SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS closing Sept.16- Page 3

[SarahNYC2]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 10:09am

Both my daughter and I see a lot of theater. She wanted to see this after performing a few songs at her school (her school is a performance art school with a lot of teachers who work on Broadway they had permission). I was a little reluctant but figured why not. I really enjoyed it, as did she. 

[Steve C.]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 10:19am

I'm really sad to see this show close too, (bad memories of timing and business "Great Comet" We just got tix again.

I'm hoping Ethan will go back to doing the Sunday matinees since the closing notice is real now...we can do without the snark too; Tina Landau and this cast created a wonderful world at the Palace. Maybe they will go "FATHOMS (Events) Below..Fathoms Below." and film it for theaters and BroadwayHD.

Again, if you don't experience the happiness, talent and joy coming from that stage every night, go back outside and find yourself a heart.

[upinlights]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 12:04pm

UGH, I'm actually pretty upset about this! I've seen the show twice and have loved it every time. It may not be a perfect production, but the joy it radiates is truly infectious. Sad to see it go!

[bwayjulia]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 12:55pm

Renovations or not, theater owners don't usually kick out shows that are doing well so one has to assume that the stop clause was used or that the losses were to great to sustain over the long term.  I'm sorry to see it go because I thought it had the potential to introduce many non-theater goers to Broadway. I'm surprised that Nickelodeon didn't continue to pump money into it to keep it running. This is their #1 property and even Disney kept Little Mermaid and Tarzan and Mary Poppins running for a bit out of sheer brand extension/pride.

[lukeworsham]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 1:55pm

All thanks to the Broadway League getting hard for The Band's Visit! Hopefully, this at least means that Ethan Slater and Gavin Lee will have the incentive to join the national tour when there inevitably is one. Lee toured with Mary Poppins after playing Bert both on West End and Broadway.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 2:33pm

Thanks guys for standing up to me earlier on the board! I'm actually surprised I didn't had more backlash for choosing this over BP in Hello Dolly. And RippedMan wasn't rude to me at all, compared to others. It's his opinion after all and it could be worse. And RippedMan, I saw Hello Dolly already with Bette and I loved it so much. But, Spongebob is more meaningful to me right now with the childhood memories I had with my father over the TV show and I can always see Bernadette again in another show. Plus, I'm more disappointed I missed Santino in Hello Dolly

 

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 3:34pm

This will be the first show I see once DOLLY closes.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 5:32pm

I knew this was coming and it is truly sad to see a show that looks good bid farewell so soon. And I do hope the SpongeBob tour has California dates planned so I can see it for myself. Also hate to go off topic but is the Hello Dolly revivial worth the hype just in case I see the national tour with Betty Buckley

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 6:01pm

disneybroadwayfan22, all good boo. You do you. I just didn't care for Spongebob - thought it was a hot mess of nothingness. But if you've already seen Dolly, then go for what you want to see, no worries there. I just wasn't taken to Spongebob like so many others were, but I'm not gonna bash it. It will do VERY well with schools/colleges. 

[justafan2]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 6:44pm

I agree---I loved this production and am VERY sad it's closing.  Too bad it's in the Palace theater--maybe it would have stayed longer in another theater, since the "reason" is because the theater needs renovation.

[Gink]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 6:56pm

We loved this show, saw it twice--and I never would have gone if not for the fact that friends were raving about it. (I will admit I had my doubts after listening to the cast recording the first time--though I have grown to love most of it.)I didn't see The Band's Visit, but I was rooting for Ethan Slater for best actor in a musical--he was AMAZING. Wishing the best for the cast and crew to find new work soon!

[S394206H]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 9:10pm

After spending a day on the internet after this news dropped, it's amazing to see how many people don't read actual articles and only headlines. The number of asinine comments/complaints I've read are truly astounding. People think the Palace is being demolished, the whole original cast is touring, the show will reopen after renovations, other theaters refused to allow the show to move in, a number of crazy things. People also absolutely refuse to believe that the show was underperforming at the box office, even though the numbers are all out there to prove it. I understand that people are upset (myself being one of them) but I don't think I've ever seen this many wild theories about a show closing arise in such a short period of time.

