Which shows will Covid-19 end? — Page 5

BenElliott said: "Hangmen officially isn't coming back. "

Only the first of MANY

Sunny11 said: "
If broadway is closed for long enough, do you think that when it does open the shows will be classed as new productions ?

Imagine if the 2021 Tony awards pitted Hamilton, Wicked, Phantom ect for best musical? That’s quite an exciting though actually."

But a stupid one.

While it is artistically heartbreaking for everyone involved, I rather suspect some of the productions that announce they won't reopen might actually be able to recoup their full investment from insurance claims. A few shows might even stand to be more financially successful by not opening than they would have been if they'd opened.

The Hangmen closed I'm so glad I saw it before it closed. A wonderful play.

Jordan Catalano said: "I’ve also been thinking/wondering if some shows could stunt cast to get tickets/publicity back up. Shows like Wicked could maybe get Idina for 8 weeks? Bebe in “Chicago”? Tina Fey in “Mean Girls”? I don’t know. I’m also just ridiculously bored and speculating."

I was thinking the same thing, although this time around Bebe won't be enough. I was wondering if they could encourage some number of (probably mostly movie) stars who have proven to be box office attractions when they have performed previously in NYC, e.g., Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, and possible newbies, to entice people. Reidel made the comment that Broderick and SJP will be here when Broadway is ready to open, because they are devout New Yorkers, etc. Stars are the quickest way to get the audiences coming back. They clearly have to find the right properties, but no-one says they can't be revivals, which may make things easier. The key is to entice people to get back into the theatresfirst, then focus on getting back to normal.

One other comment re prior postings about people's willingness to pay prior ticket prices when things re-open. I am skeptical. I think it is going to be hard to incent people to do so if their portfolios are down 40 - 50 - 60 - 70%, the latter which I believe is possible if this goes on for a long period of time. I fear that people (including me) will decide that they can live with streaming services a while longer. Significantly reduced ticket prices may be necessary for all but...Hamilton?? (and are people going to pay as much as they were paying for H. I also have no idea what % of Hamilton revenue is from tourists...if it is high, even it could have to reduce prices...$199 for the last row of the rear mezzanine is obscene IMO).

If people are worried about how long it is going to take to feel financially stable, and how long it is going to take to feel safe about their job, they are going to be a lot more careful about what is ultimately discretionary spending.

(Insert Clever Name) said: "we absolutely can not compare chinas recovery time to what may happen here. look at what china is doing to contain vs what we are doing. we are doing absolutely NOTHING compared to what china has done, & people cannot even get test kits! let’s be honest here, if the US doesn’t do much else, the impact here will be more devastating than in any other country, INCLUDING italy! NYC is a particular risk. people are still using mass transport, even though it feels like the city is shut down, it really isn’t. we would need a mandatory isolation right now to even think about opening theater in a month, even then it wouldn’t happen. the way the epidemic is being treated here is laughable. the people in charge clearly do not have a care in the world for human life, or even the economy, because if they did, test kits would be distributed, the WHO kits we were offered would have been accepted, etc. the numbers we see right now are horribly deflated, & yes it looks good for optics but it is way worse for actual human life. this is already in recession territory, & quite frankly the rate at which the market plunged for correction to recession tells us that it’s going to get a lot worse very fast. even if broadway could reopen, i doubt most shows would have an audience to sell to- even the big ones. everyone is going to be hit hard by this. even the 1%. after the pandemic passes, the economic destruction will make sure that people are way more worried about the bare necessities, food, shelter &c. to even think about entertainment & novelty items. this will create a cycle because more people in those industries will be laid off, & so on. this will be so much worse than 2008 (although i was like 4 when that happened so i don’t remember what happened in the theater world), think more like the great depression. this could be the final blow for any show that doesn’t have billionaire backers, & even those will be insecure. the market was on its final legs anyway, the yield curve was down, & most stocks where being propped up by unsustainable buy-backs. our economy has no brakes for a situation like this. capitalism as a system is not going to be sustainable during the pandemic. the realist in me knows that the shows i so desperately have been wanting to see will likely never reopen, unless the restructuring banking community suddenly takes a liking to theater.

the optimist in me however, really hopes we find some way. i really wanted to see six & company, & many others."

Hate to agree with you, but I fear that you have outlined a very realistic scenario.

HANGMEN was, needless to say, the first of many closings. There's no point in denying it anymore, as many have said. We knew it was coming but that doesn't make it any less sad.

I think that for now, recouped shows and famous shows (for lack of a better word) are fine - PHANTOM/WICKED/HAMILTON, etc. Recent popular recouped ones like DEAR EVAN HANSEN/HADESTOWN/COME FROM AWAY, also aren't a concern quite yet. But as for this season? As for shows that haven't opened yet, or were just about to open? I'm only optimistic about SIX and COMPANY, if any. I understand why the shutdown happened. Health is the most important factor here. But that doesn't mean I don't feel terribly sad about the future of Broadway. Plays in particular, I don't feel very hopeful about. It hurts to say it but I'll be surprised if any play besides MOCKINGBIRD survives this, especially now that we have no idea when Broadway will reopen! When they first announced the April date I foolishly saw it as realistic, but now I can't see a reopen happening until summer or even Labor Day.

I also thought it was a little strange to say Sharon "deserves her first Tony." It's not like she's long overdue like Burstein.

I see no reason why COME FROM AWAY wouldn't return and also wouldn't survive.

I’m hoping that Broadway’s panoply of brilliant creators is using this downtime to conceive of some remarkable works that will take our breath away a few years from now.

BJ will absolutely close on Broadway and won't even get to tour. Everyone involved should all feel so lucky the show made it this far, because it could have closed before last Tonys, the way things were going for them.

Don't make sh*t up simply because you didn't care for the show, it's not a good look.