Shows closed during republican convention

Posted: 8/28/04 at 6:04pm

I heard that some shows might be closing during the convention because they don't want to preform for them! Does anyone know any more information on this? My cousins are going this sunday and I hope they don't miss the show, it is their first show.

[pab]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 6:10pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88095.html

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 6:55pm

From what I've heard, most of the convention members were simply not buying tickets for shows that could 'offend,' like The Q, or I'm Gonna Kill...

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 7:14pm

I think the only show that will be closed is I Am My Own Wife - due to a planned vacation by Jefferson Mays. His timing just might have had something to do with the Republicans.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 7:17pm

Actually, I Am My Own Wife is now closing permanently...not just for his vacation.

Other shows that have announced closings have done so because August numbers were really bad for the tourism season...no one was coming to NYC because of heightened alerts, etc. and we are looking at September (which is typically a bad month for occupancy) so...a lot of shows just can't sit out the doldrums.

Between the RNC being in town and everyone LEAVING town or not planning to come to shows because of the hassle, there is no way we are going to see good box office over the next month or so.

As if NYC hasn't already been through enough economic downturn since 9/11. Thanks a lot, guys!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 7:26pm

I thought I AM MY OWN WIFE was closing 10/31. Have they changed their minds? I still find it interesting how many shows are wide open this week, because so few seats were sold. Look at the sale ads. Even hits like HAIRSPRAY and MAMA MIA apparently have seats.

I also would love to see the audience reactions at shows that are subversive in subtle way. Not to open yet another WICKED thread...but that gentle show quite handily makes a comparison between a fascist Wizard and, uh, a certain President. Not my appraisal -- the horse's mouth: Winnie Holtzman said that at the book signing in NY last fall. She said the entire tone of the Wizard material in WICKED changed in development after "the coup" (the 2000 election.) She put her fine tuning on what was already in the Maguire book. I'd be curious as to how it goes over this weekend.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 7:37pm

I know a lot of people were crying "conspiracy" when "Assassins" and "Caroline, or Change" posted that they were closing months or weeks before the convention began (not to mention the fact that many other less offensive shows are also closing or have closed). While many are justifying it with the fact that ticket sales are never high right now, I do wonder if there is any possibility that the convention could be somehow related. Not that I'm saying that Cheney pulled strings or anything, I know how ludicris it is that this administration, or anyone assosicated with it would care about a liberal braodway show (bigger fish to fry and whatnot), but that doesn't neccessarily mean that politics didn't have some sort of effect on the fates of these shows. It just makes me wonder, that's all (then again, I'm more than half way through "The Da Vinci Code" and at present, everything seems shady to me ) Updated On: 8/28/04 at 07:37 PM

[Hank]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 8:02pm

The NY and NJ delagates are booked to see The Lion King, and Ohio (natch) and a few other states are seeing Wonderful Town.
OK, I'm a Democrat, and I don't wish these Republicans any success, but as long as they're here, I hope they have a good time. And that's what going to see a show is all about.
Also, it's a nasty thing to do to the performers, putting them on the line. These people are professionals. And by now, I think most of the Repulican delagates have gotten the message anyway.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 8:11pm

I'm still a bit suspicious about Assassins closing, but if it happened because of Republican pressure, I doubt it came from the national levels. Unless Karl Rove was feeling bored and wanted someone to pick on.

Caroline, on the other hand, just wasn't making money and decided to close before the down period the convention would bring. No conspiracy there, unless you count a conspiracy of people unwilling to try something new.

Anyway, I would like to conclude this post by thanking the Bush Administration. After NYC got attacked, you witheld relief and counterterrorism funding, and now you're coming to throw a big fat party in the city to take advantage of patriotic feelings associated with 9/11- a party that will only damage NYC's economy even more. What a great bunch of people. Updated On: 8/28/04 at 08:11 PM