why is everything closing early?! | what's going wrong with Broadway and West End shows this year
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2024
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OHMYGOD HEY!
Right now, it feels as though more shows than ever are announcing early closure on Broadway and in the West End.
With last season's Shucked, Some Like it Hot and Kimberly Akimbo all set to close before the 2024 Tony Awards, and The Time Traveller's Wife announcing an early West End departure, what are the reasons for these shows struggling to succeed?
In fact, even as I put this video together, more closures were announced including Harmony, How to Dance in Ohio, and the London production of Disney's Frozen...
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00:00 | introduction
02:34 | Kimberly Akimbo
06:54 | Shucked
10:50 | Some Like it Hot
13:26 | The Mind Mangler
15:18 | Crazy For You
17:42 | Unbelievable
19:45 | The Time Traveller's Wife
25:32 | Harmony
27:27 | How to Dance in Ohio
33:50 | Frozen
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I really wish that more shows would be pro shoot friendly. Not only are tickets to broadway shows extremely expensive, just the act of traveling and staying in NYC for a few nights is not something I can justify cost wise no matter how much I want to see theses shows
At least they could edit the proshot once the show has closed, so people around the world could watch the shows and producers could even earn more money.
I agree even just for documentation purposes (that this show happened and this is how it originally went) pretty much every new show with the original cast should be filmed.
I personally think it all boils down to pricing. So many I’d love to see but I just can’t afford some of those ticket prices.
I mean, there's a solution to the can't-get-people-to-the-theater woes. Open it up for live streaming. Select performances, 20-30$ a pop. We've been watching symphony performances that way since the pandemic. I don't think it would interfere with in person sales at all, it's still so much better to be there. But how many more thousands of dollars, how many more people across the country-or the world-could tune in?
Theatre people still refuse proshots even tho ballet has done it for 20 years and it didn'tk1ll live shows. Never gonna happen.
I would love to see these shows. I’m not able to travel for them. This year I’m going to London to see Phantom of The Opera for the first time and I’m so excited. I’ve never been to England before and I’ve never seen a grand performance like that.
It's madness because NTLive (cinema and streaming after, plus showing on a couple of tv channels) has been an incredibly successful thing in the UK for 15 years and a big boost to the theatres that participate's revenue; Shakespeare's Globe's been doing it for 20 years. @@LynnHermione
streaming will never be able to recreate the experience you get from being in the theatre though
@@jnkrene5600 That's kind of the point, the experience would be so much better in person, people still would want to do it. But there would be an affordable way for the rest of us to see live theater--no matter where we live or our accessibility needs.
The prices on Broadway and NYC...honestly, completely out of hand. We take high schools thespians on school trips to see theatre and it has become cheaper for us to visit London than to go to NYC.
I agree that ticket buyers aren't taking as many risks. I personally used to see so many different shows but now with increased ticket prices I have to be more selective with what I choose to see and generally choose things that I'm pretty certain I'll enjoy. Although your video has made me want to see more shows again!
New York has increased in price so much in the past two years, not just tickets but food, hotels, parking, fees. A hotel i used to be able to get for 300 a night is now almost 500, and i think this severely limits those of us that used to be ble to go a few times a year. Now i may only get one weekend and if i really want to see Josh Groban or Daniel Radcliffe, that's what i have to choose. I also started coming over to the West End as i can spend 9 nights in London for about the same as 3 in New York, so i did see Crazy For You and that was amazing! I wish smaller shows like How to Dance in Ohio could find homes in less expensive cities like Chicago or D.C. we need more semi-permanent theaters elsewhere. I tend to try and catch things BEFORE they hit Broadway now. Like i saw Swept Away in D.C. and it was amazing.
Love your channel, and as a NYC theater goer of a certain age, I have to tell you that I am disappointed that the theater owners of Broadway houses did not use the 18 months their theaters were closed during COVID to install more bathrooms and more comfortable seats. If older theater goers are staying away, these, along with the prohibitively high costs of Broadway tickets, are the reasons. Cheers~
One thing about the Time Traveller's Wife, is that the author of the book, Audrey Niffenegger, wasn't even aware that they were adapting her booking to a musical until it was publicly announced. I wonder if they had gotten her involving in the production, could she have raise more interest from her fans?
One of my favorite books.. I had no idea they made it into a musical! Bummer. Can't believe I didn't hear ANYTHING.
