WICKED taking Circle in the Square

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 3:56pm

I would like to suggest to The Netherlander Organization, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone to consider transferring the hugely successful Schwartz/Holzman musical, WICKED, from the Gershwin Theatre to the Circle in the Square Theatre. I know it's had some success in its current home, but some new production could take advantage of such a large space.

The Circle in the Square has roughly 1/3 the seating capacity of the Gershwin, so let's do some math. Say that WICKED runs for roughly another 7,000 performances, putting it about on par with PHANTOM's current champion 25-year run.

If the show moved to Circle in the Square, it would triple the already high audience demand for tickets and therefore run for 21,000 more performances (not to mention breathing fresh life into the production by requiring new and imaginative staging), bringing it to a grand total of over 25,000 thousand performances, or approximately a 60-year run on Broadway Street. What a thing for the producers to add to their advertising!

I know long-running shows don't switch houses very often, but if it can happen to MAMMA MIA! it can probably definitely happen to any other show. Just remember -- at one time, MAMMA MIA! was so popular that literally no one could get tickets. The cast played to empty houses for three years straight because demand was so high. So, we all need to dream big!

Just a thought. Comments?

Updated On: 12/18/13 at 03:56 PM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:04pm

My comment is Wicked is designed for a proscenium stage, which Circle in the Square lacks, being an in-the-round venue. A transfer downstairs would mean a massive reconfiguration (and possibly re-design) of the set and technical elements, an unnecessary expense on an unnecessary transfer that will be weighed against the potential increase in profits.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:06pm

Where to begin...
Wicked has never played below 90% capacity in one of the biggest houses on broadway for a decade. No producer in their right mind would pay to close, move, restage, and reopen this show into a much much smaller venue for any reason. Mama mia moved when the producers weren't filling the massive house any longer. Wicked has no such problem.

[LegallyBroadway2]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:17pm

He is being snarky. Updated On: 12/18/13 at 04:17 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:18pm

I see what you did there.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:19pm

SMH....this isn't a serious thread. It's meant to mock another poster.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:22pm

wIcKeD shood b n all the theeaterz cuz itz so guud.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 4:57pm

Interesting responses, guys. I’m formulating a few pages of responses for each response, so keep them coming.

[StageStruckLad]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 5:20pm

No, no, no! Move Wicked to the Mark Hellinger and give the Gershwin to that theater-squatting church!

[broadway guy2]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 5:21pm

They should have put Godspell in the Gershwin and then have WICKED be performed in the streets.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 7:44pm

growl, I think you should go build your own 500-seat experimental black box theater for WICKED to transfer. I read somewhere on here that it's a financially viable and profitable venture. Who knew?!

[ukpuppetboy]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 8:37pm

Love the overly sincere responses you get to some of these. Makes me glad as a Brit that somewhere along the way we swopped good teeth for sarcasm. That is until you read posts from some of the tools from this side of the water..

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 12/18/13 at 10:56pm

NO> WACKAD SHUD STAY WERE IT IZ.

GERSHWIN 4EVUR. I HOPE EYEDINUH CUMS BACK FOR THE CLOZING.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 1:26am

WICKED should move uptown to the Apollo. Whole new audience. It would play for 100 years.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 3:36am

REALLY?? Someone called The WINTER GARDEN "massive"? It has a big stage and is a wide theatre, but she is not massive. She is a larger mid-size house. The Broadhurst is smaller, but not by a drastic ammount. It still has great real estate, but not "on" Broadway like the W.G. and the chief differences is the size of the stage house. Mamma Mia NEVER needed a stagehouse that large.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 9:23am

The OP had the termerity to criticize/troll another poster for a pointless thread, threads don't come more outlandish and pointless than this one.

