Postponed Indefinitely: ROOM On Broadway - News & Discussion Thread- Page 5
Postponed Indefinitely: ROOM On Broadway - News & Discussion Thread
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
ROOM will open this spring#100
Posted: 3/16/23 at 11:01am
DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "Wow this is very unfortunate for everyone involved.
however, did we really need another musical or play with music or whatever they were calling it, adapted from a Hollywood movie? no!"
Oh this is too bad as it leaves you only Some Like it Hot to still bash.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
ROOM will open this spring#101
Posted: 3/16/23 at 11:07am
What an awful situation. A reminder of the perils of the theatre industry, and the trickiness of putting trust in producer/investors who are new to the industry.
I do wonder if this announcement is partially a cry for help, and that it could lead to another investor coming in and perhaps some internet rallying. Obviously Hunter Arnold is very well-connected in the industry so he would have exhausted the "usual suspects," but I'm thinking of someone from Hollywood or another business sector. A Byron Allen or Oprah type or another billionaire who can afford to lose a few mil.
ROOM will open this spring#102
Posted: 3/16/23 at 11:28am
Wow I’ve seemed to have triggered a few of you…
im a big fan of new works
i don’t want to see any show fail
im also entitled to my opinions as you all are.
ROOM will open this spring#104
Posted: 3/16/23 at 11:31am
DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "Wow I’ve seemed to have triggered a few of you…
im a big fan of new works
i don’t want to see any show fail
LOL -- sure, whatever you say, doll!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/30/22
ROOM will open this spring#106
Posted: 3/16/23 at 11:50am
Wasn’t Hunter Arnold recently being investigated by the SEC? I just searched online and there’s only one search result about that, and it’s behind a paywall. Makes me wonder if someone had it scrubbed.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
ROOM will open this spring#107
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:00pm
BorisTomashevsky said: "Wasn’t Hunter Arnold recently being investigated by the SEC? I just searched online and there’s only one search result about that, and it’s behind a paywall. Makes me wonder if someone had it scrubbed."
His partners were, he was not, and he said today in the NYT that the investigation has been dropped. He's a co-producer or co-lead producer on a staggering 15 Broadway shows in the 2022-23 season, so raising money is seemingly not his issue.
His two producing partners are Canadian and British theatre guys with no Broadway experience; that's most likely the cause of the problems if one of them was to raise 1/3 of the $7 mil capitalization and couldn't.
I will say, this reflects VERY badly on Adrienne Warren's name value as a recent Tony winner and budding "star." She was being promoted heavily, and no doubt had her pick of the litter for projects that could mark her return to Broadway. The shutdown is not specifically her fault, of course, but it's another signifier that being a Tony winner and prodigious talent means nothing in the eyes of the Gods of ticketbuying and investing.
ROOM will open this spring#108
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:04pm
The financial markets are so uncertain right now that wary investors could like be the norm going forward. Hopefully just an isolated incident, but with so many high wealth tech folks feeling the affects or being worried about Silicon Valley Bank's failure, it may be an interesting summer.
ROOM will open this spring#109
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:16pm
Call_me_jorge said: "How ****ty for everyone involved. That producer is scum. Curious if this has anything to do with the recent banking crisis. Did he or his investors have any money in SVB or signature bank?"
Why is the producer scum. An investor pulled out.
ROOM will open this spring#110
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:16pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "Wasn’t Hunter Arnold recently being investigated by the SEC? I just searched online and there’s only one search result about that, and it’s behind a paywall. Makes me wonder if someone had it scrubbed."
His partners were, he was not, and he said today in the NYT that the investigation has been dropped.He's a co-producer or co-lead producer on a staggering 15 Broadway shows in the 2022-23 season, so raising money is seemingly not his issue.
His two producing partners are Canadian and British theatre guys with no Broadway experience; that's most likely the cause of the problems if one of them was to raise 1/3 of the $7 mil capitalization and couldn't.
I will say, this reflects VERY badly on Adrienne Warren's name value as a recent Tony winner and budding "star." She was being promoted heavily, and no doubt had her pick of the litter for projects that could mark her return to Broadway. The shutdown is not specifically her fault, of course, but it's another signifier that being a Tony winner and prodigious talent means nothing in the eyes of the Gods of ticketbuying and investing."
What sort of BS is this? Reflects very badly on Adrienne Warren’s name value???? What a ridiculous statement
ROOM will open this spring#111
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:17pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said:
I will say, this reflects VERY badly on Adrienne Warren's name value as a recent Tony winner and budding "star." She was being promoted heavily, and no doubt had her pick of the litter for projects that could mark her return to Broadway. The shutdown is not specifically her fault, of course, but it's another signifier that being a Tony winner and prodigious talent means nothing in the eyes of the Gods of ticketbuying and investing."
lol okay
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/30/22
ROOM will open this spring#112
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:17pm
Thanks Ermengarde for that info.
