#1
Posted: 10/24/08 at 7:39am
Riedel: HAIR at the Shubert
#2
Posted: 10/24/08 at 7:47am
Thats exactly what Smaxie has been saying along
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#4
Posted: 10/24/08 at 8:06am
As I was walking in, I overheard Rocco Landesman, who owns Jujamcyn Theaters, say to Tony: "I love reading about how rich you are in the papers."
I placed a friendly hand on Tony's back and said: "I'm afraid I'm responsible for that."
He recoiled as if he'd stepped on a snake.
"Please, just go away," he said, and shot me a look as cold as anything Stalin must have fixed on those Soviet artists who fell from grace.
That just made my morning.
I placed a friendly hand on Tony's back and said: "I'm afraid I'm responsible for that."
He recoiled as if he'd stepped on a snake.
"Please, just go away," he said, and shot me a look as cold as anything Stalin must have fixed on those Soviet artists who fell from grace.
That just made my morning.
"Y'know, I think Bertolt Brecht was rolling in his grave."
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum
Updated On: 10/24/08 at 08:06 AM
#5
Posted: 10/24/08 at 9:02am
Have they announced the HAIR cast yet?
"First up was Max who sang "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" [...] I haven't seen that big of a reaction to a stair descent since Audra left the attic in Ragtime." --Seth Rudetsky
#7
Posted: 10/24/08 at 10:26am
That first paragraph is dead-on. By the middle of January there could be less than 20 shows (even less by mid-late February with more of the 'limited engagements' closing) still running before the spring shows start opening.
I'm not following his statement that Boeing-Boeing is in the same class financially as ATOTC and 13 because Boeing-Boeing just recouped and has been playing to fairly decent audience lately compared to the much lower attendance figures of the other two shows. Last week, Boeing-Boeing only made 7k less than ATOTC, a show with a much larger cast and an orchestra to pay.
EDIT- And I just want to mention how hysterical the Osip Mandelstam reference was to me because he was an integral part of my senior thesis on the Soviet repression of the arts. It was as exciting to write as it sounds...
I'm not following his statement that Boeing-Boeing is in the same class financially as ATOTC and 13 because Boeing-Boeing just recouped and has been playing to fairly decent audience lately compared to the much lower attendance figures of the other two shows. Last week, Boeing-Boeing only made 7k less than ATOTC, a show with a much larger cast and an orchestra to pay.
EDIT- And I just want to mention how hysterical the Osip Mandelstam reference was to me because he was an integral part of my senior thesis on the Soviet repression of the arts. It was as exciting to write as it sounds...
Updated On: 10/24/08 at 10:26 AM
#8
Posted: 10/24/08 at 10:50am
I agree with what you said, frogs_fan85 re: BOEING-BOEING.
They have recouped, and are already considered a success even if they were to close tomorrow.
13 and TALE are still very much fighting an expensive uphill battle.
They have recouped, and are already considered a success even if they were to close tomorrow.
13 and TALE are still very much fighting an expensive uphill battle.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#9
Posted: 10/24/08 at 10:58am
I think he said it correctly: They've used up the New York audience. I think when you start tailoring things to tourists and foreign tourists then you can't expect those shows to stay afloat in the off months. That's a stupid idea. Why not just put out the best show you can regardless of who its target audience is.
#10
Posted: 10/24/08 at 11:11am
true dat.
"First up was Max who sang "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" [...] I haven't seen that big of a reaction to a stair descent since Audra left the attic in Ragtime." --Seth Rudetsky
#11
Posted: 10/24/08 at 11:57am
Now Spring Awakening on Jan. 18, plus possibly 13, ATOTC, Avenue Q, Gypsy & Young Frankenstein all closing in January as well. YIKES!!
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
#12
Posted: 10/24/08 at 12:28pm
Yikes. I hope GYPSY can survive until March.
#13
Posted: 10/24/08 at 1:06pm
I'm sure it can.
Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08
#14
Posted: 10/24/08 at 1:11pm
The most telling quote in this article...
"We are in a very, very serious situation," says veteran producer James B. Freydberg.
