SUFFS is coming to Broadway - Page 3

[JasonC3]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:18pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "THis got pretty bad reviews off-broadway I will be surprised to see if it works on Broadway, I kind of feel the recent 1776 revival crashing should be a big red flag"

FWIW, it had an 85 on Show Score with 184 reviews and Did They Like It shows 4 positive 4 mixed, and 1 negative.

[Michelle Birnbaum]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:26pm

Do you think this would be a hot ticket or something I could get discounted through TKTS. TDF, etc?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:43pm

Voter said: "I just counted. Including OUAOMT and the shows that have opened already.... 14 new musicals this season. Not including revivals. Y'all this is NUTS.

Is there going to be too much supply and not enough demand???"

If this past season is any indication, I'm not sure how much demand is there. Not one of the new musicals really caught fire at the box office.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:44pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "THis got pretty bad reviews off-broadway I will be surprised to see if it works on Broadway, I kind of feel the recent 1776 revival crashing should be a big red flag"

Official reviews weren't stellar, but the run was fully sold out. It was very difficult to get a ticket, especially with several cancelled performances due to Covid. It seems like audiences loved it much more than critics. A few trims and it's perfect, imo.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:47pm

Michelle Birnbaum said: "Do you think this would be a hot ticket or something I could get discounted through TKTS. TDF, etc?"

It definitely all depends on the cast but I think it'll probably show up on TKTS for at least some shows. Shaina Taub isn't really a well known composer outside of deep theater circles and the subject matter may not be what people are interested in, though there's always the chance it could become a hot ticket if the word of mouth is amazing or they get really big names 

[Bobster159]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 6:48pm

I feel like this show had a hype problem back at the Public. As JasonC3 notes, it was actually pretty well received, albeit with a few naysayers. It just couldn't live up to the next Hamilton hype that came with being a new Historical musical at the Public. If they've done the work, which some here imply they have, I could see it being pretty successful commercially. I loved it myself, but it was for sure twenty minutes too long.

I doubt it'll be a hot ticket initially, but there's scope to break out. By Spring, a good chunk of what's currently running will likely have closed based on sales of late, so there'll be room for new stuff (and let's be honest, a lot of what's coming is pretty shrug-worthy).

[pethian]

Posted: 9/15/23 at 10:13pm

I'm putting my two cents on The Music Box.

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 9/16/23 at 12:06am

dan94 said: "The original message only says the show currently playing there is struggling and uses the word "epic".

Is there a reason no one has guessed the Walter Kerr? Yes Hadestown recouped/is a hit. But their current grosses don't seem to indicate solid footing at the moment. They close by the end of the year and Suffs comes in the spring?"

(Disregarding the shutdown obviously), Hadestown will be hitting its 5 year anniversary in April. Barring something drastic, I find it extremely hard to believe they won't stay through at least then, especially since the new cast just started. It may not be as hot of a ticket as it once was, but I wouldn't say it's struggling.

Re Suffs, I'm guessing either Music Box or Shubert, or maybe Broadhurst. Or could it possibly be the Lyceum? They're vacant currently and I don't think I've heard plans of a next tenant...?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/16/23 at 9:05am

If it were an already vacant theater then they would just announce it, so I'd assume it's something occupied. 

I do wonder how much lead time it takes. Like if the set is designed, how much lead time do they need to fit it into a specific theater? Or how easy is it to retrofit into a theater. 

I feel like Next to Normal and Dear Evan both switched late?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/16/23 at 11:08am

RippedMan said: "I do wonder how much lead time it takes. Like if the set is designed, how much lead time do they need to fit it into a specific theater? Or how easy is it to retrofit into a theater.
I feel like Next to Normal and Dear Evan both switched late?"


The changes are minimal if a show is, for example, designed for the Belasco and has the opportunity to switch to the Schoenfeld or Lyceum. Most of those stage footprints are nearly identical -- it's just a matter of making it fit within the backstage footprint of the theatre (set, band, cast, etc).

The larger issue is the seating configuration of the house. 1000 seats split between 3 levels (JEJ, Belasco, etc) will be priced differently than 1000 seats in a house with just a mezz and orch (Music Box, Schoenfeld) or a break between front and rear mezz (Jacobs).

The Shubert Org website actually lists the proscenium height and stage dimensions for each house, for those interested.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 9/16/23 at 11:46am

Would a show this big even want a theatre as small as the Lyceum? cast of 18 plus understudies/swings...that seems financially unintelligent.

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/16/23 at 1:00pm

stoptheworld38 said: "(Disregarding the shutdown obviously), Hadestown will be hitting its 5 year anniversary in April. Barring something drastic, I find it extremely hard to believe they won't stay through at least then, especially since the new cast just started. It may not be as hot of a ticket as it once was, but I wouldn't say it's struggling.

