So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

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So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:39pm

I know it's closing, but it's been making decent money during its run. Not sure how much it cost to put the show on every week. With the tour happening next year, on its way to flop or recoup?

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:41pm

FLOP

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:45pm

It's gonna make a boatload/tidal wave/flood/other sea-themed pun of money on tour, but on Broadway it was a flop.

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:45pm

What do fish do out of water?

Formally Stews_Bitch::: Shows in the 2010 Season for me. 101 Dalmations tour - Jan 24th, Xanadu Tour - Mar 9th and 10th, Wicked - May 14th, Legally Blonde - June 12th:::::::Upcoming - South Pacific, Young Frankinstein (Two Cities) Rock of Ages (Two Cities) Shrek (3 Cities) Les Mis, DreamGirls, Spring Awakening, Color Purple, and 9 to 5!

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:47pm

why do people think it's going to make more money on tour than it did on Broadway?

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:47pm

Thank you for your water themed comments... they were very much appreciated!

"It doesn't work when you lick it!"

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:47pm

On paper it will be considered a flop because it's doubtful it will have recouped its initial investment. But....ever since the 1970s, most shows don't recoup. Costs and unions have driven the costs of running a musical through the roof. In the 1960s, a show could run for 4-6 months and return a profit. That's rare now. Titanic and Ragtime each ran for two years and lost money. Jeckyll and Hyde ran for 3 1/2 years and lost money. In the past decade: Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty, Urinetown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Light in the Piazza, Tarzan...all rans for over a year and still lost money. It's the nature of the beast these days, sad to say.

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 7:58pm

Light in the Piazza was non-profit.

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 8:01pm

Stupid question time: Considering that many, if not most shows on Broadway are financial flops, what incentive is there to produce or put money into shows?

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention...I'm the good cop, he's the bad cop.

#10

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 8:01pm

I don't remember, Did [title of show] recoup?

#11

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 8:45pm

How much did it cost/was invested? it seemed to made quite a bit of dough in the 2 years it was on Broadway...

Updated On: 7/29/09 at 08:45 PM

#12

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 8:49pm

What do fish do out of water?

Ride on heelies!

#13

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 8:51pm

Those freaking heelies! Those were my least favorite part of the show... not sure why I resent them so much haha.

"It doesn't work when you lick it!"

#14

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/29/09 at 9:33pm

In the past decade: Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty, Urinetown, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Light in the Piazza, Tarzan...all rans for over a year and still lost money. It's the nature of the beast these days, sad to say.

Sorry love, Full Monty and Urinetown turned a profit.

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#15

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 12:18am

Stupid question time: Considering that many, if not most shows on Broadway are financial flops, what incentive is there to produce or put money into shows?

Because it's fun. Producers love producing and investors love going to opening night. Nobody invests in a Broadway show if they can't afford to lose the entire investment. (Really. It's in the legal paperwork. They have to sign that they can afford to lose it.)

And on the rare occasion the show does become a hit, everybody stands to make a LOT of money. If you invest in twenty STORY OF MY LIFEs and just one WICKED, you're set for life.

Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent

"He's a tramp, but I love him."

#16

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 12:56am

Unless you're Cameron Mackintosh and you invest in Phantom, Cats, Les Miz and Miss Saigon and then your children's children are set for life.

#17

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 8:49am

"why do people think it's going to make more money on tour than it did on Broadway?"

Because there are a lot more people who will pay $480 to take their family of four to see it in their hometown who can't afford the $2000+ total cost of seeing it in NYC with all the other expenses of traveling to a big city.

If the audience could do better, they'd be up here on stage and I'd be out there watching them. - Ethel Merman

#18

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 9:01am

^
In addition to eliminating the costs of NYC, tour tickets can often be a little cheaper (around $60-$80).

Wicked Tour (2/26/08); Wicked Bway (7/1/08); HAIR (7/1/09); Rock of Ages (7/2/09); Wicked Bway (7/3/09); Mary Poppins Tour (8/2/09); Wicked Tour (11/18/09); Wicked Tour (12/5/09)

#19

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:33am

And, out in the hinterlands, they don't know or care that the production received atrocious reviews in New York. It's a recognizable title produced by a family-friendly company, and that's all that will matter.

#20

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:45am

I'm finally seeing this on Saturday..you guys are bumming me out.

#21

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:47am

Not that I'm saying this will happen with TLM, but didn't Aida recoup a month before closing?

"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.

#22

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:50am

No, Aida recouped before that. When it finally closed, Aida had made Disney a healthy little $12 million profit.

#23

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:51am

Well...never mind then.

"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.

#24

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 11:59am

Variety reports AIDA recouped in the 2002-03 season. Show did not close until September 5,22004 - a year and a half later.

As for LITTLE MERMAID, given it's pre-opening costs and the many weeks it was just breaking even, there is not a lot of extra to pay down the debt.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#25

re: So is The Little Mermaid considered a flop?

Posted: 7/30/09 at 12:12pm

Does the lawsuit payout get factored into the show's costs?

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

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