Riedel on new plays already in danger

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 8:00am

http://nypost.com/2017/02/09/new-plays-on-broadway-are-already-in-danger/

 

[senorvoce2]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 8:28am

No big surprise, but his numbers are absolutely wrong. 

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 8:40am

I'm not surprised but I'm worried this will deter producers from producing new works on Broadway in the future.

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 8:42am

little_sally said: "I'm not surprised but I'm worried this will deter producers from producing new works on Broadway in the future.

 

"

But producing new plays on Broadway without any name actors has always been a gamble, hasn't it? Yet there never really seems to be a shortage, even if every season there's more than a few that come and go quickly.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:01am

The serious play is dead on Broadway -- and probably everywhere else in dumbed down America. Three cheers for Disney and every other kid friendly, insipid musicals.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:05am

I mean, as much as I loath Riedel, he's not wrong here. I can't see a commercial smash coming from any of the new plays this spring. Our best bet would've been to keep Oh, Hello running in perpetuity.

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:07am

The real problem is you can't get a decent seat for many of these shows. You can get discounted, if you want extreme side and back orchestra. You can get premium, if you want to sit close to the stage. But for many of them, the majority of the orchestra is not for sale, since they want people who buy in early to help determine demand, and they don't want all the inventory available until they know the demand. As such, I want to see many of these shows, but have no tickets. Their bet was to hold onto inventory to raise prices, and mine is they are overextended, and that inventory will come back cheaper. We'll see who wins... worst case scenario, I'll still pay the discounted price later.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:20am

Obviously, I can't truly believe anything the man writes, but is SIX DEGREES' advance really that low? I figured with Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey, there would be some interest in it...

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:23am

Is Allison Janney really that big a draw? Sure, people love her on TV, but enough to plop down $150? Her last Broadway appearance was not exactly a huge success.

And John Benjamin Hickey, although a brilliant actor, sells exactly zero tickets on name recognition alone.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:23am

The Play That Goes Wrong is a stupid business move, IMO.

LYLS3637, they have done no advertising for Six Degrees. I haven't gotten a mailer, I haven't seen one banner or subway ad. I think if they try, it could be a hit. But nothing so far...

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:27am

I got a Six Degrees mailer last week.

[newintown]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:27am

Correct me if I'm wrong, but commercial productions of new plays have been relatively rare on Broadway for decades, haven't they? (Relative, that is, to the period between 1900-1970.)

Barring nonprofit shows and off-Broadway transfers, it seems that we've been seeing an average of only 8 or so per season over the past several years. Compare that to 38 in 1965, 42 in 1955, 53 in 1940, and 136 in 1930.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:33am

OK, but mailer or no mailer...no advertising.

Plays rarely recoup so that's not super surprising.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:51am

I forgot Six Degrees was happening.

(Also: interesting that A Dolls House Pt. 2 was not mentioned at all...)

New plays with no star at the helm have a lot more to overcome and have for a while. At least the producers of Indecent were savvy enough to schedule its opening as late as possible to capitalize on likely nominations.

But these productions are so bland in their advertising and presence. I keep citing Hand to God's marketing here, but it's worth citing. Hand to God sold itself hard. The advertising was memorable, pervasive, and summed up exactly what the play was. It didn't rest on its glowing pull quotes from its off-Broadway run and a bland marquee logo. Granted, it was an irreverent comedy, but still!

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:54am

I can't believe "A Doll's House 2" has actually made it to Broadway. Maybe I'm laying on the snark a bit, but if I were pitching my unofficial sequel to a classic play, I'd probably get laughed at.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 9:57am

Lucas Hnath, the playwright, is a respected young writer who has had several notable and well-received works of a similarly postmodern bent.  

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:01am

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I can't believe "A Doll's House 2" has actually made it to Broadway. Maybe I'm laying on the snark a bit, but if I were pitching my unofficial sequel to a classic play, I'd probably get laughed at.

 

"

I think calling it an "unofficial sequel" misses the point. As the tongue-in-cheek title suggests, this play is not going to simply be a sequel.

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:07am

I'm surprised Riedel hasn't written anything about the circumstances of Isherwood's departure from the Times, and even goes out of his way to neutrally say they've "parted ways." Riedel likes to stir things up, and he isn't doing that here.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:09am

@JayG LOL are you trying to mimic Riedel? Your cluelessness is up in his territory. 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:12am

I agree, Kad--I don't know why these plays (ESPECIALLY Indecent) are so afraid of letting people that they expect a hundred bucks from even know what the show is even about. You don't sell a ticket just by NOT scaring people off. 

[Kad]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:12am

There's probably a limit to even Riedel's pot-stirring. Or maybe we're seeing the actual limits of his, uh, "inside sources."

Even so, it's the most interesting story of this season so far and one with actual ramifications for the NY theatre landscape.

But Riedel would rather talk about Groban being out of Great Comet and how barely advertised unopen plays aren't smash hits.

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:14am

I think some people on this board know more about the Isherwood situation than Riedel.

 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:14am

I like how Riedel picks three plays that were well received by Isherwood.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:15am

Scarywarhol said: "I agree, Kad--I don't know why these plays (ESPECIALLY Indecent) are so afraid of letting people that they expect a hundred bucks from even know what the show is even about. You don't sell a ticket just by NOT scaring people off. "

Indecent at least has a somewhat interesting logo, compared to Sweat and Significant Other's bland font on bland photo approach.

But plays should be marketed as aggressively, or at least as creatively,  as musicals are, regardless of their prestige.

 

Updated On: 2/10/17 at 10:15 AM

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 2/10/17 at 10:17am

Reidel is probably brushing Isherwood news aside as he's in fear of his own job. Reidel has become so irrelevant. Thanks to social media, most of his scoops are old news by the time they're published. I'd also imagine his sources are old-school folk who are ageing out of the industry. It's much easier to leak info via social media these days. Why would anyone need or want a relationship with Reidel?

I did like his book though! Would be great if he finally retired this BS gossip nonsense and focused his passions on being a Broadway historian.