Re Suffs, I'm guessing either Music Box or Shubert, or maybe Broadhurst. Or could it possibly be the Lyceum? They're vacant currently and I don't think I've heard plans of a next tenant...?"

Lempicka is supposed to open in March. If Hadestown knew they were closing by then, they would have announced a jan 7th closing. No point in struggling through the dead months of jan/feb just to close.

Could it be the Broadway? HLL is seriously struggling.

[Mitch101]

Posted: 9/17/23 at 3:03pm

After the mostly disappointing reviews came out at The Public, it became fairly easy to get a ticket or two during the end of the run. I'm glad I found out so I could go see it. Casting herself in the lead was a HUUUUUGE mistake. They did a workshop after the run. Would love to know what was cut. The show needed cuts. Lots and lots and lots of cuts. Did I mention the show needed to be cut down? And Shania should NOT play the lead. 

I suspect they are aiming for either The Nederlander or The Broadway or The August Wilson. They need a certain size to cover the expense of the cast. But first, they need to cut thing thing down. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 9/17/23 at 3:28pm

Mitch101 said: "I suspect they are aiming for either The Nederlander or The Broadway or The August Wilson. They need a certain size to cover the expense of the cast. But first, they need to cut thing thing down."

Shucked is an open-ended run, so the Nederlander isn't an option, The Broadway has been renovated to accommodate Here Lies Love, and the August Wilson is about to undergo an extensive renovation for the Broadway transfer of the immersive Cabaret. Perhaps the Marquis?

[Bryce 2]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 2:51am

Dylan Smith4 said: "Mitch101 said: "I suspect they are aiming for either The Nederlander or The Broadway or The August Wilson. They need a certain size to cover the expense of the cast. But first, they need to cut thing thing down."

Shucked is an open-ended run, so the Nederlander isn't an option, The Broadway has been renovated to accommodate Here Lies Love, and the August Wilson is about to undergo an extensive renovation for the Broadway transfer of the immersive Cabaret. Perhaps the Marquis?"

That would be really unfortunate for this show. As much as I hate to say it, shows almost always don't run very long at the Marquis. Best case scenario, it ends up at the Music Box.

 

[thephantomlurker]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 6:58am

someone I trust told me this show is going into a house that usually does plays with 1000 seats- that says Golden to me, though I also heard the shuberts said no musicals ever again in there

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 7:27am

This would never go into the Broadway, Marquis, etc. 

It is 99.9% the Music Box because Purlie is likely not extending at all. But they just can’t announce it yet. 
 

Wonder if she would put herself in the lead? Seems kind of an eye roll. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 7:29am

Seems like a great show for the Music Box. I still think that The Wiz is going to end up at the Marquis in the spring. I have no insider information at all, but it seems very possible.

[zedpi]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 9:28am

I saw this at the Public and left with mixed feelings - some of the songs are brilliant, and many of the actors gave wonderful performances [Grace McLean!], but many of the songs were didactic or repetitive/ barely tuneful. It was a good history lesson, and definitely worth catching if you missed it at the Public, but not one I feel is worth seeing multiple times.

I was at one of Shaina’s Joe’s Pub concerts earlier this year, and she said she is writing new songs to give more internality to some of the characters. I hope she has the will to cut songs too.

[Voter]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 9:32am

I didnt see it but too big for Circle In The Square? The James Earl Jones after Gutenberg? The Booth? 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 10:24am

Falsettolands said: "Would a show this big even want a theatre as small as the Lyceum? cast of 18 plus understudies/swings...that seems financially unintelligent."

They don't get much choice. The theater landlord will decide on the theater. They might offer a choice, but it will be a limited choice. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 10:37am

Fosse76 said: "Falsettolands said: "Would a show this big even want a theatre as small as the Lyceum? cast of 18 plus understudies/swings...that seems financially unintelligent."

They don't get much choice. The theater landlord will decide on the theater. They might offer a choice, but it will be a limited choice."

The producer makes known their desired seating range based on their operating budget, cap, and recoupment schedule.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 10:40am

Fosse76 said: "Falsettolands said: "Would a show this big even want a theatre as small as the Lyceum? cast of 18 plus understudies/swings...that seems financially unintelligent."

They don't get much choice. The theater landlord will decide on the theater. They might offer a choice, but it will be a limited choice."

Yeah I kinda meant with 900 seats…that doesn’t work. Like the idea of producing a play is that there is even a sliver of a chance you could recoup. And I’m thinking with that number of contracts it’s literally not a possibility to do so in a 900 seat theatre. So yeah they don’t have a “choice” but they also have wallets that can dictate “we can only do this play in a house with 1,300 or more or we’ll lose money every night we run this show”

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 11:02am

...People are out here really suggesting the Marquis for a transfer of an small, indie, off-Broadway musical? Girl, get serious. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/18/23 at 11:40am

I guess one other thing to consider;

Have they cut down the cast & band since the Public or does it remain the same?