Posted: 9/15/16 at 11:58am
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tony-Winning-Play-THE-HUMANS-to-Close-This-January-201609151
Anyone know if they fully recouped yet?
Posted: 9/15/16 at 12:04pm
To be clear, I don't think this should be shocking. I think it's been understood to be a limited run for quite a while.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 12:09pm
Considering they went through all the trouble of switching theaters...I find it mildly shocking.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 1:07pm
Not really. I mean, have they had a money-losing week yet? Seems like the switch was smart.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 2:02pm
God ,I remember a time when we had seen at least 3/4 if the shows on Broadway. With this,AAIP and Rotten closing soon there may come a time when we have seen nothing but a handful of shows like Phantom
Posted: 9/15/16 at 3:49pm
They may not close after all:
http://deadline.com/2016/09/911-musical-come-from-away-broadway-schoenfeld-theatre-1201820156/
Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:05pm
FiddleMeThis said: "They may not close after all:
http://deadline.com/2016/09/911-musical-come-from-away-broadway-schoenfeld-theatre-1201820156/
"
Interesting. That would be nice.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:12pm
I would be VERY surprised if they move again. Moving theaters is not a negligible cost.
Updated On: 9/15/16 at 04:12 PM
Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:26pm
I love the show, but I wouldn't understand another move. If they're doing well enough that they're meeting their costs in the Schoenfeld, it doesn't make sense to close so another show can come in. And if they aren't meeting costs and were essentially forced out, financially it would be a terrible decision to move and risk loosing a lot more money. I think it'll close in January, and if it keeps up the business it's been doing, it seems likely to recoup, which makes it a pretty remarkable success anyway.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:49pm
I'm not sure what kind of business it would see, but it could end up going on tour and/or have sit-down productions in other cities. I can see it having some life in Boston, Seattle, DC, and possibly Chicago.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 5:04pm
The Humans was an unexpected booking at the Schoenfeld. The Shuberts hate having the theater dark, and with all the shuffling of shows that has been going on it was a no-brainer to stick The Humans there. However, when speaking to people about the length-of-run, it was my impression that the open run really meant that the show would run until another show was booked. The Humans wasn't kicked out, because it was a limited open run.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 5:11pm
The Humans won't tour. Plays generally don't tour unless there's a gimmick (such as star casting, or the horse puppetry in War Horse, or the set design for Curious Incident) or it's a hugely popular property (think future productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Since they are cheaper to mount than musicals, regional theaters are well-suited at producing plays of similar, equal or even better quality than Broadway producers.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 5:11pm
I was chided by several folks for stating that this should have stayed at the Helen Hayes, home of longest running play in the last 50(?) years, Gemini, and of another rare 3 year-run play, Torch Song Trilogy. Those long-runs were helped by the size of the theatre and I assume lower operating costs. I hope this does find another home...it would be a shame if it didn't.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 5:28pm
I'm sure Rudin and co would have been thrilled to have the show stay at the Hayes, but it wasn't their choice. Second Stage had to begin their renovations, so any show playing there would've closed.
Posted: 9/15/16 at 7:18pm
And here we thought COME FROM AWAY was taking the Belasco. What theater could it move to?
Posted: 9/15/16 at 7:50pm
So they are closing a show that's still doing well financially and leaving the Belasco open? How does that make sense?
Posted: 9/15/16 at 11:36pm
The Humans transfer was unexpected and put at the Schoenfeld, since it was the only Shubert theater available. It was not actually an open run.
Posted: 9/16/16 at 12:13am
Don't the Shuberts own New World Stages/Stage42? Maybe a move there back to off-Broadway is in order?
Posted: 9/16/16 at 10:39am
Jarethan said: "I was chided by several folks for stating that this should have stayed at the Helen Hayes, home of longest running play in the last 50(?) years, Gemini, and of another rare 3 year-run play, Torch Song Trilogy."
You were probably chided for that because the show couldn't stay at the Helen Hayes because the Hayes is undergoing a renovation. I think we all acknowledge that the Hayes was ideal, but it literally couldn't stay there.
Posted: 9/16/16 at 11:05am
neonlightsxo said: "Jarethan said: "I was chided by several folks for stating that this should have stayed at the Helen Hayes, home of longest running play in the last 50(?) years, Gemini, and of another rare 3 year-run play, Torch Song Trilogy."
You were probably chided for that because the show couldn't stay at the Helen Hayes because the Hayes is undergoing a renovation. I think we all acknowledge that the Hayes was ideal, but it literally couldn't stay there."
Now, now... You know there's no place for logical and practical thinking on BWW. We also like to ignore reality here!
Posted: 9/16/16 at 3:01pm
Looking at the grosses I personally think the move to the Schonenfeld was a failure. The weekly gross at the theater twice the size as the Helen Hayes was approximately the same as it was before the move. But the gross potential moved instantly from around 95% to in the 50% range
Posted: 9/16/16 at 3:05pm
The Humans would not do well at New World Stages.
Posted: 9/16/16 at 3:14pm
Kad said: "The Humans would not do well at New World Stages.
"
Why
Posted: 9/16/16 at 3:46pm
ANewBrainn said: "Looking at the grosses I personally think the move to the Schonenfeld was a failure. The weekly gross at the theater twice the size as the Helen Hayes was approximately the same as it was before the move. But the gross potential moved instantly from around 95% to in the 50% range"
Of course the gross potential is higher in a bigger theater. That's math.
Gross potential doesn't matter. The actual gross matters. Can I get that printed on a t-shirt?
Updated On: 9/16/16 at 03:46 PM
Posted: 9/17/16 at 1:22am
It's amazing it's done what it has. It will have a VERY healthy regional life, as it's a very easy show to cast and mount.
I wish we could get more new smaller houses on Broadway. Now with the Hayes gone to 2nd Stage, which hasn't really produced much quality theater... we're left with fewer and fewer play houses. I remember seeing Next Fall at the Hayes and loving the size of the space.
