#1
Posted: 5/14/11 at 10:58am
Was chatting with a friend about touring cities and their A, B, or C ranking. Is there a list? And what are the main criteria for the ranking?
Which tour cities are A, B, or C? And what makes them that?
#2
Posted: 5/14/11 at 12:07pm
I would assume it has to do with size of the city and size of the house. Big first national tour aren't going to be able to play Theatre C because they won't have the space to load in, etc. That's why as the shows go from 1st National status to like 4th National Staus or even Non-Eq, they scale the show back.
#3
Posted: 5/14/11 at 6:34pm
Is there not a set list of what is what? Just curious.
#4
Posted: 5/14/11 at 9:01pm
Certain cities obviously have better facilities and more money, so they will usually be the first ones to book a show and potentially book it for longer periods. But there is no list of any sort that specifically states a tour can't go to a certain city until after a certain point in time.
#5
Posted: 5/14/11 at 11:24pm
Im aware that theres no list or rule saying that. 
I was trying to find out if there was a general consensus on what city fell into which catagory. If it had been officially decided upon. IE Chicago, San Fran., LA. = A cities. While DC., Toronto etc = B.
I was trying to find out if there was a general consensus on what city fell into which catagory. If it had been officially decided upon. IE Chicago, San Fran., LA. = A cities. While DC., Toronto etc = B.
#6
Posted: 5/15/11 at 8:14am
No one hardly comes to Boston anymore 
#7
Posted: 5/15/11 at 2:56pm
Dallas/Fort Worth is really hit or miss...sometimes we get a first run...sometimes we don't.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#8
Posted: 5/15/11 at 4:08pm
Tempe, Arizona usually gets good stuff. It's a huge house on a college campus. I usually never have to wait for the big tours.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#9
Posted: 5/15/11 at 4:19pm
Shouldn't the owner of the theatres be taken into consideration? Places like San Diego and Detroit have major theatre owned by Nederlander. Therefore, those two city are big for Nederlander shows.
#10
Posted: 5/15/11 at 6:23pm
"Shouldn't the owner of the theatres be taken into consideration?"
This is actually true. I know one of the theatres in Boston let their contract expire with Broadway Across America & so "Next To Normal" couldn't come here. Instead we get the tour of "West Side Story". :P
This is actually true. I know one of the theatres in Boston let their contract expire with Broadway Across America & so "Next To Normal" couldn't come here. Instead we get the tour of "West Side Story". :P
#11
Posted: 5/15/11 at 6:37pm
Next to Normal didn't book a traditional A tour anyway. But other than that, what other tours didn't boston get recently? I have to admit, I seldom see tours or pay much attention, but I can't remember anything that skipped us. I just prefer going to NY for my theater. I don't enjoy tours nearly as much.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#12
Posted: 5/15/11 at 6:57pm
"Billy Elliot" isn't coming until next season.
"Spring Awakening" waited almost a whole year to come.
"Shrek" didn't come to Boston at ALL.
"Spring Awakening" waited almost a whole year to come.
"Shrek" didn't come to Boston at ALL.
#13
Posted: 5/15/11 at 8:07pm
I always thought Rochester, NY was a C city...however we had two runs of WICKED (the 1st Tour) that were nearly a month long and had the tour of "A Chorus Line" open here. And we had "Lion King" I believe 3 times that were for several weeks so I guess its a B?
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
#14
Posted: 5/15/11 at 8:19pm
Toronto is defiantly A not B
#15
Posted: 5/15/11 at 9:02pm
We got Spring Awakening near the end of the first year of the tour -- still makes it the A tour. And it still had a month or two to go. (It also didn't sell terribly well. August: Osage County sold so poorly they cancelled the second week -- which, of course, I had tickets for. Maybe that's why we are starting to lose shows, bad sales. )
SOMEONE has to be scheduled later in the run -- that doesn't mean anything.
We didn't get Shrek? Really? Never noticed!
SOMEONE has to be scheduled later in the run -- that doesn't mean anything.
We didn't get Shrek? Really? Never noticed!
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#16
Posted: 5/15/11 at 10:29pm
I have also been quite frustrated with Broadway Across America-Boston's offerings of late. As a major city, Boston (one would think) should be getting first-run tours quickly out of the "starting gate." I know, I know, there are schedules and pre-determined commitments, but the fact that we are getting shows like "Billy Elliot" so late in the game is ridiculous. Nothing against small cities, but I'm stymied by the fact that many of them are getting "Memphis" during the upcoming 2011/12 season, while Boston is not. Argh!
#17
Posted: 5/15/11 at 10:40pm
Boston seems to bring the weirdest stuff as part of the Broadway season. A lot of the shows aren't even broadway tours.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#18
Posted: 5/15/11 at 10:51pm
Cleveland is a huge tour city! We have the second largest performing arts center in the country next to the Lincoln Center. Playhouse square has about 9 theaters and the VP of theatricals Gina Vernaci here in Cleveland is a Tony voter. So she gets to come to New York and pick the shows she wants to bring to Cleveland. Our season is ending this year I believe with Next to Normal, and then next years season we get Million Dollar Quartet, La Cage, Hair, Memphis, Addams Family, Come Fly Away, and Sondheim on Sondheim.
#19
Posted: 5/15/11 at 10:57pm
That memphis schedule is interesting. Clearwater, Schenectady, Naples, so early. Not too familiar with those spots. Do they usually see the first leg of an Union tour?
#20
Posted: 5/15/11 at 11:11pm
Just to clarify something here:
The show doesn't book the city, the city books the show.
The show doesn't book the city, the city books the show.
#21
Posted: 5/15/11 at 11:20pm
@ Steel Pier
Thanks for the clarification. I wasnt sure on those cities, i was just giving an example of what i was trying to be educated on.
Thanks for the clarification. I wasnt sure on those cities, i was just giving an example of what i was trying to be educated on.
#22
Posted: 5/15/11 at 11:42pm
Minneapolis/St. Paul seems to be A-/B+. Lots of tours have started here. We have three large houses that host a mixture of shows. One is non-profit (Ordway.)
#23
Posted: 5/16/11 at 12:21am
"That memphis schedule is interesting. Clearwater, Schenectady, Naples, so early. Not too familiar with those spots. Do they usually see the first leg of an Union tour?"
Clearwater doesn't often, no. Often, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (they're called something else now, but that's what I know them as) about 40 minutes away gets most of the A tours, particularly popular shows. Clearwater often gets non-Eq tours.
Clearwater doesn't often, no. Often, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (they're called something else now, but that's what I know them as) about 40 minutes away gets most of the A tours, particularly popular shows. Clearwater often gets non-Eq tours.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#24
Posted: 5/16/11 at 12:35am
Cleveland is definitely an "A" city. Every year when I look at the tour schedules, Cleveland has the best. We get every big show it's first year out with maybe one exception and the sheer volume of shows we get is amazing.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#25
Posted: 5/16/11 at 11:52am
St. Louis is definitely an "A" city. They often end up getting tours in their first months, so I drive there often.
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