NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 to take the St. James?- Page 2

[Brick]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:38am

Does anyone know why it has to vacate the tent in the fall? Isn't this a commercial production mounted by commercial producers?

If so, how could they expect to make their money back before fall? Even if it's a hit, hits need to run to recoup.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 11:52am

"I know some theatres are made so the seats can be moved in and out easily, but from the way the article described it, this is not necessarily a theatre that is set up that way."

Never look to Riedel for accuracy. The St James seats are easily removed and replaced, but it will be time-consuming and costly in terms of man hours. This transfer is definitely being considered. Whether it will happen or not is a completely different matter.

"There is no excuse for such sloppiness."

Considering Riedel's frequent inaccuracies over the course of many years, that's one of the funniest things I've ever seen him write.

[brldisteach2]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 5:29pm

Ghostlight-thank you for clarifying that.

[RW3]

Posted: 8/19/13 at 10:00pm

Well with Let it Be's official announcement of its run ending, this looks like that it will be inevitable.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 8:41am

Well, no, it isn't inevitable. It is possible.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 4:00pm

Has there been any more word on whether or not this is happening?

[jagfkb]

Posted: 8/23/13 at 8:30am

To answer questions above:
The reason the show has to close in September is that the ground on which it's currently sitting is set to become a building that'll begin construction this fall. The producers have been leasing the land for the summer and have no choice but to vacate come next week.

In addition, I've heard two things about how they'd do this: one is the one posted here, taking out the seats and essentially designing the space anew. The second would be to build a platform out from the stage, over the orchestra pit, and literally transfer the entire tent as is from off-Broadway. Whether or not this willmake it be a Broadway house is still for debate.

However, to think that this show has been making anything lessthan a killing is ridiculous: they're charging Broadway prices for an off-Broadway theatre experience, they've made it this summer's Sleep No More; the cool thing for the NYC elite to attend. Not to mention the food and drinks: charging $100-200 for a bottle of vodka (and each time I went, near EVERYONE ordered SOMETHING extra from that menu).

I'm not saying that success will translate, but keeping it a limited engagement is the exact way this show should be presented. Plus, as of right now, If this comes, it'll be the most exciting thing of the fall season.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/23/13 at 8:50am

Near everybody ordered something from the menu, but everybody certainly did not buy bottles of vodka.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 8/23/13 at 10:23am

Building a platform over the orchestra pit and then recreating the space on top of that seems more doable than removing (and, in the end, putting them back) the seats (although, for all I know, the platform may cost more – I am a bad judge at these sorts of things). There is still the question of whether food would be possible, though.

If this is happening, I wonder if we will hear soon.