Featured Actor Joined: 4/8/21
Avett Brothers Musical ‘Swept Away’ to Close on Broadway on December 15
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/theater/swept-away-broadway-closing.html
Second casualty of this season
Broadway Star Joined: 4/30/22
Wow. Is this the shortest run of the season so far?
Stand-by Joined: 5/3/14
That Tammy Faye ran longer than this is… something. Yet, Broadway is “raking in the money” given the Thanksgiving grosses. It’s sad really.
I’m absolutely livid. I’m no fool and didn’t think it was long for this world, but to have a shorter run than TAMMY FAYE is absolutely heartbreaking.
I hope Gallagher, Enscoe, the set and the choreography get remembered come Tony time
Leading Actor Joined: 4/13/13
This should’ve run longer.
Oh good. Now the vultures can eat.
This is a shame. We just started seeing commercials for this one. Not a family show but a nice change.
Updated On: 12/5/24 at 08:22 PMBroadway Legend Joined: 6/29/14
Bad book + generic/samey songs are the main culprit.
Not shocked at all… this is a very dark show and there’s no big, in-cast celebrity to compensate for that.
People just don't want to see a dark show these days. And then pay $150+ for a 90-minute production, either. A shame that Tammy Faye ran longer than this. I had hoped it would run through the end of the year at least (3 more weeks).
Chorus Member Joined: 10/23/24
Sadly this isn't a surprise. The show never found its footing and I'll agree that in this particular climate that a show with such dark themes wasn't appealing to an audience that is looking for some fun escapism. It's a shame because I think it was an interesting concept, but a show just can't survive on 60% capacity.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/22
yyys said: "Bad book + generic/samey songs are the main culprit."
These takes always fascinate me. A bad book and generic songs would be a reason for bad reviews and bad WOM which would then turn into bad sales. Sure.
But WOM wasnt bad, and the reviews were better than good. So how could the book/songs possibly have been a reason ticket buyers stayed away?
Bad marketing, bad subject matter, no recognizable IP/stars, sure, all factors. But the quality of the work is not relevant here.
PipingHotPiccolo said: "yyys said: "Bad book + generic/samey songs are the main culprit."
These takes always fascinate me. A bad book and generic songs would be a reason for bad reviews and bad WOM which would then turn into bad sales. Sure.
But WOM wasnt bad, and the reviews were better than good. So how could the book/songs possibly have been a reason ticket buyers stayed away?
Bad marketing, bad subject matter, no recognizable IP/stars, sure, all factors. But the quality of the work is not relevant here."
What is WOM? Is it so difficult to type a full show title?
Word of mouth…
Call_me_jorge said: "Word of mouth…"
Lol. Okay. Thanks.
Matt Rogers said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "yyys said: "Bad book + generic/samey songs are the main culprit."
These takes always fascinate me. A bad book and generic songs would be a reason for bad reviews and bad WOM which would then turn into bad sales. Sure.
But WOM wasnt bad, and the reviews were better than good. So how could the book/songs possibly have been a reason ticket buyers stayed away?
Bad marketing, bad subject matter, no recognizable IP/stars, sure, all factors. But the quality of the work is not relevant here."
What is WOM? Is it so difficult to type a full show title?"
WORD OF MOUTH
I don't think the marketing was bad. I think the poster and all that are interesting. I just think it had no buzz so it was an uphill battle. Word of mouth was fine, but not like Happy Endings where everyone was raving about it. It's a male heavy show and a male heavy storyline that I think just did not interest a lot of people.
The key art here was one of the best in recent Broadway memory.
This was always going to be a tough sell. I thought it would hang on until January but its grosses have been terrible. It wasn't trashed by reviewers but it needed raves to help it out and that didn't happen so this is not surprising.
EDSOSLO858 said: "The key art here was one of the best in recent Broadway memory."
It’s fantastic.
Sad that the Wayne Duvall hive couldn’t sustain their numbers…
We guess Our Town and Left On Tenth will finish out their limited runs. LOT might close a few weeks early? A Wonderful World & Maybe Happy Ending are next for the chop this winter.
Featured Actor Joined: 3/1/10
Guessing MHE next. Not selling well. It’s too bad.
Our Town will definitely finish. It does not have the PURLIE level excitement for any particular performance to justify extending.
Left on Tenth just seems like the weird albatross of the season. It’s a brainless Lifetime movie put to stage, but I guess it’s cheaper to run than normal and the stars have enough appeal to buoy sales.
Heartbroken. I loved the show in DC and was hoping to see the Broadway production on my spring trip in a few months (although didn't have my hopes up for it to last).
It really is a tough sell. I don't think that the Avett Brothers are a recognizable enough group to sustain ticket sales, and the subject matter isn't one that tourists and families are going to be largely interested in. It's a shame, because while the book is flawed, the production as a whole really is beautiful and the score is lovely. It features fantastic performances too, especially from Adrian Blake Enscoe who blew (or swept?) me away in DC.
I wonder if they would've fared better with a spring opening.
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