What is the likelihood for Next to Normal transferring?

[i.believe2]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 1:27pm

im coming to nyc in april, and with plenty of closings, i am looking for something edgy and intellectual to see. Next to normal sounds appealling! based on reviews and the producers, what do you think is the likelihood of a transfer?
thank you!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 1:32pm

It may depend on the reviews it gets in DC...

But a lot of us have talked about 2econd Stage possibly bringing it into the Helen Hayes when they take over that theater.

[snl89]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 1:33pm

Honestly I'm probably not the best one to ask, but it SEEMS like... there's the possibility of it happening, but not a particularly huge one. At least it certainly doesn't seem like one of those "yeah, it's going to transfer, they just haven't officially announced it yet" situations. It's still VERY up in the air, from what I gather.

However, as much as it pains me to say this because I ADORE the current cast- I almost don't WANT it to transfer for right now. Purely because the economy is SO bad, there's almost 0 chance of it actually having a healthy life on Broadway if it transfers right now. It's just not the right time for quirky, edgy original musicals to be coming to Broadway. There's not enough support for them. So, I think that I'd even be willing to sacrifice this amazing cast, if that's what was necessary for them to hold off a few years and try the show on Broadway at a time when it would be able to last for more than a few months!


That said: who am I kidding? I will be GIDDY if they announce that it's transferring, even now! I friggin adore this show!! haha

Updated On: 12/7/08 at 01:33 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 1:35pm

I've heard from a reliable source that they are definitely eyeing a transfer back to New York.

They wanted to transfer to the Helen Hayes and kick XANADU out last season but decided to retool out of town before they take a step as big as transferring to Broadway. And then this season rolled around and with fifteen or so shows closing within just a few months of eachother, I doubt a transfer will happen this year. I guess we'll see but I think the timing is just terrible right now.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 1:47pm

I love this show to death, but it won't make it, not even at the Hayes. I can see it coming back to NY after DC and having another limited engagement but I would say a sitdown open-ended is out of the question.

[snl89]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 2:17pm

^Exactly. I firmly believe that it COULD make it under better economic conditions, but not right now.


On a personal level I'm selfish and want it to transfer ASAP, but on a practical level they need to wait. Give it a couple years, wait for the economy to start getting back on track, and THEN bring it to Broadway :)

Unfortunately, the main problem with that is that waiting a couple years would mean loosing the momentum that it might have going after this Arena Stage run. But still, in the long run, it SEEMS like, to me, that would be a better gamble than bringing it to Broadway right now.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 3:38pm

Regardless of the economic situation, it's just not mainstream enough to draw an audience. The 2nd Stage run did fairly well, but that was based off of a subscribers. When looking at tickets for the Arena production, it doesn't seem to be selling to its potential there either. Marketing on a show like this is very difficult.

Also, assuming that this would be the cast if it did open in the near future (which isn't my optimal cast, but that's another story) it lacks a name to draw the average new yorker, bridge & tunnel, or tourist coming to visit.

With all of that being said, I think the show still needs a decent amount of work. They made alot of great changes going down to Arena, but I think a few of them were poor decisions. I also think the character of Henry needs substantial work or else it has to be cut, in addition to all the songs he is involved in.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 5:04pm

It is not selling particularly well at Arena even as a subscription house. Weekends are fuller, but I don't necessarily think you can judge ticket sales based on the quality of the show. Attendance is down at most regional houses around here and well, they aren't really marketing Next to Normal appropriately. Highlighting the comedic aspect may be to their detriment. Many honestly don't know what the show is about coming in and if they targeted the social issues crowd in DC (which is quite large) they might have a better turnout.

That said, they are making/have made many changes and the show is getting consistently better.

[snl89]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 5:46pm

^I think you've hit on a VERY good point. Maybe I just overestimate the show because I personally love it, but I really DO think that it could find a definite, sustainable audience. But the thing is that, because it IS a very different kind of show which might be a little more difficult for some people to warm to, there has to be REALLY smart marketing strategy involved.

