Why did Tuck Everlasting bomb so bad?

I never had the chance to see the Broadway production. However, I just saw a local production of the show. Our local productions are usually done very well. I went back and watched Tuck Everlasting’s show clips, and I believe our local production stays true to the broadway show.

While I don’t believe there was any memorable songs, I thought the show was very moving. It felt that most of the audience walking out was teary eyed.

Certainly the show wasn’t a blockbuster, but I am shocked it didn’t last as long as Anastasia or similar shows.

Why did it fail so bad? I am surprised it didn’t even tour.

Updated On: 6/24/18 at 06:29 PM

It was really just NOT good. At all.

bwayphreak234 said: "It was really just NOT good. At all."

Precisely so. Hamilton had nothing to do with it.

Well I for one really loved it. It was easily among my favorite new musicals to play Broadway in the last few years. I thought it was beautifully staged, well-performed, and emotionally resonant. I cried buckets during the ballet sequence at the end. I found a lot of the music to be really lovely, and I was especially impressed with the lyrics, which I found deep, insightful and clever. The comic relief was silly but I actually found myself laughing quite a bit during the scenes with Fred Applegate and the grandmother.

The romance/age thing was definitely cringy, but that was straight out of the source material. And I think the fact that choosing to be with Jessie is portrayed as the wrong path for her helps a little.

VintageSnarker said: "
Is it better to be a Doctor Zhivago or Tuck Everlasting and pack up early? Or is it better to be an Escape From Margaritaville or Spongebob Squarepants and hang on in spite of low grosses?"

Tuck Everlasting only got above $400,000 once in its run and it was its last week even a five year old can tell that's bad. I think the producers were smart with their money and just cut their losses or the Shubert's in-acted the stop clause.

when i saw the show, i just wasn't engaged by it. i didn't really care about the characters and found the young tuck's relationship with winnie a bit odd. unlike others, i didn't feel there was anything sexual between them, but it was definitely stalkerish.

and the 15 minute ballet of winnie's life at the end of the show didn't mesh with the rest of the show.

dramamama611 said: "I found it eye roll inducing."

ditto.

Dallas Theatre Fan said: "Tuck Everlasting only got above $400,000 once in its run and it was its last week even a five year old can tell that's bad. I think the producers were smart with their money and just cut their losses or the Shubert's in-acted the stop clause."

They would not have enacted the stop-clause unless they had a show ready to go in but the producers wanted to keep their show running, even if at a loss (looking at you, Spongebob). I believe Matilda was the last show for which the Shuberts enacted the stop-clause (or so the rumor goes).

It was a weak show in a season of pretty good musicals. Bright Star, Waitress, Hamilton, The Color Purple and She Loves Me were all definitely stronger. Some would argue others (American Pyscho, Shuffle Along) were also stronger.

At the end of the day, it's because it didn't sell tickets. People didn't like it.