I don't think there's any mystery as to why CHICAGO stays open. It's in the most undesirable theatre on Broadway and its running costs must be very reasonable with (usually) no big stars, a unit set, and each cast member in a single costume for the entire performance.
Plus, it's a pretty famous title now, certainly much more so than before this revival, and it probably sells a lot of tickets to tourists, even non-English-speaking ones, who are familiar with the title.
And, not for nothing, it's a terrific show and I keep hearing (I had a lot of friends go fairly recently to see Pamela Anderson during her stint in the show) that it's in good shape.
If producers were banging down the Shuberts' door saying they must have the Ambassador for their next sure fire hit, I bet CHICAGO would soon end up at New World Stages. But it must be doing well enough in a theatre that no one else really wants and that might otherwise be dark, that they can keep going indefinitely. |
