What was wrong with HIGH FIDELITY?- Page 2

[Baileyboo]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 1:31pm

I absolutely loved this show. One of my biggest disappointments that it never found an audience. I think it may have been just a little before its time.

[My Name in Lights]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 4:48pm

I agree with a lot of what you say. I also saw the show in Boston and in New York. Mostly, the casting was pretty good, but there were some changes that probably shouldn't have been made from the road to Broadway. The set was very, very good. While Jenn Collella was miscast, you cannot blame a show being cancelled on one actress. Although I enjoyed the show each time I saw it, I could tell early on and especially when I saw it on Broadwy that it wasn't going to be around too long. We all know many things factor into whether or not a show stays around for awhile or a long time; but bottom line fact of the matter is that this show though entertaining was clearly not a show for the masses. A lot of people, especially those with the deep pockets and more conservative, were probably offended at some of the language and situations for a Broadway stage, at least a few years ago, if not still today. If a show is lucky enough to get past tepid reviews and maybe even pick up some ticket sales from controversy, that can only last so long and eventually word gets around that the show might not be for everyone and may not be much more than its controversy. I'm not saying that is true of HIGH FIDELITY because it closed almost immediately, but just that there would probably be way more shows that close earlier than they do,as did HIGH FIDELITY, if it not for controversy of some sort that sometimes helps ticket sales for awhile. Eventually though, word of mouth kills these shows unless they are fortunate enough to also be in a very small theatre, where they can stretch the sales a little longer. So many shows that might be good open in huges theatres and if they cannot fill the seats right away the producers give up if the reviews aren't sparkling; while other shows that don't have to do the volume but are also not that great live on a little longer because they don't have to work as hard filling so many seats. I did like HIGH FIDELITY and definitely some of the performers and some of the music, but I also understand why it was not successful; I just couldn't believe it was killed so quickly.

[My Name in Lights]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 4:48pm

I agree with a lot of what you say. I also saw the show in Boston and in New York. Mostly, the casting was pretty good, but there were some changes that probably shouldn't have been made from the road to Broadway. The set was very, very good. While Jenn Collella was miscast, you cannot blame a show being cancelled on one actress. Although I enjoyed the show each time I saw it, I could tell early on and especially when I saw it on Broadwy that it wasn't going to be around too long. We all know many things factor into whether or not a show stays around for awhile or a long time; but bottom line fact of the matter is that this show though entertaining was clearly not a show for the masses. A lot of people, especially those with the deep pockets and more conservative, were probably offended at some of the language and situations for a Broadway stage, at least a few years ago, if not still today. If a show is lucky enough to get past tepid reviews and maybe even pick up some ticket sales from controversy, that can only last so long and eventually word gets around that the show might not be for everyone and may not be much more than its controversy. I'm not saying that is true of HIGH FIDELITY because it closed almost immediately, but just that there would probably be way more shows that close earlier than they do,as did HIGH FIDELITY, if it not for controversy of some sort that sometimes helps ticket sales for awhile. Eventually though, word of mouth kills these shows unless they are fortunate enough to also be in a very small theatre, where they can stretch the sales a little longer. So many shows that might be good open in huges theatres and if they cannot fill the seats right away the producers give up if the reviews aren't sparkling; while other shows that don't have to do the volume but are also not that great live on a little longer because they don't have to work as hard filling so many seats. I did like HIGH FIDELITY and definitely some of the performers and some of the music, but I also understand why it was not successful; I just couldn't believe it was killed so quickly.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/5/11 at 10:44am

"I think it may have been just a little before its time."

Made me spit on my keyboard.

That's a phrase you use for an unusually adventurous or groundbreaking piece of theatre, not lame hackwork like High Fidelity. There wasn't a single new or unusual thing in that show, it was strictly by the numbers - and the lowest common denominator numbers at that.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 7/5/11 at 12:03pm

Scott Miller can tell you what was wrong. And how he fixed it. And how he understood it oh so well.
Notes on New Line Theatre's HIGH FIDELITY

[My Name in Lights]

Posted: 7/6/11 at 9:49pm

I saw the show in Boston and in New York and it wasn't any one actor that caused its closing. Some of the changes were not necessary but even they couldn't be the only reasons HIGH FIDELITY closed so soon. In my opinion, although I enjoyed the show each time, it was very out there with the foul language and circumstances. These are things when taken to such an extreme are not appealing to the masses, especially the people with the real money to fill the seats. Word of mouth can carry a show for a bit, though this show didn't get a chance to play at all, but in the end word of mouth can also kill a show. Tepid reviews didn't help any and this show didn't last long enough to be bad on its own. Although I liked it, I understand why people might be offended by it.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/7/11 at 10:02am

I don't think the foul language and circumstances did anything to hurt High Fidelity. It certainly hasn't been any problem for Rent, Avenue Q or The Book of Mormon and High Fidelity was much more tame by comparison.