which shows close before/right after the tony awards?- Page 2

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 3:24am

Call_me_jorge said: "wonderfulwizard11 said: "Pierre isn't that hard a part to cast with a star- if the producers are smart (and that isn't necessarily the case) they should already be looking for someone to do it. 

I know Come from Away has gotten nice reviews elsewhere, but I will be very surprised if it does well. Reviews aside, it's a new musical with no stars, a godawful title, and a plot description that requires you to mention 9/11 at some point. It's not impossible that it does well, but I think people are really overstating its potential as a commercial production. 

 

"

You can say the same things about Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton. While they don't mention specifically 9/11, they still both deal with difficult subject matters.

 

 

"

DEH has a much broader appeal and relevant subject matter, a social media savvy marketing team and lead star, who appeared in two teenage/young adult centric relatively modest box office performing movies (the first Pitch Perfect is on its way to becoming something of a cult classic) . also struck gold with Pasek and Paul being nominated for Oscars and having won Golden Globes.

 

Come From Away has noble intentions but will tank because there won't be enough of a tourist crowd to sustain it. 

 

I agree with the poster above who said most of these producers know that the shows won't have any broad market appeal and are likely financial flops; they are looking forward to the eventual licensing . look at Tuck Everlasting ; it'll probably be on the to-do list of many high schools/ community theatres in years to come; however mind numbingly boring that score and how inane the book is (book of the musical that is; not dissing the source material). This includes Anastasia btw (I can already imagine the pre teen girls salivating of performing Journey to the Past as Anya in an eventual HS production) - although I hope, believe and am convinced that it will do modestly well - probably have a run similar to 2013 R&H Cinderella, even if it doesn't recoup.

Updated On: 2/3/17 at 03:24 AM

[massofmen]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 8:43am

@z5 i don't think anyone said Charlie wouldn't do well. are you confusing Anastasia for Charlie? I see Charlie lasting for years based on title alone. I heard it was awful in London and I will still probably go see it in nyc. (yes i know they are making BIG changes). 

I too agree that Groundhog Day will have a very tough time of it.  Again if it somehow wins the Tony then it will run, otherwise i think it will have a very very short life. 

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 10:23am

Wick3 said: "I agree with wonderful wizard on Come from Away. I was here in NYC on 9/11 and would prefer not to watch a musical about that event (I've never been to the 9/11 museum either.) None of my friends who were downtown with me that day are interested in watching the show either"

 

Then you and your friends will miss something very special. I lived in NYC in 2001 and I was on the Brooklyn Bridge and saw the WTC hit and was reluctant to see the show also. I think "Come From Away" was one of the most amazing shows I've seen in a long time. I was laughing harder than I have at anything to be followed quickly by tears running down my face and then laughing again 10 minutes later. The way the show is staged is absolutely brilliant. It kind of reminded me of "The Laramie Project" in the way actors quickly changed characters and scenes were shifted without doing more than move a chair. In the end, I felt completely uplifted as did the rest of the audience.  After the curtain call, the onstage band continues to play. Not a single person left, they stayed, clapped and stomped along. The audience had shared an amazing theatrical moment and we didn't want it to end. It did end and I left feeling wonderful and with only one thought, I had to see the show again.

The subject matter may be hard to sell but this show should thrive on word of mouth. I have yet met anyone who has seen this and has not completely raved about it.

 

Updated On: 2/3/17 at 10:23 AM

[freewilma]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 10:35am

Having lived in DC on 9/11 I was VERY on the fence about Come From Away.  I was prepared to gut-wrenching.....and came away hugely uplifted and quite surprised.  While it deals with 9/11, it feels very healing and is often downright funny.  I think the word of mouth might save this one.  It definitely made a big difference during the run in DC this fall.  

[mufish]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 4:26pm

MarkBearSF said: "Also the story of humanity reaching out to comfort and support others could be a message that resonates this spring."

Could not agree more with this sentiment.  Invariably, 9/11 comes up when explaining what the show is - it has to.  But beyond that, there's the underlying theme that people have their differences, but at the end of the day we're all in this together.

I also second South Fl Marc's point about the range of emotions you feel, and how quickly you can go from one to the other.  Personally, I was not anywhere NY or DC on 9/11 (high school in Wisconsin) but I think we all remember where we were, and we all were impacted in some way.  Shows don't often stick with me for a long time after I've seen them, but Come From Away sure did.  The music is wonderful, and they've done a great job of melding a lot of stories from those few days in Canada together (as well as leaving some as is) into 90-100 minutes.  I've watched the YouTube video of the opening number I don't know how many times since, and can't wait to see it on Broadway.

