'THE COLOR PURPLE' closes on Broadway. Can we keep this to 1 thread not 50- Page 2

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 11:54am

No.. I really was kinda "out of loop" with THE COLOR PURPLE lately (***shamefully**)... I knew Chaka is in the cast... but i wasn't paying attention...of what roles...The last time I REALLY paid attention was that thing about Fantasia and someone got sooo upset bec. someone posted a "non-flattering" pic of Fantasia...

J*
Updated On: 1/24/08 at 11:54 AM

[justafan2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 11:55am

My boss just got us tix on Tuesday to see it together on the 24th---(matinee, tho')---Good thing we didn't order them for the following week.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 11:58am

It was made known when she signed she wasnt doing matinees. It will be interesting to see what evenings she doesnt to either!!!

Updated On: 1/24/08 at 11:58 AM

[hilltop]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:02pm

I thought the show would struggle without Fantasia but close within 6 weeks? Wow. Ticket sales collapsed 49% the first week without her, even though Chaka and BeBe made their debut and Fantasia's final week only had 7 performances.

Scott Sanders mentioned in a pre-opening interview that the show's nut was in the low 500k. Even if Fantasia received a top star salary, the show would likely have easily met its nut every week of her run, except the strike shortened weeks. With the money saved up from from Fantasia's run, I thought the show could afford to have a few slow months. The advances must have been nonexistent.

The wonderful Elisabeth Withers was Shug the entire run of the show. Congrats to her and hopefully we'll see her again.

If you haven't seen the show yet, it's worth a trip.

[justafan2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:03pm

Do you think there's any chance Chaka will appear in the final matinee on the 24th?
Updated On: 1/24/08 at 12:03 PM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:04pm

Its not in her contract to so why should she.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:08pm

Oh, I don't doubt that Oprah's name attached sold a good number of tickets. Look how many people are supporting a presidential candidate simply because she endorsed him regardless of his stand and views on things. I've had a couple of interesting discussions with people who really weren't looking into the issues (Not pushing them one way or another, just asking what they thought his strongest issue was ~ and getting the answer "I don't know, but Oprah loves him so he's got to be ok.") who were frankly shocked at a couple of things.

Like it or not, her name has a degree of power.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:09pm

The show recouped its investment long ago, so the producers are wise to close it in NYC once it started to cease being profitable.

I assume the tour will last another year or two ... and then wait for the regional productions to proliferate!

[bdboston]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:21pm

I'm still stymied by the fact that The Color Purple tour hasn't hit/been announced for Boston yet. It's scheduled for much smaller cities across the country, but so far no Beantown plans. The Wang Center is one of the producers (under the guise of the Independent Presenters Network consortium), and it's a LiveNation-BroadwayAcrossAmerica show, so surly it has ties to the city. I was really surprised that it was not part of the 2007/2008 season here.

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:22pm

Well here comes Shrek.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:24pm

The Great White Way goes Green

[missyrose87]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:25pm

any idea what show will take over this theatre? and what about the one where spelling bee was?

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:25pm

here you go...



(courtesy & photoshop'd by jacobsnchz.. )
NOTE: This is NOT THE REAL Playbill

Updated On: 1/24/08 at 12:25 PM

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:32pm

I think it would be cool if it was just the Shrek 'S' is on it by itself.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:34pm

Wasn't crazy about the Shrek movies (I saw one of them). Won't be seeing the musical unless I get a comp seat.

[fnyboi88]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:37pm

If you saw the third one, it sucked. The first and second are equally good.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:38pm

'S' alone would be better. The other lettering makes it messy.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 12:38pm

Actually I think I did see the 2nd one. Just not a movie I want to see onstage as a musical.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:11pm

I think THE COLOR PURPLE was a fabulous musical that, despite its Oprah hoopla, didn't quite reach a level of interest that it deserved. When it opened, there was strong buzz, which died too shortly after.

Now can we PLEASE close MAMMA MIA! so I can have a reason to enter the Winter Garden theatre for the first time where my beloved PETER PAN musical debuted???

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:27pm

Oh, everyone knows that MAMMA MIA! won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The film-version will add another 10+ years to it's almost 7 year run.

Like WICKED and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, its not a star driven show, which is the saving grace its been blessed with.

Even the long-running Las Vegas production, which had posted a closing date, extended its run by a full year (till January 2009!) last month.

Love it or HATE it -- MAMMA MIA! is going to be with us for a long time.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:34pm

"I assume the tour will last another year or two ... and then wait for the regional productions to proliferate!"

How do you expect a community theatre to cast this very large, all-black show when the producers had a very difficult time finding actors for the national tour?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:40pm

Fosse - Regional and community theatres are too VERY different things.
Updated On: 1/24/08 at 01:40 PM

[RyToast1]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:40pm

I can just imagine it....

When my community theatre did Aida, we had to have some Caucasian Nubians.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 1:45pm

CapNHook- I am going to see MAMMA MIA this weekend, so don't jinx it!
You've never been to The Winter Garden?

Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater is still playing after almost 20 yrs? (1988?)- that's the theater that need a NEW TENANT & So I can see a new show there...and I can finally SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN to ALL the BROADWAY HOUSE !

J*

Updated On: 1/24/08 at 01:45 PM

[philcrosby]

Posted: 1/24/08 at 2:02pm

By Regional production, I didn't mean just community theaters ... there are plenty of professional theatres across the country who could cast COLOR PURPLE just fine.

Or did Fosse only assume professional theatre was NY-only?