How many shows close on Broadway a year? Talk about that. Every city is going to have shows that do not do well.
Someone mentioned "Starlight Express" it played in LV for 4 years and was a 90 min show. HAIRSPRAY is good and I found nothing hard to figure out and on Monday it was a sold out show and last night too a friend told me. Marissa did not want to do Las Vegas from what I heard recently. The cast in that show is fantastic. Best dancers I have seen in a long time. Also, the girl playing Tracy is great and she has done the show in Toronto, understudy on Broadway and the National Tour. She is staying for another year I hear.:)
Mamma Mia! is going on 3 years I thin, Chicago played a year.
Ave. Q failed due to publicity or should I saw lack of publicity. They neer advertised it to the people they needed and most people thought it was just a puppet show. If they do not get someone who knows how to promote a show at Wynn's then Spamalot will not be there long.
WWRY was longer tha 90 min but not the amount of time the show was in the UK. It was written specially for Las Vegas. I think the problem with it was more that people did not know the show. I loved it.
Forever Plaid an off-Broadway show has been playing in Las Vegas this time for a year and before it move to the Gold Coast it played for 5 years at the Flamingo.
So shows can do well, but the big problem is publicity in this town. One PR firm is learning. Our touring shows do not do well, except for shows like Les Mis and Miss Saigon and the locals will go to those types of shows. Phantom has never played in Las Vegas evn as a touring production. JOSEPH, CATS and the MUSIC OF ALW all played well in Las Vegas. So who knows what Phantom will do, only time will tell.:)
We do have people that come to LV to see the see Broadway shows. Because of conventions and golf tournaments there are wives that come and have nothing to do while the husbands are shopping. So you see a lot of ladies in the audiences of the shows.
Anwyay, give LV a break. We are building a Performing arts center finally. We have ballet, symphony like any other city when you go past the LV Strip it is a regular city. Locals don't liek to go to the strip unless it is a special show due to the tourist. When we do, we can get discounts at times. We have a half price booth too. Maybe we are not Broadway, but then again, we are not Los Angeles. We neve get the good touring shows because they go to LA well now LA will not get Phantom as it is in LV.:)
We are not trying to be Broadway. We just want shows like other cities get. :) You know what gets me is other people say we are trying to be like Broadway...no we are not. We do not sit on the internet bashing Broadway. I live her and I like my city. I knwo everyone at my market and pharmacy. You do not feel like you are just another number in the crowds of people.
Just my 2 cents.
Yours,
Carolyn
Updated On: 3/30/06 at 01:25 AM