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| It’s a really strange situation and poses tons of questions. | |
| Last Edit: ShowGoer 09:13 am EST 12/28/22 | |
| Posted by: ShowGoer 08:55 am EST 12/28/22 | |
| In reply to: re: And then there was SUGAR ... - NewtonUK 07:47 am EST 12/28/22 | |
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| The thought-experiment, and it’s a fascinating one, is what if Some Like It Hot had opened in 2019 (or, possibly, 2024 or 2025, a few years from now)? Is it not doing well because of something inherent in the property itself - either the title doesn’t excite people (or has little name recognition nowadays), the subject matter seems stale, or mode’s the pity, is just a matter of poor timing coming after the superficially similar Tootsie and Mrs Doubtfire - in which case one could argue the show wouldn’t have done well no matter what…. … or is it just a misfortune of being the first new big splashy tired-businessman’s-type musical to open since the pandemic began? Some have questioned whether the show in fact actually has good word of mouth- but in addition to the critics-aggregate website didtheylikeit ranking it with 9 raves and only one negative review, the audience aggregator Show-Score has it at 85% (closing in on 400 reviews) – which is currently higher than the last two Best Musical winners, “Moulin Rouge” and “A Strange Loop”. For my money, while not quite as good as “The Prom” (which was still doing better than this), it’s more consistent in quality and tone, more targeted for a wider general audience, and just overall superior, to most of the last few Casey Nicholaw shows, “Mean Girls”, “Aladdin”, and even “Something Rotten”. Five years ago I can’t help but think these reviews would have made the show a sell-out for at least a few months on New York theatergoers and Broadway sales groups alone… (and yes, Music Man did well a year ago, but a large number of its sales predated 2020, and Leopoldstadt sold well opening in early fall, but that was before people started worrying about a ‘tripledemic’). So as every major fall and holiday film that isn’t an action or horror movie disappoints at the box office, and without the NYC Broadway tourists back in full force, despite the few relative success stories of the last year this show more than any other has me wondering: are people just not ready to come back en masse to the theater yet? |
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| re: It’s a really strange situation and poses tons of questions. | |
| Posted by: HunterHailey 02:19 pm EST 12/28/22 | |
| In reply to: It’s a really strange situation and poses tons of questions. - ShowGoer 08:55 am EST 12/28/22 | |
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| Agreed. The anti-cross-dressing fringe has zero to do with this. The fact is this type of old-fashioned musical just has not done well lately. Non-star driven, a movie with little current name recognition anymore, no major gimmick spectacle, etc. The weather and COVID also hasn't helped. Broadway has unfortunately killed itself with it's business model. Outside of the "tourist" shows - what does well anymore? Too many seats to fill for too long a period to make any money. To expensive for people to spend money on something that already hasn't proven to be a hit. However, I am surprised that it has done this poorly so quickly at this time of year. But I also don't think it has been marketed well and that it relying on too many things that they thought would just make it a hit. |
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| re: It’s a really strange situation and poses tons of questions. | |
| Posted by: ryhog 09:32 am EST 12/28/22 | |
| In reply to: It’s a really strange situation and poses tons of questions. - ShowGoer 08:55 am EST 12/28/22 | |
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| As it often is, I don't think it can be blamed on any one thing and I think it is all of the above. I also note that the Tootsie/Doubtfire fatigue is more of a local audience phenomenon whereas the absence of a star has an obvious effect on the tourist audience. Additionally, this is a show where the demographics of the critics diminishes the size of the portal: the critics know and like the "stars" of this, but tourists don't. (Note also how many of the wider-audience publications tended to be more middling (not pans but with lots of "buts" and "howevers." And nothing about this (including Casey Nicholaw's work that impresses the older, whiter critical platoon) is very appealing to younger and broader audiences that are essential now, or to a family looking for a holiday outing. Add that to the fatigue of the locals and you are starting to get the formula you don't want. | |
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