Taboo is sinking fast...

[tkts]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 4:40pm

Down to 42% capacity last week. How long can this continue?

[magruder]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:22pm

How about Millie at 39%?

[tkts]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:26pm

Strangley high average ticket price for Millie, $95.57. I wonder if that was a misprint.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:31pm

As far as "Millie" goes, I heard that Sutton did not remember to sign in at all last week and the board in the lobby said "Megan Campbell as Millie" so lots of people traded in their tickets not wanting to see the understudy, although Sutton was actually there...just didn't say it on paper so the board at the front of the theater was wrong. My friend went on Monday night and said it said Megan was Millie but then Sutton came out...so that could've been why their capacity was so low...

[tkts]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 5:33pm

Looks like someone at the Marquis should be fired! Who would in charge of things like that?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 6:08pm

It'll close right after the New Year or when Rosie comes to her senses & pulls the plug

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 8:43pm

Not when Time Magazine listed it as one of the 10 best in theatre for this year. Granted, EW called it one of the worst.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 8:51pm

OT, but not: Will someone please augment this strange story about Sutton not signing in?! Is this some sort of comeuppance for those of us who've made Sutton jokes?! (Mea culpa--I think.) What kind of star is listed as out and then goes on, sorta ... incognito, so to speak? Equity doesn't allow that; the stage mgr and the house mgr are required to keep that stuff very accurate. If anyone has facts, post 'em.

[Cadriel]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 8:53pm

Rosie has said many times on the official board "The show will run." That's the word from her - of course, it's on the official board and I think should be taken with a grain of salt. Rosie's rich, she doesn't seem to be an idiot about money, and I don't think she'll continue throwing away $150,000 or more every week until the Tonys. She's given it chance after chance to prove itself, and just after it seemed like it was building up a little head of steam that might make it profitable for a little bit in December, it fell off a cliff - 14% loss in attendance and over $130K drop of grosses in the last two weeks.

Personally, I love the score, I love the cast (though I was there on Saturday and I think that the fact that the show's a disaster has begun to sink in), I like the show - I'm a fan, complete with poster and OLC CD - but every time I see it I have to face the dramaturgical nightmare that is the book. I understand why it's failing. The show has inherited much of the problem of Chess (my favorite show): a show with a thrilling score is imported, but changed, and a promising script for the Broadway debut is thrown aside in favor of one of the worst books of a musical in years. Its great cast cannot save it, and the show is doomed.

I just hope that it follows Chess in having the Broadway cast recorded as well.

-Wayne

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 8:57pm

It's not a "strange story," it's the truth, lol. My friend went to the show last Monday, saw that Megan was on, and traded in her ticket. She spoke to the house manager (holla TIM!) to get a new ticket and he's the one who said that happened. Tim said that she didn't sign in and so they listed it on the board that Megan would be on as Millie, and then Sutton walks out onstage, so 15 minutes into act one they snuck back out into the lobby and took down Megan's name. People mess up, it's not lies or anything, lol. Crazy people!!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 8:59pm

This show proves that tourists keep Broadway theaters full. Doubt people from Middle America will walk by the theater, see the posters outside & rush to the box office. It is too non mainstream for tourists

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 9:25pm

The stage manager of Millie should be fired if this is the case. It's not a mistake it is extremely unproffesional...as is Sutton's behavior if she continually "forgets" to sign in. I however doubt that this is the case. I find it hard to believe that she didn't sign in ALL week. That is ridiculous.

[magruder]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 11:16pm

Sparkle, perhaps that could have happened at one performance, but all week? Not a chance.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/23/03 at 11:39pm

So, Roxy. Is it the POSTERS or the CRITICS who keep the tourists away and kill shows? Or do the shows themselves factor into the equation for you at all?

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 1:05am

That sucks about Millie. 39% a shame.
They really need to bring back Harriet Harris.
I love Millie- so sad it is doing 39. Shocking.

