What Show Will Pass Up Phantom on the Long Run List- Page 2

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 1:03pm

Zeppie2022 said: ""Chicago the movie is probably as responsible for the show’s longevity than and other factor (other than the show’s entertainment value). It will help wicked too. "

What is amazing to me is the original "Chicago" on Broadway did not even make it to 1,000 shows and the revival is over 10,000. Was the Broadway audience back then not ready for the original production to make it a huge hit or was there significant changes to the revival. I saw the revival and not the original."

Three things:

1.  It opened within a very short time of A Chorus Line, which got phenomenal (somewhat undeserved, IMO) reviews and was, similar to Hamilton as being the juggernaut of its day, if not quite as much.  It got lost in the ACL adulation which saw Donna McKechnie (sic) beat Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon for a Tony in what was absolutely a featured role (although they admittedly may have knocked each other out of the running).  (It was the year of featured performers...George Rose beat Jerry Orbach for lead in a musical for playing Alfred Doolittle in MFL, a featured role if ever there was one).

2.  It was considered ahead of its time when it opened because it was so cynical.  A lot of people apparently felt that the premise was also far-fetched (fast-forward to today and we know it was very prescient).

3.  I think that Times Square was as close to its debacle as it ever was.  It was sleazy, sometimes scary, etc.

But the biggest reason IMO was the ACL juggernaut.

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 01:03 PM

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 1:04pm

hearthemsing22 said: "Wait why will Hamilton close and not make it? How much longer are people giving it???"

Hamilton would have to make it to approx. 2051. I don't think it's closing anytime soon but I have a hard time seeing it last that long 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 1:10pm

Mr. Wormwood said: "hearthemsing22 said: "Wait why will Hamilton close and not make it? How much longer are people giving it???"

Hamilton would have to make it to approx. 2051. I don't think it's closing anytime soon but I have a hard time seeing it last that long"

I do too.  Its momentum was clearly hurt by the pandemic.  I assume that the availability of the iconic original cast on Disney is also a factor in cooling the incredible momentum that was.  IT went from grossing $3MM before the pandemic to grossing about $2MM now (enough to guarantee a run long into the future) and has already had weeks that were not sellouts when a good number of other shows were, although that seems to be a past issue.

I would be that it makes it to the Les Mis range, maybe more.