Sweeney Todd Recoups, Extends through Dec. 31- Page 2

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 1:34pm

LuPone has already said she plans on extending. But she's certainly entitled to a vacation. Either her understudy, Dottie Stanley, will go on for a week or they'll bring in some kind of star replacement - maybe Cyndi Lauper?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 1:36pm

Nothing, I'm sure. She's just doing three performances of Gypsy over the course of a weekend in August. If she's planning on extending her contract through the end of the year in Sweeney, then it's probably part of her contract that she will be off during that week and maybe the week before in order to rehearse in Chicago and then she'll likely be back at work in Sweeney the week afterwards.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:04pm

I'd just like to add my congrats to the entire cast, crew and producers of "Sweeney Todd". And also, I'm glad I was able to do my part!

I hope more shows learn from this: you don't need a multimillion budget to make an engrossing, hit show.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:17pm

Now that Sweeney has recouped what shows on Broadway haven't recouped? Has Wicked, Avenue Q, Piazza? Where do you find this information anyway,besides broadway.com, playbill.com and broadwayworld.com. Is there a site that has all of this recorded?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:17pm

Sondheim shows get a rap for not always turning a profit initially. And, as Margo has pointed out, it is not always true.

Look at the long LONG list of stagings of his shows in the back of TSR magazine. Each one of those pays a fee to put on that production and that income can often push a (financial) flop into the hit category.

You want to hear somethng even more troubling: Of all the shows Kander and Ebb wrote, only 2 (CHICAGO and CABARET) ever paid off. (Twice if you count the revivals!)
FLORA THE RED MENACE, THE HAPPY TIME, ZORBA, 70 GIRLS 70, THE ACT, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, THE RINK, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and STEEL PIER all lost money!

As for ALW - his flops include: WOMAN IN WHITE, BY JEEVES, SUNSET BLVD, ASPECTS OF LOVE, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, SONG AND DANCE and the revivals of JOSEPH (1993), and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (2000). Of course his big hits (CATS, PHANTOM) have come to define Brodway for some people.

And as for Frank Wildhorn...NONE of his shows has ever even come close to breaking even.

Public perception is different: A show that ran a year or more, toured, had several regional stagings and community theatre productions is percieved as a hit (even if the original Broadway staging lost money.)

And a funny thing: sometimes people assume a short runs means the show played at a loss. PETER PAN (1954) was only scheduled for a limited run of 19 weeks since a deal had been made in advance to show it live on NBC in March 1955. Though the run was only 152 performance it was a financial success. The Angela Lansbury GYPSY was only scheduled for a 120 performance lmited engagement at the Winter Garden in 1974 as part of a North American tour, and that production also was a success.

And no one (except maybe the investors) really cares. I have yet to hear someone refuse to go see a production of RAGTIME, DROOD or CANDIDE simply because it was a (financial) flop on Broadway!

[LouW95]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:28pm

Yes but ALW does have Cats and Phantom as universal hits. As far as ticket sales, SS cant come close to that record no matter how many revivals of his works have been mounted. It is a shame that some posters on this site get testy when anyone points out that SS has had many failures. The excuses start pouring out with insults. My original point was-Sweeney was brought in for 3.5 million by clever producers. It is not about simply recouping investments, the number of performances or how long a show runs. It is the total of the profits which encourage producers to tackle more projects. Most producers are quite savvy and know who makes money and who does not. Updated On: 3/21/06 at 02:28 PM

[Isabella2]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:41pm

yes! all this happiness....

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:48pm

Yeay!!! This makes me so happy! Patti has stated that she plans on extending to but what extend, I have no idea. She will be there for the summer though.

[timote316]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 2:48pm

Yay! I sincerely hope this is still open come next Janaury, so I can see it again!

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:06pm

YAY SWEENEY!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:32pm

Piazza is a not-for-profit production of Lincoln Center and thus can't be considered a hit or flop -- though it certainly has done better financially for LCT than they ever dreamed it could.

Avenue Q recouped in 45 weeks and Wicked recouped in about 14 months. Other shows to recoup recently: Bridge and Tunnel, Doubt, Spelling Bee (in just 18 weeks), Movin Out, Glengarry, Pillowman, Odd Couple et al.

Producers generally send out a press release once a show recoups and the info is carried by Variety, Playbill, BWW and other sites. You can do a search of these sites and get the info.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:38pm

And speaking of profitable short runs, I just found out that the long forgotten musical from the 60s, Pickwick, actually turned a profit after only 56 performances (apparently it did quite well on its pre-Broadway tour).

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:47pm

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Congrats to this amazing cast and the Sondheim who well deserve a certified hit!!!

[The W.A.N.D]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:57pm

I'm scared because I'm going to see it may and I'm afraid that Cerveris will leave by then! Any news on how long he'll be in it?

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 4:00pm

Oh, don't worry. Cerveris will definitely be there in May.

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 4:06pm

I am going to try to go during my April break and get student tickets for tuesday, wed., or thurs. I saw the show once before in previews, and have wanted to see it again every since! Does anyone know when Mrs. Lupone will be leaving?

[James885]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 4:49pm

That's fantastic news for this show! I'm really hoping to see this show in the sometime in july, while i'm in NY, so it's a relief to know that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. Congratulations to the entire cast and, of course, to Stephen Sondheim!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 5:05pm

Straight from Patti's mouth, well, email: "I'm in the show till July at least."

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 5:09pm

Wickedrentq- Original productions of Sondheim musicals that had not recouped financially were: Anyone Can Whistle, Follies, Pacific Overtures, Merrily We Roll Along (considered Sondheim's MAJOR flop. He almost didn't come back to the theatre after that one), Sunday in the Park with George (though it ran for about a year and a half), and Passion.

However, most of these shows have had EXTREMELY healthy afterlives in community theatre, selection of songs for cabarets, and even when Kennedy Center did they're Sondheim celebration, MWRA and SITPWG were both some of the shows chosen to be performed.

Congrats to the producers and the cast! A wonderful production indeed that totally deserves to recoup.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 8:05pm

I would imagine that as long as Patti's in it, Michael will likely stay. I wouldn't be suprised if both of them leave at the same time. Maybe they'll extend for 3 months(through Oct.)

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 3/22/06 at 1:00am

Thanks WF.

I was thinking about it, and was pretty shocked to read that so many shows did recoup, until I remembered exactly what I read somewhere. I read somewhere that no Sondheim show/revival/anything has ever ran for 1,000 performances, not that none has ever recouped.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 3/22/06 at 6:08am

Hurray for Sweeney!
Mabye now we will finally get a souvenier book for sale...

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 3/22/06 at 9:06am

Yes! I am so happy this show is doing well and even more happier that they are offering sutdent rush. It is definalty one of the best broadway shows that I have ever seen. Lets hope that the original broadway cast stays in it for a long time! YAYAYA Sweeney Todd!