Riedel on Amy Schumer's box office power

[10086sunset]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 8:41pm

http://nypost.com/2017/08/17/theater-geeks-are-freaking-out-about-amy-schumer-on-broadway/

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 10:17pm

I mean, of course this is going to sell well. It has a lot going for it - VERY limited run, Steve Martin, small theater, Jerry Zaks, great costars. 

I mean, The Parisian Woman has no signage up at all. Unless you read these boards or follow theater closely, you don't know it is happening yet. 

And I don't think Adam Driver is in anyway a box office name. 

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 10:26pm

I think Adam Driver's appeal could surprise people. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of him, but to 20 and 30 somethings, he's very well known. And there's always his involvement in the new Star Wars films. The audience the films reach us enormous.

He's one of those actors you can recognize by face or voice, but not remember their name. If I showed a picture of him to my 61 year old mother, she'd instantly know who it is--Kylo Ren! She would probably have no idea what his name was,

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 10:36pm

His earlier work made him pretty well-known, but with Star Wars under his belt I would definitely call him a sellable name.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 10:52pm

Adam Driver may not be a box office name but I've never seen him give a bad performance. Patterson is a recent small film that not many people saw but I thought he was great in it. Would love to see him on stage. 

[comets]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 11:08pm

I hope it sells big, i'm trying to resell a ticket on stubhub. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 11:20pm

But you're all missing the point of a "box office name." Sure, I'm sure if I put on the marquee THIS IS THE GUY FROM STAR WARS people might get it, but if it just said "Adam Driver in Burn This" how many people are going to know who that is? 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 11:29pm

I'd say Adam Driver is enough to place on a marquee. He's got a big following from girls too! 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 11:32pm

RippedMan said: "But you're all missing the point of a "box office name." Sure, I'm sure if I put on the marquee THIS IS THE GUY FROM STAR WARS people might get it, but if it just said "Adam Driver in Burn This" how many people are going to know who that is? "

 

I'm not saying he'll completely sell out the house every night to the point where people have to wait in line for cancellations. But I think he can sell a respectable number of tickets. People who are Star Wars fans know the names of the actors, and he'll particularly be a draw if the production opens around the time that one of the new movies comes out. And though I've never seen Girls, I know it has a following. And even if you're right that people don't know his name, they can always plaster his face all over the theatre  

 

[JPeterman]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 12:29am

He's a hell of a lot more marketable and well known than Oak was when Comet banked on him. Maybe Comet should have called Adam Driver.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 12:47am

Okay...well that doesn't make any sense. And sorry Adam Driver is not a bankable star. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 1:02am

RippedMan said: "And sorry Adam Driver is not a bankable star. "

 

Why are you just blatantly contradicting as if it's just an objective fact? None of us can really know for sure what kind of draw he'll be until we see the grosses. But most of the people in this thread are disagreeing with you, and we're using our knowledge of his work, and his fan base, along with our own personal experiences, to make an educated guess. Meanwhile you come back with "he's just not"?

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 1:05am

Because he isn't. Sure, if this was a Roundabout show it wouldn't matter. But as a bankable commercials star? No way. I don't know why any of you think somehow this "Girls" fanbase will somehow come out and support this show. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 1:07am

RippedMan said: "Because he isn't. Sure, if this was a Roundabout show it wouldn't matter. But as a bankable commercials star? No way. I don't know why any of you think somehow this "Girls" fanbase will somehow come out and support this show. "

 

Well then the conversation is over. You've made your prediction, the rest of the thread has made theirs. We've all had our say, and now there's no debate happening, just contradiction. So we'll just have to wait for the grosses. 

 

Updated On: 8/18/17 at 01:07 AM

[hork]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 2:06am

Am I missing something, or did Riedel say nothing about Driver being a box office name or a bankable star?

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 8:13am

There was no need to throw shade at Uma. And why ask if Schumer can sing or dance? It's a play. 

And no, Riedel never claimed Adam Driver was bankable. But Driver is in the hottest Franchise ever made, was in one of the most important shows of the decade, hosted SNL. He wouldn't sell as well as Gyllenhaal, but he'd be successful.

Interesting that Riedel claims that Gyllenhaal didn't do Burn This because he couldn't decide on a costar, when we heard it was scheduling conflicts.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 8:41am

There was no need to throw shade at Uma. And why ask if Schumer can sing or dance? It's a play. 

I'm not going to throw shade at Uma, but I can't imagine any commercial producer would hire her in 2017 thinking she'd bring in boffo box office numbers on name alone. Maybe in 1997. She's a terrific actor, and when she did some theater in the prime of her career, it was an event. But today? Her career has been largely on ice the last couple of years, aside from a few TV and minor film roles. 

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 9:05am

Whatever his box officr draw, Driver would be a fabulous Pale. Would love to see a Burn This revival happen. 

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 9:08am

Financials aside, did this get crummy reviews in tryout performances? Wondering whether to buy tickets...

[VotePeron]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 9:12am

carnzee said: "There was no need to throw shade at Uma. And why ask if Schumer can sing or dance? It's a play. 

And no, Riedel never claimed Adam Driver was bankable. But Driver is in the hottest Franchise ever made, was in one of the most important shows of the decade, hosted SNL. He wouldn't sell as well as Gyllenhaal, but he'd be successful.

Interesting that Riedel claims that Gyllenhaal didn't do Burn This because he couldn't decide on a costar, when we heard it was scheduling conflicts.

 

"

Not to be "that guy," but it wasn't a well kept secret in the industry that Gyllenhall simply couldn't agree on an actress to play opposite him. That was the reason the project died - obviously it wasn't scheduling conflicts, because he did Sunday around the same time Burn This would've happened. 

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 9:19am

AC126748 said: "There was no need to throw shade at Uma. And why ask if Schumer can sing or dance? It's a play. 

I'm not going to throw shade at Uma, but I can't imagine any commercial producer would hire her in 2017 thinking she'd bring in boffo box office numbers on name alone. 

??????Sure. She has put her children and personal life first, and that has hurt her career. I just found it silly that Riedel would compare her to Schumer, who is a much bigger name in 2017. 

 

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 9:31am

Riedel's in the gossip business. Being catty serves his bottom line. If there's no story, he creates one. That shouldn't surprise anyone at this point.

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 10:01am

That's true, AC. And I don't know why all those ???? showed up, I didn't type them. 

[carnzee]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 10:07am

VotePeron said: "carnzee said: "There was no need to throw shade at Uma. And why ask if Schumer can sing or dance? It's a play. 

And no, Riedel never claimed Adam Driver was bankable. But Driver is in the hottest Franchise ever made, was in one of the most important shows of the decade, hosted SNL. He wouldn't sell as well as Gyllenhaal, but he'd be successful.

Interesting that Riedel claims that Gyllenhaal didn't do Burn This because he couldn't decide on a costar, when we heard it was scheduling conflicts.

 

"

Not to be "that guy," but it wasn't a well kept secret in the industry that Gyllenhall simply couldn't agree on an actress to play opposite him. That was the reason the project died - obviously it wasn't scheduling conflicts, because he did Sunday around the same time Burn This would've happened. 

 

Interesting. I was confused about this. I remember thinking, how can it be scheduling conflicts when he then did a revival of Sunday?

I don't remember anyone on here claiming Jake couldn't find a costar. In fact, someone claimed they had cast her, but were waiting to announce. I guess that was false. 

I would have loved to see Michelle Williams do it with Jake.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 8/18/17 at 10:23am

I've heard that Gyllenhaal apparently wanted his CONSTELLATIONS co-star Ruth Wilson, but she wasn't available.