What Do You Feel is the Next Long Running Show to Close?

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:19am

Well we've said good-bye to a long run of Les Miz and to an impressive revival run of Cabaret.
What do you feel is the next long running show to go?
Well I doubt it will be a Disney show- Beauty and the Beast has been on for nearly 10 years and Lion King since 1998 I believe which is about 6 years. There will always be new generations of children to come and see those shows.
Chicago seems to be doing pretty good. They occasionally put stars in the show to get some attention, but the movie version boosted it's sales pretty high. Biggest Mistake: Melanie Griffith. I agree with someone who said that she would be better in a straight acting role on Broadway. I agree- I love Melanie Griffith in lots of movies, but Roxie Hart just wasnt her role.
Rent. One of my favorite shows. I think all the RENTheads out there will keep it alive for another few years.
Phantom of the Opera? I love this show as well and it I believe is the longest running show on Broadway at this time, with Les Miz being gone.
I dont know- what do you guys think it will be?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:23am

I've been thinking for a while that POTO will close soon. Maybe not next, but soon. Not Chicago. I think the movie has gotten so many new people to go see it. And Rent had best not close any time in the somewhat near future. I wouldn't be able to handle that.

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:28am

Broadway wouldnt be the same without RENT. It was the first show I think I ever fell inlove with it. I even wrote a paper about Jonathon Larson and RENT for school my freshmen year on things we love.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:33am

Rent and Chicago have had the rockiest attendence of the long-running shows, so it will probably be one of those. Maybe Chicago because it is a revival and now people are buying the DVD.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:36am

I tend to agree with Matt as well as Aida, down the road a bit.
Though it's anyone's guess in this shakey business.

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:40am

I think Chicago, because, even though the stage version IS better than the DVD, I agree with Mister Matt.

I think RENT will stay open a few more years because of the enormous amount of RENTheads out there.

POTO I doubt will be the next one to close. It's been running this long, I think it has another year or so in it.

Personally, I think the Disney shows will never die. There's a gigantic amount of people who love Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King movies, and it takes all those people to go to the show. Then there's all those little kids who go, and they boost the sales, and then they might become obsessed with Broadway and go see other shows, and that's how Broadway survives. No, that's not right, but I do think they won't close very soon. They'll stay around probably for another 5 years at least.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:48am

Beauty and the Beast and The Lion king will stay around until another huge family show comes that can top them. What else are parents going to take their kids to see? Frog and Toad was probably a very good show, but just didn't have the spectacle that parents want their children to see. Most of the time, kids will enjoy just about any family show, but it's the parents who buy the tickets.

If Mary Poppins, Tarzan, or Chitty hit Broadway in huge spectacular productions, then I think Beauty and Lion may bow out.

[NBC]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 11:08am

Attendance at Chicago hasn't been that rocky, it's only dipped below 90% a handful of times since it moved to the Ambassador nearly a year ago (granted it's a smaller theater), and is usually in the mid- to high-90s. I think the movie, and now the dvd release, piqued the interest of people who maybe wouldn't ordinarily have seen it.

Even if it is the next long-running show to close, I wouldn't expect it to happen before the end of the year.

Lion King is still doing pretty well, I would expect Disney to close Beauty before Lion King, if anything.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 11:12am

I've gotta think Chicago is next. After the theatre move, and some interesting stunt casting... I see vultures circling. If it does survive, the movie is to thank.

Though you might be able to convince me that Beauty and the Beast will go soon too. I was suprised to see them shut down the National Tour.

I think they'll definitely keep POTO open until the feature film is released, to see the effect that will have.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 11:24am

Did you see the Beauty tour? I'm not surprised it was shut down. It was awful! Nowhere near as good as the Broadway production. The backdrops were hideous and the most of the actors phoned it in. Basic blocking and direction looked like it came from a How-To instruction manual you get next to the M&M's at your local grocery store. The girl who played Belle was ok and Be Our Guest looked nice, but overall, it was very disappointing.

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 4:47pm

Not POTO, It's actually doing pretty well right now. I give Phantom at least another 3 years. Although I will be really sad when it closes. =-/

I heard RENT was closing next year? I don't think it's true but thats what one of my friends said.

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 4:51pm

I know there has been rumors about POTO closing and Jerry Springer the Opera coming through the Majestic doors.

[A_Boy_From_Oz]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:00pm

Interesting topic, my spider sense is telling me that either RENT or POTO will be the next to go.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:03pm

Even if it is announced that Rent is going to close, there will be so many RENTheads flocking to see the production before it closes it will probably extend anyway.

[JakeB]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:14pm

Last week Phantom was on 97%. Not bad for a show running seventeen years..

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:17pm

I think that if the POTO movie is good, it will do for the Broadaway show what the Chicago movie did for the show. So, if attention shifts to Phantom, I think Chicago will be the next one to go unfortunately.

Take care

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:37pm

NYCbabe, you're probalby right about Rent extending if a closing is announced. ChristineDaae, there have been TONS of rumors about Rent closing... but that's why they're rumors! I think because it was so revolutionary, it's still got a while. I hope it does.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 5:59pm

I think Aida would close before any of them or at least any of the Disney shows. They have had to rely on stunt casting as of late (and not to their advantage).

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 6:02pm

POTO has been running for 17 years? Wow never realized it was that long. Well if its at 17 years, it is nearing the length of CATS.
I cant wait to see CATS record crushed. If POTO doesnt do it, one of the Disney musicals will.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 6:10pm

As much as I hate the Cats record, it would be even worse for it to be defeated by PotO. Why can't shows with actual substance be the ones to stay open forever? ALW and Disney musicals are the opiate of the masses--not Christianity, no matter what Marx might say.

[Phantess]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 6:55pm

I think that RENT will close next maybe even Gypsy BP leaves. POTO I think still has a few good years left.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 6:56pm

Rumors circulate about numerous shows closing, but unless you can verify, it hasn't happened yet. Everyone talks about these rumors that circulate around the theaters, but even those tend not to be true. So what if a cast member says that the show might close, they don't always know what they're talking about. Unless you have verification from the producers, etc, it isn't going to happen yet. I know for a fact, straight from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Group, that POTO has no intention of closing for the next several years. They also stated that Mackintosch nor Andrew Lloyd Webber have even started considering its departure! For those of you who may want certain show to close, don't count your chickens before they hatch....And for those of you who want these show to remain on Broadway, keep being the supportive fans that you are!

See Ya Later!

Phantom05

[StateOfJade]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 6:59pm

POTO. I think it's time. And Gypsy, I can only hope...

[gherbert]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 8:39pm

I believe that it will be Phantom of the Opera, only because it was rumored some time back that the Shuberts may be contracting Jerry Springer -- the Opera for the Majestic to follow Phantom of the Opera, but who knows what will happen!

[Bret]

Posted: 1/15/04 at 10:43pm

I have to agree about the Beauty tour being disappoonting. When I saw it in 96, it was brilliant, with a whole gothic castle set. I saw it again last summer, and it was replaced by 4 columns. I wouldnt be surprised if it was next.