Update: AIN'T NO MO extended thru December 23! Yay! — Page 5

Ke3 said: "songanddanceman2 said: "So white people, stop talking about race because we don't understand, should not have opinions and are far too privileged (Jew's, gays etc, went through nothing, we don't understand)

But it's also white people's fault for not going to see the play...the one we shouldn't have an opinion about, understand etc because its not about our 'race'



OK, got it."

You do realize you pulled all of that out of thin air, right?Where did I say other marginalized groups don't exist? I said discussions about *race* specifically get completely circular. Where did I say that the circular nature of the argument comes from "too much privilege"? But of course that's where you mind went because as I said, these discussions simply become proxy battles in the larger culture war.

It's also lovely that the assumption in your post is that I cannot also belong to one of those other groups. I am for example, queer. I could easily have been a Black Jew."

Erm this wasn't aimed at you or anyone specific, but I completely stand by it, as that's exactly what I'm getting from some of the posts on this thread  

When did I sniff my nose at white audiences? You can look at the grosses and see they are showing up… for Lea Michele or Hugh Jackman. Those are just facts and from years of going to Broadway/theater it skews older white. I don’t know why this so hard to understand. That’s why shows like Jersey Boys did so well. All those Long Island and New Jersey peeps came in droves.

Neither of our backgrounds matter as this isn’t a personal issue. 

So your voice matters but not mine. Cool. Gross.

Don’t you wish to make an actual point? I’m not making noise. You just don’t like what I’ve got to say. And that’s fine. Don’t respond to it? 

Anyway, what is the purpose of Will and Jada buying out ONE performance? What is that going to achieve? Who will be in the audience? Will it be a private party of invited guests? It certainly won't "save" the show.

Or is it just an opportunity for Will to try to save some face and show what a great guy he really is? 

Genuinely curious as it just seems so odd and pointless.

Idiot said: "Will has a race-centric film opening on Apple+ this weekend. I'd speculate that the gesture is motivated by solidarity, image rehab and promotional value for his project. I don't know if he and his wife are also friends with one of the ANM producers - but that would explain it."

So it is all about publicity and image, and not to "save" ANM? 

 

If Will & Jada actually wanted to save the show, they'd be angel investors - they have more than enough $. Buying out one performance is almost embarrassing tbh. Like...great.....doubtful it will change anything between now and the end of the week.

Lola Getz2 said: "Idiot said: "Will has a race-centric film opening on Apple+ this weekend. I'd speculate that the gesture is motivated by solidarity, image rehab and promotional value for his project. I don't know if he and his wife are also friends with one of the ANM producers - but that would explain it."

So it is all about publicity and image, and not to "save" ANM

 

Come on...it's all about Will and not ANM. They probably won't even see it. I noticed BET is a producer so what are they doing to bring attention to the black community? Are they advertising on that network?

SouthernCakes said: "When did I sniff my nose at white audiences? You can look at the grosses and see they are showing up… for Lea Michele or Hugh Jackman. Those are just facts and from years of going to Broadway/theater it skews older white. I don’t know why this so hard to understand. That’s why shows like Jersey Boys did so well. All those Long Island and New Jersey peeps came in droves.

Neither of our backgrounds matter as this isn’t a personal issue."

You keep saying White audiences are showing up for X or Y (moving away from Leopol to the big musicals now...) as if we have data over the ethnic makeup of who is seeing what. I AGREE that the traditional Bway audience is Whiter, older, and obviously generally wealthier, but how is that a ding against those audiences? Meaning, should they NOT be attending shows? Of course not, so you're implying they're seeing the WRONG shows. And to do this, you have to then suggest that more diverse audiences are NOT seeing the well-selling shows- so you resort to pretending that "only one" person of color from this board saw Leopol (me, i presume) which is kinda offensive in and of itself, no? 

I want shows like ANM to succeed. I want MORE people to see Bway shows. I think theres a conversation to be had about why its so expensive to put on a show. Do avant garde confrontational shows (that i tend to appreciate!) belong on Bway, trying to fill enormous houses, instead of being heavily advertised and marketed for wider audiences while downtown in smaller theaters? Should there be shows "for" any racial group? And if there are, how can anyone then be angry if those excluded racial groups arent flocking to see it? 

