Why no interest in PASSING STRANGE?

[FranklinShepardInc]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:17am

Something befuddles me. Why do so many people have no interest in seeing the youth-oriented rock musical PASSING STRANGE, yet these same people flocked to the youth-oriented rock musical SPRING AWAKENING?

Yes, the shows are different, but I'm talking about initial interest before seeing the show, without full knowledge of what it was, yet.

Both had extremely successful, critically acclaimed off-
Broadway runs, and initial positive word-of-mouth before transferring. Both push the genre of musical into new directions. Both feature a style of music fresh to the general Broadway audience. Both take bold new approaches to musical theatre storytelling.

Thoughts?

[leefowler]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:19am

Spring Awakening is about youth, and Passing Strange is about race and culture.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:20am

Poor marketing.

The SA folks got right on top of a smart new marketing campaign following its Off-Broadway run.

THE PS folks haven't done much to generate enough interest.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:22am

(because there aren't a bunch of cute moppets in the cast from which to extract "voluntaries?")

[thetheatrekook]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:28am

correct me if I'm wrong, but during previews didn't SA pull bad numbers? It wasn't until the reviews came out that it really caught fire...right?

Who says the same thing won't happen with Passing Strange?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:31am

To be honest, I didn't even realize PS was opening on Broadway...I thought it was opening Off-Broadway.

Their lack of marketing hasn't helped...which, as I remember, SA had a LOT of marketing going on

But even then, wasn't SA loosing popularity until the Tonys?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:41am

I'm plenty interested. Even moreso having seen it already.

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:43am

If it weren't for this site, I wouldn't have known anything about the show, and still sort of don't. I haven't seen any advertising for it, and with a title such as that, lack of advertising isn't going to help it's case.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:48am

Its a good show. I think you guys should see it! Its still on TDF and probbably on TKTS for 1/2 price..so take these advantages..

Its sad.. bec. there's not much buzz bec. it does not feature good looking young kids but the SCORE is more superior than SA. From the time that i have seen it.. I am probbably one of the most vocal person along with yankeefan here in support for this show.. Its very well written, very imaginative scenic design, rockin' score, great lyrics and very fine acting...

PLEASE GO SEE IT ..its the BEST NEW MUSICAL for me this season..(so far) We dont get this much musical anymore that's ORIGINAL & INNOVATIVE!

and I dont wanna hear anymore complains about Disneys, jukebox musicals, movies turn musicals..if you are not going to see PASSING STRANGE & IN THE HEIGHTS!

J*



Updated On: 2/20/08 at 11:48 AM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 11:53am

I've got no interest in it because until i saw the name being tossed around on here I had never even heard of it. I'm still not entirely sure what it is.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:00pm

If I just live in NYC.. I would see this show again and Sunday in the Park with George.. TWO BRILLIANT SHOW!!!


For those unfamiliar with the show. Eugene just did two features on the show:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25286

J*

Updated On: 2/20/08 at 12:00 PM

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:13pm

I second, JayStarr: This is the NEW, 21st century
Bway. Go see Passing Strange and pass the word. It's a phenomenon.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:19pm

I think it's appeal may be too esoteric, and it kind of came out of nowhere and now it's on Broadway? Plus the marketing(the random posters around the city) is not sparking my interest. Wah wah.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:21pm

For those unfamiliar with the music.. there's a FREE DEMO of 4 songs that you can download...

click here
https://www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com/

1. Go to Audio

2. Click Download on these individual songs:

Amsterdam
Arlington Hill
Come Down Now
Keys

-these songs sound really good live! Its an exhilarating experience to hear it performed live with the book, chreoraphy , lighting ..etc.. It really comes alive...

J*
Updated On: 2/20/08 at 12:21 PM

[BkCollector]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:21pm

Passing Strange has no interest for a lot of people because there are no white people in it.

They won't admit that of course, but it's the case nonetheless.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:24pm

I hope that's not the reason bec... this is TRULY AN AMERICAN MUSICAL!! considering Broadway is always been a new FRONTIER of ideas ....


J*

Updated On: 2/20/08 at 12:24 PM

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:32pm

I hope that the increasing munber of threads on this show mean that interest is generating.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:37pm

And I'll gladly shill it again.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 2:10pm

Something befuddles me. Why do so many people have no interest in seeing the youth-oriented rock musical PASSING STRANGE, yet these same people flocked to the youth-oriented rock musical SPRING AWAKENING?

Have you looked at the grosses for SA during previews? They wish they had PS numbers. As I said earlier, most of us doubted SA was even going to make it to opening night.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 2:18pm

These are the grosses for SA during previews (Nov-Dec 06) - as you can see they were barely making it, and it's a bigger show than PS.


$135,496 $0 $50.00 $110.00 2,710 5,450 5 49.7% 0.0% 0.0

$200,224 $135,496 $54.19 $201.25 3,695 8,720 8 42.4% 0.0% 42.4%

$199,827 $200,224 $51.24 $201.25 3,900 8,720 8 44.7% 42.4% 2.3%

$182,541 $199,827 $52.54 $201.25 3,474 8,720 8 39.8% 44.7% -4.9%

Updated On: 2/20/08 at 02:18 PM

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 2:18pm

oh, for the love of Christ, BKcollector! are you really going to turn this into a race issue? right, because no typically african american shows have ever been successful.

The ones that have been successful HAVE advertised, though. I can tell ya that. I can't say from the ads, because I haven't seen any in N.Y, but is the cast pictured on them?

gosh, it's a good thing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is doing well, maybe becuase they actually spent money on advertising.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 3:11pm

That's absolutely true, and while I'm not saying it's ENTIRELY based on racial issues, to say that racial issues don't enter into this at all is naive..and dare I say it - Even ignorant.

[FranklinShepardInc]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 5:08pm

bump... because this is very insightful

[perfectliar]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 7:18pm

I was originally planning on seeing it a couple weeks ago at the second preview, but I changed my mind because I listened to "Amsterdam" and didn't enjoy it. Plan and simple.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/20/08 at 7:21pm

They wish they had PS numbers.

- But PASSING STRANGE's grosses are worse so far than SA'S beginning grosses.