She had to have signed off on them getting the rights though. Unless they completely ripped her off, a la Bridgerton.
@@maurinet2291No Warner owns the theatrical rights, not her. The musical was working with Warner, so they didn’t need her approval.
As someone from Europe who makes interview based Theater content about Broadway and beyond, I am shocked that I have not heard about 80% of the closing shows. In the past new shows would have theatre fans buzzing and you would see posts about them everywhere. Now you really need to search for what is going on. There seems to be so little space for Theatre to advertise and promote. How can people visit shows when they don't know they exist??
How To Dance In Ohio is a lovely heart-warming show, which leaves a big smile on your face as you are leaving the theatre. But it doesn't necessarily have the wow factor.
If you are a general NYC tourist (ie not a huge theatre fan, but seeing a show because it's Broadway and it's the done thing) and spending $500+ for tickets for a family you want to be wowed!!
Is it time to consider Broadway as just a commercial entity and find somewhere else for new / niche shows to shine?
Yea I thought the same. I enjoyed it but really thought it’d hit me more. It’s unfortunate though I wish it would have run a bit longer.
Audience response was mixed. Some people truly loved it, others said the show needed work, even if they loved it. But its closing might be that it was too small a show for Broadway - and by small I mean intimate, needing closeness or a smaller audience or space to be effective.
I really hate to say this, but even though this show isn't bad, it's not a relatable show to the majority of people. You can't possibly expect to take niche material like this and think it will make the kind of money you need to sustain a Broadway run. A lot of shows are doing this and it can't possibly work. I don't want to call it woke, but it feels like a show that was written so it could cast autistic people for representation, instead of a show about autism that everyone could relate to instead of just autistic people.
In NYC in particular, it is SO expensive to not only mount shows but keep them running weekly. Producers NEED to be diversifying income streams. At the VERY minimum, every show should be selling merch online. There's a lot more they could do, though.
The sadness that you have had to film this video in three different sections (and how speculation earlier on is then true by the next section)😢
I saw How to Dance in Ohio and loved it, and I really feel like the marketing didn't communicate what the show actually is. I wish there had been more ads that focused on individual characters, or told something of the plot. The characters are really the strongest part of the show, and the marketing almost entirely just presented them as a group, which seemed like it missed the whole point of the "If you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person" speech at the beginning of the show.
I'm so sad to hear all these shows are closing! I thought "Can the theatre world stop announcing closures for 2 seconds" cause it feels like all these shows with incredible potential are closing early. Particularly sorry for How To Dance In Ohio which deserved better on Broadway, perhaps a West End transfer? I wish all these shows the best of luck in their final weeks and months 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I am also sad about How To Dance In Ohio. :/ The tickets were actually affordable and I bought tickets for April, that are now refunded. One thing - I had no idea what it was about even after searching the internet. All of the marketing was just about how the actors are autistic. Not selling the plot.
I saw How to Dance in Ohio last week (on a trip from the UK). Honestly, get yourself a plane ticket and fly over. It's beautiful. I cannot begin to describe how much I fell in love with this show.
With regard to Drury Lane - I'd definitely add The Witches from the NT to the list of potentials. From what I hear they're looking for a West End house and it's a BIG show.
Being Autistic myself, this show meant a lot to me even though I never saw it. It's sad to see it close but I'm grateful that it existed.
Same
Honestly. Maybe it could be successful on the road.
Which show?
How To Dance In Ohio
@@kittee6409 How to Dance in Ohio
I feel like part of the reason theater goers are taking less risks is the fact that costs are getting so much higher for necessities in life, food and housing for example. When you go to a show you want to make sure your enjoy it so smaller/more “experimental” shows suffer.
Harmony was such a brilliant show too. It’s sad it didn’t do well with ticket sales and therefore it’s closing now. Chip Zien last song in the show “Therenody” was just stunning! I know he won’t win but please at least give him a Tony nomination! The guy is 76 and singing a show stopper 8x a week!
He was amazing!
I’m going to see harmony tomorrow night
I'm sad for How to Dance in Ohio. I hope they do a pro-shot for it. I've been following it for a while and hoped to see it someday.
Amazing job trying to keep up with all the closing news!