[BwayJudd]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 9:24pm

Dollypop said: "This will be the first show I see once DOLLY closes."

I was just thinking this same thing!  I might try to see it the weekend I’m going to see Bette when she returns.  Only 3 more Dolly shows for me, and I truly love a show that fills you with joy like so many have said of SB.   

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 9:46pm

Belonged in primary schools and Vegas, not in the best theater district in the world.  Byeeeeeeeee.

You're not very familiar with Broadway history, are you?

The little show that could.

Huh???  It wasn't little and apparently, it couldn't.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 11:50pm

I don't think any "little" show is being produced by Vicamon in the Palace Theater on Broadway...

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 7/9/18 at 11:52pm

Mister Matt said: "Belonged in primary schools and Vegas, not in the best theater district in the world. Byeeeeeeeee.

You're not very familiar with Broadway history, are you?

The little show that could.

Huh??? It wasn't little and apparently, it couldn't."

Ditto, if this show is little I wonder how big a large show is. Ignorance is bliss.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 5:07am

I believe what the poster meant by “The little show that could.” was that people had low expectations for the show, and it wound up being very well received. I don’t think they were saying that the show was small in scale and was a hit.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 10:57am

This season, "the little show that could" would be The Band's Visit.  Spongebob is "the big show that couldn't".  Expectations were sort of all over the place and the reception was warm enough to keep it running for 10 months.  It really doesn't resemble the story at all.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 11:53am

¿Macavity? said: "people had low expectations for the show, and it wound up being very well received."

The problem with this sort of thinking is it is still nonsense. If someone thinks a show is going to be dismal and it ends up being average, it hasn't overcome anything. It was always an average show, just one that performed better than what someone thought it would in their head, based on who knows what?

One trick on here is to suss out the people who review things based on their expectations going in, since it says everything about the person and almost nothing about the show.

Not anything limited to Spongebob, by any means.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 3:03pm

Too soon?

[Solipsist234]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 3:05pm

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "

Too soon?"

Ado, WHY!?!?!? :'(

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 7/10/18 at 8:52pm

http://mobile.twitter.com/broadwaycom/status/1016743168925151237I really was not planning on going back to this show cause I wasnt a fan. But now im gonna make a return to bikini bottom! I loved her broadway.com vlog lol!

[TanGlue]

Posted: 8/10/18 at 7:22pm

I know I'm chiming in late to this thread. Because I have a hat in the ring, I thought I would clear some misinformation.

First, as strange as this may sound to many naysayers, the show is NOT closing due to poor ticket sales. Just check the Broadway Grosses for yourself. SB is hitting between 75% - 98% weekly grosses. Since June, the show has been hitting the high nineties consistently. Yes, they did experience a few slow weeks. But, nothing close to what folks on here are stating. And, yes, money does play a part, but not in the way it's being stated here. I'll explain further below.

Now, this may be even harder to sell, but the Nederlander Org is not kicking the show out. Developers got the go-ahead from the City to proceed with major construction which is affecting several locations around the Palace. They've been trying to secure permits for some time. Now that they have the ok, Spongebob is just one of the many casualties due to this major construction. Developers are raising the building up one level for underground retail space. Because the building is being raised, the theatre will also undergo interior renovations. The show cannot operate during major construction.

Next, it cost over $10M to bring the show to Broadway. There are no available theatres with the capacity for a show the size of SB. Therefore, there is no way to transfer the show to a smaller theatre and still make a profit. It would be a total loss for Nickelodeon. So stop listening to folks who have no idea of what's going on.   

And, one more thing, the show is not going back to the Palace. The theatre is closed until 2020. SB is hitting the road next year. 

Updated On: 8/11/18 at 07:22 PM

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 8/10/18 at 7:28pm

Nah. Its ticket sales.

[TanGlue]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 4:03am

Bwayfan292 said: "Nah. Its ticket sales. "

Blah! Why I even bothered? Lol!