Why is Priscilla not doing better business?- Page 8

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 1:39am

DAME, I think the only reason that it's not slaying the box office is that it has little to no name recognition for tourists.

"Mamma Mia!" has "ABBA" on its posters. You can list the songs in "Priscilla" on a poster, but simplicity is important in marketing. Thusly, it's tough to show tourists that they're going to have a great time unless they hear good word of mouth prior to the fact.

Really, by the reasoning above, there's no reason "Baby It's You" shouldn't be slaying the box office either. Both are geared toward fun and are jam-packed with recognizable, great songs. And even then, it seems to me that piece of tripe would have an easier time marketing its material than "Priscilla". All a tourist needs to see is "the Shirelles".

Nonetheless, if it keeps doing well, that'll be enough word of mouth to keep it going. and a Tony performance will REALLY help.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 12:53pm

I saw this in London about 3 weeks ago, and felt it was overdone. Now I hate that word, but what it fits. It seemed forced, like they were trying to get a specific reaction from me, rather than the reaction I wanted to give. Not sure that makes sense, but it's the closest I can come to describing it.
When I see a show, I want to become immersed in it, to the point where I feel I am not in an audience, but rather am part of it as a watcher....but this was never like that, as truly I knew I was watching a musical, and was never one with it.
When we got back home, I watched the movie, and truly appreciate it more than the play...I could get lost in it....and didn't feel like they were simply actors playing a part as I did with the musical.
I too wish I had seen something else....
I do love how the three divas would sing, and the three main roles lip-synched their singing, that was fantastic.

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 10:28am

How long before their is a company playing at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas?

[paradox_error]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 3:27pm

I personally think it won't take long for Priscilla to find it's audience - oddly enough in Australia that was mostly middle-aged women. And while I understand that it's not a show for everyone, I'm surprised people are being so vitriolic. I saw it 4 or 5 times in Australia, and I think it is well written, bitingly funny and poignant. Perhaps they did tone it down for NYC, which would be a real shame, because I think it was just right the way it was.

And I think being the 6th-highest-grossing show on Broadway right now is awesome, and not a bad success for the little Australian show that could.

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:12pm

52.55% gross potential this week. Uch. Not good.

Anyone catch Seth Rudesky bitching about the show on the radio today?

[newintown]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:17pm

What did he say? (As noted before, I found it disappointing.)

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:19pm

He mentioned the controversy with the musicians and the canned music. But the undertone was extra bitchy. Also refered to the types of musicals that belong on broadway.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:38pm

The music is (to a musician's ear, at least) very heavily canned - a real low for Broadway music.

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:45pm

I didn't mind it because that is the way ( to me) that disco music sounds.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 4:56pm

Sister Act recreates that disco sound with live musicians in a much better way (to my ear).

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 5:51pm

As a huge fan of the original film, I was initially excited to learn it was going to become a stage musical. Once I found out what it really was though, I completely lost interest. I would not buy a ticket for Priscilla.

Those of us that have negative feelings about the production, do so for two reasons: 1) the show itself and how it was put together; and perhaps more importantly, 2) for the disturbing trend it might be fostering with canned music, and basically recycled everything.

It's fundamentally saying, just secure the rights to a film, use the origina costume designs from the film, and stir in a dozen well-worn pop (in this case disco) songs to make the audience feel comfortable, and them encourage them to sing-along! That's not a Broadway musical by many people's standards, but indeed some sort of interactive gay-family-friendly theme park entertainment. ugh.

[evic]

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

Maybe it would do better if Lady Bunny were in it.....like Mamma Mia, it was overly praised by the critics for reasons I fail to understand. Maybe a PC thing. It's an over produced drag show that is mildly entertaining. It will do well during gay pride week, and then die a natural death taking all the glitter with it.

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/6/11 at 6:58pm

Sister Act is a original score. And also sounded fine. But for me..the songs in Priscilla.. for many reasons could sound a little canned. If anything it added to the Lip Sync feel. I was happy with the music in Pricilla and did not notice anything missing. ..

Perhaps some future stunt casting can give it a fun run?
Updated On: 6/6/11 at 06:58 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:59am

Seth Rudesky bitches a lot about shows he has no involvement with.

[DAME]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 9:59am

He sure does. And he is wrong a lot.

[spike3]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 10:11am

perhaps the whole idea of drag queens has lost its appeal to the tourists. Also as stated above, the title does not have a familiar ring to the general audience,if they are not aware of the film, they aint aware of the show. Also,for the general public, no stars.
As for Baby its You,they dropped the whole Shirelles thing for the most part.It is now being marketed as "The Golden Oldies Musical". A very shrewd and smart move on their part.

[DAME]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 2:19am

I don't think that Tony number will help much.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:58am

^I was thinking the same thing. For the most part, the sound in the musical numbers was very good....that was until the Priscilla number. Though Memphis had sound balance issues as well.

Updated On: 6/13/11 at 06:58 AM

[DAME]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 10:41am

I will say this.. it looks like Martha Wash has lost a few pounds.. so good for her.

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 10:53am

That number should have been so good.. and yet was so bland.

[NeoNormal]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:08pm

The grosses just came out...

Priscilla made $736,584 at 59.1% capacity.

Uh oh.

Plus, that Tony number didn't help much with the whole "It's not just for gays anymore.'

Coming from someone in the LGBT community, that was quite possibly the gayest number of the night.

[Q]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 6:11pm

"it looks like Martha Wash has lost a few pounds"

Those were the first words out of my mouth when she appeared.

[mee.who]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 7:44pm

Definitely the gayest number of the night. On the other hand, Priscilla already tried the 'less gay' route with their advertising and look how much everyone loved that...

I agree that their Tony number wasn't the greatest choice though. They might have benefited from something that involved the leads doing more than 5 seconds of choreography while lost in a sea of costumes. Ah well!

[theaternut]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 8:07pm

Just can't see it surviving winter.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/13/11 at 11:06pm

Do we really have to do this every week? The show's days are obviously numbered.