YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN - A big flop — Page 2

I hope the tour does good, I just wonder who the cast will be

You know, I have friends who absolutely love this show.

Just puttin' it out there.

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I don't hate Mel Brooks at all. He's a comedy legend and has done some great stuff. He just made a big mistake.

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Hold on here.

YF didn’t close because it was bad (a lot of bad shows have run for years) nor because of the overpriced premium seats. It just wasn't selling even at regular prices. When you can walk up to the box office and purchase great seats for Saturday night show a few months after the opening it's sure sign the show isn't selling all that well.

The reason they refused to publish the grosses is because of the flexible ticket pricing. IF the show had been a hit a larger crop of the regular seats would have been bumped up to the premium level. In fact it was just the opposite and many premium priced seats were reduced to regular price...and they still weren't selling.

My theory is that this show seemed like too much of a clone of THE PRODUCERS formula and came too soon after it. PRODUCERS overstayed its welcome on Broadway, and released a highly touted film that tanked. In six years Brooks went from being the hottest thing on Broadway to cold potatoes.

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Actually, I DO believe that the obnoxious rate for his premium seats DID hurt the chances of Young Frankenstein's success. I am another patron that was actually offended at Mel's audacity. I know of MANY other theater folks that felt the same way.

The jump in prices for Billy Elliot affected me as well. I had the opportunity to see it in previews, but in all good consciencness would not spend almost $140 a seat. Did I regret it? Yes. I did see it, after hearing that that the 41.50 seats were a great view. Will I see it again? Not at full price.

However, I NEVER felt like I 'missed' anything NOT seeing YF.

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I gave the show a chance with the $26.50 lottery seats. And I still hated it and felt overcharged.

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On the other hand many of the closing shows have recouped and earned significant profits: HARIRSPRAY, SPAMALOT, BOEING BOEING, and the revival of GREASE.

The revival of GREASE did NOT recoup.

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I knew that after the Hosannas for The Producers, the critics would rip Brooks' next show. I was right.

It is a shame as the show was very entertaining. With the animosity just waiting for him, Brooks shot himself in the foot with the money grab (premium seating) . This fueled the critics ire, I believe along with keeping people away.

If Brooks tries again, hopefully he will not make the same mistakes again.

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Updated On: 1/5/09 at 06:29 PM

mincko88, If I read a stupider comment today I will slice off my hand. WE didn't close the show. Some of us DID like it. And there is no F-cking way this is the best musical comedy of all time. Do a survey and you tell me how many people agree with you.

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I was the one to break the news on the outrageous ticket prices and i also said the show would fail based upon that issue alone ....I was right and many here called me all kinds of names

I don't understand: 'giving a show a chance'. If, for whatever reason, a show doesn't appeal to me, I am not going to see it. To consider myself a patron of the arts does not require me to see every show just to see if I MIGHT like it.

I bring my HS kids to the city every year for a theatrical weekend and since THEY pay for it, they select the shows. Sometimes they chose shows I'd rather not see. Have I been pleasantly surpised by some of those shows? Ceretainly, Titanic and Tommy spring to mind. But just as often, I sat there needing to remind myself that I was working and had to force myself to stay.

To suggest we need to give something "a try" is like telling a me to keep trying cigarettes...because once you get use to it, it's not so bad. If I don't want to, THATS a good enough reason not to see a show.

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"I knew that after the Hosannas for The Producers, the critics would rip Brooks' next show. I was right."

It's interesting how you talk out of both sides of your mouth on issues like this, Roxy, but then, that's what you do. The fact is, you yammer on and on about the outrageous prices that greedy producers will charge (I recall you calling Brooks greedy for the return of Matthew and Nathan era Producers, as well) and how it's going to be the complete and total death of Broadway.

Then you run out and are among the first to pay full price to YF. The fact is you actually LIVE to see shows that critics rip on and you spend 1/3 of your time saying critics have too much power and yet defend the garbage and call always find something you like about it and somehow we're supposed to think that's the opinion of a real person and not some elitist critic. Of course, then and only then do you completely drop the "greedy producers" line of argument.

You're disingenuous when you do that.

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