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

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?

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.

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!

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yes! all this happiness....

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

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.

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

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

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!

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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.

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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.

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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!