Why did Grey Garden's close?- Page 4

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:30am

Okay, here's an old post of mine in which I went into detail about how the marketing didn't work.

"Well, the reason it took me so long to see it was the premise and video clips. Who would think that a musical about a relative of a first lady would be interesting? Also, the "promotional" clips, all of which were "Revolutionary Costume", were not impressive at all out of context. When I saw the Tony performance, I said to myself "Why would I want to listen to that voice for two hours? Why is she being heralded as a great singer?" I feel that if they used "Will You", "Around The World", or "Another Winter", the show would have gotten more of an audience. Also, the advertisements on the fronts of buses were IMO totally wasteful, as nobody looking at it would know it's a musical. The ads made it seem like a TV show or movie, and gave the pedestrian absolutely no clue as to what it was about. Again, my remedy to that would have been for the ad to say something like "Have you ever wondered what it is like to go from riches to rags? Than see the Award- winning new musical, Grey Gardens!" And instead of putting an ad on almost every single bus, thay could have had a TV commercial, with "Drift Away" and another song accompanied by a montage of beautiful, emotional images from the show, and a slogan like "Drift Away to the land of Grey Gardens!" That, combined with the bus ads, would make your average theatregoer want to see the show."

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 2:23pm

"Had that banal piece of crap called Spring Awakening either stayed Off-Broadway or failed miserably, Grey Gardens would still be running."

Spring Awakening had nothing to do with Grey Gardens closing. Even if Spring Awakening didn't exist, Grey Gardens would still be in the same situation. Hey, even if it DID get the Best Musical win, it would've probably still closed the day it did. Winning the "Best Musical" title doesn't guarantee a long and successful run.

"The thing about taste is, everyone has their own unique flavor. Just because I dislike something that you enjoy doesn't mean I dont have taste, it just means we have different tastes."

"This is why it is so hard to voice opinions on this forum....because if you are in the minority about something then you are automatically labeled "stupid", "tasteless", "tourist", "what's wrong with society". If something is not my cup of tea, it does not make me any of these. Its kind of sick that the people who are into the arts who claim to be so cultured, can't accept people for who they are and what they do and do not like. To each his own, people, to each his own."

I have to side with Mouses Magic here. Not everyone likes Grey Gardens! I never saw it, so I can't state an opinion on it, but why is it if someone is in the minority, people have to snap at them as if their opinion is "wrong"? Mouses Magic - I'll say it politely...perhaps you might want to give a little back up as to why you thought it was boring. Was the book too slow for you? Did you not like the music? What was it about the show?

"Mouses Magic, you did the wrong thing by replying negatively on a thread without supporting your statement. Everyone else here stated why they loved or hated the show, and also with personal interests aside, gave what they thought the politics were for the show's closing."

So, why isn't everyone ganging up on jv92 for calling Spring Awakening a "banal piece of crap" and wishing that it failed miserably without supporting his (or her?) opinion?

Updated On: 8/10/07 at 02:23 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 2:42pm

Grey Gardens did not get mixed reviews--at least not among the prominent reviewers. In fact, it got raves among the prominent reviewers. In any event, of the new musicals of last season, it got the best reviews second only to Spring Awakening's.

The fact is--there are a myriad of reasons why this show closed when it did. There is a lot of gossip (which I will not address) but I'd like to think we can let this glorious show live on in a positive manner. It will have a life after Broadway, whether that is more productions of this production or new productions around the world in regional theatres.

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 2:52pm

Some one help me here, because I must have missed something. I walked out of the theater after seeing this show, and I was ready to jump in front of a subway train.

I mean, the subject matter of Les Mis is dark, depressing, and oppressive, but you still walk out of that theater humming one of the many memorable tunes from the show. Did anyone walk out of Grey Gardens humming about how Jerry likes my corn, I ask?

Maybe I am just not a cat person.

[artscallion]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:06pm

Not everyone sees humming memorable tunes as the necessary qualifier of good theatre.

BTW Stewpot, you have camel toe.

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:10pm

How about as a qualifier for good musical theater?

Eyes up here, buddy.

[artscallion]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:23pm

Sorry, like a moth to a flame...

Anyway, I'll give you musical comedy, but not musical theatre. There is a subsection of modern musical (Passion, Floyd Collins, Grey Gardens, others) that does not aspire to hummability. Yet they are all highly regarded works.

