The ONLY way Ragtime would ever come back to Broadway would be with a far more minimalist approach than the original (which lost a ton of money). The recent Papermill production showed that the show can work just as effectively without the spectacle.
It's been 37 years since Promises, Promises opened on Broadway and it's never been revived. With a good director and some tweaks to the book, it could do well.
Bat Boy was never a big, sell-out hit off-Broadway at Union Square (even before 9/11) and it flopped completely in London. I can't imagine that there are a lot of producers out there who would have any desire to sink millions into a Broadway production of it.
I honestly wonder whether we'll ever see Spitfire Grill again in NYC. While it was a victim of bad timing, the reviews weren't raves and it's appeal is rather limited. I don't see it ever being financially succesful on Broadway.
Joe Mantello is in talks to direct a revival of Pal Joey.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
SOUTH PACIFIC!!!!!!!! and ITS A BIRD, ITS A PLANE, ITS SUPERMAN! i think it could work now...which all the special effects, and i must say some of the music is wonderful!
I agree with Seussical. I think the only reason it flopped was because of some of the ....um..."creative decisions" made by the director (even though he still did a fabulous job). With a new approach and some serious direction changes, it could be awesome. And a new casting director! Aaron Carter as Jojo? What were they thinking?!?!?!
"And I feel it move me
Like a fire deep inside
Something bursting me wide open
Impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm flying
Flying like a bird
Like electricity
Electricity" - Electricity from Billy Elliot The Musical
I don't doubt that Ragtime was excellent with a minimalist approach, because it's that good of a show. I'm just saying out of personal preference, part of seeing a Broadway show for me is the spectacle. Why am I paying 100 dollars a seat so I can be in the front and look at chairs?
However, they are going to have to make it smaller than the original. However, from what I've read, it was Livent that went broke and they couldn't continue paying for the show. The show itself was still succesful. Maybe with different producers...
Ragtime's running costs were too high for it to sustain itself, regardless of Livent's own problems (which made it impossible for Livent to prop up the show when the box office fell off). The show was not "still successful." It was a huge financial flop all on its own because it was simply too big for it to ever break even. For chrissakes, including understudies, it had a cast of 80!! Very very few shows of the last few decades have had a cast of more than 45-50 or so (and most that did flopped due to high costs).
If it ever somehow makes it back to Broadway (doubtful) it will be in far smaller, more stripped down version. If you want to see the show with 60 people in the cast, then look to regional and community theatre productions of it -- it will NEVER be staged that large again on Broadway.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
APPLAUSE THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM BOB FOSSE'S DANCIN' MY ONE AND ONLY SUGAR BABIES THE RINK MAME CAN CAN NO, NO NANETTE ME AND MY GIRL THE PAJAMA GAME PAL JOEY PROMISES, PROMISES THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS SEESAW THE MAGIC SHOW MERLIN PIPPIN GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES BRIGADOON REDHEAD THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES RAGS OVER HERE MY FAVORITE YEAR FUNNY GIRL CALL ME MADAME
Are all shows that pop into mind that I would love to see revived even if some tweaking is needed.
"For me, THEATRE is an anticipation, an artistic rush, an emotional banquet, a jubilant appreciation, and an exit hopeful of clearer thought and better worlds."
~ an anonymous traveler with Robert Burns