I was told the Last Ship is closing in January — Page 2

"WTF

Kennedy Center honors Sting and no Last Ship number?????"

You could say the same thing for any of his popular hits that weren't showcased. They always pick and choose. The show got a nice mention. And it's possible the live show did feature a number that just didn't make the TV cut. What we see does not reflect all that happens.

"That's how you know it's a flop."

No, Namo, it's not. It may be a flop, but not because of that. That's just the sort of priceless nonsense people have a penchant for spouting on here.

Looks like the curse of the Alvin/Simon lives on.

All the Way?
Hairspray?
Elaine Stritch At Liberty?
The Music Man?
The King and I?
Biloxi Blues?
Brighton Beach Memoirs?
Annie?

Updated On: 12/31/14 at 01:48 AM

I think they mean that the Neil Simon has not had a hit MUSICAL since Hairspray. The same could be said about the St. James, which has not had a hit since The Producers.

Though, like you said, the over-exposure might not be helping. If audiences don't like the songs on TV, they wouldn't be compelled to see the show. And if Wonderland broadcasted any of their inept numbers on TV, it may have actually closed the show faster.

Fantod,

To be honest, as bad as Wonderland was --- and was it ever bad--- it was easier to sit through than The Last Ship.

I kept hoping for them to finally build that ship so that we could escape into the night.

Updated On: 12/31/14 at 04:44 AM

If you want to believe in cursed theaters look at the Lyric. Zero hits, all flops.

---

42nd street? Ragtime?

---

After Eight, you write, "if the show were as wonderful as people here exclaim, and the audience as enthusiastic as people here claim, then word of mouth would have brought others to see it." If it were that simple then all good shows would be successful, but certainly you believe some flops deserved to run. No?

Chris,

You ask a good question, but it's really a complicated matter. Does something "good" "deserve" to run? It depends on how you conceive of both of these terms.

If someone opens a hot-dog stand, and sells great hot dogs for $50 each, and the public refuses to pay that sum for these hot dogs, causing the owner to go out of business, is the public to "blame?" Did the owner "deserve" success? And if food critics extol hot dogs that are actually lousy, and are judged lousy by the public, should the public be expected to buy them just the same, and be excoriated for not doing so?

As far as shows are concerned, they are being presented to the public for its approval --- and dollars. That's just the way the game is played. If the public doesn't give either, than no, the show doesn't "deserve" to run, no matter what I or anyone else thinks about the show's merits.

Oh yes, After Eight, audiences attending theater today are so very sharp. That is why they have kept Mamma Mia running for years. Oh, and Rock of Ages. Let's see, that's right these sharp audiences have turned virtually every junk box musical into a long running hit. Motown? Really? Beautiful? Really? That is why these sharp audiences have been duped into championong junk like Book of Mormon and will pay $400 a ticket. These sharp audiences are why bloated dated musicals like Phantom can run way past their expiration dates. Why shows with men in drag are the screaming height of sophistication. Why every Disney piece of crap like Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and yes the incomprehensible puppet show know as Lion King run and run and run. Why serious drama is just about dead on B'way and most straight plays cannot sustain a long run without some mediocre !!MOVIE STAR!! to titillate these sharp audiences. Yes, audiences are so sharp; they are so intelligent ; they are so sophisticated; they are, in fact, culturally deprived dullards in polyester that have ruined theater with their plebian tastes. If you think they are sharp After Eight, there's a ticket to Moose Murders The Musical using Madonna's catalogue of songs that I would like to sell you. You'll love it!

If the running costs are as stated a few weeks back then Sting has pulled back around two thirds of the $1m or so they lost in the 10 weeks before he came. Tickets sales post 1/24 are low according to ticketmaster anyway. If you saw the WSJ café video last week he was more or less resigned to it closing and relying on word of mouth to keep it opened.

Hey, After Eight, in your proposed paradigm, how do you account for the long-term success of ONCE?

---