The struggle is real for Theatre right now AND for Mickey Jo trying to get this video out😢
It really is sad how many shows are prematurely closing, especially the new shows before the Tony’s. This year is a very strong year for revivals especially with how Merrily is (rightfully) dominating the scene, but it’s coming at the cost of the new musicals. I am curious however if the new musicals that may be more sustaining are the ones waiting to open. Water for Elephants and The Notebook already have a lot of hype and rave reviews from their previous runs in other cities. I will absolutely do my best to see How To Dance In Ohio before it closes though.
I saw How to Dance... when I was home before Christmas. It was a great show. I just don't understand why there was not a bigger audience for it. Amazing show with a great mission and the work that the Shubert's did to make the theatre neurodivergent audience friendly was just amazing.
I'm very sad for How To Dance In Ohio also for many of the same reasons as most. I was just in NYC flying from London specifically to sew shows on Broadway whose theatres were very close to the Belasco and the queues for their audience were very excited and engaged and looking forward to seeing the show. It must have meant so much to them to see it. Agree though with comments who mention Broadway ticket prices being prohibitive. The shows I saw were very expensive - one of them was $300 in the stalls (luckily got partial view for 3 performances for $120 each) and was lucky enough to get back row orchestra for the other for $89 - but when you add onto that cost of flights, accomodation and other sundries. it's a LOT to ask of audience members who need to be able to feel confident that they will enjoy etc
I work with students who are on the spectrum. Also saw Little dog. It was like being like I was at work
Some Like it Hot. Were the actors hot? No. In the fall I saw a production of Sugar. Same show but with hotter actors. When it first premiered they couldn't get rights use the name. Bob Merrill was attached to that show which was excellent. Also the very handsome Tony Roberts. For a Marilyn show you need Marilyn sex appeal. That gal did not have it. Perhaps if they had Audra McDonald it could have flown.
Harmony. As someone who lost Catholic Poles in the camps I wanted to see it. The publicity was badly done. They refused to let you know if Anyone survived. I guess they were holding on to the element of surprise. I didn't see want to pay $100 to discover that they were all dead.Secondly the anti semitic attacks. It seemed dangerous to go at this point.
Shucked. I loved that show. I had a seat upstairs and couldn't negotiate the stairs. No elevator. Thankfully they let me sit in my handicapped device in the standing room section. I went during previews. I had the pleasure of being next to the writers . They had the script and wrote down every laugh every joke that didn't land. Every thing . They even talked with me about what I did and didn't like. Amazing night. My cousin was able to get herself up the stairs but then couldn't sit down.. before being handicapped I have seen seven shows in that theater very uncomfortable seating. Orchestra is tolerable with upstairs the worst.. Honeymoon in Vegas was a knees under chin night. Hudson theater has the worst seating of all IMHO.. the usherette stopped me from leaving in pain because she knew Belinda Carlyle was making a surprise visit. BTW the staff is amazing. They truly love theater and are most helpful. I have been shown every secret bathroom along Broadway
It's beyond unfortunate you've basically had to do this video a 3rd time over because of all the closings. As I said before I don't know how we can "fix" shows closing early but more so hope for changes in more shows being captured professionally & potentially in the future options for live streaming. (which with currently how contracts work isn't happening) No good idea/show goes away forever & I feel touring life for at least some of these will do well & even potential big screen adaptations. (Shucked already being "announced" with Kimberly easily working as a film or a tv mini series?)
thank you for covering everything in one video, you are always so informative- thank you for keeping me updated on theatre!!
I occasionally work on the stage crew at Syracuse Stage where How to Dance in Ohio had its out of town tryout a year ago. I didn’t work on it, but on later shows where I did, everyone who had worked on it had nothing but positive things to say about everyone involved and was really rooting for this to succeed. Bummer to see it only run for 3 months.
The New York closure I’m most bummed about is Sleep No More. Yes, after a long run, but truly one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had. I saw it three times in its first year and had always figured I’d get back someday, but alas. I’ve been recommending it to theater fans coming to New York for years. It’s such a unique experience, feels like the end of an era to see it go.
The theatre is killing itself - they are charging too much - I used to visit NYC 3 or 4 times a year and go to a show every night - couldn’t afford to now
This. Broadway theatre is killing itself in multiple ways: pricing, the fact that most new shows sound like the radio and generally aren't very theatrical (alienating the core audience), actors and creatives being insisted upon having social media presences without keeping out of any politics (the more political/socio-political it gets, the more audiences are divided instead of being brought together).