Updated On: 8/10/07 at 03:23 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:29pm

I don't think the ability to hum the songs is a good measure for how good a piece is.

Otherwise, how would Sondheim be known as such a master?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:34pm

I guess it's just me, but I found many songs in Grey Gardens hummable, as well as Sondheim. I think that "Five-Fifteen", "Peas in a Pod", "Will You", "The House We Live In" and "Around the World" are totally hummable, memorable melodies. I guess that's just me.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:40pm

I actually had "The Five-Fifteen" in my head one time being sung by Ethel Merman.

/OT

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:44pm

Okay, maybe the humming reference was a little too literal. I'm just saying I didn't have that happy little feeling when I left the show.

And later I felt so guilty for enjoying my dinner at Sardis, thinking of others reduced to eating MeowMix. (just kidding, have never been to Sardis).

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:44pm

So? Not every show has to leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:50pm

Yep, which is probably the reason it wasn't my favorite show.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 4:22pm

I can hum Jerry Likes My Corn. Maybe just I'm smarter than you.

Les Miz leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling...? Maybe you aren't paying attention! After all, those insistently repeated melodies do start to overwhelm after the first two hours.

Don't get me wrong, Grey Gardens the show left me cold (although I adore Grey Gardens the cast recording)... but I can hum it, and I do all the time! Not as often as I hum Passion though. I get "Happiness" stuck in my head. Also the main motif...

[Bubba2]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 4:35pm

The producers got together and said "no one is humming when they leave, let's close."

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 4:43pm

Yes, maybe like Jerry I'm a little slow, and don't pay attention.

Les Mis is still running, even though though the insistently repeated melodies are apparently overwhelming. But that doesn't explain why Grey Gardens closed.

Grey Gardens was interesting to see once, but I am guessing there was very little repeat viewers, or tourists going home saying "you have to see this show!" to their friends.

What is your guess as to why it closed?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 6:33pm

Of course Les Mis leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Though 90% of the cast dies, the message that is belted out to the audience is about overcoming obstacles and realizing the greatest gift in life is love, not wealth and comfort. And that's comforting.

Grey Gardens doesn't project to the audience any kind of message like that. It shows the audience the harsh reality of life. Not everyone gets their dream, not everyone is in the situation they wish they were, and this is what Les Mis doesn't cover, not everyone is able to lift their head high and smile about it all. This doesn't make you any less smart if you prefer one to the other. But there's a reason why one show takes you out on a high and one doesn't.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 6:33pm

Lack of paying customers

[jv92]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 7:39pm

"So, why isn't everyone ganging up on jv92 for calling Spring Awakening a "banal piece of crap" and wishing that it failed miserably without supporting his (or her?) opinion?"

I have expressed my problems with Spring Awakenining in the past. Do I need to again?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 8:25pm

I enjoyed SA more than GG but was glad I saw both

It did not deserve a choregraphy win however. It was a shame K/E could not win it for Curtains but that's life

[jv92]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:40pm

It shouldn't have won choreography. Ashford did great work on Curtains. Spring Awakening absolutely positively deserved direction though. Mayer SAVED that show in my opinion. I thought Greif did a crisper job with Grey Gardens, but I was not upset Mayer won.

[Sleeth1]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 3:26am

"As brilliant as it was, no one wanted to see it".

Apparently the same thing happened to TARZAN. It was a touching play about mankind... and all of us finding our "place" in this world. TARZAN had SOME awesome sets, but alas, not enough. Those who enjoyed the sensitivity of the whole meaning of the piece were in the minority. It closed. It's gone.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 3:30am

I don't think you can compare Tarzan to Grey Gardens. GG opened to good reviews, with raves for the stars, and won 3 Tonys (and was nominated for 7 more). Tarzan opened to awful reviews, and only got one Tony nom.

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 5:27am

Like others have said, Spring Awakening did not cause the downfall of Grey Gardens. It would have closed around this time anyway even if it had won best musical. The two shows also have different target audiences, so Spring Awakening did not steal a significant amount of potential sales from Grey Gardens. Imagine 14 year old girls bringing corn to Matt Cavenaugh at the stagedoor while screaming, "I HOPE YOU LIKE MY CORN!!!1"

Updated On: 8/11/07 at 05:27 AM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 5:30am

Oh my god Jellylorum, that is hilarious!