And there has NOT been great marketing strategy thus far. I don't mean so much the AMOUNT of marketing (though my guess is that could improve too), but more in the APPROACH they're taking in it.

This whole "darkly funny" approach isn't such a great one I don't think. "Darkly funny" implies... well, a comedy that just happens to be a bit morbid (think Pushing Daisies!). But Next to Normal is NOT a comedy. Sure, it has it's funny moments, but heck, RENT has more funny moments than NtN and even that wasn't marketed as "darkly funny" I don't think! So yeah, personally I feel like the key is going to be in accentuation the emotional journey of the show in the marketing, and not misleading viewers into thinking that they're going to be seeing a slightly morbid comedy.

And maybe I'm just looking at "darkly funny" wrong- but to ME, that implies that over all the thing being described is mostly funny, and NtN is NOT mostly funny. It's mostly emotional- mostly touching. They need to market it as the drama that it is, and prepare people for the fact that it's going to address important social issues. The way they're marketing it right now just makes it come across as "another one of those darkly quirky shows about the dysfunctional American suburban family", and so it's uniqueness is lost. If they draw on the fact that it's an emotional, gripping show that addresses these important social issues that often don't get discussed, THEN I think people will 1)be a lot more intrigued and interested when they HEAR about the show, and 2)be a lot more prepared for what the show will actually BE when they go and see it.

Again, I really don't feel like the issues here lie in the show itself at this point. I mean, of course there are certainly things I'm sure can be improved on and all that, but that's always going to be the case. Really at this point it's all about the marketing- all about finding the right way to PRESENT the show to people so that it will have optimum appeal.


Sorry, huge ramble! haha

Updated On: 12/7/08 at 05:46 PM

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:02pm

We shall see... Updated On: 12/7/08 at 06:02 PM

[snl89]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:05pm

^GOOD! That's exactly what it should be :)

Transferring, but just... holding off on it for a while until a time when it isn't totally doomed to failure

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:06pm

Don't jump the gun with this now.
Stay positive, that's all I'm saying.

[snl89]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:10pm

Oh I know, I'm totally prepared for the possibility of it not transferring at all. But it DOES make me happy that it seems like they're just trying to be cautious, and not that they're necessarily looking to never transfer

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:13pm

Right on!
Just makin' sure!
I'll keep you posted.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 6:31pm

I love the show and would love it to transfer, but I too am worried that it will have difficulty lasting on Broadway, no matter what theater it’s in and how the economy is.

I think it has the potential to develop a strong fanbase, but it’s not the kind of show that tourists and other people would flock too. It could be like Rent and last 12 years. Or it could be something like [tos], which seems to have a huge fanbase, but unfortunately didn’t last very long.

Who knows? At least they didn’t rush it to the Hayes and are taking the time to work on it. I think it’s a small gem of a show and I wish it the best of luck. I saw it at 2nd Stage and would love to see it on Broadway one day.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/7/08 at 7:19pm

I think it could work on Broadway. I mean, people were harping about "In The Heights," saying that it couldn't sell at all in a Broadway house since it wasn't selling-out off-Broadway, but now it's a sell-out hit, and is making bank on Broadway. Granted it does help to have "Best Musical" hanging on your marquee, but who says N2N couldn't win? Not this year (that goes to Billy), but maybe in years to come. Small shows can do well on Broadway. They don't always need a name, sometimes a good show is just a good show.

[broadwayrob]

Posted: 12/8/08 at 2:05am

The one thing that the show has going for it, and I know people are gonna throw (title of show) at me, is that it is a smaller cast/ more intimate kind of show which usually translates to less dollars that producers have to shell out before advance ticket sales have a chance to grab on. I also think putting a show like this in a size-appropriate house.. much like I still believe that (TOS) would have lasted longer in a much smaller theater.

So if it does make the transfer, I think it could definitely stand a very good chance at surviving.

just my two cents.