Riedel on Grey Gardens' Closing — Page 2

"Avenue Q isn't hard to market, and Drowsy is doing dismal sales. I'm not sure what you're talking about."

Avenue Q is, or rather, WAS hard to market. Now that it's won Best Musical it isn't, but it wasn't doing smash business when it opened. It is not a "family" show or even a real "touristy" show.
And Drowsy is doing poorly now, but a while back it was doing well. And it's chalking up more of a run than Grey Gardens.

You could tell they didn't know what they were doing. They did the strange ad campaign switch. They announced the show would definitely continue through the summer. Then they announce MLW will leave the show, and the show ill continue with Ebersole and a BE replacement. Then it's the show will close July 29.

Shame they got their hands on this.

The advertising started VERY late in the game, however. June.

That is such a travesty. I can't believe so good a show could fall into such ignorant hands. I thank god that it's most likely that the London run, and the maybe tour, will be under the control of different producers.

Wow, What a hateful article. I hope you don't believe everything you read, some of you on here seem to do so. It is clear that Riedel has some deep throats in the business who feed him info. Here is some info he left out of his article. Ponder it as you judge.

Christine brought money to the production to help 'produce' it. However, she completely disrespected that money on many occassions. Take for example the fact that she decided, during the time when Tony voters come to see the show, that she would only do 6 shows per week because it was too hard for her. (um didn't she know how hard the show was when she was doing it off-Broadway) When she is out for any reason, the show loses 10-20% of its weekly take in returns, per day! Somehow the production got her to agree to do 7 shows but only after treating her like a queen and allowing her an extra week of vacation. A week where the show lost money. She also called out 'sick' twice, yes twice, when the group sales representatives were coming to the show, AND she knew they would be there. I would call that sabotage, how about you? She has a history of being difficult and it seems has a self destructive streak. She definitely has had a hand in taking this show down.

But why close the show when it is selling well? you ask. Because it hasn't made any money yet! The weekly nut is about 320K plus advertising costs it goes up to nearly 400K so even when they were selling 'well' they were not making much, if any money. And to keep a show running when it is losing money, costs money. So why are the Gonda's singled out as the ones who are not putting more money in to keep the show open? There are 6 producers listed on the show. Shouldn't they all equally contribute to the shows survival? Including Christine as a 'producer'? Didn't Bernadette Peters take a pay cut to keep Gypsy open several years ago, so why hasn't Christine offered to do the same thing?

And why not thank the people who brought your performance to Broadway so you could win a Tony Award? As noted before, there were 4 other producers on the show. I suppose she is mad at all of them and thinks they all don't know what they are doing. It was classless, selfish behavior to be so rude.

Lastly, it is unfortunate that this went down the way it did. The show is truly an excellent piece of theater. The composers and the book writer did an amazing job of taking an eccentric piece of film history and turning it into a compelling and moving evening in the theater. Hopefully history will remember this a great piece of theater, not the circus that Christine has turned it into. But then, not that many people read Riedel.

I agree Americanboy99, this article made me so made too.

P.S. Billionaires don't become billionaires because they 'don't know what they are doing' or are 'stuppit people'.

No. Didn't think that and still don't.

The producer credit listed as STAUNCH PRODUCTIONS is Christine, Rosie O'Donell and Barbara Walters, the last addition to the producing team (and money) to bring the show to Broadway. Why not just get them to give more money...

Wizard, this is Broadway. A place for professionals. Press is part of the job.

Riedel usually has his information from reliable sources. Doesn't mean that he is right. He puts the info together and creates his own stories.

As for the press, please already. There are plenty of stars who have done harder roles and more press and are fine. How about Fantasia?

^ Very true.

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While true, that has almost nothing to do with the situation. The Times had an article a few weeks ago about how TCP has been marketed and sold to (mostly black) churches from all around the country that bus themselves to New York to see Fantasia. Also, TCP is a VERY recognizable title, and easier to sell.

Wasn't East of Doheny involved with "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"?

Grey Gardens has a cummulative gross of more than $16 million and has been reported that it will close without returning a penny to the investors. If that isn't financial mismanagement I don't know what is...