Spamalot to close in Australia

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 8:28pm

Spamalot in Melbourne has posted a closing notice of April 5th and has dropped to seven shows per week, losing the sunday 6.30pm show. The show has been running since late November.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 8:55pm

So, the Spamalot tram couldn't give them a longer run.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 8:57pm

It would seem not!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:11pm

To be honest with you, I had no idea the show was running in Australia.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:14pm

Neither did I, DottieD'Luscia.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:22pm

I was only slightly aware of this. I am kinda surprised that it is closing after such a short time.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:26pm

The was the same problem they had over here, i think they forgot to tell people, while Melbourne based folks knew about the show. They forgot to sell it to the rest of the country, thats two tony award winning shows that have failed. This and The Producers!

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:35pm

I have spent time in both Sydney and Perth this year. Victorian tourism advertising covering theatre barely registers in either city. I wouldn't think this improves in other parts of the country. Melbourne audiences can only support a show for a limited time. After local demand dries up, there is nothing to take its place at the moment.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:42pm

If what you say about Melbourne is true. I wonder how long Wicked can last down there for.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:46pm

The thing is some shows work others don't, Wicked has already sold a crap load of tickets and has/will be promoted country wide, Spamalot was not.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 9:53pm

So, if they advertise for the show nation wide it will sell tickets. If they only advertise in the city that the show is going to be playing in then it won't do as well because word isn't getting around? Is that right?

So let's say that a show is playing in Sydney (for argument's sake.) And they only advertise in Sydney that the show is playing there. It will only get the local audience aware of it and wanting to go. And when the local audience is done with their interest with the show then it closes due to not having any sort of ticket sales.

But, if it advertises around the country then it will spark enough interest from people who aren't from Sydney to come and go see it.

Am I getting this? Is this right?

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:15pm

Sydney will always attract tourists. Only a fraction of those tourists are there on a dedicated theatre trip. When the Lion King ran in Sydney Disney spent a mint in its advertising. It offered package deals including accomodation. Billy Elliot's opening was covered by the mainstream media. That will always put the show into people's minds and create a demand for interstate visitors.

[winston89]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:28pm

I only used Sydney for sake of argument. But, I understand what your saying. What your saying is that Sydney is Sydney and when a show opens there it doesn't need much help to advertise tickets and to get people to go to the show.

In a city like Melbourne, that's another story altogether. I take it that if a show opens in Melbourne, then it needs a nationwide ad campaign to sell tickets. And, to get theatre goers to Melbourne to see the show.

So, Spamalot and The Producers didn't do well because they only advertised in Melbourne and not anywhere else. Thus, when the interest for both shows dried up in Melbourne, they didn't really have any ticket buying interest from any other city because they didn't do a good job advertising their show.

Wicked on the other hand did a wonderful job of advertising their show so that people nationwide will want to flock to Melbourne to see it.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:37pm

The response to Guys and Dolls will be interesting to gauge. They have spent quite a bit in advertising here in Melbourne. They have put billboards everywhere, from Punt Road Oval to those on both inbound and outbound lanes of the Tullamarine Freeway that leads to the airport. I don't know whether they have advertised elsewhere.

I have the feeling that it is a limited run, though.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:44pm

Spamalot was advertised on Foxtel/Cable on two channels - Comedy & Fox 8. Apart from a 6 min segment on Channel 7's breakfast show "Sunrise", the show was not advertised on Free-to-air TV at all, and newspaper adds were minimal with 1 quarter paged "banner" every fortnight in the entertainment section of Sunday's newspaper for 5 months (Sep-Jan).

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 12:03am

Sad to hear they are closing. Hope they have a great rest of their run!

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 3:07am

Winston, Melbourne and Sydney are so alike these days there really is no differnce.

When really big shows open they always try to sell interstate ( Phantom, Cats, Les Mis, Mama Mia, Lion King, Billy, Priscalla, Sunset and whole host of others, used package bookings thru Qantas, Ansett, Virgin and that helps to get bums on seats )

But really it has no bearing on which city something opens or not, if the punters are not willing to folk out money for it, nothing can save it.

Both Melbourne and Sydney use national wide ads to bring people in ( Lion King was sold for 12 months on Sydney being the only place to see it, Jersey Boys in Melbourne will use the same marketing next year, Wicked ads will tell you it's the must see show in Melbourne, no matter where you live )

Guys and Dolls could be the surpise hit of the year.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 3:52am

I too didn't realize it was playing in Australia. I'm surprised it isn't doing great o well good luck cast and crew...

[lfae]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 4:05am

Guys and Dolls is due to open in Sydney in October, I believe. It's always been a limited Melbourne run.

I'm sad Spamalot couldn't have lasted just three weeks longer so my friend coming from interstate could have seen it! At least she gets to catch Priscilla (and G&D) :)

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 4:34am

If Guys and Dolls can last it will run till just before Jersey Boys opens, the Sydney October opening was nothing more than a newspaper story. Thats the last i heard on it.

Updated On: 3/8/08 at 04:34 AM

[Urban]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:24am

Come to think of it, the last real long lasting Melbourne based show that was advertised nation wide correctly (and also suceeded) was "Beauty and the Beast". Everything else has been Sydney based (though did Mamma Mia open in Melbourne or Sydney, I honestly am blanking and Google is no help).

[Mike3]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 6:34am

I'm not a big fan of SPAMALOT, but I enjoyed the Broadway production much more than the Melbourne production. The night I saw the show the audience seemed to enjoy it, but the response was hardly overwhelming. I'm not surprised to hear it is closing.

I did see an interesting play in Sydney this afternoon: THE HATPIN with Caroline O'Connor. It is uneven, but has some beautiful moments. Have any of the Aussies on this board seen this production?
THE HATPIN - Australian Stage

[Jonwo]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 7:13am

Sad to see that Spamalot in Oz as I thought it would be the type of show that would appeal to the Aussies.

Priscilla has been successful but yet it has been force to move out to make way for other shows in both Sydney and Melbourne, is this due to theatre availlabity or producers wanting to attract a local audience in another part of Oz.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 7:15am

Mamma Mia played the Princess Theatre, Melbourne. It opened in June 2001. It also played a limited return season in Melbourne a few years ago. Not sure when, or if, it played in Sydney.

Mike, I'm waiting for her in Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot. It plays down here in June and July.

[Urban]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 8:19am

Mike3 - I saw 'The Hatpin' last week in house seats no less. I do agree with your thoughts though. I did think Caroline O'Connor was excellent as always, though it did help she did play a lighter role in what was a dark show. The Clara solo at the end was one hell of a brilliant show-stopper though.

gettinhep - thanks for clarifying Mamma Mia. I thought so but didn't remember well enough to say so.