On the plus side, I’m guessing bonds will have been paid to the unions so employees will get a couple of weeks of pay beyond today.
Hopefully ushers can be reassigned to other theatres…?
Broadway Star Joined: 8/11/05
ROOM will open this spring#113
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:27pm
My heart goes out to the company, especially those making Broadway debuts. To think you're about to achieve that milestone and have it pulled out from underneath you can be devastating. Tough business.
ROOM will open this spring#114
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:27pm
As great as Warren is, she is not yet a marquee name. Even Audra McDonald, the most lauded living American stage actor, couldn’t draw people into not one but two plays in recent years.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
ROOM will open this spring#115
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:33pm
What sort of BS is this? Reflects very badly on Adrienne Warren’s name value???? What a ridiculous statement
Could not agree more, Adrienne has nothing to do with this and anyone who knows 1% about theater would know that.
ROOM will open this spring#116
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:45pm
How does this 4 person show with no big names attached have a $7M capitalization?!? That's my question. I would thing this would be under $5M.
ROOM will open this spring#117
Posted: 3/16/23 at 12:47pm
The problem is not Adrienne Warren. It's the subject matter.
I think interest is low because 1. The movie was fairly recent 2. Because it was fairly recent, people know how depressing much of this story is. Even if the stage play lightened things up a bit or had different storytelling elements, people already have a preconceived notion of what Room is. I would guess that many said "No thanks, too dark for me" or "No thanks, I've already experienced that story. Don't need to sit through a depressing tale again"
As mentioned above, this was also the issue with Ohio State Murders. It wasn't Audra McDonald. The thing has "murders" in the title. If you have $100 or so to spend on a Broadway ticket, will you go for something fun or something about murders? Non-Musical plays are always a harder sell on Bway, especially dramas. Leopoldstadt was able to be the rare exception to the norm this season thanks to a wave of glowing reviews and a great bit of marketing. The Piano Lesson was also able to capitalize on its stars and the name recognition of its author. But those are exceptions, not the rule. Room was always going to need Leopoldstadt-type reviews to be a financial success. Maybe it would have gotten them, who knows. But obviously this one producer was skeptical of its financial prospects. I feel awful for the cast and creatives though. To get this close to the run, being in rehearsals up until yesterday with no indication that this was happening, only for it all to fall apart? Just cruel.
ROOM will open this spring#118
Posted: 3/16/23 at 1:22pm
I agree that not letting it even open is cruel. And surely the producers knew going into this that they would never make a dime, that this was a “prestige” art house kind of thing. So to pull the plug when ticket sales are low (I’m assuming that’s what happened)? Lame.
ROOM will open this spring#119
Posted: 3/16/23 at 1:26pm
The Distinctive Baritone said: "I agree that not letting it even open is cruel. And surely the producers knew going into this that they would never make a dime, that this was a “prestige” art house kind of thing. So to pull the plug when ticket sales are low (I’m assuming that’s what happened)? Lame."
Art house cannot exist on Broadway.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
ROOM will open this spring#120
Posted: 3/16/23 at 1:30pm
IF that's the reason - it's called cutting your losses.
Such a shame for all that thought/hoped they had a steady paycheck for the next 4 or more months.
Featured Actor Joined: 3/1/10
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/27/21
ROOM will open this spring#122
Posted: 3/16/23 at 1:45pm
bdn223 said: "How does this 4 person show with no big names attached have a $7M capitalization?!? That's my question. I would thing this would be under $5M."
it is a cast of 7 (one track has two kids alternating) and then like 4 understudies
it is a fairly sizeable play with music which means they probably have musicians as well
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
ROOM will open this spring#123
Posted: 3/16/23 at 1:59pm
I think a performer winning a Tony for a musical doesn't mean much when they go to do a straight play, as evident by Audra McDonald.
That does seem high, cost wise, but I'm always amazed at how much stuff costs to produce in this day and age.
ROOM will open this spring#124
Posted: 3/16/23 at 2:23pm
RippedMan said: "I think a performer winning a Tony for a musical doesn't mean much when they go to do a straight play, as evident by Audra McDonald.
That does seem high, cost wise, but I'm always amazed at how much stuff costs to produce in this day and age."
Except Audra has won Tony awards in ALL categories -- including for straight plays. Point taken, but not a good example.
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