I get the concern about its ability to be commercially viable, but I'm optimistic that the word of mouth will carry the day and Come From Away will have a long, fruitful run.

[Wick3]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 4:51pm

South Fl Marc said: "
Then you and your friends will miss something very special. I lived in NYC in 2001 and I was on the Brooklyn Bridge and saw the WTC hit and was reluctant to see the show also. I think "Come From Away" was one of the most amazing shows I've seen in a long time. I was laughing harder than I have at anything to be followed quickly by tears running down my face and then laughing again 10 minutes later. The way the show is staged is absolutely brilliant. It kind of reminded me of "The Laramie Project" in the way actors quickly changed characters and scenes were shifted without doing more than move a chair. In the end, I felt completely uplifted as did the rest of the audience.  After the curtain call, the onstage band continues to play. Not a single person left, they stayed, clapped and stomped along. The audience had shared an amazing theatrical moment and we didn't want it to end. It did end and I left feeling wonderful and with only one thought, I had to see the show again.

The subject matter may be hard to sell but this show should thrive on word of mouth. I have yet met anyone who has seen this and has not completely raved about it.

"

if I was visiting Toronto and Come From Away is the only show playing, then yes I'll get tickets to watch it.

This Bway season is extremely competitive and I have a theater budget to abide to. There's no way I'm buying full price tickets for Come From Away when I have at least 6 other shows on my list that i would much rather see. Right now, I've bought full price tix to see Dear Evan Hansen, Hello Dolly, Sunday in the Park, and Sweeney Todd.

I agree with you that word of mouth will certainly help this show and I do hope it will succeed. The Gerald Schoenfeld is not a big theater so that would help. If there is a rush option I'll most likely do that first. 

 

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 5:00pm

While I've already got my ticket to Come From Away, I feel like there isn't anything to draw the casual theatergoer to this show. There's no stars in the cast or creative team, the title is vague, and the advertising tells me nothing about the show. I hope it does well, and I'm excited to see it but it's truly an uphill battle.

 

[stlrod]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 6:54pm

This tourist extended his trip a day for the sole purpose of seeing Come From Away.  

Updated On: 2/3/17 at 06:54 PM

[massofmen]

Posted: 2/3/17 at 11:38pm

Bet you didn't pay more than 90 bucks for it. ??

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 2/4/17 at 6:14am

Come From Away is actually on my list mostly because of the extremely positive things I've from from people who saw it out of town. And the subject matter is intriguing to as a foreigner who is old enough to have vivid memories of 9/11. I haven't considered how a NY audience might react to it, but I feel like it could go either way... It's still on my short list of shows that I don't think will stick around terribly long and I think it should be fairly easy to get cheap tickets by means of either a relatively easy rush or good discount options (I'm visiting in June and most shows don't have discounts available this far out).

Other shows on said short list are Groundhog Day (I hated the movie and am not interested in it all and don't care much, but the marketing is truly terribly), Warpaint and probably Bandstand.

The latter I'm personally most excited about though. I fell in love with it at Paper Mill and absolutely cannot wait to see this again and see what changes they have made. It's probably the show I'm most excited about this season and tentatively plan on squeezing it in twice in my 2-week stay in NY... I really really hope it'll take off better than I think it might with good reviews and word of mouth.

Also excited about Anastasia, which I have been willing to be turned into a musical for years. I think it'll do fine.

Amelie is a bit of a dark horse. I think it could either really take of and become a darling of the season, or it could fall really flat. I have no idea...

[stlrod]

Posted: 2/4/17 at 10:38am

massofmen said: "Bet you didn't pay more than 90 bucks for it. ??

 

I actually did.  Glad to help the NYC economy.

 

"

 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 2/4/17 at 11:50am

massofmen said: "Bet you didn't pay more than 90 bucks for it. ??

 

"

This is obnoxious. 

[Finch]

Posted: 2/4/17 at 12:00pm

Of all the shows currently open. or scheduled for the spring, "Come From Away" is, by far, the most topical.  It reinforces the feelings of many, from away to here, of the current political stupidity.  Need I say more???!!

They took care of us, and everyone else with no place to land on 9/11-13.  And, today,  how are we reacting to allowing . . .

By the way, I saw this in DC last fall -- it was excellent and beyond in many ways.

Updated On: 2/4/17 at 12:00 PM