Why is Priscilla not doing better business?- Page 7

[goldenboy]

Posted: 5/24/11 at 4:46pm

Was over 1 million this week.
Word of mouth will keep this show open a long time.
Just a thought.
I enjoyed Priscilla.

[timote316]

Posted: 5/24/11 at 5:34pm

I enjoyed the show quite a bit. Not the best night of pure theatre around, but hard to argue that it isn't one of the most fun.

And for what it's worth, I was told my balcony seat was the best available for Monday night, and it was probably about 75-80% full up there. A bit rowdy, but pretty full.

[Jackson Heights]

Posted: 5/24/11 at 5:35pm

If you read the thread youbwill see thst no one is arguing if it is a good show or not.

[crewdude]

Posted: 5/24/11 at 8:48pm

Because it sucks.

It's bright colorful funny costumes and songs you already know and so many confetti guns you lose count.The show is fine for tourists - meaning mostly non-english speaking and the ones that "have to see some musical before I go home to the other hicks".

It should be cut down to 90 minutes and be in a Vegas casino.

I like my evenings of fluff theatre, but there are limits to what fluff should be on Broadway. Send it to Vegas and reap in tons from tourists for at least 2 years if it's marketed right. Meanwhile the palace will be looking for a new tenant for the holidays.

[theatremom5]

Posted: 5/24/11 at 9:06pm

crewdude, is it that you're mean or that you're miserable? It's just a fun show - no more no less.
Updated On: 5/24/11 at 09:06 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/25/11 at 3:30pm

I like my evenings of fluff theatre, but there are limits to what fluff should be on Broadway.

No, there aren't any limits at all. Never has been and never should be. If Broadway had "fluff limits", it never would have gotten out of the early twentieth century operettas and cotton-candy romantic comedies of the 20s and 30s. Bring on the fluff and let the audience choose what they wish to see. Just like every other show on Broadway.

[NYTheatre01]

Posted: 5/25/11 at 4:19pm

I have seen Priscilla three times. Each time was more fun than the last! This is why this show will be so successful!

I want to have fun at the theater, and this is the most fun I have ever had on Broadway! Word of mouth will keep Priscilla at the Palace and successful for a very long time.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/25/11 at 4:27pm

Each man defines "fun" his own way.

Personally, I don't define "fun" as a colorful parade of costumes, a set of famous songs performed far less well than the original versions, and a story so clichéd you don't need to pay attention (or even speak a word of English). I look for more than that.

But if that's what you like, that's what you like. I can't imagine why anyone would spend $80-150 on that (when you could watch the better movie for almost free), but people pay for all sorts of things.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/25/11 at 5:03pm

It's bright colorful funny costumes and songs you already know and so many confetti guns you lose count.

You mean the confetti guns in 'Go West' and only 'Go West'?

[DAME]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 10:17am

Ok. I slightly edited the title of the thread so that we can go back to a real discussion when the numbers come out today.

[theaternut]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 4:34pm

63.13% gross potential.

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 5:17pm

I'm with newinown on this one.

For all you folks here that Luuuuuuuuuuuv Priscilla, great, I'm so glad the show appeals to you; but I truly don't understand all this hand-wringing anxiety about the less-than-sellout grosses.

Face it, it will NEVER be a “hot” ticket. Why? Perhaps because there's nothing that's original or fresh about the show. It uses the most worn-out disco songs, recycles plot, character, and costumes from the original film (which was truly original) and presents it all in the most over-the-top, desperate style possible.

You love it? Fine. Any and all producers love repeat business and the shows fans will help keep it afloat, but there will probably never be any sort of “Priscilla-mania,” if that's what you're hoping for. Won't happen. "Pure fluff" is a tough sell at $100 or more.

[henryt]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 8:33pm

^^ I can't necessarily say I agree with you on that. Pure fluff may not cut it for the average BWW poster, but it does for the average casual theatregoer. Everyone I've spoken to who could be called a "casual theatregoer" (seeing around 2-6 shows a year), has absolutely loved it. I know that the Mamma Mia comparisons have been made ad nauseum, but wasn't Mamma Mia considered a hot ticket and isn't it generally agreed that Mamma Mia is pure fluff?

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 8:45pm

Another weekend above $900,000.

