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| Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Hangmen closed last night and Girl From the North Country will leave us today. Girl has opened and closed so many times it's hard to believe it won't come back again, but I strongly suspect that this time it's for real. I wonder if they would ever have found an audience on Broadway. The Covid closures and reduced audiences as the theatre world reopened certainly didn't help, but there was a marked contrast to the enthusiasm with which they were greeted off-Broadway and the near indifference they found uptown. I'm grateful for their second chances, and personally thankful I got to see them again. They will live on for me as personal favorites. I look forward to seeing the recorded version of Girl and hope the NT version of Hangmen resurfaces at some point. |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: student_rush 02:08 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Recently I’ve been “attacked” as not enjoying anything, so let me echo the praises of GFTNC and HANGMEN. I saw last night’s GIRL (having been ultimately swayed by the simplicity of the Tony performance), and so appreciated the incredible performances, direction, design, and musical artistry. This is how playwrights should interact with popular music catalogues (looking at you, Lynn Nottage), and I was thrilled that something quiet and mature could find its temporary place on Broadway. This should have a stellar life in regional theatres, much like ONCE. HANGMEN didn’t reinvent any wheel but it continued to show how McDonagh is a master of the form and uses structure to surprise and subvert (and pervert). |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Last Edit: Ann 12:26 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| Posted by: Ann 12:25 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I truly loved both of these shows Off-Broadway. If I lived in New York, I would have seen them again on Broadway, especially with TDF for Girl. As it was, I felt I had seen them in the best environments (I almost always feel smaller is better, and rarely do I want to see an Off-Broadway show I loved after it moves - Natasha, Pierre was an exception, but the staging was more intimate even on Broadway). I guess I'm surprised more by Hangmen not being able to hang on longer (apologies for the intended pun). A true and rare thrillerish suspense to my eye, I thought it would be a play those who don't want to see more talky, conventionally serious plays might flock to. But as it seems most visitors want to see musicals on Broadway, any play has a tough go. Were tourists even aware of it? Both seem doable for regional, and I hope they increase their fan base out of New York. |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 08:50 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 08:48 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 12:25 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Though its balcony wasn't used, ultimately, the Belasco seemed the ideal home for Girl from the North Country. Since the show didn't need a pit, and most of the production was downstage center, the piece felt intimate, and its set looked designed to fit that jewel box of a theater. The vintage enhancing, green geometric stage floor was so strikingly complemented by the Belasco's interior, it seemed intentional (and I realize it was not). The era of the story, dark lighting, simple projections all felt framed by that proscenium. And that sound system, using both body mics and floor models for the diagetic "radio" sequences was one of the best. I loved how the acting remained natural and unforced; no one pushed, even with fist fights and tumultuous revelations of off-stage events. It's too bad the show didn't work uptown, because they found a home for its presentation that felt almost perfect. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: Ann 08:58 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Delvino 08:48 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| I can see how it would work well, for a Broadway house. It's probably a personal thing. I see far, far more off Broadway than i see on Broadway and I rarely find such intimacy in bigger theaters. |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 10:46 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 08:58 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| I found Girl worked better in the Belasco, the emotional effect was stronger. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 07:35 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 12:25 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I agree with you thoroughly about seeing a play in a smaller theatre. To the credit of everyone involved with both of these shows, no sense of intimacy was lost in their transitions uptown. To some extent, this may be the result of the fact that they were on fairly wide off-Broadway stages when they were first produced. I felt the same way about The Band's Visit when it moved from the Atlantic to the Atkinson. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: seeseveryshow 11:26 pm EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 07:35 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| Close, but BAND’S VISIT played at the Barrymore, across the street from the Atkinson. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 11:37 pm EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - seeseveryshow 11:26 pm EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| Yes! I realized that after I posted, especially when I walked on 47th today. But my point still holds true. The show lost nothing in its move uptown. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:51 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 07:35 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| But the intimacy is lost from most of the seating, in my opinion, no matter what they do onstage. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 07:53 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 07:51 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
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| "But the intimacy is lost from most of the seating, in my opinion, no matter what they do onstage." Often true, yes. |
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| I’m not surprised by Hangmens lack of success. | |
| Posted by: dramedy 01:52 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 12:25 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I think the subject matter just wasn’t that interesting compared to other McDonough plays. The bloodbath of Lieutenant comes to a crescendo with the cat strolling in at the end. There just wasn’t that comic relief after a horrific scene in hangmen. I barely remember the plot compared to my vivid memories of beauty queen almost 25 years ago or pillowman. It didn’t help that hangmen takes place 50 years ago in 1965. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: portenopete 12:33 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - Ann 12:25 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I'm with you. Although as you say, sometimes shows transfer well. I didn't see Spring Awakening until Broadway and it felt like it was designed for the Eugene O'Neill, so... I think the English accents were a challenge for a lot of audiences that might have kept people from raving about it and word-of-mouth being more muted. And the subject matter probably led some people to believe it was about capital punishment. I'm always surprised at how conventional a lot of my (very intelligent, professional, urban) friends' tastes are. I find myself in the position of encouraging them to see shows like Hangmen and they almost always enjoy them but they need a push. I have the impetus to want to see things first and be more in touch with the latest trend than the average bear, which is an immature personality trait, but the upside of it is that I see so much without any preconceived notions or expectations, other than the vague "this is good/important/maybe the next big thing" and the wonderful surprises I've had in the theatre are so valuable and cherished. |
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| Their pre-pandemic prospects. | |
