MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews- Page 6

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 11/17/24 at 4:22pm

CoffeeBreak said: "Although we enjoyed the upgraded monetaryset design from the Asian production, the music never impacted us much. It's a cute showbut could have been done with same effect on smaller efficient budget. Unfortunately letting the creative team run wild with money didn't help this production thrive in the long run. The director and set designer areproducers and likely influential in overshooting the costs. It's unfortunate for this property to succumb to bad choices. The writers have many to blame.

Criss and the jazz singer were both standouts for us. Unfortunately, the big set design kept us from being able to fully engage, or be moved, by the story as we were just constantly watching the set. This show will be great for regional theaters and have more effect with smaller, smarter budgets from director/producers."

This is why I felt like it should’ve been off-broadway. It has real heart and didn’t need all the other stuff. While it was wonderful to experience on Broadway, I felt like that was a misstep.

[Ravanne_1]

Posted: 11/17/24 at 5:19pm

binau said: "This is the funny thing about these reviews, I genuinely think they’re going to lose more money trying to keep alive than if they were to close tomorrow with poor notices. However, I always love the passion behind these kind of little shows so I wish them the best of luck :)."

Part of the issue is that they're not doing anything to really publicize the show. I've seen zero advertisements for it. They're already marketing Gypsy on television and you'd think with the good reviews that they'd be trying to buy some tv ads. Outside of the Broadway bubble, no one seems to know that this show really exists. My guess is that with the delays in getting to previews/opening and what I've heard about supply issues, they have just run out of money. They really did count on word of mouth to keep them afloat and then  you had several weeks of them unable to make their operating costs.

I'll be curious to see what the grosses are this week, since it will be their first week of performances following the reviews. There has to be a major uptick in both capacity and grosses to give any hope of the show making it through the holidays.

[steven22]

Posted: 11/17/24 at 5:30pm

If anyone is looking for a sign to go see this, go! I’m on my way home from today’s show and thought it was so heartwarming, beautiful, and clever. The cast was great and the sets were clever. The story was also enjoyable and heartwarming. I wish this production the best and hope it can last. 
 

Tickets via TDF mezz left side. Great view. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/17/24 at 5:41pm

Ravanne_1 said: "Part of the issue is that they're not doing anything to really publicize the show. I've seen zero advertisements for it."

Please remember: JUST BECAUSE YOU PERSONALLY DON'T SEE ADVERTISING DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT DOING IT!  Every show does advertising, press, marketing, and social media (and yes they are 4 different things). Nowadays, when the majority of the advertising spend goes towards targeted digital advertising, it's quite easy to not be served ads, even if you think you are the target demographic for the show.

Every producer's strategy of when/how ad money gets spent is a little different, and every show's needs are different. Saturating the marketplace before previews and in early previews might be a waste of money for a new musical with weird subject matter.

Linear & streaming TV advertising is expensive and sometimes not the best way to reach the target audience. GYPSY is a little easier to advertise in 15-30 seconds; this show needs a little more context as a new musical that nobody has heard of. Same goes for print ads in the NYT (though apparently they had a full page today).

On the press side, it's now much easier to pitch the show out following opening when there are reviews backing them up.

[Ravanne_1]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 3:52am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Please remember:JUST BECAUSE YOU PERSONALLY DON'T SEE ADVERTISING DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT DOING IT! Every show does advertising, press, marketing, and social media (and yes they are 4 different things). Nowadays, when the majority of the advertising spend goes towards targeted digital advertising, it's quite easy to not be served ads, even if you thinkyou are the target demographic for the show.

Every producer's strategy of when/howad money gets spent is a little different,and every show's needs are different. Saturating the marketplace before previews and in early previews might be a waste of money for a new musical with weird subject matter.

Linear & streaming TV advertising is expensive and sometimes not the best way to reach the target audience. GYPSY is a little easier to advertise in 15-30 seconds; this show needs a little more context as a new musical that nobody has heard of. Same goes for print ads in the NYT (though apparently they had a full page today).

On the press side, it's now much easier to pitch the show out following opening when there are reviews backing them up."

Whatever advertising plan they are doing clearly isn't working. They've got some of the best reviews of the season, yet when I just checked the available tickets for this Saturday evening, more than half of the theater is available. Their advertising strategy is not filling the theater. A show with reviews like MHE got should be selling out at least a week or two in advance. When I'm in the theater district and see ads for Tammy and not MHE, there is a real issue.

And I am likely the kind of theater goer that should be seeing some kind of advertising. I see several shows a year and follow multiple Broadway and theater focused accounts on social media. I have seen nothing and I'm hardly the only one. The producers needed to take these great reviews and do a real advertising push to market the show. Blow some money on some traditional advertising instead of comping and discounting tickets to below TKTS prices. I'm waiting for Tuesdays numbers, but without a serious increase in gross and capacity, I think that the show runners are going to have some hard and painful decisions to make and I take no pleasure in that. A show closing prematurely puts not just the cast, but all of the crew out of work. But the writing on the wall is hard to ignore. 

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 03:52 AM

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 1:44pm

I know people have said it's not possible because of set restrictions, but I think the best hope for this show would be to somehow scale it down for a New World Stages kind of run to basically "keep it in mind" come awards season, unless they magically start doing incredible business on Broadway.  As we know, closed shows are rarely Tony winners, but maybe having it play elsewhere (even scaled down) would help keep it in conversation and also be a good chance to allow more people to see it at a lower cost to the production.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 2:34pm

chrishuyen said: "I know people have said it's not possible because of set restrictions, but I think the best hope for this show would be to somehow scale it down for a New World Stages kind of run to basically "keep it in mind" come awards season, unless they magically start doing incredible business on Broadway. As we know, closed shows are rarely Tony winners, but maybe having it play elsewhere (even scaled down) would help keep it in conversation and also be a good chance to allow more people to see it at a lower cost to the production."