There's no doubt about it, regardless of what we think the show costs, it's making money, which it will continue to make more of as the summer season begins in the coming weeks. I think it'll do fairly well over the summer, and then a lot will depend on advance/word of mouth buzz to determine its fate afterwards.

So, it's doing perfectly well. No, it's not the smash hit that apparently some here were predicting a la Book of Mormon. I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out why anyone thought it'd be a tough ticket/a near sell-out. It has a high average ticket price, so there aren't many big causes for concern. Plus, it's in the Palace, a HUGE theatre. If it was in a smaller theatre, like Eugene O'Neill, for instance, notice that it'd be at 100% each week and would be a tough ticket just like BOM.

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 8:53pm

henryt, what I'm saying is that "fluff" (in reference to a few posts that preceded mine) especially at today's prices, is hard to sell out. And as numerous people keep pointing out, Priscilla is doing quite respectable business in the Palace theater. I simply don't see why people are so concerned. I think the level of business it is doing is appropriate, hell even impressive, when you consider the kind of borderline-musical that it essentially is (and by that I mean one devoid of an original score).

[Steve2]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 9:00pm

I saw Priscilla last night and the Palace looked full and the crowd very very enthusiastic. Granted not too many shows were playing on a Monday.
Positive word of mouth and perhaps the Tony performance (depending on what they select) should keep filling seats for a while (I hope!).

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 9:01pm

If I were to compare Priscilla to Mamma Mia! it would be that if we are to agree on the type of audience that is generally attracted to hyper-production shows like Priscilla, or ones where the songs are uber-familiar (both shows) then unless Tony Sheldon wins the Tony, most general audiences don't and won't give a hoot what actors are playing the three male leads -- no more than they care about what three women are appearing in Mamma Mia! at any given moment. In this way, I think the two shows are quite similar.



Updated On: 5/31/11 at 09:01 PM

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 9:04pm

Steve - since Priscilla isn't nominated for best musical -- I'm pretty sure it won't be performing at the Tony's. With only two nominations (and in all likelihood, at most 1 win), it will generate very little Tony buzz, if any. Instead, it will have to rely on summer tourism dollars and word of mouth, which it will have enough of to have a nice summer run, if not more than that.

[alterego]

Posted: 5/31/11 at 9:28pm

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that BOOK OF MORMON will run out of steam way before PRISCILLA. PRISCILLA wherever it plays always seems to find its audience and while never really selling out does good solid business. I think that MORMAN will peak shortly and then business will slide leaving a lot of people asking "What happened?"
Updated On: 6/7/11 at 09:28 PM

[AlwaysTheAssistantMD]

Posted: 6/1/11 at 12:17am

alterego: At least get the spelling of the title of the show correct: THE BOOK OF MORMON. Not MORMAN. Although, if there is a show titled THE BOOK OF MORMAN, then I guess it already has run out of steam.

As for PRISCILLA - The pre-opening advance sales were very much on the "modest" side. However, the word-of-mouth and same day ticket (at the box office and TKTS) sales seem to be pretty good. If you read the article in The Times about how the producers made the Broadway version of the show less in-your-face gay, that should answer some questions about the box office figures.

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/theater/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-gets-broadway-makeover.html

*As for this past weekend's figures: remember, it was a holiday weekend. Lots of tourists in town. Almost everyone had a nice bump in business.
Updated On: 6/1/11 at 12:17 AM

[DAME]

Posted: 6/1/11 at 4:24pm

Just curious as to how you know what sales are coming from tkts?

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 1:10pm

I saw the show in previews and wasn't thrilled with it. What I will give them is that they sang the hell out of most of the songs. I would buy the cast recording, at some point. And If I were forced to make a decision between seeing it or Mama Mia, I would see Priscilla, but thankfully I don't see me having to make that decision and probably won't see either of them ever again. JMO

[DAME]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 1:26pm

So weird.. I had removed the title of this thread because it had gotten so negative and so way off course of to the discussion I wanted to have. But.. here it is.. just popped up again. Uncaged.. how did you do that? Oh well.. guess it is here to stay.

Updated On: 6/2/11 at 01:26 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 1:45pm

I just clicked on Reply in the post before mine.

I guess I will go on to say that I can see how a lot of people will enjoy this show. The costumes are great and the song selection is good. Those are the positive things I found in the show.

[DAME]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 3:52pm

And because of those two things among many others.. wouldn't you think it would be a easier sell for the tourists?