Paradise Square - COVID

Well, this is tough. Weren't they also scheduled to record a cast album? And where the heck is all this money coming from since it's highly unlikely they are making their nut? Grosses for last week were $296,000 - only How I Learned to Drive grossed less.

After previously announcing that performances would resume on Tuesday, April 12, the original new Broadway musical Paradise Square will definitely resume performances on Saturday, April 16, with performances at 2:00 and 8:00 pm at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street). The production, which opened April 3, halted performances on Thursday, April 7 after positive COVID cases were experienced in the company.

After satisfying all COVID protocols, the company will return to the rehearsal hall later this week prior to the resumption of performances on Saturday.
"We have been so heartened by an outpouring of devotion and support for our show, both within the industry and expressed by the show's many fans at the theatre and on social media," the producers of Paradise Squarecommented. "While COVID will have taken us down for a total of nine performances, we will come back stronger. Our resilient cast, crew and musicians cannot wait to get back in the theatre and on stage to tell the story of this vital and powerful Broadway musical."

Updated On: 4/11/22 at 11:33 AM

Never underestimate Garth's ability to defraud another investor. 

Oh wait, he has nothing to do with the finances LOL

My guess is that someone is willing to foot the bill for another week so they don't have to close unceremoniously. 

And once again, being bereft of cash creates the situation they are in. Obviously, they do not have coverage, but they've had a week to fix that. But the fix would take money. 

Utilizing basic broadway mathematics, coupled with mixed reviews,  a prolonged shut down after opening resulting lost revenue and a cessation of any positive word of mouth, this show will be forced to shut down in the next 21 days. 

With a gross of $80,000 last week (aside from the Covid  closures), the lowest gross on the board, I am not sure how this production can recover from a plague, mixed reviews, cast inertia, and lack of sales. If it can, it will be Broadway history, but the strategy of betting the house on Tony nominations will not save the day. History dictates that even Tony nominated best musicals and some best performances noms will not save a show when demand is at crippling pace. 

It is sad to see any show close given the work the cast and creative put in. For the investors, on to the  next tax write off.     

                    

We wanted to see this on 4/2 but TKTS only had the cheapest tix available so we saw something else.  Not sure if that was all paper or something weird going on but we really thought we'd like it based on comments here

Sigh. What a bummer this all is. I hope it lasts until May! 

Oh dear. This is…very very very very bad.

 

The '21-'22 seasonal model here is The Music Man, which shuttered almost as long with both stars infected in overlapping reveals. But to state the obvious, that show had a massive advance, and it happened at the very commencement of previews. If this extended hiatus allows the production to pull its resources together and initiate something akin to a relaunch, maybe a miracle can happen. Broadway loves comebacks. At the very least, they'll have a fair number of postponed ticketholders to fill in the next couple of weeks. But the season is now fuller, April especially busy, with more shows performing, more options for consumers.  

Having seen the show the Tuesday night before the hiatus, I've been surprised just how much it has stuck with me. I wasn't expecting much but, despite its flaws, there really was so much I loved about it.

I wish this show could find a longer life on Broadway, but it doesn't look to be the case. I'll definitely be returning (especially to see Joaquina, as she was out when I saw it - although Aisha was fantastic) before it closes, however.

The Tonys are 2 months away. At a half a mil a week in loss, that's a pretty absurd investment in something that has no payoff.

Updated On: 4/13/22 at 01:17 PM

I very much do not think this will be reopening.

Prior to its return on Tuesday, Paradise Square will record their cast album tomorrow!

From Jason Howland’s Insta story

A cast album preserves the work of the authors and actors and will help keep the show in our collective memory. Shows without cast albums can fade into obscurity. This cast album might eventually lead to a new production, not associated with Garth Drabinksy. 

I understand that you've joined exclusively to drag this show and its producer, but recording a cast album is very much in the best interest of the show, the authors, and the actors.