Riedel on Kushner's Newest Award; Xanadu's Closing

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:25am

Allegedly, XANADU returned a total of 0.5% of its original investment. Can't tell if this is a Riedel quip or legit. Could be both.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09242008/entertainment/theater/nurturing_the_well_known_130468.htm

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:43am

I can't say I disagree with him on the choice of giving the cash award to Kushner.

[She_Had_Refinement]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:48am

Agreed, but the large chip on his shoulders about Kushner's politics detracts from the whole point. Looks like Riedel's been saving all those sarcastic quips for just the right moment.

[fflagg]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:03am

It's a great column. Any opportunity to ****an overrated hack like Kushner is fine with me.

ANGELS IN AMERICA was a bore along with everything else he has written.

Go Riedel!

[Li'l_Devil]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:37am

what a joke! an cash award of $200,000 to an already well established playwright.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:42am

Thank God someone called those award people out. I love Tony Kushner, but he really didn't need the money. I wish they would've given it to someone emerging, and not like Adam Rapp or Adam Bock emerging. Actually emerging. Like Jordan Harrison or Julia Cho or Beau Willimon.

[barcelona20]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:16am

What does Riedel mean exactly, when he says they returned .5% to investors. That they made .5%, or that they lost basically everything?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:19am

1. My running theater-joke for weeks has been about Kushner getting the prize, as opposed to someone like, say, Sarah Ruhl. But she won the Genius Award, so does she count?

2. Re: XANADU - Don't know whether it's a joke or truth (I'm inclined to believe the latter). Making .5% and losing everything is virtually the same idea. The producers have been pumping $$ into it for a long time now.

[HeightOfNonchalance]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:21am

The way it's written would indicate a gain, so if someone invested $1,000,000, they got back $1,005,000, which is better than the stock market lately.

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:26am

.5% would mean that if you invested $100, you would make back 50 cents and lose $99.50.

I HIGHLY doubt that is true or the show would have been gone a long time ago.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:28am

This, to you, indicates a gain?

"BROADWAY shows are dropping like Playbill cast-change inserts.

"Xanadu" goes down Sunday, distinguishing itself by having run nearly 600 performances and returning just .5 percent to its investors.

It's a hit!"

[alterego]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:32am

Who was looking after those books?

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 9:47am

what the hell cost that much at xanadu? the set and costumes don't seem all that ridiculously expensive looking.

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:12am

It's been grossing less than $200K for quite a while. You have to think of salaries, royalties, advertising as well as the initial expenses of mounting a show.

If I were an investor I'd be very curious how much that whole Cubby Bernstein fiasco cost.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:21am

Wow, I never imagined XANADU made THAT little money, especially with its low running costs and the pretty neat grosses it made during Whoopi's stay (I imagine that's where the .5% came from).
I love his little mention of A TALE OF TWO CITIES, seriously wonder when they will be posting their closing notice as well. And once again, he uses his column to promote a new unknown piece which I think is pretty neat, good for FELA!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:28am

I totally agree that Kushner is an odd, unimaginative choice for the award, but Reidel's commentary lost wit and just became nasty and bitter-sounding. There, there, Michael...one day maybe you'll be paid the big bucks for...whatever it is you do.

"Fela!" - which may give "Billy Elliot" a real run at the Tonys."
Uh, Michael? FELA got very mixed reviews.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:34am

FELA! got a rave from Brantley.

IN THE HEIGHTS got very mixed reviews this past season, while PASSING STRANGE and XANADU got raves, and look who walked away the big winner.

Reviews don't mean much when it comes to awards.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:37am

Yeah, Fela's reviews weren't that great, and the piece seems rather boring to me.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:47am

A lot of the FELA! reviews I read were very positive. Is it definitely transferring though...?

I mean I don't see it being much of a hit on Broadway. I'm smelling a repeat a la PASSING STRANGE.

They should just keep it where it is, make a respectable amount of money, and close quietly. Moving it to Broadway, especially this season, seems like a death sentence.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:48am

'What the hell cost that much at Xanadu?'
WHOOPIE! Thats what!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:49am

If they keep it where it is, it is not going to make a dime.

Riedel said in a previous column that the show cost at least $1,000,000 to mount, and in order to make money, they were planning on transferring to Broadway, given that it received promising reviews.

Not to mention, has any show that played 37 Arts ever made a dime?

[WOSQ]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 11:00am

Michael Riedel was not awarded a MacArthur Grant.

Does this mean he will start dumping on Jennifer Tipton? I mean she is vastly successful.

Sarah Palin did not get a 'Genius Grant". Does this mean she's not a genius? What says the NY Post to that question?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 11:56am

What do you mean it would be a death sentence to transfer the show this season. It's not like there are that many anticipated new musicals, the only two I can think of are BILLY ELLIOT and 9 TO 5. TALE OF TWO CITIES is a bomb, 13 will not make it to the end of the year, are there any other new musicals opening soon? Either way, I really don't see how opening FELA this season would be a bad thing. Now, I'm not sure this is the kind of show that could survive on Broadway, especially after PASSING STRANGE was forced to fold relatively quickly, but the producers know they won't make a dime if they stay off-Broadway.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 12:29pm

I REALLY want "Fela" to transfer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 1:29pm

ray, when you say that Tale is a bomb, do you mean in terms of critical reception or finance or quality or all of the above?

Edit: Do shut up, Mr. Riedel.

Updated On: 9/24/08 at 01:29 PM