Sit-downs in LA and Chicago

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 11:00am

What is your opinion on sit-down productions of popular broadway/off-broadway shows opening in places other than the great white way?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 11:10am

Pro.

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 11:34am

I'm in LA, so naturally, I am for them.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 11:53am

Sit-downs are great if they can run.

I lived in Los Angeles for 23 years. Most successful sit-downs last 1-2 years. And most shows run a few months, usually. The big exception was Phantom of the Opera which ran around five years. That's the longest sit-down of a Broadway show in L.A. to date.

[theaternut]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 12:21pm

How long did Lion run?

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:34pm

Two and half years.

[theaternut]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:39pm

Does that make it the longest one in LA?

[HorseTears]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:43pm

I think I recall reading SOMEWHERE [ahem!] that, at 5 years long, Phantom has had the longest sit-down run in LA.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:53pm

Yes, but what show has had the LONGEST sit-down run in LA? It might be Lion King. How long did that run?

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 2:04pm

LOL

theaternut---my first post in this thread says Phantom is the longest at around five years.



EDIT: By the way, a little interesting side note ... Dale Kristien played Christine for the entire run, and after her alternate left the production, Dale did all eight shows a week with no alternate. It was almost for two years of it. I believe she is the only Christine ever to do that. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.)

Updated On: 5/25/12 at 02:04 PM

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 6:02pm

best12bars - yes, you are correct about Dale Kristen.

I know that Phantom ran a long time in LA, but did it run as long as The Lion King???

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 6:13pm

Twice as long.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 6:24pm

And Dale didn't need vocal tracks. She hit those notes LIVE, every night.

I remember her telling me one time that she was given the note, "You don't have to hold the note for so long" and her response was, "But I can."

Love her!!!

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 7:35pm

Dale's last performance as Christine (after nearly five years) in Los Angeles ... according to YouTube.


Think Of Me

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 7:56pm

I was surprised that Mormon didn't sit down in Tinseltown?

I know it wasn't a sit down, but it must thrilling to have the US premiere of the revised Sunset Boulevard?

[Jonwo]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 8:01pm

Wicked did 2 years in Los Angeles and almost 4 years in Chicago, if a show can sustain an audience then there's no reason why a show cannot run in one city while the Broadway and tour is ongoing especially if it's a blockbuster, I believe Book of Mormon doing a sitdown in Chicago alongside the upcoming national tour.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 8:47pm

Wicked sucks ass...

B12B, that clip brought about chills and goosebumps!

[broadwayriff]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 8:55pm

Phantom played over 1700 performances in it's intial run ath the Ahmanson. That same production went to play five more years in San Francisco in a sit down run. Lion King played only 950 at the Pantages in LA.


Updated On: 5/25/12 at 08:55 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 9:17pm

Phantom of London --- the U.S. Premiere of "Sunset Boulevard," starring Glenn Close, George Hearn, et al, was supposed to be a sit-down production at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. That's where I saw it, and it got solid reviews (better than London---especially for Close).

This show opened while the London production with LuPone was still running.

Then suddenly, Lloyd Webber announced that he was going to use Glenn for Broadway instead of LuPone.

He also announced that Faye Dunaway, Rex Smith, and John Cypher would be replacing the leads for the sit-down company already running in Los Angeles.

We all know how that worked out. (From what I understand, advance ticket sales in L.A. immediately dropped with the announcement of Close's departure.)

Weeks later, he announced that he was closing the L.A. company and moving the entire thing (down to the very last chorus member) to Broadway. This would be his NY company.

It surprised everyone, especially Judy Kuhn, who was pregnant at the time. She decided not to go to NY as a result. I believe she was also still recording the vocals for Disney's Pocahontas. She had several reasons to stay in L.A. right then. So they recast the role with Alice Ripley (it's still Judy on the American recording).

Updated On: 5/26/12 at 09:17 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 11:22pm

Wicked only ran about a year in LA and 3 years in Chicago.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/26/12 at 12:44am

One other thing about the Phantom sit-down in Los Angeles ...

Webber paid to shut down the Ahmanson Theatre for six weeks before and after the show's run (not unlike "Cats" at the Winter Garden) to have the entire floor and fly space redone to suit the needs of the production. All of the hydraulics and trapdoors were installed, as well as the chandelier over the audience. All of the full-sized candelabras rose out of the floor during the title song, etc. There was no difference between the L.A. production and the Broadway production.

Actually, I take that back (having seen the show in both places) ... the Los Angeles prodction was bigger, because of the size of the Ahmanson stage and its proscenium (not to mention its seating capacity in the house).

Updated On: 5/26/12 at 12:44 AM

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 5/26/12 at 4:32am

How long did Beauty run in LA?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/12 at 5:56am

I'm not really sure what to 'think' about sit downs -- what is there to think of?

It's great. Anything that employs actors and puts out a good (or better) performance is worthy. It won't hurt b'way in any way.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/26/12 at 6:21am

Beauty and the Beast ran a year and five months. The Los Angeles production opened at the Shubert Theatre on April 12, 1995, and closed on September 29, 1996.

They brought all of the original leads from Broadway to do it. Susan Egan, Terrence Mann, Gary Beach, Tom Bosley, Beth Fowler, and Burke Moses.

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 5/26/12 at 6:33am

Wicked actually almost ran for two years at The Pantages, Its run was extremely successful. Phantom was probably able to run longer because Center Theatre Group is non-profit and usually assists its shows in many ways.