US Coram Boy: Huge Success or Dismal Flop?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 4:51pm

40 member cast
20 in the choir
7 member chamber orchestra
Huge theater that couldn't even be filled housing musicals.
Little publicity at this stage of the game.

Will Coram Boy, a show nobody's ever heard of, be a hit, or will it end up being Boyett-Ostar's tax write-off?

[Craig]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 4:54pm

cynicism thy name is Yankee

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 4:57pm

Devil's advocate, actually.

I'm actually very interested in the show, just from seeing the marquee. I just don't see how it could succeed financially with no buzz and no recognizable properties in the cast.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 5:26pm

I must say that when I heard that this was planning on transferring from the National, I just assumed that it would be going into the Beaumont, since Lincoln Center has the subscriber base and the financial resources to be able to handle such a huge epic (the same reason that the only way we were going to get COAST OF UTOPIA was if Lincoln Center was willing to produce it, which thankfully they were). I'm rather amazed commercial producers would take on production which is enormous even by mega-musical standards, let alone play standards. When's the last time Broadway has a seen a non-musical with a total ensemble of 60 (including cast and chorus)? Several decades, I assume.

Having read the London reviews, I'm REALLY looking forward to this and hope it can be successful (both artistically and financially). But, I must say, that I'm somewhat mystified how this show will break even, even if it's totally sold out (which, being a property based on a book unknown to 99% of the US and with no star names in the cast, is fairly unlikely).

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 5:37pm

My friend spent a semester in London - last semester - and saw a plethora of London theater, and she said this was the best show she saw by far. Is it a limited engagement? I'd love to see it when I come up in July. It sounds fascinating, and the marquee is so spooky.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 6:09pm

I'm still disappointed Cloudstreet never crossed the pond from the production at the National. It was a beautfiful 7.5 hour production in three acts that I could have easily sat through again the very next day. Beautiful staging, top-notch performances, everything about it was stunning. It came and went in London with hardly a word. I was truly baffled it did not become an international hit play.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:11pm

I have asked a few of my general public friends and the answersranged from "what is a coram" to "is it a gay show" to"sound like some sort of opera."

No general public recognition of any sort for a show from London in a vast theatre.

Looks like they'll have time to do some renovations on the Imperial after all.....

[B3TA07]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:15pm

It's a musical?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:18pm

Nope.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:19pm

You're breaking my heart. 8(

Is that you in your avatar?

I didn't know you were a girl.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:21pm

Julia Roberts.

Who shouldn't even be mentioned in a thread about English theater.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:21pm

Yankeefan! Why didn't you tell me you were Julia Roberts?!
Updated On: 3/15/07 at 07:21 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:24pm

Ha!

Took me by surprise, as well. Updated On: 3/15/07 at 07:24 PM

[vmlinnie]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:33pm

One of those days, you know, where you just wake, up, headache, look in the mirror and - HOLY SH*T! I'M JULIA ROBERTS!

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 7:42pm

Actually that 20 member chorus is included with the 40 person cast. Still that's huge for a play with music. I don't know how they can make money on this. I mean cast alone will set the producers back

[whatever2]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 8:02pm

fwiw, i think the most perplexing aspect of yankee's original post is the lack of marketing ... there has been next to nothing (no credit card pre-sales, only 1/4 page ads in the sunday times, discount codes only in the past week or so, yadda yadda) so far.

they either have a brilliant strategy that we're all going to look back on and go "wow", or no strategy at all. given the nature of the production, for the show's sake i hope it's not the latter.

whatever (as the screenname says) ... i have tix for april 30th. im looking forward to it.

[Laurelin]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 8:08pm

Mister Matt, Cloudstreet was an Australian production which played several return seasons in various cities in Australia. It actually played in London twice - the first time at the Riverside Studios and the second time at the National. The production also played at BAM in New York from 2-7 October 2001 and at Eisenhower Theatre Washington from 12-14 October 2001.

I'm glad you enjoyed Cloudstreet. I saw it six or seven times over the years and it never failed to be an incredible experience.

[D2]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 8:12pm

I got a beautifully designed mailer today for CORAM BOY, offering a pretty good discount for ALL performances, including Saturday evenings. It said nothing about a limited engagement or closing date.

Updated On: 3/15/07 at 08:12 PM

[Johnnytoc]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 8:18pm

I'm just really excited to see Jan Maxwell onstage again...

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 8:55pm

The only way this show could be produced as a limited engagement was if it were being put on by a non-profit, which it is not. Even if it were to win the Tony for Best Play, the last Tony-winning Best Play that had an out of the ordinary long, healthy run was the MUCH less expensive PROOF, which won the Pulitzer in addition to the Tony, and sported a cast of 4. CORAM BOY will not be eligible for the Pulitzer. It would have to be some sort of a phenomenon for this show to recoup.

Updated On: 3/15/07 at 08:55 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 9:15pm

I thought this was a limited engagment so that they would make room for Billy Elliott.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 9:19pm

That's coming in in fall 2008.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 9:22pm

Even though Billy Elliot has booked the Imperial, it just simply means that the show has to get out of the theatre. If it's sucessful, it'll transfer to another theatre, which I don't think is likely... But I could be wrong!

[D2]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 9:25pm

That's true. HIGH FIDELITY booked into the Imperial knowing that BILLY ELLIOTT had already booked it for 2008. Had HF been a hit, it would have moved to make room for BE.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 3/15/07 at 9:57pm

I just don't see how it could make any money despite the excellent overseas reviews. Amazing reception across the pond has done little for Journey's End, and that only has 11 people in it.

I'll make sure to see this one in the first week or two after opening.