Why did "Brooklyn the Musical" close?

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Why did "Brooklyn the Musical" close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:27am

"Brooklyn the Musical," in my opinion, was brilliant, touching the youth of today's world. Why it didn't have a longer run, or wasn't advertised enough, is beyond me! Hopefully, the writer will open again? I thought it would benefit Junior High and High School Students and was very entertaining for all.
Sad that this didn't have a longer run!

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:29am

I saw it. While most of the cast was excellent and the show did have some very good songs, the whole book was just bizarre and the design was not great.

http://www.beintheheights.com/katnicole1 (Please click and help me win!) I chose, and my world was shaken- So what?
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda "And when Idina Menzel is singing, I'm always slightly worried that her teeth are going to jump out of her mouth and chase me." - Schmerg_the_Impaler

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:30am

I think maybe it was a little ahead of its time. Like most of Sondheim's work.

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:32am

First of all welcome to BroadwayWorld.

Second, it closed (on my birthday, June26, the same day that the La Cage revival and The Producers tour closed) because, honestly, it was quite a trainwreck of a show. I don't know your knowledge or background in Musical Theatre, but in comparison to the overall oeuvre of the genre, it was around where I would rank Lestat or The Pirate Queen.

ETA: And for perspective...I would not rank Lestat nor The Pirate Queen very high...despite having odd soft spots for them.

-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/

Updated On: 2/17/08 at 01:32 AM

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:33am

Why did "Brooklyn the Musical" close?

Because it's godawful! Ouch.

"I seem to have wandered into the BRAIN load-out thread... "
-best12bars

"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
-skibumb5290

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:35am

Because it sucked?

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:38am

Wow I've forgotten about this show.

I never saw it, but I've heard a mix of opinions on this one. For one, most people seemed to enjoy the cast; however, apparently the plot was bland, the songs were forgettable (I didn't enjoy the CD much...probably had to be at the show to appreciate them) and the costumes were garbage (literally). It just didn't attract enough attention and didn't get good word of mouth.

As for the costumes, some people thought it was a clever creative choice while others thought the concept was absolutely ridiculous.

On top of it, Brooklyn was drowned out by other more popular shows playing at the time. It probably would've done better if it opened off-Broadway and played at a smaller theater. Did it do that prior to opening? I can't remember.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:42am

I had to see this show on New Year's Eve 2004 because I wanted to see a b-way show on new year's eve and for some reason I didn't buy tickets til New Year's eve Day. I had to pay 100.00 for the ticket, and 45th St was blocked off due to the Times Sq revelers. The police were searching everyone at 8th Av, and it was taking forever. A producer from Brooklyn came to the corner of 8th Av and 45th st at about 7:55pm and asked if anyone had tickets to Bklyn and me and my friend and a few other people held up our tickets, and he moved the police barricade out of the way for us. An officer pushed the producer back and said "I told you, if you do that one more time I'm gonna arrest you" And the guy was like "its ok! i'm a producer for Brooklyn! I gotta let these people in!" And the officer just gave him a glare and he walked back to the theater. We finally got through the barricade after showing out tickets and our IDs. They started the show about 20 minutes late because of all the ruckus.

The show was TERRIBLE. I had such high hopes. They mailed a free CD to me before the show came out with some of the songs. I really thought it would be the new RENT. I expected to LOVE the show. But, the cast was uneven, the sets were dull, the plot was dull (they pretty much just stood around in front of an Avenue Q-style set and sang random, unrelated songs for 2 hours) And I know the lead actress has gone on to bigger and better things, but the whole show I thought she screamed more than she sang. Very disappointed.

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:42am

Updated On: 2/17/08 at 01:42 AM

#10

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:41am

Updated On: 2/17/08 at 01:41 AM

#11

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:42am

On top of it, Brooklyn was drowned out by other more popular shows playing at the time.

Yeah, it's called being on Broadway, that's kinda how it works...only thing is that other more popular shows are never responsible for shows that would close anyway

because

they

suck

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#12

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:50am

Exactly. If it were a decent show it would have BECOME one of the "popular" musicals.

-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/

#13

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:53am

It had some pretty decent music, and the performers were good, but the show itself was a mess. I still like the music, but the show ITSELF was just awful. I'm a fan of the music, not the show.

"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.

#14

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 1:57am

Better question is, why did BROOKLYN open?
It probably shoulda gone to an off-Broadway house.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#15

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:00am

I can remember seeing BROOKLYN when it was playing.
My best friend's parents treated me. I was seated somewhere in the mezzanine, from what I can remember. The view, for me, was pretty good (all things considered), and I can remember enjoying some of the performances, taking to A LOT of the music (just because, I guess). The icing on the cake was meeting the fellow who penned the book and lyrics - unfortunately, at the current time, it being 2:00am, the memory's kinda fuzzy. But yeah, it was a good experience. I still have the sampler CD that was sent-out to a slew of us theatre folks. I'm in the 'Should've played (and been tweaked) Off-B'way first' camp for the same reasons given above this post.

#16

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:39am

Better question is, why did BROOKLYN open?

Ha! perfect ray.

It was truly an awful awful show.

....but the world goes 'round

#17

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 5:51am

It desereved more then it got.

"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999

#18

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 5:55am

Yup.

It deserved a much earlier boot

BECAUSE

IT

SUCKED.

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#19

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 5:59am

Hey, I thought it was cute that it closed on my BDay.

Xanadu was originally slated to open on my BDay.

-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/

#20

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 6:04am

blaxx, you are a legend. LOL

#21

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 6:35am

Suck

Great...now I am a legend. Wow becoming a legend is becoming pathetically simple.

"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999

#22

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 8:05am

I remember going to see the show, and then wanting to get up and leave, but of course there was no intermission and I was sitting in the center section and didn't want to get up and disturb everyone. So I made it through what I thought was one of the hardest musicals to sit through. It was so loud and I didn't care for any of the characters, so by the time the show ended I had a lovely headache. I don't even recall a single song from the show.

"Love the Art in Yourself. Not Yourself in the Art." -- Stanislavski

#23

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 8:14am

Blaxx stole my answer.

I remember seeing the concert in Bryant Park and thinking that it could be the next big thing.

Then I saw the show.

Man did that suck.

#24

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 10:14am

Personally, I did NOT think it sucked. I thought the trash costumes were cool. I thought the songs were great. But, yeah, the book and plot are pretty darn cheesy.

Personally, I think not opening Off-Broadway first was one of their biggest mistakes.

Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you. --Cartman: South Park ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."

#25

re: Why did 'Brooklyn the Musical' close?

Posted: 2/17/08 at 10:42am

It closed because Brooklyn, the borough, threatened to sue for defamation of character.

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

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