But I refuse to sort those who see shows and those who don't into racial groups, or blame audiences for seeing....what they want to see. Just a few weeks ago Gabriel Byrne's heavily Irish one hander closed after playing like 11 performances to 65 people. It would seem insane to suggest (i) Irish-Americans arent showing up to Bway, or (ii) that Black, Jewish, Asian audiences really should have showed up in greater numbers. People just weren't interested in it. Or in KPop. Or in ANM. I dont see how audiences can be blamed for it or how that implies a "problem with Broadway" that needs fixing.

 

PipingHotPiccolo said: "SouthernCakes said: "When did I sniff my nose at white audiences? You can look at the grosses and see they are showing up… for Lea Michele or Hugh Jackman. Those are just facts and from years of going to Broadway/theater it skews older white. I don’t know why this so hard to understand. That’s why shows like Jersey Boys did so well. All those Long Island and New Jersey peeps came in droves.

Neither of our backgrounds matter as this isn’t a personal issue."

You keep saying White audiences are showing up for X or Y (moving away from Leopol to the big musicals now...) as if we have data over the ethnic makeup of who is seeing what. I AGREE that the traditional Bway audience is Whiter, older, and obviously generally wealthier, but how is that a ding against those audiences? Meaning, should they NOT be attending shows? Of course not, so you're implying they're seeing the WRONG shows. And to do this, you have to then suggest that more diverse audiences are NOT seeing the well-selling shows- so you resort to pretending that "only one" person of color from this board saw Leopol (me, i presume) which is kinda offensive in and of itself, no?

I want shows like ANM to succeed. I want MORE people to see Bway shows. I think theres a conversation to be had about why its so expensive to put on a show. Do avant garde confrontational shows (that i tend to appreciate!) belong on Bway, trying to fill enormous houses, instead of being heavily advertised and marketed for wider audiences while downtown in smaller theaters? Should there be shows "for" any racial group? And if there are, how can anyone then be angry if those excluded racial groups arent flocking to see it?

But I refuse to sort those who see shows and those who don't into racial groups, or blame audiences for seeing....what they want to see. Just a few weeks ago Gabriel Byrne's heavily Irish one hander closed after playing like 11 performances to 65 people. It would seem insane to suggest (i) Irish-Americans arent showing up to Bway, or (ii) that Black, Jewish, Asian audiences really should have showed up in greater numbers. People just weren't interested in it. Or in KPop. Or in ANM. I dont see how audiences can be blamed for it or how that implies a "problem with Broadway" that needs fixing.

"

You are stretching what I’m saying a lot. 

At this point, things that land on Broadway need to feel like events. Tickets cost too much and there's way too much competition. Even at discounted prices, folks can only see so many Broadway shows and you need to give people a reason to pick your. Unless you have a subscriber base, you need to give an audience a reason to come.

A great play that had an exciting run off-broadway YEARS ago is not an IMMEDIATE event. It's possible, tho unlikely, that these great reviews, celebrity endorsements, and terrific word of mouth might have built Ain't No Mo INTO an event... but the producers did not give it enough time. 

It feels like the producers failed the artists and the audience, not making a strong enough case that everyone should see this play at this time. Piano Lesson and Topdog have stars, Leopoldstadt has prestige/scope/relevance, Death of a Salesman has prestige/British awards... Ain't No Mo has... the "youngest playwright on Broadway" and a plot that sounds like medicine? Ain't No Mo has obviously a lot more than that... but that's all you get from press.

Why didn't they think of an angle? Why weren't they all over Tiktok? Why didn't they leave more room to build an audience? Why wasn't Peaches on every late night and early morning show that films in New York? It baffles me. 

I think there's a lot wrong with Broadway and the audiences it targets... but I don't think the failure of Ain't No Mo tells that story. 

 

I feel like we’re on the same page now?

SouthernCakes said: "I feel like we’re on the same page now?"

Without admitting it, you've subtly altered the noise you were propagating earlier. I'm not complaining.