Which will close first? Addams Family or American Idiot?- Page 2

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 4:43am

'American Idiot'.
'The Addams Family' deserves an early death also, I sat through it on Tuesday night and boy was it a chore.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 6:29am

Idiot might make it a year--which will practically guarantee a 2nd summer, but a January closing wouldn't SHOCK me.

I feel like AF will go the route of Young Frankenstien -- hot for a bit...but will begin to shrink.

My kids (both HS and my own spawn) have little to no desire to see it.

[massofmen]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 9:07am

barney,
I hear KZT and AL might be gone right after the tony's from ALNM. (sweet I almost used all acronyms).

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 9:31am

I would hardly compare Addams Family to Shrek. Addams Family came out of the gate making well over a million dollars and hasn't let up. With a 15 million dollar advance they will be pulling in the big bucks through the summer. Go back and look through the grosses; Shrek rarely made over a million dollars and had many weeks where it didn't make it's expensive weekly nut.

American Idiot may have made over 700,000 the past two weeks, but before that the grosses certainly weren't amazing, especially when you factor in the hype and marketing that went into the show before previews began.

Check out the potential gross percentage of AI. Even at 750,000 it is only making about 56% of the potential gross at the St. James. The tepid response from the Tony nominating commitee didn't do AI any favors either. I really liked AI and wish it well, but when you look at the numbers I would put my money on Addams Family to outrun it.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 3:59pm

I remember when Hair first opened on Broadway and Clive Barnes, among others, proclaimed it (joyously) as the death of the book musical, saying that all musicals would now have to feature a "rock" score to be relevant.

It feels like this cycle may have begun again. Idiot may not be a Dude or a Via Galactica or a Rockebye Hamlet, but there may be similarities in the situation.

The question is - what lasts longest in the theatre? Works with a good book and a theatrical score that illuminates complex characters and situations? Or high-energy, high-volume, low-story events driven by a desperate urge to be "relevant?" I certainly prefer the former, but I have no crystal ball to tell me what the future will bring.

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 11:03pm

I think American Idiot

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 11:03pm

I think American Idiot

[Piper3500]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 11:35am

Remember when Hair opened to raves. It stopped selling out way to quickly & now is almost on life support

yes and it also won the Tony and it will be done by October I think. ROA never had great numbers did it?

anyway, i think American Idiot...even if Nathan and BeBe go. the kids like and parents will bring them. this and there are some who want to see Krysta, Jackie, Carolee and Wesley too. i think they would get suitable replacements if need be and if these numbers continue it won't budge.

[Michelle616]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 12:21pm

Addam's Family...American Idiot will have a huge young fan base that will keep it alive a little longer!

[Amneris]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 12:48pm

oh my god which actors will lose their jobs first??? please lets pray that their show closes so I can win a dumb bet with my friend!!!

[Piper3500]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 2:36pm

so do the grosses mean nothing? it would be American Idiot if so.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 7:42pm

Both have very well-known names and fanbases. So far Idiot has much better reviews then Addams Family, and they've announced their tour no more than a month after opening. I think Addams'll be the first to go. Their numbers will improve greatly on the road, due to the worldwide fanbase. I have a feeling Idiot's going to be raking in the dough for awhile longer. It may pick up a Tony and if that Tony happens to be Best Musical, I'm sure it may get at least a 2 year run. Shows based on a popular media, with the exception of Disney (excluding Little Mermaid) and Mamma Mia usually close rather quickly.

[Rentfan931]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 8:04pm

"Shows based on a popular media, with the exception of Disney (excluding Little Mermaid) and Mamma Mia usually close rather quickly."

So based on that logic, Jersey Boys, and Wicked should have closed by now. Obviously that is not true. I doubt Addams Family will be the first to go.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 8:10pm

For the record: I cannot talk either my HS kids or my own children to want to see AF.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 8:50pm

Amneris... I totally agree with you. I hope BOTH shows last as long as possible. Best of luck to Addams Family and American Idiot. from RC in Austin, Texas

[GatorNY]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 9:09am

Lots of people think that American Idiot will have a short run because parents won't bring their kids to this show. I can totally understand that logic. However, I was at the 2 pm matinee on Sunday and the audience could have easily been the same audience that would go to a family friendly show. I was actually really surprised. There were a LOT of seniors there and late 30s-40ish parents with tweens and teens! As opposed to when I saw Spring Awakening, none of them were looking appalled, and they all gave a standing ovation at the end.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 11:24am

Amneris, you do realize that having a bet with a friend doesn't actually cause a show to close, right?

[tazber]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 11:29am

Lol, reg.

I mean, really.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 11:38am

AI

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 11:46am

That isn't entirely true about the popular media based shows closing earlier. Look at Legally Blonde, that was a good 2 year run, as well as Little Mermaid. I think it all depends on what the demographic is and how they market it to an audience.

[Magnolia]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 2:13pm

In my opinion, American Idiot will close first. Although I've heard The Addams family isn't great, I guess it attracts tourist. Whereas I don't think American Idiot appeals to everyone.

[winston89]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 3:57pm

I think that the problem is that American Idiot is by a band that does have an audience and does have an appeal in seeing the show. However, it is a group that doesn't usually go to the the theatre and as a result can't really afford anything higher then rush tickets, maybe balcony. But, not full price or anything that would do substantially as far as the box office and the numbers are concerned. This, I think is the problem of putting a show on Broadway that is based on the album/music of a popular rock band. Sure, the fans of the band would love to see it. However, most wouldn't be able to go. However, I would like to applaud the show for getting people that wouldn't normally attend the theatre for going to see a show.

As far as Addams Family goes, I saw it on Wednesday night at the suggestion of a friend who was at both the final dress as well as the first preview. Now, keep in mind that she is someone who values her time and as a result never sees anything twice and left singing its praises. I loved it. My prediction with that show is that if it keeps running a year with the same numbers that it has now, then it might recoup before Nathan and Bebe leave. Therefor, if it does close soon after, it would close as a hit.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/22/10 at 10:07pm

"However, it is a group that doesn't usually go to the the theatre and as a result can't really afford anything higher then rush tickets, maybe balcony. But, not full price or anything that would do substantially as far as the box office and the numbers are concerned. This, I think is the problem of putting a show on Broadway that is based on the album/music of a popular rock band. Sure, the fans of the band would love to see it. However, most wouldn't be able to go"

So you are saying that only poor people are fans of Green Day?

[fanadu1996]

Posted: 5/23/10 at 4:23am

why are you betting on people loosing their jobs?

[winston89]

Posted: 5/23/10 at 4:30am

AEA AGMA SM, I am not saying that only poor people are fans of Green Day, I am however saying that Green Day does have a fanbase of people who are young and therefor due to their age most likely don't have a lot of money. And, considering that a theatre ticket really isn't on the cheap side of things, it wouldn't shock me to find out that they can't afford anything higher then the rush price. Due keep in mind that I am aware that Green Day still has a lot of fans that have been following them since the early 90's and that when the album American Idiot came out, it sparked a new fanbase in people who are now high school/college age that were too young to listen to them when Dookie came out.