will CHITTY last till MARCH?

Nothing out on public press yet.

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*flails a little*

You know, assuming for a moment that these rumors are true (no, I'm not going to start to cry or something -- relax, people) it's striking me as being so odd that a big, flashy show based on something people are supposed to love and have nostalgia for can't even last a year. I guess it goes to show that Disney really does hold a monopoly on the family-friendly demographic.

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Updated On: 10/12/05 at 09:43 PM

NO! I love Chitty- it must last for a while

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I ditto what Margo said.

"I think the main problem is that adults don’t want to put up $100 for tickets to a show for their kids that got very so so reviews. I saw it on rush and for like $20 I was still mad that i got ripped off. "

Their discounts are very widely publicized. No one should pay $100 for this show, because they heavily advertise the discounts.

"I also think that they should cut down the performance schedule now that school is back in session Kids cant go to the Wednesday matinee, come on!!!"

Kids on school trips can! The Wednesday matinee sells better than the Wednesday evening show. Lots of schools are seeing this show.

"it's striking me as being so odd that a big, flashy show based on something people are supposed to love and have nostalgia for can't even last a year. "

I think one of the problems is that the film is not nearly as highly regarded in this country as it is in England. This is their Wizard of Oz. I guess the film is sort of a classic here, but it's not revered like The Wizard of Oz is.

I have insiders info that says shortly after new years.

The dancers auditions were cancelled a couple of days ago -- not a good sign.

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What show will fill that theatre after Chitty closed? By the way, I strongly suggest them do something to the sound system. It sounds so bland.

I was very suprised when I saw this show. I was bored to tears. I wanted to leave at intermission. Maybe it was because 5 leads were out, but I just don't think it's very good.

I bet it'll pick up a bit during the Holidays. If I were to get to NYC right now, I'd see it.

Do you think it will tour?

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While, yes, EVERYTHING does good business during the holidays, it's also true that most shows struggle during January and February. SPAMALOT and THE ODD COUPLE will be sold out, but even perennial hits like LION KING and MAMMIA MIA, watch their box office fortunes dwindle for several weeks, with attendance figures in the 70s and 80s rather than doing their usual SRO business. As for the shows already struggling, there's a reason we often see as many as a half dozen shows close every year right after New Years. The tourists leave and the theatregoers in NYC area, fearing snow, don't buy tickets in advance (a large percentage of business becomes same day walk up service).

The shows that stick it out have large reserve funds set aside to supplement their income as box office drops to below break even for a couple of months. For a show like CHITTY, which has been able to pay back only a tiny percentage of its enormous original investment, it probably would not be the wisest thing to try and stay open until March and April when the tourists return, given the enormous amount of money they would lose during the months before.

We'll see, but a January closing sounds VERY likely for an expensive show like this that has never caught on with the public.

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The billboard's gone? Not that I need things to "point" to closing, but I haven't been down there in a while, so I'm just curious. Expect a date soon, I suppose.

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Updated On: 10/13/05 at 02:15 PM