the death of the show IMHO. The show's buzz was good at the start, but the only press people ever saw on this show was bad reviews. Another reason why the producers should have done way more advertising, this way the bad reviews would not have made such an impact. By the way, Ben Brantley was out to trash this show from day 1. He has no business reviewing new edgy rock musicals. He should be fired from the NY TImes. All he does is brown nose Kristin Chenoweth anyway - had no business reviewing this show. Honestly, any bad review he's written had been for shows I love.

As for the producers, If they put up a billboard, or spent more money getting people to the theater, the reviews wouldn't have mattered so much. Look at Wedding Singer.

The show had such heart. Such talent. Great music. I am very dissapointed. I saw the show 3 times and it was better each time. I can't wait for the recording, so the wonderful music of this show will live on!

love live HIGH FIDELITY!

Its official. High Fidelity has now broken the record of "Most Threads Created in a 48 Hour Span" previously held by Rent and Wicked.

Congrats.

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"Honestly, any bad review he's written had been for shows I love." ---- Because Brantley cares about YOU.

"If they put up a billboard, or spent more money getting people to the theater, the reviews wouldn't have mattered so much." ----Have you taken the New York City subway system lately? If you have, you'd see billboards and signs all over the place.

"All he does is brown-nose Kristin Chenoweth, anyway..." ----and Julie White, Christine Ebersole, Raul Esparza, Patti LuPone, Harry Connick, Jr., Brian F. O'Byrne, Idina Menzel, Bernadette Peters, and even Will Chase.

Updated On: 12/18/06 at 05:08 PM

Right - Brantley does NOT care about ME. Which further illustrates my point.
He doesn't write reviews that reflect theh general opinion of the public. He is out of touch.

RE: Advertising: posters on a subway - big deal.

Legally Blonde has a billboard in times square 6 months before they open.

That's what I mean.

Updated On: 12/18/06 at 05:11 PM

You can claim a flop has had bad reviews. But promotion is one thing that can make or a break a show. Good example is that LEGALLY BLONDE billboard: It's already stirring attention to the show.

All Shook Up got mixed reviews and still had a brief but successful 6 month run. I feel atleast High Fidelity deserved that. I adored All Shook Up and was sad to see it go, and you can ask any fan of a closed too soon musical, they will be missed. Be happy you get a cast recording to remember it by, some shows {BRYAN's favorites? Anyone.} don't get that. I was blessed with an ASU cast recording, and hopefully the HIFI cast recording will lessen the blow, and their may even be a tour: who knows? ASU got a tour.

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Updated On: 12/18/06 at 05:18 PM

But you need money to advertise, and you need to sell tickets.
The out of town reviews and word of mouth on this show were terrible and no one bought a ticket.

He isn't hired to reflect the general opinion. Though, based on 99 percent of the other reviews and box office sales, he sort of is reflecting general opinion about this show isn't he?

Brantley is not out of touch with anything. He's getting paid to write his opinion of a show. If he feels a need to call it forgettable and trash it, so be it. Since when does anyone write reviews that reflect what the general public feels? It's not his fault that the show got s**t reviews in Boston and New York. Obviously, he wasn't alone in thinking it sucked.

As far as advertising - why does a show need a billboard in Times Square to be considered successful when it comes to advertising? I'd say spending money putting up signs at every subway stop this side of Manhattan is better than 1 billboard.

Updated On: 12/18/06 at 05:33 PM

Liverpool.....Did u SEE High Fidelity?

I wonder, has the closing of a show ever seen such an outcry as this? I mean, granted, when Sweeney closed in September, some were upset, but it didn't garner half as much a reaction as this has (or Wedding Singer, for that matter).

Exactly. The advertising WAS there. Demos were sent around. Songs were made downloadable. Radio ads are STILL playing. Signs in the subway system are STILL up and have been since they announced the show will come to Broadway. They even made a music video and put that on every site, from YouTube to the NY Times.

And I did see the show.

psssst...bobby bubby killed high fidelity in shubert alley with a pipe wrench. pass it on.

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Shhhhhhhh....