How exactly do producers know exactly when a show should just throw in the towel and close (in terms of money, audience, etc.)?
Usually when it starts losing money with no hope of picking up.
An example: What were the reasons for closing the recent revival of SWEENEY TODD? Or HIGH FIDELITY? Was it just money, or something else (for example, how did they know that HF would never go out of the 200,000 slump it was in?
New shows (Such as HF) go by advanced ticket sales. HF closed because, most likely, it did not have a strong advance AND had bad reviews so ticket sales were most likely not going to pick up.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
Money. Sweeney Todd had several consecutive weeks where it failed to make enough to cover its weekly cost, so the producers wisely decided to pull the plug rather than face further losses. It had run nearly a year and had already recouped so there was little chance the box office would improve enough in the future for it to become profitable again, so -- seeing that the show had run its course -- they closed it.
Thanks, guys. Here's my other question: where can I find running costs weekly for any different show?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/16/05
That information typically isn't released, but I guess you can estimate which the big spenders like Wicked are in comparison to the ones like Rent where all you have are just the actors, musicians, and hands to pay.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
The first thing I thought when I saw this thread was "Knowing When to Leave" and now it is stuck in my head.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
The Stop Gap close can be invoked by the theatre owner when a show's gross receipts falls below a specified level for two consecutive weeks whether or not the producers want to pull the plug
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/21/07
Oh I thought this thread was going to be about things that show when it's time for a show to close, if that was the case I was going to say: it would be time to close a show after it's run 19 years *cough* POTO *cough*
Updated On: 2/19/07 at 05:30 PM
In the case of Assassins, Studio 54 didn't have any financial wiggle room to get itself through the dead parts of the season on Broadway, so they had to pull the plug before they went into the red.
Updated On: 2/19/07 at 05:36 PM
Assassins was actually a limited run. It extended and then decided to close. Partially because it didnt have a good advance but also because they had a show that was slated to go into the theatre, and they had to redo the seats in between.
"Partially because it didnt have a good advance but also because they had a show that was slated to go into the theatre, and they had to redo the seats in between."
They re-did the seats at Studio 54? The mezzanine seats are still so uncomfortable. You're packed like sardines up there.
Updated On: 2/19/07 at 06:06 PM
When there are more actors on the stage than people in the audience.
Broadwayboy, i beleive they only re-did the orchestra seats. The seats had tables which were used for Cabaret, and then kept for Assassins.
Yeah it used to have tables downstairs after Assassins (I think it was after assassins) they got rid of the tables and put in real seats.
"Broadwayboy, i beleive they only re-did the orchestra seats. The seats had tables which were used for Cabaret, and then kept for Assassins"
ok that explains things. Thanks!
They also re-did the first 4 rows of the mezz which were originally leopard print seats with lamps on the sides, and are now just normal seats.
I love that Studio 54 sill had leopard print carpets.
Studio 54 is a beautiful theater than needs repair work especially to the procenium & side walls
The walls are disgusting.
And so is the sound system, actually.
yes the walls are horrible there, as is he ceiling. But I dont find the sound system that bad at all.
I love seeing the little video screens that the orchestras because they are divided into two boxes (which I hate.)
A show should close when bryan starts printing out flyers.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/16/05
It was actually after Pacific Overtures had ended that the seats were trashed I thought? Yes, I'm pretty sure they had tables in there for that and then replaced them before Streetcar.
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