| Posted by: portenopete 11:42 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I saw both shows in London and neither seemed like very likely Broadway prospects, given the material, the stories and the size of the casts. Their dogged determination to re-open (multiple times) was admirable and I think the producers put in a valiant effort. To be honest, I am hopeful that the Broadway landscape will shift more towards shorter runs of more shows and that two or three months' run will be more frequent. I imagine there will have to be some readjustment in the financial planning and fundraising and presumably lessen the profits for all involved, chiefly investors and theatre owners. It's beyond my ability but I hope there are people who are trying to figure out how to do it. |
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| 3 month runs for musicals will never happen | |
| Posted by: dramedy 01:42 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Their pre-pandemic prospects. - portenopete 11:42 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| It costs $8-12m for a small musical. I think sing street is $11m. There is no way to recoup that in 3 months even sold out run. Plays barely do it and they cost $3-6m with a lot lower weekly costs. I think a year might work. There are shows like promises promises, boy from oz and maybe music man that are built around stars for one year contract to recoup and close. Hello dolly kind of did that. Bette milder returned and show closed without stunt casting—but part of that was Scott rudin wanting to put mockingbird in the shubert. And most hot ticket musicals do recoup within a year. And if a show doesn’t recoup in the first year it’s almost unlikely that it ever will. There are exceptions like revival of 42nd street that took almost 4 years. Revivals seem to be built around a one year model. I think most new musicals are expected to run 3-5 years like Hansen and come from away. |
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| re: 3 month runs for musicals will never happen | |
| Posted by: portenopete 02:00 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: 3 month runs for musicals will never happen - dramedy 01:42 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I didn't actually state it but when I wrote that I had plays in mind, more specifically offbeat things like Dana H. and The Lehman Trilogy. I admit to not really understanding where all the money goes. Are theatre owners already willing to lower their profits by offering more affordable rates to use their theatres? Are the three governments giving cultural businesses (as opposed to charitable not-for-profits) as much of a break as they can? Have the unions made concessions to the (quite lucrative) deals that their members (stagehands, performers, musicians, support staff) enjoy in a Broadway house? Having spent my whole career in the not-for-profit sector I am always shocked to hear commercial producers in private talking about the prospects of shows in their control and the rather bloodless way they discuss closing things down that are not breaking even. I don't have a business brain and although I can understand not wanting to lose your entire net worth on a show, I can't wrap my mind around people and organisations worth hundreds of millions not willing to lose a few million a year in times like these where the whole existence of the business/art form is in jeopardy. |
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| re: 3 month runs for musicals will never happen | |
| Posted by: Delvino 01:57 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: 3 month runs for musicals will never happen - dramedy 01:42 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I returned to Dolly - hottest ticket with Midler - and saw it with Peters on TDF. To those who wanted Murphy to have six months of her own, some of those crying out for her Mame, she just couldn’t fill the Shubert 8 times a week with a profit. “Stars” have to be greater that theatrical stars in this climate. | |
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| Peters probably made enough to pay the bills | |
| Last Edit: dramedy 02:24 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| Posted by: dramedy 02:23 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: 3 month runs for musicals will never happen - Delvino 01:57 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| There were rumors of queen latifah taking over—she would have been a boxoffice draw and do a great job in the show. I agree that a broadway star as replacement doesn’t usually work. | |
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| re: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country | |
| Posted by: singleticket 11:37 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| That's too bad about HANGMEN. I liked the play and the production. I personally don't think McDonagh created anything as wonderful as BEAUTY QUEEN right out of the gate but everything I've seen by him has been theatrical and fun even when it's being gristly. Plenty of things got derailed by the pandemic including the cultural habits of audiences. | |
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| It never did well | |
| Posted by: dramedy 10:13 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Farewell to Hangmen and Girl From The North Country - TheOtherOne 09:49 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| It was around $5-600k a week before covid which is probably around break even. It was mostly previews so it could have gone up. Reopening last fall saw the numbers around $300k which is losing money. And this last 6 week run is even less. Compare to beatlejuice return that is almost $1m. So it’s not covid related at this point since other shows are over $2m and MM over $3m | |
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| re: It never did well | |
| Posted by: Delvino 10:37 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: It never did well - dramedy 10:13 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I saw it multiple times on TDF, always matinees, twice in what appeared house seats. It never found its audience. And I thought its marketing was quite good. They sold the show that performed, finding the right points of access. This last Wednesday matinee’s audience was quiet for most of the performance and then exploded at the end, rapturous, people near me in the spotty mezz had faces awash with tears. | |
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| re: It never did well | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 10:24 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: It never did well - dramedy 10:13 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Of all the shows to have to contrast them with. Beetlejuice is just awful. The Broadway and off-Broadway audiences are clearly different animals. |
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| I compared the two | |
| Posted by: dramedy 10:55 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: It never did well - TheOtherOne 10:24 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Simply because it returned not just from covid last fall but a hiatus. I guess doubtfire might have been better but that return was a flop. Mockingbird didn’t return. I liked Beetlejuice As for audience, there are many successful transfers like fun home, in the heights, spring awakening and many flops like bloody Jackson, be more chill. |
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| re: I compared the two | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 11:44 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: I compared the two - dramedy 10:55 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I really think the first COVID closing hurt Girl from the North Country’s momentum. I went back last night and loved it. The show builds in power and the audience applause was rapturous in the end. I hope the show is done regionally if not on tour. | |
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| It should tour | |
| Posted by: dramedy 11:53 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I compared the two - lowwriter 11:44 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| With locked in subscriber base in tour stops, I think it would be a good show in subscriptions. | |
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| Tour was announced | |
| Posted by: chrismpls 11:56 am EDT 06/20/22 | |
| In reply to: It should tour - dramedy 11:53 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| ...although it's more than a year off. | |
| Link | "Girl From the North Country" tour starts in Minneapolis |
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