[Benzy92]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 9:48am

I think it is a typo. How can Millie do 95.00 average ticket price also? I think its Playbill's fault. You only see those big drops when something major happens.. like bad reviews and stuff. Lastly, I dont think people are just going to see Sutton. It would not be a matter of dropping that much attendance.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 10:23am

Was Taboo ever "floating"? Also, I find that entire Sutton story preposterous and completely fabricated by an over active imagination.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 12:10pm

possibly a theatre urban legend =)

[Madame X]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 5:44pm

Millie needs to get rid of Delta FAST and have a Mr. Graydon w/ personality (not just a nice voice - - - did I just say that?). This show is sinking fast sadly enough. If you thought Sutton was carrying the show before, you have to see it now - it's pretty sad.

I'm sure the sign in mishap didn't occur all week. If there was no discount out for the prior week, that's the producer's fault (or whoever's in charge of dictating discounts) for the low capacity.

Who's TIM?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 5:50pm

To Madame X

I am surprised re Delta Burke . Is she that bad ? What about leslie Uggams ?

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 5:53pm

I saw Boy George last night at B Bar and overheard some people asking him about the show and he said he was having fun, not sure how long they would be running and was exhausted from it all.

It's already at TKTS during the holidays which is never a good sign...

[cmleidi]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 6:26pm

I saw it last month, and I thought Delta Burke was the best thing about it. She was extremely funny without going over the top. When she was offstage, I missed her. Leslie Uggams is quite fun as well. If anyone drags down the show, it's the actress playing Millie's friend (dorothy?).

[Madame X]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 6:48pm

Re: Delta, IMHO, yes. I hadn't read any of her reviews or heard from anyone who saw her so I was rather excited to see her. Meers is supposed to be absurd and comical, but Delta played her straight which did not work for me at all. (I mean, she left out the "RUFF" after "Meersy doesn't bite..." which is one of the biggest laughs that Meers gets!) I don't think Delta understands who Mrs. Meers is at all - she was just speaking the words on the page and really didn't act it out. I am an untrained layman (ie - "just" a fan), but from what I understand, stage acting is very different from tv acting because on stage, your peformance involves your whole body and I felt Delta lacked that. Kinda like she was just going through the motions (ie - just nonchalantly picking up the phone to talk to "Budda" rather than urgently trying to make a "sale") and any movement she had was choreographed; she didn't really bring anything to the role other than taking out all the comedy. I was trying very hard not to compare her w/ HH, but when you had someone as brilliant as Harriet was in the role, it makes the holes that much more obvious since you know what kind of (huge) role Meers can play in the overall show. The whole thing about TMM is that it's a musical COMEDY, and w/ a straight laced Meers and a boring Graydon you've taken out 1/2 the laughs (Sutton and Christian are still great) - the show just doesn't have the same zing it once did. And yes, I am a huge fan of the show.

On a complete side note and irrelevant to her performance, I'm wondering why she wears these high heels circa 2003 rather than Chinese slippers in the show. Believe it or not, I found them to be very distracting! (You see them quite often).

I think Leslie is fine as Muzzy (no comments really either way). She's more subdued than Sheryl Lee Ralph, but it works and she is charming.

My $.02

[LiTtLeDaNcEr729]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 10:17pm

I agree about Delta Burke....I think she missed her opportunity at many jokes. The RUFF is the one I noticed most, but also...when she is reading the telegram at the beginning...she just says "stop" whereas HH would be like..."stooooooooooooop" I loved that part. I suppose its just me comparing the two of them, but when there are jokes that are missed...its kind of hard not to compare.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/24/03 at 11:31pm

the really sad thing is that with such a great cast and overall great score, Taboo suffers by not having its book scenes and overall direction (and choreography) developed more. It's the kind of show where if those things had been finished, the show would be undenialbly (sp? a little tipsy) fantastic.

But again--what a talented cast.