There definitely was not an announcement of recoupment and I do try to stay on top of these things. I wonder, though, about a case like Les Miserables (whose tour had already recouped its initial costs). It decides to move into a Broadway theater for a long stay like 2-1/2 years. I assume that in order to be commercially successful, it merely needs to net more than the total of its weekly costs over its run.
Isn't this sort of like what David Merrick did in the 60's with shows like Oliver!, Pickwick, and The Roar of the Greasepaint -- the Smell of the Crowd? All 3 had long, profitable pre-Broadway tours (during which most if not all of their costs were recouped). When they finally arrived on Broadway, everything was gravy. Oliver! ended up with a respectable run, but the other 2 did not -- yet the 3 were declared commercial hits by all the recognized sources. |
