Young Frank- Mel's Big Mistake

The show hasn't even started previews out of town yet. Wait till they start performances before you deem it a flop.

And no big names other than Mullaly? Mel Brooks isn't a big enough name?

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As this is a Broadway message board to speculate on things, I just think Mel is making a huge mistake. I don't think the show will do well.

This is speculating?

You may be right, but the show hasn't started yet. It could be brilliant!

And Sutton is a big name sorta...on broadway.

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Sutton Foster is crazy talented. One of my favorites.

However, nobody except Broadway fans (a small % of the population) knows who she is.

i agree wonderfulwizard this is the most stupid thread , let the bloody show actually open first

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i dont know what demos you have heard but the ones i have heard sound great

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We've been discussing it in countless other threads. Why on earth have you started a new one instead of digging out an appropriate one and carrying on the discussions we've already been having on this very subject?

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Sadly, ticket prices have been that high for a while now.

Wicked's been charging $120 for months, as have Jersey Boys and all the other popular shows.

The Young Frankenstein situation regards the amount of premium seats, many of which have been in the $300-$500 range since The Producers.

If you look at the detailed prospective pricing chart, balcony seats would be $65, like most other shows. Mid-rear mezz seats will be $81. As I understand it (unless I missed a new memo), there are plenty of reasonable pricing options....I just hope they have rush, something which Curtains missed out on.

I'm not saying the show is going to be bad. I'm saying that it in no way will be able to stay running with ticket prices that high.

Maybe if Hugh Jackman were in it. Or somebody with big draw. Maybe if they waited to see if the show was a hit and could sell out at 110$ prices....

but they're taking a huge gamble. and Im guessing it won't pay off.

I'm saying they should take a page from their own play book and WAIT to make ticket prices that ridiculous UNTIL they know it's a hit and they can sell it out at reasonable prices. They are ASSUMING the show will sell...

and we all know what happens when we assume...

And it makes sense for them to assume the show will sell well, especally if it gets good reviews (which we don't know if it will as the show isn't open).

Take a look at The Producers. A month after the show started performances in New York, they raised the price to $100. This was the highest ticket price in New York at the time. And the show still did VERY well. Soon after, the top price was raised to $480. If Young Frankenstein gets the same type of reviews as The Producers, it's pretty safe to assume it will sell very well.

That is why they are setting these ticket prices so high.

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This is going to follow in the steps of THE PRODUCERS and is going to be INSANELY successful. It's Mel Brooks. That alone brought THE PRODUCERS it's attention and accolades. Mel Brooks' name is going to do likewise for his YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

When THE PRODUCERS first started it's pre-Broadway run in Chicago, it was the whole Mel Brooks' thing that got the buzz going. When people found out afterwards that Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick were starring in it, then it added more to the pot -- but their names alone didn't bring THE PRODUCERS the success it received. They were only a fraction of it's success. The original Broadway run lasted 6 years on Broadway WITHOUT Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. This should speak for itself regarding the show. Hate it or love it -- it recouped it's entire investment 9 months into it's run. How did it do this? IT HAD A PAYING AUDIENCE that kept going to see it -- even without it's original stars.

Regardless of how it will fare with the Broadway snobs, one thing YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN will indeed have is an audience. A huge enormous one. I expect those lines around the block the day after Opening Night -- just like THE PRODUCERS had that following Friday morning.

This is a no-brainer. Seriously.