Why was TMM canceled?

[SallyBrown]

Why was TMM canceled?#0

Posted: 12/20/04 at 10:02am

Hey, sorry if tihs was talked about before, but why was TMM canceled?

"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."

[Unknown User]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#1

Posted: 12/20/04 at 10:19am

I think it was because it was mostly just a toursit show, and it wasn't doing too well. I went the day of the show and got front row mezzanine seats. I think people just got bored of it after a while, and the box office suffered.

[SallyBrown]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#2

Posted: 12/20/04 at 10:21am

oh ok thanks!

"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."

[Gothampc]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#3

Posted: 12/20/04 at 10:25am

The show lost its appeal. I went when they did the Meredith Viera stunt casting and there were a lot of empty seats then. And Sutton and Harriet were still in the show.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

[millie_dillmount]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#4

Posted: 12/20/04 at 11:30am

Yeah, I guess ticket sales weren't doing that great. Plus, when Sutton left, that probably convinced a lot of people to not go see the show...not that Susan was terrible, no offense at all against her. It's just that Sutton was the big name of the show. It only lasted a few months after she left.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

[Dollypop]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#5

Posted: 12/20/04 at 11:59am

One may "cancel" at TV show, but a Broadway show "closes".

MILLIE was never a sell-out. It was always at TKTS and I guess it just ran its course. Producers can't keep a show open if it isn't breaking even at the box office.

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

[Jon]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#6

Posted: 12/20/04 at 12:04pm

The producers at least stand a chance of getting some of their investment back when every community theatre, college and high school starts doing the show.

[munkustrap178]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#7

Posted: 12/20/04 at 12:26pm

IT closed because it sucked.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

[eslgr8]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#8

Posted: 12/20/04 at 12:28pm

"The producers at least stand a chance of getting some of their investment back when every community theatre, college and high school starts doing the show."
Does this mean that 903 performances on Broadway is now considered a failure?

[Jimmcf]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#9

Posted: 12/20/04 at 12:34pm

When it does not pay back it's investment it it

My mother always used to say, "The older you get, the better you get, unless you're a banana." - Rose Nyland

[MargoChanning]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#10

Posted: 12/20/04 at 12:57pm

At the time of closing, the producers said that it had returned only 80% of its initial investment -- that makes it a flop, unfortunately. Perhaps the producers have or will make up the rest of the shortfall from the road tour.

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

[Dollypop]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#11

Posted: 12/20/04 at 1:27pm

Times have changed.

Remember the old Burns Mantle books that chose the "10 Best" shows of any given season? They listed long-running shows in the back of the book. At that time a "long run" was 500 performances. What is it now? 10,000 perfs?

Are those books still published?

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

[jjdude2000]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#12

Posted: 12/20/04 at 1:29pm

I agree. A solid, 2 year run on Bway shouldn't be considered a flop.

Grace: I just gave a quarter to a homeless man. I think it was Johnny Depp.

[BwayTheatre11]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#13

Posted: 12/20/04 at 1:31pm

LOL. Good question...why WAS it canceled? I did not know there was such thing.

CCM '10!

Updated On: 12/20/04 at 01:31 PM

[timote316]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#14

Posted: 12/20/04 at 1:59pm

$$$

[Plum]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#15

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:02pm

*sigh*

As much as it hurts, the strict definition of a flop is any show that didn't make back its investment. That doesn't make it a bad show, so please stop arguing with it. Something like 80% of shows are flops, I think, including many considered all-time classics. Profitable doesn't mean good, and vice-versa. Oy.

[MargoChanning]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#16

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:03pm

The word "Flop" is purely a business term coined by Variety decades ago and used to designate a show that did not return its investment -- it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the artistic merit of a production.

Some of the greatest and most important shows in the history of the theatre were flops ("Porgy and Bess," "Angels In America," "Waiting For Godot," all but two Sondheim musicals) -- that doesn't take anything away from their brilliance or influence one iota. Lots of truly groundbreaking stuff is years ahead of its time and fails to find an audience or achieve critical acceptance when first presented to the public -- that sometimes doesn't come until years later. That a show wasn't able to appeal to the lowest common denominator and be understood and embraced in one initial sitting, often isn't the fault of the work, but rather the fault the audience that was unable to comprehend its genius.

To me, calling something a "flop" has no negative artistic connotations whatsoever -- just the opposite.

"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie [http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/] "The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney

Updated On: 12/20/04 at 02:03 PM

[Justice]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#17

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:04pm

To make room for a better show

"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive. "Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot." "No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one." Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.

[Amy Archer]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#18

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:07pm

Thoroughly Modern Millie was "cancelled" because the acrid stench from the stage permeated the seats in the theatre and began to infiltrate the ventilation system of the Marriott Marquis, to the point that they were receiving complaints from hotel patrons.

[munkustrap178]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#19

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:08pm

Which they sure didn't get with LA CAGE...

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

[bronxboundexpress]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#20

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:10pm

I prefer the term "discontinued"

[skingdom]

re: Why was TMM canceled?#21

Posted: 12/20/04 at 2:14pm

Because of your mom!