I’m thinking a one-night-only reunion concert in the spring, coupled with a cast album release, may help put the show back in the Tony conversation a bit. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 2:54pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "Pulling the plug as quickly as they did was the right choice. They were only going to lose more money had they run through the holidays."

Did they announce a closing?"

Apparently everyonewas notified before their first performance after opening night. Notice won’t go public for a bit"

That was a week ago. Why would they hold off, and what are they waiting for? Closing notices, in the short term, drive sales for the final performances.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 3:57pm

If true they close Dec. 1, announcing early this week would get two weeks of solid sales starting to fill the massive financial hole.

Nicole Scherzinger & Helen J. Shen are on The Kelly Clarkson Show this Thursday, shot over 10 days ago.

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 03:57 PM

[Ravanne_1]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 7:20pm

The math is, unfortunately. not on their side. If their operating costs are around $750k per week as we guestimated, then they've been losing around half a million dollars per week since previews started. That means that they're another million in the hole right now on top of the development costs. Even if they doubled their grosses this week, they still will not be taking in enough to cover their current operating costs, let alone start to make up for the earlier weeks of loss. Regardless of how good the show might be, it can't survive on numbers like this. At some point, someone is going to make the call and stop the bleeding.

The numbers tomorrow are going to be critical, because if they can't markedly increase their capacity and box office gross, then I would not be at all surprised if the rumors about closing become louder or some kind of official word comes in.

Updated On: 11/19/24 at 07:20 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 8:13pm

For what all this is worth (and I have no insider knowledge on this show) — 

The fact that they changed digital agencies days after opening makes no sense if a Dec 1 closing date is indeed set. That doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to run for months more but it indicates to me that they’re still trying to make a go of it.

Casts/crews/investors/co-producers are also rarely informed this far in advance of an announcement. If they had been, that news would have spread like wildfire. Even an ultimatum by the theatre owner usually wouldn’t come this early. 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:01pm

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 11:01 PM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:03pm

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 11:03 PM

[Ensemble1726583963]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:19pm

Jim Glaub, founder (I think) of Super Awesome Friends, posted it on his Instagram stories and I know someone who works for them and they also posted about it. 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:30pm

so just social media.

[Ensemble1726583963]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:46pm

CoffeeBreak said: "so just social media."

I'm not sure what all they do. Either way, it would seem counterintuitive to make a post about parting ways if, as someone posted here, they were all notified of a December 1st closure the day after opening night.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 11:52pm

Yeah, taking EDSOSL with anything but massive grains of salt would be a mistake. They predict every single show's imminent demise based on "people are saying" and whats "been floated" but its clear theyre just repeating unsubstantiated rumors. Some might turn out to be true, sure, but thats just the law of averages at this point. Pay no mind.

THAT SAID, its clear the show is struggling, so I was surprised to see that the two discount codes I have for it are not working, and i dont see it on TDF? Im not sure I understand the strategy of charging $104 to sit in the rear balcony or $250 for side orchestra when you cant sell out more than 40% of the dang place...but you do you, guys. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 12:19am

PaigeTurner2 said: "I'm not sure what all they do."

They manage the production’s social media accounts and create video content for the show.

Is Super Awesome done with OUR TOWN, too? If so, that would indicate a professional divorce between Richards and Glaub. In that screen shot, Glaub isn’t exactly hiding the fact that he feels mistreated/undervalued.

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 8:45am

I have a ticket for the first week of December. Should I be worried?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 8:52am

witchoftheeast2 said: "I have a ticket for the first week of December. Should I be worried?"

As has been said REPEATEDLY, there is no definitive answer to that quesfion.

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 8:54am

iluvtheatertrash said: "witchoftheeast2 said: "I have a ticket for the first week of December. Should I be worried?"

As has been said REPEATEDLY, there is no definitive answer to that quesfion."

As I'm sure you realize since you have a brain, not everyone reads every single comment before posting. Cut me some slack, for the love of all that is good lmao 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 9:55am

witchoftheeast2 said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "witchoftheeast2 said: "I have a ticket for the first week of December. Should I be worried?"

As has been said REPEATEDLY, there is no definitive answer to that quesfion."

As I'm sure you realize since you have a brain, not everyone reads every single comment before posting. Cut me some slack, for the love of all that is good lmao"

Has there been a closing notice? Anyone here in this thread actually work on the show? Nope. And nope. Use your brain please if you can’t be bothered to read the thread you chose to comment in.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 10:43am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "For what all this is worth (and I have no insider knowledge on this show) —

The fact that they changed digital agencies days after opening makes no sense if a Dec 1 closing date is indeed set. That doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to run for months more but it indicates to me that they’re still trying to make a go of it.

Respectfully, this is actually very common. Multiple shows over the past 3 years have changed or altered marketing agencies and closed within weeks following. Producers and General Managers will grasp at any straw to try and save a production. It's funny how social media suddenly becomes the crux of the issue, as if shows with huge social followings haven't fallen on their faces...

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 11:52am

Taking this off TDF is a choice

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 1:49pm

Respectfully, this is actuallyverycommon.Multiple shows over the past 3 years have changed or altered marketing agencies and closed within weeks following. Producers and General Managers will grasp at any straw to try and save a production. It's funny how social media suddenly becomes the crux of the issue, as if shows with huge social followings haven't fallen on their faces...

It appears they have cut ties with the social media agency only.