Riedel: FOLLIES definitely leaving the Marquis. Looking for a new theater...- Page 2

[FrauleinKost]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 8:29am

Honestly, I'd rather see the show close on January 22nd than cut the amount of musicians in the pit. And y'all know I LOVE.THIS.SHOW.

I think the Palace might be too big...

The Shubert would be just about perfect. Love that theatre. I love the Belasco even more...but for some reason, I can see this at the Shubert.

Hmm...if my math is right--if ticket sales remain as they are, will this show recoup around the first of the year? Keep in mind I never got out of freshman math in high school...

They would almost certainly have to spend additional funds on promotion. I'm surprised Bernadette hasn't done any television appearances other than the View.

wonder if I can past-date some of the tix that I have for November/December if it extends and transfers...hmmm....

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 9:03am

I know, Smaxie. I was joking. :P I agree with FrauleinKost that I'd rather it close in January than downsize any aspect of the production, especially the orchestra.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 9:12am

I can't imagine they would downsize; the size of the show has been one of their major marketing strategies. It would cost about a million dollars to move the production which isn't chump change; I kind of doubt this will happen unless the perfect theatre for it opens up. It wouldn't fit in most of the theatres being suggested in this thread.

[singtopher]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 9:15am

I can't see this show fitting (without downsizing) in half the theaters mentioned. It would need a big musical house like The Palace or Shubert.

[Hank]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 10:06am

Placing Follies in the Marquis was a bad move to begin with, trying to retrofit one of the most modern houses in town to look shabby, when the funky old Nederlander on 41st St would have been much more appropriate.
I also think Evita would be a good fit at the Palace. It also faces the heart of Times Square, and I think it has a few more seats than the Marquis, and Priscilla would do well moving to a smaller house.
As for Nice Work, I hope they find a home soon, I'm very interested in that show.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 10:48am

The "funky" Nederlander had a $9 million restoration after Rent closed. I think it's pretty great looking these days. It can house a musical, but at around 1250 seats, it's also a little small for Follies.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 11:12am

That may be true, but Riedel made the point a few articles ago that Joe DiPietro being the writer of Memphis and of Nice Work...could possibly mean something in terms of that trade-off, though it certainly wouldn't affect Follies.

That doesn't mean a thing. Shows have a contractually agreed upon "stop clause" that they have to gross over a consistent amount of time before theater owners can evict them.

Regardless of whether or not Joe DiPietro wrote both, if MEMPHIS continues to perform as it has been, the Shuberts couldn't even give the house to another show if they wanted to.

Updated On: 10/19/11 at 11:12 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 12:56pm

Reidel has no idea what he's talking about. This columnist makes some great points: First, Follies never makes money, this show would have to take in a million a week to make money and even if it somehow caught on, the show can't possibly extend:

"Follies" can't extend its run because its divas -- Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige, Terri White -- have commitments. So the pressure's on to get the weekly gross up to $1 million.

"I think they're going to hit that mark during the holiday weeks," a production source says. "There won't be that many new shows around, Bernadette's a theater star and the other ladies, together, mean something."

A cynical theater executive says the nonprofit Kennedy Center will come out a winner regardless: "I think their plan is to try to recoup as much as they can, and then count on [Sondheim's] rich friends to make up the difference in contributions to the theater."

Who was that smart columnist?
Why, Michael Reidel!

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 4:40pm

Let's not also forget that these theatres have different owners, so a unique situation like Rock of Ages moving to the Hayes really only happened because they had nothing else but time to kill until the Second Stage people finished raising the money to buy the joint. With the Follies stars starting to leave as time goes on, the Shubert and Jujamcyn owners are going to want to put in their own shows instead of taking a show whose success is a(albeit noble) lark, but not exactly time-tested.

Updated On: 10/19/11 at 04:40 PM

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 4:46pm

I'm guessing that if talks of Follies moving have proceeded as far as they have to this point, there are probably deals being struck to keep as much of this cast intact as possible. (Possibly a six month extension to get through the Tonys.)

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 6:50pm

In the event that Anything Goes closes when Sutton Foster departs, could Follies play at the Sondheim? I'd really like to see a Sondheim show play the Sondheim theater...

[binau]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 6:51pm

There is no way that ANYTHING GOES will close before FOLLIES, IMO.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 6:54pm

Anything Goes is booked through April and Follies will be leaving the Marquis in January. I do not think Anything Goes will be closing early either. And the Sondheim is under the Roundabout Theatre Company isn't it?

[Jonwo]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 11:02pm

The Sondheim Theatre is operated by Roundabout but owned by Durst, if Roundabout have nothing planned, it is used for commercial productions, All About Me and Pee Wee Herman played the Sondheim.

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 10/19/11 at 11:51pm

I was also gonna suggest the Sondheim Theatre. It's a shame that put that tacky, pointless crap in his theatre. There should be one space on Bway reserved for real theatre.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 12:10am

The Foxwoods.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 12:23am

Spider-Man isn't closing any time soon.

I think Reidel is up to his usual gossip (READ: CRAP) again. I'd certainly love this to be true but I think it'd be very cost prohibitive.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 12:24am

I was also gonna suggest the Sondheim Theatre. It's a shame that put that tacky, pointless crap in his theatre. There should be one space on Bway reserved for real theatre.

I am really hoping you are referring to All About Me and Pee Wee Herman and not Anything Goes... Cole Porter's work is not something I would call pointless crap.

Updated On: 10/20/11 at 12:24 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 2:01am

Isn't Studio 54 empty? What would be the hurdles to moving it there? Could one nonprofit's production move into another nonprofit's theater?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 4:50am

Let it go, Indiana.

Let it go.....

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 4:50am

Let it go, Indiana.

Let it go.....

[AnythingGoes2]

Posted: 10/20/11 at 7:45am

I think Nederlanders have got the housing all wrong too for 2012.

Priscilla stay at The Palace.
Evita at the Neil Simon
Follies stay at the Marquis
Ghost open at The Nederlander
Jesus Christ at the Lunt or Rodgers after Porgy

Anyway...
Sister Act and Memphis may not survive the Winter and could post notices. Schubert would be great for Follies and Nice Work great for Broadway...

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 10:39pm

So not worthy of a longer run.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/21/11 at 11:32pm

K, WickedBoy.

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 10/22/11 at 12:23am

You're right, Mama'sDoin Fine. The only shows that should get extended are shallow crap like Anything Goes or Mamma Mia. Let's keep them for ten years and throw out one of the only shows of substance we have.