Jersey Boys Toronto will close Aug. 22- Page 2

[toguy]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 1:27am

He goes up- where does he go on Broadway?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 1:30am

Downstairs. There's a trap that opens up behind the sofa-like thing and he goes down there with her. That's how it is in Vegas, too (I can't remember how it was in Melbourne). I think it's funnier when he swoons down the staircase, though, instead of just proudly popping out of the floor. :)

[Tag]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 1:32am

Toronto has the downstage trap though, which the tour doesn't.
Updated On: 7/4/10 at 01:32 AM

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 11:06am

TOguy, how do you know he has nothing to sell? Have you seen firsthand his calender for the coming year? How do you know he's not booked things for next season (since he does have a deal to program at the Four Seasons in the summers ahead)?

[toguy]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 11:36am

Tourboi-

On September 6- will I be able to buy a ticket to a Dancap show?

[Tag]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 12:36pm

Yes you will, if you go to New York.

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:05pm

As Tag said, yep... in NY.

But even if he doesn't have tickets on sale, doesn't mean he doesn't have something TO sell. If he has a show opening in several months, yet to be announced, then they're probably building campaigns and marketing strategy now.

And the "selling" would begin long before tickets went on sale.
Updated On: 7/4/10 at 03:05 PM

[toguy]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 3:54pm

Ok, first of all, I do believe Tag was being sarcastic, and you're being serious. There is a difference between a producer and investor. Dancap is an investor in Memphis (with producing credit) and has nothing to do with the day to day operations of the show- including selling tickets.

Second- this is theatre. Things are planned out a year in advance. Look at Mirvish's last two announcements- Billy Elliot and Lion King- both announced A YEAR IN ADVANCE. You don't plop things down with 3 months notice. Theatres rely heavily on group sales and they need at least 6 months advance notice to sell a show.

So it stands. There is nothing for Dancap to sell.

And there is nobody to plan marketing strategies or build campaigns.
Updated On: 8/20/10 at 03:54 PM

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 5:17pm

Thanks for the lesson, but I've produced shows before. I know the difference between being an investor and a working producer. Dan doesn't have anything to do with the day to day, but he definitely can give input into the marketing, advertising, etc if he so chooses.

He's got his hands in a few NY shows though, probably because he wants to be the one to present them in Toronto. So as those shows prep a tour, don't assume he's got nothing coming up in Toronto.

They announced MEMPHIS' tour months ago. It's not unreasonable to suggest that it could make a Toronto bow very early in it's tour and be on next season's slate for DanCap.
Updated On: 7/4/10 at 05:17 PM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 5:42pm

Dancap has "Next To Normal" coming to Toronto, and he has money in "The Addams Family", which will being touring in the near future, so he isn't quite dead yet.

[Tag]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 6:27pm

Memphis' tour doesn't start until October 2011 and an Addams Family tour is far off as well.

I too believe there is something up Dancap's sleeve - what that is, I have no idea.

[PastorErnst]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 7:54pm

I, for one, am happy that Aubrey Dan is putting his best foot forward and trying to bring something more to Toronto. Having a Mirvish monopoly of the major downtown theatres is growing tiresome.

I wonder what Aubrey's next move will be.

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 9:24pm

It's true. A little competition can do a lot of good for a market like Toronto. :)

[toguy]

Posted: 7/4/10 at 11:38pm

Tourboi- a commercial producer eh? every producer gives advice. I guess I don't have to tell you that few lead producers or general managers listen to them, but they have to seem interested, since the money came from them. Experienced marketing and GM companies handle these aspects. Bottom line remains- dancaptickets.com will have nothing on it.

fashionguru_23- An official Next to Normal announcement has never been made. Aubrey also has money in Wicked, which of course Mirvish is bringing back in the fall- so that really doesn't mean anything. He also has money in In The Heights, but that's been all around Toronto (Buffalo, Cleveland last year, Rochester and Detroit next year) and no where near Dancap. He also had money in The Wedding Singer- but that tour never came to Toronto.

And what's with all the Memphis talk? Because it won a Tony and Aubrey has money in it? In the Heights won the same amount of Tonys, has been on the road for nearly a year, dates booked well into April and no Dancap- so why would Memphis be any different? Because he has an empty theatre now? The Elgin is empty most of the year- and he certainly can't fill more than 1,400 seats and the stage is... adequate. So then why no In The Heights? I heard the same talk last year at this time for In The Heights- but nothing has materialized and I don't see any reason why that would change for Memphis. But back to the topic- if these shows were coming, the proper way to deal with Jersey Boys is to announce the shows in advance and announce Jersey Boys' closing in advance. Or, in other words, have a plan.

And everyone saying they expect that he has something up his sleeve- look at the history. There is three years of Dancap to look at now. This was also stated many times last year and the year before. Look at the thread on the Toronto board called "Dancap" from 2008. TAG wrote that he expects something 'exciting and unexpected' from Aubrey after announcing a dud of a season. Yet nothing came. FRONTROWCENTRE said "Aubrey in his "predictably unpredictable" way said that there would be more news in a few weeks. " But nothing came.

And every year, Aubrey has announced something (or not) and cancelled it. Legally Blonde, 101 Dalmations, Dancin'. All booked or almost announced by Dancap only to have them fall through. Everyone had high hopes for replacements, but those replacements never came.


