is the Cort cursed?

Naaaaaaaaaaaah.

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It's not a great theatre in terms of size or location, and it has almost always housed small plays, so one wouldn't expect many great runs. But there have been a couple of exceptions. The Magic Show played almost 2,000 performances there from 1974-78.

He isn't that big of a star, really. But a beloved actor doesn't ensure good reviews... and hey, people might still go see it even though the reviews weren't so great. It's not a flop yet.

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Updated On: 2/17/06 at 11:44 AM

The Cort is not the most desired house in town by a long shot.

The location and the 2 balconies work against it.

Any real hit that has played there was an accident or a limited run. The Magic Show was a major sleeper hit, and there was no other theatre at the time to put it in.

I like the theatre. The sightlines are reasonably good except for the boxes and the acoustics are great.

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I'm with Margo, and said as much in the Reviews thread. This was a bad idea, with dubious casting choices--an unnecessary revival if there ever was one. "Simon's season?" I'm afraid ODD COUPLE and BAREFOOT are not SREETCAR and MENAGERIE. Again, I like Simon, but I'd rather see the flawed but interesting (risk-taking) GINGERBREAD LADY, which actually Clayburgh might've played to a faretheewell.

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Updated On: 2/17/06 at 11:57 AM

And to think that their are so many wonderful plays just waiting for someone to take a financial chance on them. I am staying away from revivals with a few exceptions ( like Sweeney). I even think Chorus Line is a huge mistake.

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I dont think it's cursed, just more the fact of location and size.

The Cort just needs the right show. The Ambassador used to be nicknamed 'the theatre where Broadway goes to die" and I was CERTAIN Chicago's move there meant it would be closing shortly thereafter. It's been there 3 years now.

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Updated On: 2/23/06 at 01:35 PM

Updated On: 2/23/06 at 05:25 PM

If any theatre is cursed, it is the Longacre. Again, it has two balconies, which is a hard sell. They haven't had a bonafide hit since Diana Rigg's MEDEA in 1994 and in recent years have played host to some of the most notorious flops in recent memory: PRYMATE, THE OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL, TALLER THAN A DWARF, FASCINATING RHYTHM, ONE MO TIME, etc. It briefly looked like the curse would be broken when VIRGINIA WOOLF opened, but that ended up closing earlier than expected and at a loss. We'll see how WELL fares there...

At least the Lyceum had I AM MY OWN WIFE, which had a healthy run and broke even many weeks, even if it did fall short of returning its investment.

The Cort and the Longacre are not cursed. They are less popular theatres that usually get crap bookings. People like to blame the theatres for bad shows, but the theatre is only as good as the show inside of it.

I saw Ain't Misbehavin' and Children of a Lesser God at the Longacre, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Magic Show, Sarafina and The Heiress at the Cort. All wonderful evenings.

The Cort needs a marquee like the Walter Kerr, that would be visible from Seventh Avenue, but it's a lovely, good-sized theatre, that is equally suitable for plays and small musicals. The Longacre is pretty drab inside, with its baby poo brown interior. But a good renovation would certainly make it more desirable.

Yes, both theatres have unpopular second balconies. But the visibility is not bad up there in either theatre, and it's a virtue to sell the second balcony at a cheap price to fill it up.

The Nederlander was once considered the unluckiest house on Broadway. After 10 years of Rent, will it still be so when that show eventually closes?

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The Cort is basically a victim of Rockefeller Center. The Cort used to have three other theatres surrounding it: the Playhouse, the Windsor and the Vanderbilt. All were torn down for various reasons, leaving the Cort as the sole survivor on the block.

Because of all of the theatres that used to be on that block, 48th Street was once known as the "Street of Hits". Still, I'm always happy when the Cort and the Longacre are in use, and hope that a good hit or two in those theatres will reverse their recent hard luck streaks.

Well is a terrific play, so I'm hoping it's a big success for the Longacre.

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