"This is another example of how I am really bad at predicting what the public wants to see. Broderick was in Sylvia just a few seasons ago and couldn't sell tickets. In general, his recent shows without Nathan Lane haven't set the box office on fire. Parker's last NY show, The Commons of Pensacola, did well but wasn't a red-hot ticket. Neil Simon's last Broadway play revival, Broadway Bound, didn't make it to opening night. But I guess the three together have created a clamor."
I was just discussing this with a friend the other night, and I think it's mostly the two together -- Parker and Broderick. Or at least, those two together in a light comedy that's a known quantity, but not necessarily one by Neil Simon. I think they might not have set the box office afire if they had chosen to appear in an unknown new play and/or a heavy drama.
You know what would have been a great show for Parker and Broderick to do? THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG. It also has a book by Neil Simon, plus very enjoyable songs by Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager, and I think the vocal demands of those songs are well within the range of P & B. Yes, they're both a little old for the roles, but I think the public wouldn't have cared much. |
