But that post contained a question which I would like re-pose in a different way, because I think it’s a genuinely intriguing and valid question from a “business of broadway” standpoint – even outside of whatever may or may not being going on behind the scenes.
So for the purposes of this post, I’m just wondering, for no particular reason other than general curiosity: are the production rights to this show worth anything, at this point? It’s easy fodder for jokes to say that the rights don’t have any value, but is that just fun hyperbole? All joking aside, how much these rights actually be worth?
As has been discussed, the demands of the material make it difficult for schools and regional theatres to produce, and I find it hard to imagine them being able to raise funds for another 1st class production, like a tour, or a London production. Is there any other potential source of future value for the party or parties who own the production rights?
Again, this is a question about rights, licensing, and potential future productions of this show.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
At least they got one sold out performance without papering the whole house! Makes me sad when great shows with talented people close, but oh well. People just didn't want to go and there was barely any advertisement. I am happy that a show that wasn't a movie, that wasn't about Michael Jackson or Cher and had such terrific sets and talent was shown on Broadway. Kudos to all of us who actually paid to see it and tried to support live theater even if it didn't have the buzz it needed to have.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
I am devastated that this talented cast and crew, and really everyone involved who didn't get paid what they were supposed to, get what was promised, and worst case scenario I hope the show provides exposition to everyone involved in this fabulous production and I hope the entire cast and crew find work again thanks to this show. The sets, the orchestra, the cast, the production were first rate. Regardless if you loved the show or not, these are super talented people.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
I can’t get over how much love the cast received yesterday. And hearing the lyrics to “Let It Burn” truly hit hard. Such an amazing performance, and I’m incredibly thankful I got to be there. They put everything on that stage, and I really hope the supposed tour happens. Sometimes shows that don’t do well on Broadway do well on tour or in the West End! You never know.
hearthemsing22 said: "I can’t get over how much love the cast received yesterday. And hearing the lyrics to “Let It Burn” truly hit hard. Such an amazing performance, and I’m incredibly thankful I got to be there. They put everything on that stage, and I really hope the supposed tour happens. Sometimes shows that don’t do well on Broadway do well on tour or in the West End! You never know."
"Paradise Square" has many, many ardent fans, some seeing the show multiple times.
It's a moot point now, but can anyone suggest how this show could have been marketed or advertised better, since it's an "audience show" and not a "critics' show?"
PeterC6482 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "I can’t get over how much love the cast received yesterday. And hearing the lyrics to “Let It Burn” truly hit hard. Such an amazing performance, and I’m incredibly thankful I got to be there. They put everything on that stage, and I really hope the supposed tour happens. Sometimes shows that don’t do well on Broadway do well on tour or in the West End! You never know."
"Paradise Square" has many, many ardent fans, some seeing the show multiple times.
It's a moot point now, but can anyone suggest how this show could have been marketed or advertised better, since it's an "audience show" and not a "critics' show?"
Was this really an “audience show” when literally no one went? A few ardent stans does not make this a successful piece of theatre or even a hit with audiences.
”Let It Burn” is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. It just had enough vocal gymnastics to make it seem impressive.
I hope everyone gets paid and gets justice so they can put this tragedy behind them.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
Bettyboy72 said: "PeterC6482 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "I can’t get over how much love the cast received yesterday. And hearing the lyrics to “Let It Burn” truly hit hard. Such an amazing performance, and I’m incredibly thankful I got to be there. They put everything on that stage, and I really hope the supposed tour happens. Sometimes shows that don’t do well on Broadway do well on tour or in the West End! You never know."
"Paradise Square" has many, many ardent fans, some seeing the show multiple times.
It's a moot point now, but can anyone suggest how this show could have been marketed or advertised better, since it's an "audience show" and not a "critics' show?"
Was this really an “audience show” when literally no one went? A few ardent stans does not make this a successful piece of theatre or even a hit with audiences.
”Let It Burn” is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. It just had enough vocal gymnastics to make it seem impressive.
I hope everyone gets paid and gets justice so they can put this tragedy behind them.
"
I've read hundreds of postings on the show's Facebook page from fans, so there are more than a few who have seen it multiple times.
To refine my question: How do you take a show with this large, core group of ardent fans and turn it into soemthing successful? Is it possible with lots of marketing dollars? I acknowledge that there was almost no money spent on this for Paradise Square..
PeterC6482 said: "I've read hundreds of postings on the show's Facebook page from fans, so there are more than a few who have seen it multiple times.
