PASS OVER begins previews August; first show to re-open on Sept. 12

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 9:07am

The Lincoln Center Theater production of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's play PASS OVER, directed by Obie Award winner Danya Taymor will begin performances August 4th, 2021, at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre with opening night scheduled for Sunday, September 12, 2021.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BREAKING-PASS-OVER-Will-Begin-Broadway-Performances-at-the-August-Wilson-Theatre-on-August-4-20210601

[willep]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 9:14am

Oh good, people can stop being needlessly mad at Hadestown.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 9:37am

willep said: "Oh good, people can stop being needlessly mad at Hadestown."

I feel like we're about to see this massive "bidding war" from shows where they just keep trying to one-up each other (You're taking September 2nd?  Fine, we'll take August 4th.  Fine, we'll take July 28th.  Fine, we'll take July 21st. etc. etc)

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 9:46am

I don't know how it's happening, but if it's getting people back to work sooner and safely, I'm all in!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 10:02am

I'm still thinking a few shows will bump up their reopening dates.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 10:14am

There is no massive bidding war in the offing because most shows (a) need the time, (b) have schedules/reschedules to line up that would be chaotic, and (c) don't want to try to find an audience in the dead of summer, just as they didn't before the pandemic. In other words, relax.

How it is happening is the easy part. You can have a show with full audiences (if you can sell or give away that many tickets, that is) with 100% vaccination. Some shows may be taking a wait and see attitude to that, but there is not much reason for this one to, as I suspect pretty close to 100% of the audience for it is vaccinated already. E.g., adults in 10036 are currently over 95% first shot vaccinated.

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 11:26am

A great show, I hope people go and see this!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 11:30am

I'm mostly just surprised at how short the run is (last performance is currently scheduled for just over two months after the first performance). This isn't a show I'm familiar with but definitely looking to snag tickets to this

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 11:47am

Curious if that means they have a big star lined up who can only do a short run, or if something bigger has the theater on time for the holiday.

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 11:49am

Jordan Catalano said: "Curious if that means they have a big star lined up who can only do a short run, or if something bigger has the theater on time for the holiday."

The cast was announced - the same cast that performed at Lincoln Center. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 11:54am

Didnt even see that. I guess Then being the only show open (as of right now) will help them.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 12:41pm

Always looks better to add performances and extend instead of closing early due to low demand. Or perhaps the Wilson has another tenant lined up immediately after and this is a noble space filler.

This is a massive theater for a play with no stars from a relatively new writer. They will get traction (press and ticket sales) from being the only game in town, and we should assume this has a small budget with everyone involved earning scale. I wish them well; it's a good play that deserves to be seen, but it's an uphill battle without stars.

 

So who were the two massive stars that someone on here claimed were going to be in this? Lol.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 2:39pm

It’s produced by LCT so maybe it’s just a way of them supporting the show and the message without risking too much by giving it a smaller run.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 2:39pm

Yeah I was glad they kept the Off-Broadway cast (although I feel bad for the two Chicago actors who originated their roles at Steppenwolf and were then replaced when it went to NY initially). I think one of the rumors was Bernie Mac? The other rumored guy was also much older - I hadn’t heard of him, but remember looking him up and seeing that like Bernie Mac, he was an old former sitcom star. Had they been cast it would have really changed the play and just been weird, even if it made it more similar to its inspiration, Waiting for Godot.

I am curious how the ending will be rewritten, as that was the thing the play was best known for.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 3:46pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: " I think one of the rumors was Bernie Mac? The other rumored guy was also much older - I hadn’t heard of him, but remember looking him up and seeing that like Bernie Mac, he was an old former sitcom star."

Was this other rumored person you looked up dead like Bernie Mac?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 4:01pm

They must be offering Bernie Mac a huge paycheck for his comeback.

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 4:25pm

I’d do a Hamilton level rush to see that.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 4:30pm

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 4:58pm

SouthernCakes said: "It’s produced by LCT so maybe it’s just a way of them supporting the show and the message without risking too much by giving it a smaller run."

This is a commercial production. LCT is the originating nonprofit theatre and will have a stake in it, but LCT is not calling the shots. I do not know if LCT has put money into the Broadway entity, but I would assume it has not.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 5:08pm

ClydeBarrow said: "The Distinctive Baritone said: "I think one of the rumors was Bernie Mac? The other rumored guy was also much older - I hadn’t heard of him, but remember looking him up and seeing that like Bernie Mac, he was an old former sitcom star."

Was this other rumored person you looked up dead like Bernie Mac?"

Maybe the other person was Gavin MacLeod!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 5:41pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "This is a commercial production. LCT is the originating nonprofit theatre and will have a stake in it, but LCT is not calling the shots. I do not know if LCT has put money into the Broadway entity, but I would assume it has not."

 

I got an email today saying that there will be LincTix available for the Broadway transfer, meaning LCT must still be among the producers of the Broadway transfer - with more involvement than simply having a financial stake. But I believe you're correct that it's a commercial production, and they aren't the lead producers. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 5:54pm

Holy sh*t Bernie Mac is dead? No wonder he wasn’t available...

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 6:09pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Holy sh*t Bernie Mac is dead? No wonder he wasn’t available..."

He's been dead for 13 years, my guy.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/1/21 at 7:14pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "SouthernCakes said: "It’s produced by LCT so maybe it’s just a way of them supporting the show and the message without risking too much by giving it a smaller run."

This is a commercial production. LCT is the originating nonprofit theatre and will have a stake in it, but LCT is not calling the shots. I do not know if LCT has put money into the Broadway entity, but I would assume it has not."

That's correct. Matt Ross, a press agent who has also started producing some of the shows he reps is the lead producer. Notably, the other producers include the landlord, the playwright, the licensing agency, and a number of others including the freshly single Blair Underwood. It has all the hallmarks of a labor of love in which many of those involved are foregoing at least a sizable chunk of their compensation and in which no one is expecting a return. I think LCT's contribution is of the in kind variety.