How did the top broadway shows get where they are?

[bwaymyway84]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:58pm

Going off another tread posted about what show you think will break the next "longest running show" record, what is it about the top shows: Phantom, CATS, Les Mis, Chorus Line, Oh Calcutta! (revival), Beauty and the Beast, Miss Saigon, RENT (all the shows above 4000 performances I think)that got them to there spot. Was it the score, cast, subject matter, visual (set/costume/all that stuff) or ???

[Broadway_Boy]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:44pm

They were able to continue bringing enough money in to pay everyone, so there was no point in closing them.

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:53pm

They had enough money to run, They had strong, positive word of mouth, decent to good reviews, and some Tony awards. Word of mouth is a powerful thing and can make or break a show.

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:54pm

They had enough money to run, They had strong, positive word of mouth, decent to good reviews, and some Tony awards. Word of mouth is a powerful thing and can make or break a show.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:31am

Deals with the devil. Very Faust-like deals with the devil. There must be a lesson in this somewhere.

[Plum]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:32am

The difference between the long-running hits and the really long-running hits is that the latter become tourist destinations in their own rite, landmarks like the Empire State Building. Tourist after tourist party comes in to watch them, because that's something you do when you go to New York.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:36am

Well, for the long running shows, it's a combination of hype/great marketing plus, even more importantly, good word-of-mouth, with the latter ultimately being the reason a show can run for a decade or more. Reviews and even awards are forgotten fairly quickly. Millions of dollars in advertising might buy you a year or two, but if the people seeing your show aren't leaving so happy that they're going to go back and tell all of their friends and family members that they HAVE to see that show on their next trip to New York and that the show is worth paying $110 to see, you won't run more than a few years, no matter how clever your marketing plan is.

And there are different reasons certain shows end up having that word of mouth and such mass appeal:

-- Beauty and The Beast got mixed reviews and just one Tony for costumes, but it was based on one of the most popular films in history. It's also been the default show for families with small children to see when they're in town. Lion King also has the Disney brand name and draws the same sort of audience for the same sort of reasons (based on a huge hit Disney film and OK for the kids)

-- Cats, Les Miz, Miss Saigon and Phantom all got a slew of Tonys and were part of the era of British mega-musicals that dominated Broadway in the 80s and early 90s. These were all big shows and spectacle sells. They each also appealed greatly to the family market

-- Oh Calcutta! was a piece of trash, but it had nudity -- fully lit and unashamed. Its long run is mostly attibutable to the legions of foreign tourists (especially from Asia) who came from places where such open displays of naked flesh was forbidden (at least in "legitimate" entertainment). For years, the vast majority of its patrons spoke not a word of English -- probably a blessing so that they couldn't understand the awful risque sketches that made up the bulk of the show.

-- A Chorus Line benefitted from 9 Tonys and the Pulitzer and did a great job of promoting the glitzy nature of the show -- many people going in thought that the whole show would feature big dance numbers involving the gold costumes in the ads (I spoke to many people over the years who were surprised when they saw the actual show). Audiences, though, clearly identified with the messages of trying to fit in, get over their childhood insecurities, get a job and devoting your life to something that you love and are passionate about.

-- Rent has done a great job of tapping into the under-35 crowd who identifies strongly with the show's message of hope in the face of poverty and disease and comes back repeatedly to see it

-- Mamma Mia has the advantage of ABBA (300 million records sold worldwide), a story that touches on the whole mother-daughter thing and wanting to know where you come from (who your father is) and that the whole show becomes a big disco party at the end

-- The Chicago revival is funny, timely (murder, infamy and corruption create all manner of celebrities these days), with a great score and some of the best dancing on Broadway, along with stories of people aspiring to fame and fortune -- no matter what mistakes they've made in their pasts.

Ultimately, the shows that tend to run a long time (and include in that the timeless story of love that is The Fantasticks!) are shows that have characters and stories that make some kind of human connection with audiences, are somehow positive, hopeful and life-affirming by the end and, with certain exceptions already named, appeal to the family market. None rely on stars (which is why shows like The Producers and Sunset Boulevard could never make the all-time top ten list). For any show to run 5+ years, it HAS to appeal on some level to every kind of audience -- all races, all ages, all nationalities (including non-English speakers), all education levels ("snob" hits rarely last beyond a season or so), and all levels of theatre-going sophistication. The story and music have to be readily and immediately accessible to everyone (which explains why Sondheim's shows, for example, rarely run longer than a year). And the producers have to smartly and persistently market the hell out of it -- from before opening and through year after year of the run.

Really long runs are a rare and fairly recent phenomenon (a few decades ago, a "hit" ran for a season or two and no longer). They're not always the "best" shows running at any given time, but they all possess SOMETHING that a wide cross section of theatregoers are able to embrace.

Updated On: 1/19/06 at 01:36 AM

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:37am

The heard the POTO slept with a building manager, and CATS was a floozy for a mobster in the 80's. She only closed cause her "suga daddy" went ta jail.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:46am

It's called good marketing, hun.

[Patronus]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 1:46am

I wonder if a possible answer to this question in 10 years will be:

"Because Oprah told me to go see it."

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 2:00am

Marvelous weigh in Margo.
Your lapdog says "Bravo."

[Plum]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 2:04am

I thought you were a lap-penguin. And move over, it's getting crowded on there.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 2:25am

Plums and Penguins can coexist on the lap in total harmony.
The "dog" thing is a ruse so we can eat more puppies.

[bwaymyway84]

Posted: 1/19/06 at 2:48am

Thanks Margo, you were the only one who actually knew my true question. I am aware of the business side things. I needed content based answers. Thanks!