To refine my question: How do you take a show with this large, core group of ardent fans and turn it into soemthing successful? Is it possible with lots of marketing dollars? I acknowledge that there was almost no money spent on this for Paradise Square.."
First, a couple of foundational points. To succeed even marginally, a show like this needs about 6000 in the audience week in and week out. A few hundred, or a few thousand, online fans will never supply that. Also, these 6000 need to be paying real money for their tickets, not papered, not rush, not TDF, not deep discount. They need to be averaging over $100.
Second, aside from that, the marketing and promotion was terrible from the get go. Would better marketing have potentially helped? Yes. Would it have helped enough? Probably not enough. As an example, for a broad audience to develop, 3 hours is too long for this. This is not Hamilton. There are other barriers as well.
Third, the show did not have enough money from the get go and this has affected almost everything, from marketing to personnel to what's on stage. We are focused here on marketing, and the lack of money affected everything from the making and running of ads to the social media presence to even getting people on tv or wherever.
Fourth, Garth controlled everything and that hurt everything except, arguably, getting the show up at all. This included the marketing and his penchant for not letting professionals do their job (in this case, because in many cases they wouldn't anyway because there was no money to pay them). What little marketing there was qualitatively bad but I guarantee you it was all his doing. But at the end of the day you cannot ignore the lack of money. A new Broadway musical needs first string people in every department; this show had lots of second or third stringers because so many said no when he tried to hire them (sadly, more should have) but even the first string team members stopped doing work because they weren't getting paid.
I did not love this show but, as my posts at the time said, I liked it well enough. I think there is a show in there somewhere that could have succeeded in theory. The irony in all this is that the show would not exist without Garth, and couldn't survive with him.
The show received negative to lukewarm reviews after a heavily papered preview period. The narrative that continued use of free seats would spread the word that the show was unmissable never produced tangible results. It never broke even. We can salute the belief in the piece yet must recognize that fan pages are mere slivers of any audience and most people ended up indifferent, cast and 11 o’clock spot aside. You can’t market a musical around a single number (remember Jagged Little Pill’s standing O in the same spot?).
I saw the show in March and wanted to fall for its concept. Yet the execution never rose above the workmanlike, the many hands that shaped the final result rendering generic the compelling slice of history while annotating every plot point to drive home its relevancy. Serious in intent, heavy handed in impact. The upshot: Its midsummer end wasn’t abrupt or unexpected, and its gifted star won a well deserved Tony.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Bettyboy72 said: "PeterC6482 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "I can’t get over how much love the cast received yesterday. And hearing the lyrics to “Let It Burn” truly hit hard. Such an amazing performance, and I’m incredibly thankful I got to be there. They put everything on that stage, and I really hope the supposed tour happens. Sometimes shows that don’t do well on Broadway do well on tour or in the West End! You never know."
"Paradise Square" has many, many ardent fans, some seeing the show multiple times.
It's a moot point now, but can anyone suggest how this show could have been marketed or advertised better, since it's an "audience show" and not a "critics' show?"
Was this really an “audience show” when literally no one went? A few ardent stans does not make this a successful piece of theatre or even a hit with audiences.
”Let It Burn” is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. It just had enough vocal gymnastics to make it seem impressive.
I hope everyone gets paid and gets justice so they can put this tragedy behind them.
"
Re: “Let It Burn”. You can have your stance. But after knowing everything that we’ve been allowed to know about the off-stage drama, and truly listening to the lyrics, no, I disagree. It’s a fantastic number.
DollyPop….what the actual eff. Like what is wrong with you. Do you think that’s funny? 🙄
When you go to fan pages, you can expect fans saying positive things. In order for this to have been an audience show, it would have had to do well with audiences. I just think it missed whatever ship it meant (or had hoped) to be on.
Wicked is an audience show. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, but the audience has loved it since it opened, and many keep paying full price to see it.
As for marketing the show better, it's hard to do when there is no budget to market it. That is the sad part. It's a miracle it made it to Broadway at all, and then it was riddled with poor finances from the start.
jimmycurry01 said: "Wicked is an audience show. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, but the audience has loved it since it opened, and many keep paying full price to see it."
WICKED is also based on one of the most beloved & famous entertainment properties of all time (a property that also happens to be very Broadway-adjacent). That doesn't automatically make it a hit, but it sure was a big help and to this day is a big factor in its popularity.