SPIDER MAN What the hell?- Page 2

[bk]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 9:43pm

You can just sit back and watch the passing parade and hope that someday Broadway will have real producers again.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 9:49pm

Sad, but oh-so true, BK.

Ah, well...

... at least there's A VERY LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and PUTTING IT TOGETHER 2.

P

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:02pm

Here's my question. Why has the score been guarded so closely? No one has heard a demo, there's been no staged reading, no concert version, no previews like Love Never Dies. Other than Bono's word for it, there is currently no proof that the show even exists.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:11pm

Has anyone ever seen Julie Taymor and Bernie Madoff in the same room?

[averagebwaynut]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:19pm

Scott Briefer,

You are correct that it makes sense that the show's company should control the revenue, but simply put, it is not the case for Broadway and is only sometimes the case for off-Broadway. I am not willing to be more specific on my breadth of experience, but I say this with first-hand knowledge of producer and theatre owner deals in both arenas.

On Broadway, revenue from ticket sales all flow through the theatre owner. In the case of phone and online sales through Ticketmaster and Telecharge, the monies are remitted by the ticketing agencies to the theatre owners on a weekly basis less service and handling fees, credit card commissions, chargebacks and miscellaneous other deductions. Box office sales via credit card work in the same fashion (since the revenue flows through the Ticketmaster or Telecharge computers). Cash sales at the box office are deposited into the bank account that the theatreowner has set up for each of their theatres. The money the theatre owner receives each week from Ticketmaster or Telecharge (and from TKTS as applicable) is based on the *sales* for the prior week.

The production settles with the theatre at the end of each week and receives the revenue from the *performances played* during the previous week less facilities fees, group sales commissions, all of the theatre operating expenses (as per the theatre license agreement, which includes all labor, benefits and payroll taxes), and the theatre's contractual rent (which typically has two parts - a fixed weekly amount and a percentage of gross).

In short, a Broadway show does not realize the revenue from its ticket sales for a particular week of performances until said week is played off. Until that time, the sales revenue for future weeks of performances sits in an interest-bearing escrow account held by the theatre owner in which the production does not share.

If I can dig up the language from an actual license agreement, I will be happy to do so and post it but I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is the case.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:42pm

You seem knowledgeable, and as my experience with contracts between producers and theater owners is limited, I will for now bow to what appears to be a greater wisdom. I have written The Broadway League with this question and tomorrow, I will contact the office of a prominent producer I am friends with and ask this question. However, having read your posts, I suspect that you are in the know.

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:56pm

It's like an actual living version of NINE

they say its happening...but, where is ANY proof at all?

[saveusmike]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 11:04pm

Even if they back out now, they still lost a s**t load of cash.
Ranging in the millions.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 11:15pm

Yes, but aren't they only selling to AMEX members right now? If the show was opening in six weeks, wouldn't the tickets be open to the public and wouldn't the box office be open by now? Just curious.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 12:20am

What cast were let out of thier contracts?
Does anyone know any actors who were cast and signed?
I know Cummings talked about a costume fitting and that other guy said he was flying without a plane,
but have there been real rehearsals?

I think anyone who buys a ticket till an official announcement is made, letting anyone one get interest on your purchase for such an iffy schedule is foolish.

Any inside info?

[bk]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 12:56am

"f the show was opening in six weeks, wouldn't the tickets be open to the public and wouldn't the box office be open by now? Just curious."

Do you even need to ask this question? Of course they would. Why would anyone in their right mind think this is going to open in a few weeks - seriously.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:08am

checked the official website and it looks pretty suspicious maybe this is taymor's Idea of a prank reality show?

[RSrichie]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 3:17am

IF it’s true that the actors have been let go and they are still selling tickets starting next month for a show they know to not be happening just to get the money for a future date, that’s FRAUD!

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 4:40am

the source i got my information from regarding the cast being let go was a very good friend of mine who's friend was cast in the musical, i do not want to say which part, and that each cast member was told they were released

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 4:53am

I'm fairly certain someone else also offered this information...but I could be waaay off base.


Someone above mentioned the website seeming fishy. Can I ask in what way? Other than it not being updated recently, I think it looks pretty good.

And yes, I agree that it seems odd that it's only available to American Express holders this close to "opening". Hmmmmm...

Updated On: 1/9/10 at 04:53 AM

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:10am

Is it possible they could be having secret rehearsals somewhere and this is all an elaborate prank or something? If the posters still say February 25 (I know the website does) and this is supposed to be an unprecedented $52 million stage production (All memories of "Carrie" almost totally eclipsed - Not to mention "Dance of the Vampires" - if it fails) this could be the greatest disaster Broadway has ever seen...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:13am

I suppose they COULD be doing that, but you would think with all the speculation going around that they would be LOUDLY tooting their own horns about their progress.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:21am

And I suppose at least someone here would know if it was happening. Hmmm...

[devonian.t]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 10:28am

average is totally right about interest from advance sales- the theatre does not pass this to the producer in my experience.

PS PGenre, the show isn't called Putting it Together 2- it's correct title is SidebySide by Sondheim 3!

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 10:33am

We haven't heard any of the songs yet because Bono hasn't written them yet. He's gone into retreat in a Venetian spa with his wife, his estranged mistress and a friendly but sassy costumer. To combat his composers' block, Bono is busy imagining the numbers from the musical on a soundstage in his head, where they are sung not by Evan Rachel Wood, but by Nicole Kidman.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 11:35am

^ tee-hee

[DryMartini]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 12:42pm

Now THAT was funny.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:06pm

Alan Cumming is doing a Time Talk at the Times Center tonight at 6pm, so I'm sure this will come up. If it doesn't, I'll ask during the Q&A.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:48pm

I just called the theatre and spoke to someone, as per the guy who answered the phone: previews begins February 25th.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:50pm

LOL. This is not happening on February 25th.