A "brand name" movie title has never been any indicator of success for a Broadway musical, as the fates of everything from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers to Rocky, The Bridges of Madison County, Legally Blonde, Nine To Five, Saturday Night Fever, Big, The Goodbye Girl, Gigi, Doctor Zhivago, and on and on and on pretty clearly demonstrate. If people aren't interested in seeing a show, they just aren't interested, no matter what the competition is--or isn't. Carrie had a brand-name title, a major star, and absolutely no competition whatsoever in the 1988-89 season, and still managed to flop instantly.
I do agree, though, that SpongeBob was always a dubious proposition, and I'm surprised they could keep it open this long. |
