Is On The Town Closing? Is King Kong Taking the Lyric?- Page 2

[Starship]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 10:06pm

I saw both live. Zarkana was as if they had translated the sensation of having a migraine on to the stage and I think having food poisoning was better than Banana Spheel. And I saw each twice to make sure my opinion wasn't just a bad first impression.

 

 

[FindingNamo]

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

THAT'S dedication!

[acekatherineplumber2]

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

I recall liking Zarkana a lot when I saw it, but I was also 12 then and had only been to one traditional big-top circus years before, so I suppose just about anything would have impressed me then.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 10:36pm

"I saw both live. Zarkana was as if they had translated the sensation of having a migraine on to the stage and I think having food poisoning was better than Banana Spheel. And I saw each twice to make sure my opinion wasn't just a bad first impression.
 
 "

 I consider the time I had food poisoning as one of the worst days of my life. And I'm 28. So... ouch. 

[roadmixer]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 11:21pm

Liza obviously I don't know the exact terms but they are very generous and a LOT of money is paid out to completely install major extra gear and long hours during the week. You may also want to rethink your statement regarding which shows do it.  The Lion King is doing ESPN as did Newsies and/or Poppins. Kinky Boots did it for Univision last year during a $1,000,000+ week in May. TV has money to spend orders of magnitude greater than theater producers and the Upfront is a major deal. The deals are favorable to the shows or they wouldn't accept it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 11:29pm

Saw a number of their shows in Vegas.Did not have the pleasure of seeing either of the 2 productions mentioned above.

[FutureDirector]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:26am

what is it that's going into the Broadway?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:34am

"what is it that's going into the Broadway?"

Bartlett Sher's production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF might be taking the Broadway. As for ON THE TOWN, I think it might have a few legs left to last them a while.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 2:27am

"a few legs left"

The show hasn't really ever had a leg to stand on. Across 33 frames it has had only 10 that made money, including only one since the New Year's week. It may have a few inches left in the producer's deep pockets to last them a while so they may run until the landlord wants to kick them out, but presumably that will not be beyond the load in of a show in the fall. And it is also worth remembering that the new owners, unlike past ones, know a thing or two about running a theatre.

[phantom phan2]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 7:02am

well, if King Kong is to take it's place, they better do A LOT OF REVISIONS 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 8:18am

The Lion King is doing ESPN as did Newsies and/or Poppins.

Those productions share the same parent company as ESPN (Disney), so that doesn't really count.... 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 10:50am

On The Town lost it's legs about four months ago. 

Still wanna know what's taking the a Broadway. Lol. 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 12:27pm

The producers of King Kong did indeed enter talks to go into the Lyric, before On the Town even got there. During the talks it became painfully obvious they did not have the necessary money in place to make the move quickly and they were quite disorganized. They abandoned the option and On the Town took the space. As far as I know after that, they decided to postpone the Broadway bow to make revisions to the material (which could also have been a way to cover up the fact they simply didnt have all the money in place).

 

Talks with Cirque have taken place to have a permanent residency in the theatre. But nothing official has been signed, since the theatre still has its tenant (and OTT fully plans on staying open until the Tonys). Whether you love or hate Cirque du Soleil, they are probably one of the few types of shows that could fill that theatre on a regular basis. And the landlords know it.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:08pm

^ I don't think Cirque will be able to fill the space on a regular basis.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:12pm

I agree. Maybe in short, 3-4 month engagements... but open-ended? No way. 

The market just isn't there and for some reason whoever wants this to happen doesn't see that. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:33pm

Obviously, no one has really solved the riddle of making money on open ended runs in the theatre. Perhaps rethinking it as a home for 3-4 month engagements makes more sense. An annual drop in from the Cirque folks would be a good base for that. AsI said in another post, the new ownership is not clueless like the previous ones. 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 3:27pm

They may not be clueless, but are they thinking straight? 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 5/12/15 at 1:29pm

In case you want to see a quick Vine of Ricky Martin singing, and also what they did to the Lyric...

 

https://vine.co/v/eKui7MJd5X3

Updated On: 5/12/15 at 01:29 PM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/12/15 at 1:48pm

I watched the vine and it was actually so crazy.

[ZellMorrowsPledge]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 3:34am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/equity-audition/KING-KONG-Staged-Reading-2016-12170 Auditions for the reading at Pearl Studios was just posted! 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 8:22am

Pearl Studios, huh? Man, one more sign that the money's not in place. You only use Pearl if you're cheaper than free lunch.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/12/16 at 8:49am

That or they had availability that fit their timeline.