Predict 2008-2009's Flops

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 4:24pm

Hey, everyone who's taking pleasure in the "Will STORY OF MY LIFE Close?" thread - take your pessimism (or keen insight into the mind of the Broadway theatergoer and the economics of the current theater climate) out on Ken Davenport's "Which of the 2009 Broadway Plays Will Recoup?" contest.

http://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2009/02/play-the-virtual-broadway-investment-game-today-win-free-tickets-to-the-broadway-show-of-your-choice.html

I wish it was for musicals instead of plays. I have no idea what any of these are about. But I do have a crush on Colin Hanks. So.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 4:33pm

All's I know is that Christine Ebersole and Angela Lanbury better win something at the Tonys this year . All of the plays this season, with the exception of 33 Variations (because of Jane Fonda) and Blithe Spirit (because of Lansbury and because it's a light romp), seem as if they'll be snob hits that won't make all that much money but will recieve excellent reviews and patronage from New Yorkers but not from the bridge and tunnel crowd. I could be very wrong.
The acting awards for plays at this year's Tonys seem to be very exciting. Hopefully Lansbury and Ebersole will win something (Ebersole, IMHO, will wind up winning as many Tonys as Angela by the end of her carreer), but the folks from Dividing the Estate (Liz Ashley and Arthur French in particular) were quite good as well. With the plethora of new plays coming this Spring, who knows what will happen?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 4:37pm

I know I haven't seen BLITHE SPIRIT yet, but in my mind, I have already cast my votes for Ebersole and Lansbury to win 2009 Tony Awards.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 4:39pm

Same here! I'm crazy, but Ebersole is the 21st Century Lansbury.

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 4:41pm

Broadway.

[harper4]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 5:26pm

33 Variations isn't going to be a snob hit?! Its about a woman who researches Beethoven for christsake! And he appears on stage. A lot! The plot couldn't be more non-bridge & tunnel crowd and snobby if you included William F. Buckley's ghost as a character. And how did "reasons to be pretty", a story about working class people, with its cast full of relatively no-name theatre actors get lumped into your generalization about snob hits?

I'm totally with about Ebersole and Dame Angela, though.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 5:35pm

"Ebersole is the 21st Century Lansbury."

Huh?

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 6:41pm

shesamarshmallow, I am now obsessed with this game/ contest. I've always wished there was Fantasy Broadway, like Fantasy Sports...

[jv92]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 8:15pm

Miss Pennywise-

Christine is part character actress, part glamorous leading lady/diva. Lansbury was the same thing in her heyday. It's a rare quality.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 9:45pm

jv92, I love both Angela and Christine, but I just think they're very, very different.

[theatre2]

Posted: 2/10/09 at 10:58pm

i think that the story of my life will be a flop just like glory days.

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:18am

I think the fact that I had to google the names of half of those shows doesn't bode well for them - that said, I had no faith in August: Osage County before I was forced to see it early in previews, and look how that turned out.

The producers of Exit the King must be asleep, since I feel like I would have remembered Susan Sarandon & Geoffrey Rush if I'd heard about it at all!

[BWAYLover32]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:20am

in this economy, don't you think we should maybe be putting out positive energy and thoughts that shows succeed and employ more actors as opposed to spending our time and energy focusing on negativity?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:26am

I predicted that none of this spring's plays would recoup except BLITHE SPIRIT (and even that is a longshot).

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:27am

I get the feeling this is more of a intellectual exercise. Like InfiniteTheaterFrenzy says, it's Fantasy Broadway. Someone should really start a site.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:43am

>The producers of Exit the King must be asleep, since I feel like I would have remembered Susan Sarandon & Geoffrey Rush if I'd heard about it at all!<

I'm not sure that they are the ones who are asleep. Hard to miss the announcement of that show, or the full page ad they had in The New York Times two weeks ago - unless you never pick up a newspaper.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:47am

Didn't you hear, Smaxie? Newspapers are dead.

Or have moved online.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 10:53am

Plays generally have lower running costs and recoup faster than musicals. With the plethora of plays this season, I'm expecting to see a few recoup.

Updated On: 2/11/09 at 10:53 AM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 2/11/09 at 12:12pm

I usually try to make a point of seeing a show in late previews. This has the advantage that, whatever changes are going to made, have been made. And it allows me to form my own opinions without being unduly influenced by the critical response. (Example: I saw The Sea Gull in late preview. IMO, it was a torturous bore, no matter what Brantley and the critical fraternity thought). However, because so many plays are opening in a relatively short period of time, I wont be able to indulge that practice as much this year. The only ones I'm taking my chances on are Blithe Spirit, Exit the King and reasons to be pretty -- the rest will just have to wait until they open. If something is generally panned, I won't go; if it's praised to the high heavens, yes, I'll try to go. And if it gets a mixed reception, then I'll just have to go with my instinct.

Updated On: 2/11/09 at 12:12 PM