Posted: 10/29/18 at 10:18am
I've been a fan of this musical for a while, and the book for even longer. I just got cast as Winnie in a local production and I couldn't be more excited. I am trying to figure out why it closed so soon, though. Was it just that it wasn't popular enough/not making enough money? Also, what are some opinions on the show?
Posted: 10/29/18 at 10:32am
This same question has been asked before: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1110501
In terms of opinions, it was one of the worst musicals I've ever seen.
Posted: 10/29/18 at 10:39am
There are a couple of reasons why it closed.
Primarily, the reason was market over-saturation. In the season of and the season just after Tuck, 25 new musicals opened on Broadway. This included both Tuck and Hamilton. In contrast, just 7 new musicals opened this season. The market over-saturation was already a problem, but it didn't help that Hamilton became a cultural phenomenon. With every show fighting for their own survival, against each other and against Hamilton, most of the shows couldn't turn a profit.
The other reason was that Tuck was seen as a children's show, because the main character is an 11 year old girl and the show is based on a children's book. Children's shows get a bad rap, and most people don't have vested interest in seeing them unless they're the parents of children.
Personally, I adore Tuck Everlasting. It's score is brilliant, and my third favorite of the season (after Hamilton and Waitress). I personally really wish it had been given a chance, because it is definitely not a children's show. It covers some really heavy themes, like death, mortality, and loss. I'd love to see another major production (maybe in the West End or a revival a few years down the line) that strips it down to a chamber piece. A high school near my hometown also just announced they'll be doing it, and I can't wait to see it in person!
Posted: 10/29/18 at 10:41am
1. Critically panned show.
2. Terrible word-of-mouth.
3. Audiences stayed away.
4. No audience = no money = producers close show as it takes money to keep a showing playing.
5. Rinse & Repeat
Posted: 10/29/18 at 11:15am
Critically panned? It was a NYT Critic's Pick
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/theater/review-tuck-everlasting-a-lyrical-meditation-on-life-death-and-immortality.html
Posted: 10/29/18 at 11:17am
I really think this show could have done much better with a smaller treatment at Circle In The Square or a more intimate theatre.
Posted: 10/29/18 at 12:24pm
It was treated like an after school special - really dumbed down in my opinion. I could have given myself whiplash from my many eyerolls during the show.
It's NOT because it's a children's show - so is Lion King and Little Mermaid and Aladdin....etc.
Posted: 10/29/18 at 12:27pm
Posted: 10/29/18 at 1:30pm
Posted: 10/29/18 at 1:32pm
Alex Kulak2 said: "Critically panned? It was a NYT Critic's Pick
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/27/theater/review-tuck-everlasting-a-lyrical-meditation-on-life-death-and-immortality.html"
Anything is a critic’s pick now
