Why would a show open in mid-August?

I wonder if it gives the show a chance to catch the late summer-Labor Day crowds and help spread word of mouth, instead of waiting until the holiday season to start that boost in sales. And with so many musicals traditionally closing around Labor Day, they have a better chance of catching the stranded folks that still want to see a musical.

And hey, look at what opening in the summer did for Hairspray and Avenue Q!

We always complain every April about how many new shows are opening and how it's nearly impossible to get to them all. They always end up cannibalizing each other.

I'm all for shows opening at non-traditional times. Why not take all of the attention while you can? Mid-August is still close enough to the unofficial start of the theatre season.

Is it normal for a show to go on sale BEFORE the out of try out even happens?? I'm shocked that PRETTY WOMAN tickets are already on sale since it opens in CHICAGO months prior -- the whole release schedule for this is so bizarre ...

I guess they're banking on it being a hit? Weird since BRYAN ADAMS is the only real name here

Updated On: 12/16/17 at 09:34 AM

This seems like an appropriate time to mention the cardinal rule of theatre: there are no rules. I feel confident that this show could have found a theatre for a different opening, but slots are what you make of them. There are opportunities that come to shows that open in the summer that are not available in more crowded times. Of course, it is possible the show is being incompetently produced and will fail because of that, and it is of course possible it will be poorly received and close promptly because of that (as it would in any other time slot). But a strong show has no reason to be afraid of August.

HAIRSPRAY opened in mid-August 2002. The show generated so much word-of-mouth buzz that preview performances felt like Opening Night with the amount of celebrities attending them. The show's out-of-town tryout in Seattle was electric so Broadway was anxious for the show to arrive. So much so that the Original Broadway Cast Recording was done right after Seattle and available at the Neil Simon Theatre during the last few days of previews.

Dollypop said: "Did HAIRSPRAY play an extended preview period? I was still teaching when I saw it with a group of my colleagues. I would have guessed that was around the end of June. I remember it was definitely a preview performance. You're saying here that it opened in August. Hmmm...."

IBDB answers your question:


First Preview: Jul 18, 2002 Total Previews: 31
Opening Date: Aug 15, 2002

"I’m just like why bother with the CHICAGO out of town try out period... isn’t it pointless? "

When a show comes in cold, it gets lambasted. When it goes to Chicago first, it also gets grief? You just cant win around here.

Shows go out of town to see whats going on and to fix things before it is too late. If nothing else, a cold open precludes fixing a set in most cases (sometimes even lights), and that is sometimes a big deal.

All I meant was -- it's cutting it close, time wise! I guess they're confident...?

HogansHero said: ""I’m just like why bother with the CHICAGO out of town try out period... isn’t it pointless? "

When a show comes in cold, it gets lambasted. When it goes to Chicago first, it also gets grief? You just cant win around here.

Shows goout of town to see whats going on and to fix things before it is too late. If nothing else, a cold open precludes fixing a set in most cases (sometimes even lights), and that is sometimes a big deal."

When a show is good, it's good. The Book of Mormon had no out of town tryout and is one of the biggest hits of the decade. Meanwhile, did I hear that CAROUSEL is having a developmental lab? Jesus Christ.