I always thought the OP was an idiot, today I learn he completely insane too.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 9:42am

Some interesting points, Phantom of London. I, like many other posters, have always greatly admired your spelling, grammar, and general taste in theater, but I thought this was especially intriguing:

2013 Shows: (New York: Glengarry Glen Ross*** Picnic**** The Lion King**** Mamma Mia**** Who's Afraid of Virginia Woofe**** The Other Place*** Nice Work, If You Can Get It** Annie**** The Phantom of the Opera**** Cat On A Hot Tin Roof*** Cinderella**** Evita**** (Final Performance) The Mystery of Edwin Drood*** Mary Poppins*****) London: Salad Days** Great Expectations*** This House** Chess**** A Chorus Line**** Quartermine's Terms**** Old Times*** The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time***** Dear World*** People**** Viva Forever** Peter and Alice** The Wimslow Boy***** Proof**** Our Country's Good* The Tailor Made Man**** Darling of the Day*** Top Hat*** A Judas Kiss*** Spamalot*** Once**** Wicked** A Chorus Line**** Book of Mormon***** Hairspray**** (Tour: Southampton) Sleeping Arrangements***** The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes*** The Pajama Game***(Chichester)The Thrill of Love*** Hymn**/Cocktail Sticks**** Merrily We Roll Along***** The Weir**** The Hot House**** The Rise and the Fall of the Little Voice***** (Churchill, Bromley) Ghost*** (Wimbledon) To Kill A Mockingbird*** (Open Air) Beautiful Thing*** The Phantom*** Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*** Relative Speaking**** Strange Interlude*** Passion Play*** The Rocky Horror Show***(Tour: Bromley) Rock of Ages*** Merrily Web Roll Along**** The Audience**** Travels With My Aunt** Amen Corner** Fences**** The Cripple of Innishmore*** West End Men*** Pride and Prejudice*** Sweet Bird of Youth*** Merrily We Roll Along**** Private Lives*** Billy Elliot***** One Man, Two Guvnors**** The Night Alive**** Charlie and the Chocolate Factory**** War horse***** They're Playing Our Song*** (Broadway Theatre, Catford) Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria** (02 Arena) The Colour Purple** The Bodyguard*** Barnum*** (Big Top - Chichester) The American Plan** Titanic*** The Witches of Eastwick**** (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), Pipe Dreams*** The Sound of Music**** WAG! The Musical* {Title of the Show}*** Chimerica**** Rent**** A Chorus Line**** Three Sisters**** The Same Deep Water As Me*** Cabaret*** (New Wimbledon Theatre) Pride*** Liola** Priscilla: Queen of the Desert**** (Orchard Theatre, Dartford) Once*** On A Clear Day, You Can See Forever*** Our House** (New Wosley Theatre, Ipswich) The Ladykillers*** Seven Brides for Seven Brothers**** (Churchill Theatre, Bromley)Spamalot**** Othello*** (National) Rock of Ages**** The Commitments*** From Here To Eternity**** Joseph*** (Orchard Theatre, Dartford) The boy From Syracuse**** The Light Princess*** Bare*** (Greenwich Theatre) Barking I Essex* The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui** From Here To Eternity**** Scenes From A Marriage**** The Lyons**** Rock Of Ages*** Mojo** (New York: Pippin**** No Man's Land*** Matilda***** A Gentlemen Guide To Love and Murder**** Romeo and Julliet*** Annie*** Newsies** Twelfth Night**** Kinky Boots**** The Glass Menagerie**** Time To Kill**** Big Fish** Cinderella*** Betrayal*** Fuerza Brura: Look Up**** The Wimslow Boy**** First Date***)(Toronto: Aladdin**** Les Miserables*****)London: Twelve Angry Men**** Strangers On A Train**** Scottsboro Boys**** A Ducks House*

Can you elaborate on that?

Updated On: 12/19/13 at 09:42 AM

[mar6411]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 9:47am

Thank you for this post growl. Perfect.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 11:05am

"I always thought the OP was an idiot, today I learn he completely insane too."

Share again with us your views on the sweatshop-like working conditions child actors face on Broadway?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 11:24am

I think that Wicked should take The Theatre At Madison Square Garden. 6,000 seats at eight performances a week. Wicked would rock the musical theater world.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 11:44am

So what point are you trying to make themysteriousgrowl, if any? Or yet again are you trying to highlight your own ignorance?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 12:36pm

Interesting post, Phantom of London. I guess the point I'm making is your signature makes you a twat, though I can't imagine how you didn't get that. I'm loving these responses, guys! Keep it up, and don't let the naysayers get you down

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 12:40pm

I'd actually like to know what Phantom thought of "The Wimslow Boy".

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 12:42pm

Why should my signature make me a 'twat'?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/19/13 at 12:50pm

Because it just does. Ok?

And growl just happens to be one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to type out every TV show I've ever watched and put it in my signature because it's just the kind of information that people are dying to know about me and that I feel the sad need to share with them.