As for Jersey Boys- it should be transfered to the Panasonic, where it would have 2 or 3 more good profitable years in it.

On the other hand, I'd even wager that he could get another year out of Jersey Boys if took a month off (or 6) and moved it to the Elgin. He could probably get another 6 months out of it if he stopped discounting it, ran 5 or 6 shows a week and kept it at the Toronto Centre.
Updated On: 8/20/10 at 11:38 PM

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 1:40am

While what you say about listening to money producers is true, it is my belief that a good producer DOES listen to all of his/her team. Many I know do. Many don't. But to suggest that he doesn't have anything to do with MEMPHIS or his other project's marketing in NY is silly unless you're sitting in on those ad meetings and can say for sure.

To your later points, he couldn't run a show for a year at the Elgin without some serious concessions from the province. The gov't owns the venue and has set bookings in it seasonally (such as the Ross Petty shows). And, in a venue the size of the TO Centre, I'm pretty sure CDN Equity would still require the cast get paid for 8 shows a week, even if he only did 5 or 6, so that ideas out. (Ditto IATSE for that matter... Toronto IATSE is one of the hardest branches of the union to work with).

I think if the sales are dropping, its time to close, which he clearly made the executive decision to do. The show had a great run. When it opened everyone kept saying it would only last a few months "way up in North York." Two years later, they're the longest running show in the history of that venue and have brought it new attention.

For those reasons, i think we should be applauding Mr. Dan for taking the chances he's taken, not shooting negativity towards him.

It's no secret that I thought the handling of TOXIC AVENGER was a mistake from the get go (completely WRONG venue for the show... far too big). So I'm not all "YEY DANCAP!" but I do acknowledge that JERSEY BOYS has (from what I can tell) been handled pretty well in Toronto. And I actually don't really care for JB as a show, either, personally.

That a show (any show) can still run two years there speaks volumes to NY producers who might be looking for viable markets for long sits.

In any rate, I say congrats to the cast, crew, and producers of Jersey Boys Toronto for a two year run.

[toguy]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 1:54am

I don't want to stomp on what seems like a lovely closing message from you on the topic tourboi, but... my point was sales really weren't dropping off, they were just the same (around 55%) for probably almost 6 months now. Of course slightly busier on the weekend, so to throw out the show was just the wrong way to wind down a great run- and agreed, congrats...

As for 5 or 6 shows a week- yes, you are paying the same rate for unions (I'm sure there would be no concession) and you are not making any more money- but you have full houses for those 5 or 6 shows, which works with the crowd theory and serves to build momentum. Same reason Mirvish closes balconies near the end of the run. Reduce the capacity, make it look like it's doing well... Some royalties are also effected by the weekly capacity of the show, so by reducing capacity, you may also reduce royalty payments. But it's much better for your 8,000 patrons to show up to 5 sold out shows than 8 1/2 full shows...

[Tag]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 1:56am

IATSE members are paid hourly, not weekly.

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 1:59am

Then in that case, I'd simply close a section of seating, rather than reduce performances. Same effect.

And sales have remained steady, but perhaps the ADVANCE looked rather tepid compared to what it has been, that's what I'm saying. I could be wrong, but I'd suspect that's why its closing. Maybe the outlook beyond the summer and into the fall months is far below what the advance had been for months prior.

[toguy]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 2:03am

Tag, true- but if they all signed contracts saying X # of hrs. a week , I bet you can't get out of that!

And a final addition- Why 8 shows? Simply because it's the maximum allowed by equity. There is no other reason.

Tourboi- closing off a seating section does not produce the desired effect- which is making the show look busier than it is. You may be right about the advance, and with the departing cast members he thought the anniversary was a good time to close.

Updated On: 7/5/10 at 02:03 AM

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 2:12am

They could close the upper balcony, and few people below would be able to tell it was under sold.

[toguy]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 2:20am

yep, that's a good starting point and only perpetuates my point that the closing is a knee-jerk foolish reaction. The balcony, to my knowledge, was never taken off sale (spare maybe one or two days).

PS- have a look at a dancap pricing chart on their website- it's absolutely ridiculous! There are 5 price points in the orchestra alone!

[tourboi]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 2:46am

Closing the balcony wouldn't matter much if the advance is really low from the fall onward, though. I'm pretty convinced that's the culprit here.

[Justaguy2]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 10:46am

As for the IATSE hourly vs weekly. You are both right. Locals are paid hourly and crew on a "pink" contract are paid weekly. JB has a mixture of both.

Bottom line is congrats to Dancap for the JB run. It is a serious accomplishment and is important as Toronto attempts to restore its reputation as a major theatre market. Now what's next? Not sure what show could sit down 2 years in that venue but from what I understand, they have an exclusive management contract with the theatre so they need to get something in there as soon as possible.

[toguy]

Posted: 7/5/10 at 10:46am

You just may be very right. I was told that there are shows in August that still haven't sold a ticket!

It's a shocker he could let it get to that point.

[anfwesternboy]

Posted: 7/7/10 at 3:26pm

Two years is a good run for a show in Toronto. Point is the audience dried up for JB in Toronto long ago... seems like he's been keeping it open with his own money.

Good luck to Aubrey Dan if he can find a Broadway producer who's crazy enough to trust him with running a show in Toronto suburbia. Updated On: 7/7/10 at 03:26 PM