"We have lost the New York audience and have become dependent on foreign tourists. But their currencies are weakening and their economies are in very bad shape. That is going to affect us.
Meanwhile they are planning to blow $40 million on SPIDERMAN. Yes, that's a show that New York audiences will flock to. (Even if they get the Hilton the show would have to sell out for 3 years just to recoup.)
"We are in a very, very serious situation," says veteran producer James B. Freydberg.
"We have lost the New York audience and have become dependent on foreign tourists. But their currencies are weakening and their economies are in very bad shape. That is going to affect us.
Meanwhile they are planning to blow $40 million on SPIDERMAN. Yes, that's a show that New York audiences will flock to. (Even if they get the Hilton the show would have to sell out for 3 years just to recoup.)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#15
Posted: 10/24/08 at 1:11pm
The most telling quote in this article...
"We are in a very, very serious situation," says veteran producer James B. Freydberg.
"We have lost the New York audience and have become dependent on foreign tourists. But their currencies are weakening and their economies are in very bad shape. That is going to affect us.
Meanwhile they are planning to blow $40 million on SPIDERMAN. Yes, that's a show that New York audiences will flock to. (Even if they get the Hilton the show would have to sell out for 3 years just to recoup.)
"We are in a very, very serious situation," says veteran producer James B. Freydberg.
"We have lost the New York audience and have become dependent on foreign tourists. But their currencies are weakening and their economies are in very bad shape. That is going to affect us.
Meanwhile they are planning to blow $40 million on SPIDERMAN. Yes, that's a show that New York audiences will flock to. (Even if they get the Hilton the show would have to sell out for 3 years just to recoup.)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#16
Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:19am
I just think the New York theater scene needs some new, young producers to throw everything off balance. We need some new shows to sort of rejuvenate Broadway. It doesn't matter what the source - original, books, movies, etc - a Broadway show should be of a certain caliber. The shows should all be good, not stinkers. There are too many people in kitchen! They need to let the directors do their work, or have one producer with a vision of how the show will work instead of 30 producers all putting in input and afraid that Mrs. Smith from Minnesota is going to be offended because they said the word "****" in the musical. Not everything needs to be family friendly!
#17
Posted: 10/25/08 at 3:45am
Is Reidel really that eeevil? He looks a lot better when he does television commentary. I must admit his Post pictue looks kind of smarmy. from RC in Austin, Texas..
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
#18
Posted: 10/25/08 at 10:55am
This is like the ****ing broadway apocolypse
Obama/Biden 08
#19
Posted: 10/25/08 at 11:52am
This is nothing like the Broadway apocalypse. The Broadway apocalypse is having Sunset Boulevard win Best Musical because there was no competition. For every theater that empties now, there will be a show eager to get in.
Is Broadway in a great creative flowering? Not really, and gambling everything in hopes of a 10-year smash is not a great method of producing, but I'm really not seeing the whole End of Days scenario here.
Is Broadway in a great creative flowering? Not really, and gambling everything in hopes of a 10-year smash is not a great method of producing, but I'm really not seeing the whole End of Days scenario here.
#20
Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:01pm
i do not think gypsy is going to make it past January.
#21
Posted: 10/26/08 at 7:52pm
And look who they are looking to crucify again for costs being too high-the unions!
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
#22
Posted: 10/26/08 at 8:01pm
Was there really a "Broadway apocalypse" or was it just show queens getting their panties in a twist over a Tony upset?
Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08
#23
Posted: 10/26/08 at 8:48pm
I think the poster meant that the season that Sunset won the award was ridiculously light in terms of new musicals.
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
#24
Posted: 10/26/08 at 10:22pm
A little off topic but can I just ask how we can be so sure about how YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is doing financially?
Just wondering what people are basing these assumptions off of...
Just wondering what people are basing these assumptions off of...
#25
Posted: 10/26/08 at 10:27pm
we're basing it on how empty the Hilton theater has been for the past 9 months. During the week, if you've got balcony tickets, chances are you were moved down to the mezz. Plus, this has happened on weekends, too. I can't it see it surviving during the even slower winter months.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
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