During the years when shows could be mounted (relatively) inexpensively and could move cheaply, they did so whenever it was advantageous to do so or when they were forced to because the theater owners had booked another show.
Some examples are the following. The musical Fanny was a big hit and ran for over 2 years at the Majestic (11/4/54 to 12/2/56), after which it was forced to vacate and played a few more weeks at the much smaller Belasco.
Once Upon a Mattress, another hit musical, was never able to secure a theater for any length of time. It opened off-Broadway and then ended up playing in 4 different Broadway theaters for a run of a year and 2 months.
My Fair Lady was a huge hit and ran for over 6-1/2 years (3/15/56 to 9/29/62). It ran for slightly less than 6 years at the Hellinger, and then a few months more at both the Broadhurst and the Broadway.
Eventually, as shows became more expensive to mount, run, and move, this practice gradually began happening less frequently. The musical Purlie opened on 3/15/70 and played 28 previews and 688 performances. It had all the makings of a hit but never recouped because it was forced to move twice and play out its run at 3 different theaters. |
