Pre-Broadway sell outs that flopped on Broadway

This whole conversation about Gatsby being a huge flop if it transfers, even after a sold out run (though only a month and with a subscriber base built it in at a midsize “broadway” house) has me thinking:

What are some shows that completely sold out their Pre-Broadway engagements, and flopped when they transferred to Broadway? Is there any data out there about this?

Thanks in advance!!!

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME played to sold-out, extended run in DC @ Shakespeare Theater Company before flopping on Broadway. A shame imo, I'm part of the minority who really likes that show

Devil Wears Prada broke house records here in Chicago and now that whole production has been scrapped.

As you allude to in the original post, this is a meaningless comparison. Smart producers view good sales for a limited-run nonprofit premiere as "nice but irrelevant," especially if the house has like 600 seats or less. Bad sales should be a warning sign for trouble ahead (Paradise Square in Chicago,Transparent in LA, the NY nonprofit runs of Torch Song, Prayer For The French Republic, and Pal Joey were not close to sold-out). Especially for a commercial tryout.


Regardless of the sales, it will always be advertised as "direct from a sold-out run at X."

A smart producer can usually sense when there's genuine appetite for a show, versus just mild curiosity. Which was probably the thinking behind moving THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN'S WINDOW, which had 2 big stars, sold very well in Brooklyn at Broadway-level prices (in a Broadway-sized house), and then moved to Bway too quickly and never gained momentum. Or the finite audience who wanted to pay full price to see it had already been in Brooklyn and didn't care to go again at full price.

Updated On: 11/11/23 at 12:46 PM

Almost Famous and Bandstand.

Good question, which also reminds me that since subscriptions have plummeted at regional theatres, a sold out regional run pre-covid is different from one today, as productions now have to rely more heavily on single ticket sales to accommodate for the shortfall.

Call_me_jorge said: "Devil Wears Prada broke house records here in Chicago and now that whole production has been scrapped."

The whole production was not "scrapped." It has gone through revisions and is opening in the UK and eventually in the West End next year.

Further, this thread is about productions that sold out pre-Broadway that flopped on Broadway. This show has not been on Broadway.

Updated On: 11/11/23 at 01:55 PM

Jordan Catalano said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Devil Wears Prada broke house records here in Chicago and now that whole production has been scrapped."

That production will not have an out of town tryout in the UK before opening at the Dominion Theatre this winter."

That production will have an out of town tryout in the UK at Theatre Royal Plymouth in July, 2024 before moving to the Dominion Theater in October 2024.

"Almost Famous and Bandstand."

I really enjoyed "Bandstand" and was sad it did not run longer. The dancing was excellent (won Tony award) and I personally enjoy the music from the WWII era. Laura Osnes and Corey Cott were excellent IMO and did have a good chemistry together. Beth Leavel was also excellent in a supporting role. I thought this type of show might pull in an older audience and have a decent run. When my wife and I saw it, we were seated next to a younger couple (in their 30's) and they seemed to enjoy it. If I remember correctly, it got mixed reviews.

I loved the movie "Almost Famous" but never got chance to see the Broadway show. I was hoping it would hang around long enough for me to get to NYC and see it, but it did not happen.

ACL2006 said: "American Idiot, Bandstand, the 2006 Company revival."

American Idiot was critically acclaimed and ran over a year. Hardly a flop.

IronMan said: "ACL2006 said: "American Idiot, Bandstand, the 2006 Company revival."

American Idiot was critically acclaimed and ran over a year. Hardly a flop."

The show's grosses say otherwise. ran for only 422 performances.



https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/american-idiot-485578#Statistics

FANtomFollies said: "IronMan said: "ACL2006 said: "American Idiot, Bandstand, the 2006 Company revival."

American Idiot was critically acclaimed and ran over a year. Hardly a flop."

It's becoming obvious many people on this forum don't know what a flop is. A flop is any show that fails to recoup it's investment and make a profit. It doesn't matter if it runs for a long time or is praised by critics or audiences. If it doesn't recoup, it is a flop."

I use the accepted Ken Mandelbaum standard of a flop as < 250 performances. You can use whatever you like, but it doesn't make it so. There is a vast difference between a show that didn't return its investment and a flop. By your "logic," Carrie and Follies are equally flops.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Updated On: 11/12/23 at 10:16 AM

FANtomFollies said: "A flop is any show that fails to recoup its investment and make a profit."

The media reports around the closing announcement of American Idiot indicated that it was close to recouping but it was unclear if that would happen before the last performance. It had a very solid start, some lean winter months, and a strong finish. If anyone knows of a trustworthy source that could settle the matter of recoupment, I'd be very interested.