Riedel: PIRATE QUEEN Could be $16 Million Flop- Page 3

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 3/23/07 at 8:51pm

mamaleh, thanks for straightening me out about "Bridge and Tunnel" audiences and full price tickets. I stand corrected,and I never said I was a city dweller. Many tourists frequent the TKTs booth, so I suppose the most important thing a fledgling show can hope for is lots of lawyers and other corporate types buying premium seats for clients.

As far as Pirate Queen recouping its 16 million dollar investment, I get the distinct impression that McColgan and Doherty are hoping to start a worldwide franchise with this show, as Phantom and Lion King have done. If PQ can generate enough interest on Broadway to bring about companies in London, Germany, Japan and elsewhere the producers might not be so concerned about making the initial investment back in New York. This is the one reason that the show might be kept running for a while even if it's not making back its weekly nut.

Updated On: 3/23/07 at 08:51 PM

[Dover]

Posted: 3/23/07 at 10:50pm

queenbee2, I know you weren't asking about the artistic merit of the show, that wasn't what my post was about. I'm talking about any question that asks for information that could create negative word-of-mouth. Nobody with any sense is going to tell the public anything that reflects badly on their show, and will either lie or give some sort of evasive answer. Since you're not going to get a truthful answer anyway, why put the employee in that position?

[winston89]

Posted: 3/24/07 at 12:55am

"The Hilton is a huge house. The theatre's "Karma" has a lot to do with that. 100% at the Jacobs is way different than 100% at the Hilton. And the rent has to be paid. Putting unproven shows in places like The Hilton, Gershwin, New Amsterdam or St. James, even the Imperial is a HUGE risk, no matter how good the shows are. The Helen Hayes is so small, Xanadu might run for ten years. "



JDBC,

Your right in sayng that putting unproven shows in large theatres is a risk. But, it depends on the show. And keep in minx that there are so many shows that are in need of theatre spasce so they are taking whatevery they can get their hands on. Even if the theatre might be a bit too big for their show. But, the one theatre thast this would never be a problem is is the new awsmterdam. keep in mind that diesney owns that theatre and disney shows are playing at that theatre so they don't loose any money at all.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 3/24/07 at 3:23am

Investors do not necessarily expect to make their money back on the Broadway production though they would love for it to happen. They are very aware that the true cash cow is in the tours. They just hope that their show does well enough on Broadway to merit the tour.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/24/07 at 7:26am

>> Haven't seen PQ yet but have tix for a later date--at a substantial discount, of course.

That's definitely going to ensure its financial future.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/24/07 at 11:27am

After i got attacked by a certain member on this board for commenting on the show (because i had just seen it in chicago not Bway) im happy to say i finally saw the broadway one(granted not in the theatre if u know what i mean) and i still think its not very good.

Act 1 is still sleep inducing with not many stand out moments(i do remember they were one song i did love in act 1).

The set still looks really cheap(for a show about pirates and a pirate ship im shocked thats the best they could come up with)

Act 2 moves at a better pace but it kinda seems it's to little to late(i also don't really like the ending).

for the person who said about it having a large advance that means nothing.Carrie, legs diamond etc all had big advances and once the reviews came out it fell away.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 3/24/07 at 1:51pm

I loved all aspects of it. It's a really cool show. I think the tourists will go wild. How can you not like pirates?

[GHOSTLIGHT2]

Posted: 3/30/07 at 10:21am

A few people have sufficient sensitivity to the eb and flow of the entertainment industry that they cal "smell" if a movie is going to tank when it is in pre-production . The theater is a diffrent animal all together,with a stage show You can re-tool it and repair the mistakes from the preliminary trials. Frankly it is too early to assume that PIRATE QUEEN will be a failure. Just as bad,unnessary bad p.r. could make investers nervouse about thier commitment.Give the show a chanse,My own sense is that it will be a smash hit if they put the right actress in the lead role. The production staff is not worried about it tanking,perhapse THEY know something WE do not.

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 3/30/07 at 10:31am

Ok, in chicagom PQ may have gotten bad reviews, but it was "good luck" finding tickets... when I saw it (its last weekend in the city, because I kept waiting for it to show up at HOTTIX)I literally bought the last two seats in the house (and they were not even close to one another, but the second was the last seat in the last row up agianst the wall)... so, hopefully it won't bomb...

[ken8631]

Posted: 3/30/07 at 3:25pm

We're going because I think Steph is great!

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/30/07 at 11:36pm

Just a note here to son-of-a-gunn - with most Broadway shows, one set of investors finances the Broadway run, and separate financing is then raised for touring companies. So unless it just so happens that the same investors finance everything, which is not typical, a Broadway show that doesn't recoup can't make up for it by tour profits.

ETA - the Broadway investors may get a license fee from the touring company, but it's peanuts comparatively speaking. Updated On: 3/30/07 at 11:36 PM