will CHITTY last till MARCH?

[aces25]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 9:40pm

Thanks!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 9:41pm

Nothing out on public press yet.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 9:41pm

Persistent rumors are that it's going to close right after New Years, but no official announcement has been made.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 9:43pm

*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.

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

[Horton]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 9:56pm

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.

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!!!

-Thanks
HORTON

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 10:19pm

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

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:07pm

I am hearing the same rumors as Margo. I hope I'll be able to see it before it closes though.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:09pm

I ditto what Margo said.

[loganp37]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:27pm

I would not rule out the possibility that the show MAY still be open in March. The show was up 20% in attendence this week..I hope it lasts, its one of my guilty pleasures.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:32pm

"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.

[alterego]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 11:51pm

From a friend working on the show...closing January. That is unless there is a huge turn around in business.

[JohnnyJune]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 2:12am

I have insiders info that says shortly after new years.

[billyrubin]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 10:22am

Does anyone know why Chitty would hold auditions for future cast replacements for children (Oct. 1) and dancers (Oct22) if they are closing? Would these be required calls? Thanks!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 10:34am

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

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 10:40am

They also have removed the huge ad in Times Square -- replacing it with surprisingly THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (!) I'm pretty sure CHITTY will close after the holidays.

[sanda]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 11:48am

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.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 11:50am

I'll be very suprised if it makes the holidays, though I hope it does.

The cancelled dance audition is very bad sign, indeed.

Also, they're pushing the TV ad like crazy.

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 11:53am

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.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 11:59am

I mean, no one can really say, but I'd be surprised to see this last past February. But, we have to remember, the holiday season could REALLY bring a turn-around for it at the box office and maybe buy it another month or so.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 12:25pm

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?

[loganp37]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 12:33pm

Yes, Chitty is planning to tour with AWA Touring Services.

Though I contacted a press agent and they said the show was not planning to hit the road until the 2007-2008 Touring Season.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 1:08pm

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.

[michelle4]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 1:58pm

All signs point to it closing. The dancers call was cancelled, the billboard in Times Square and the fact that they have stopped selling tickets passed Jan. 8,2006.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 2:15pm

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.

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

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 10/13/05 at 2:44pm

I saw it won't go passed January. It has great holiday sales, which is a great way to go, which high attendence rate, making people wanting more. Personally, I'd love it to last a year. It's a magical and amazing performance that all have to see. The tour will be dificult with all the sets and the flying car.