Why No Out-of-Town Tryout for Plays?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 8:30pm

Why are out-of-town tryouts for plays so rare? Is it because they're not as expensive as a musical, therefore, the producers don't feel like it's as big of a risk to open cold on Broadway? Or is it because most plays nowadays have to open with a "big name" and so they feel like they're selling the cast rather than the play therefore negating a reason to have an out-of-town tryout?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 8:40pm

My thought is because Out-of-town tryouts have become more and more about making sure all the sets and special effects work. Therefore, since plays generally don't have as elaborate sets and lighting as musicals, there is no big need for one. I could be TOTALLY off on that though.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 8:42pm

Out of town tryouts for plays rarely exist anymore. In this day and age, plays either open cold on Broadway (like Deuce - any you see how that turned out) or are London imports (like Frost/Nixon, etc.).

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 8:48pm

Yeah, it still seems like such a waste of money to open something cold. I mean, how many shows in recent memory have opened cold on B'way and been a great success? I mean, plays are smaller to manage so I'm sure the playwright takes a lot of time reading and re-reading the play and whatnot, but with a musical you have so many other elements with a lyricist, composer, and a book writer, it's probably better to see a full production. Although, Deuce makes me wonder how much time is actually spent pre-opening.

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 9:02pm

I believe that Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf tried out is Boston a couple of years ago.

[timote316]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 9:07pm

Yes, it did.

This season, Boston is seeing another pre-Broadway "tryout", this time of John Buchan's THE 39 STEPS, which will be given its American premiere at the Huntington Theater company (similar to RADIO GOLF last fall, only it had played elsewhere before).

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 9:39pm

I mean with "Radio Golf" I can understand since the playwright isn't around to do any changes, and with most revivals it wouldn't make sense either (although some musical revivals do out-of-town tryouts too). Did the recent La Cage revival try-out somewhere?

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 11:28pm

I would image an out of town tryout is also to test the waters (if you will) so that the show won't lose 16 million dollars like Pirate Queen. You know to see what works and what doesn't. and there isn't as much money put into producing/running most plays... and most plays being produced aren't up for changes (ie revivals of classics and new pieces that are pretty much the playwrights masterwork)...?


would that be plausible? I really don't know...

Updated On: 7/8/07 at 11:28 PM

[junkyard]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 9:26am

Many, if not most, plays that open on Broadway DO have out of town tryouts. Regional theatres, writers workshops, off Broadway and off off Broadway have replaced the traditional out of town cities of Philadelphia, Boston, and New Haven.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 10:36am

The biggest factor against them is expense. I have a feeling that the Chicago run of PIRATE QUEEN added a good 35% to their operating budget and put them in even a tighter bind when they came to NY. Factor in trucking expenses for shipping the physical production around (and remember, that's not just th sets and costumes but the lights and sound equipment as well), stagehand costs for teching in two theatres, cast accomodations in two cities -- it all adds up.

[thtrbear]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 1:41pm

By the way, if The 39 Steps doesn't get really good reviews in Boston with its reportedly unknown young American cast, i don't think it will make it to Broadway. I saw it in London and found it a cute,nice, mild property that was acted and produced really well. The critics there largely loved it but I don't expect the same here.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 1:43pm

I think it's because Out-of-Town tryouts are really expensive. I know High Fidelity's run at the Colonial was really expensive, and they didn't even make enough money to cover the costs while in Boston. It may have been one of the factors leading to it's ten day run.