There's also the fact that old productions spoiled us with so much brilliant design and spectacle that could be afforded at the time that simply cannot now, so people more local to Broadway, if they want things to run and generate more tourism, will need to embrace and support productions that are much cheaper to run, as long as they're still good.
I like what I've seen of the newer Banderas-supported production of Phantom. From what I can tell, I think it does everything it's set out to do (cheaper, more adaptable in stage size, familiar enough but also different enough). It even seems to respect the period it takes places in more (natural form gowns, /very/ 19th c opera costumes (if you've ever seen pics, you know)). Nothing can replace the brilliance of Björnson's designs and Prince's direction, but I think this can be a good production to see and enjoy (unlike the revised tour we had in the US and UK). Though, I think Mickeyjo is right that it'll be the slightly scaled down UK version that eventually comes to Broadway.
That said, the idea that expectations of what you will see on Broadway will have to change is definite or Broadway will die. Creative teams should always strive to do a good job, to respect the material, and to make the absolute most with the resources that are really available to them to tell a story effectively and appropriately, but if they don't do that and they fail to respect the audience, the audience will have no real choice but to leave.
I am devastated about _Harmony._ It's easily one of the best new musicals I've ever seen, if not _the_ best. I saw it at the Folksbiene, where it was simply perfect. I did hear that the first act underwent some changes (maybe in an attempt to reach a wider audience?)-but still, everyone I know who saw it on Broadway had an amazing time, including people who've already seen it multiple times and still intend to see it again. _Harmony_ is hilarious and devastating and beautiful, with huge political relevance and just the right amount of spectacle, and oh so much heart.
It's also wild to me that a multigenerational Broadway lineup-Chip Zien (older legend), Sierra Boggess (established contemporary name), and Julie Benko (rising star getting lots of attention)-doesn't have enough "celebrity" status. That's without even getting into all the new talent in this show. Everyone is incredible and at least four of them deserve Tony nominations (the fourth being Danny Kornfeld). And it certainly deserves the Tony for Best Score. I haven't heard a score this strong in decades.
Honestly, it feels like the biggest barrier is the cost. But between this and _How to Dance in Ohio,_ it also feels like Broadway has a real problem creating minority representation. It's become too much of a tourist trap for the stories we need (and I mean *need*) to thrive.
Aida is one of my favorite Disney musicals. I would be thrilled if there was a miracle and that it was opening when I am in London in September.
I watch your channel a lot so I am aware of probably more shows than the public, but even four of the shows you mentioned here I had never heard of and that's a problem because if the public hasn't heard of them then how are they supposed to garner support and get butts in seats. The ones I hadn't heard of: The Mind Mangler, Crazy for You, Unbelievable, Harmony. I think that is definitely a factor, especially if you want to get people visiting from outside of London and NYC to see these shows.
Oh no, I'd missed the news of Crazy For You closing. I saw it at Chichester a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. Was hoping to see it again this winter but didnt get a chance before Christmas.
Since watching your video on Shucked, I've been excited for it to come to the West End. Shame it probably wont be until late next year.
I think your observations on each show were well founded. In a very broad sense, since 3/4 of tkts to Bway shows are sold to tourists, and (as you pointed out) tourists essentially want to see stars when they shell out big buck$, a show w/o a star name is automatically facing an uphill struggle. If tkt prices were more affordable, people would be more willing to take a risk on seeing shows w/o a movie/TV star or a boat-load of Tony's. But unions & the general economics of Broadway make that impossible. Therefore I think we're simply going to see more & more star-turns with limited runs (A Doll's House, Gutenberg the Musical, Appropriate) and shows based on easily sellable IP (Back To the Future, The Who's Tommy). Others would do better to aim for Off-Broadway - Harmony was very successful Off-Broadway; How To Dance In Ohio would have done better Off-Broadway too.
I enjoyed the video and a little upset that these shows are closing but good news is Shucked is supposed to be getting a movie soon! You’re probably gonna like it!
For Broadway the price of the ticket is probably keeping quite a few people away. If your not quick the less than $100 tickets get snapped up quick. Plus if your not near the city there’s the extra cost of getting there, maybe staying overnight. I’m 2 hours away so I can make a day trip of it but it’s a hassle. Compare that to my local theater which hosts touring productions and the tickets top out at $167 and I wouldn’t have to travel 2 hrs in 1 direction just to get to the theater.
I found out yesterday that How to dance in Ohio is closing in February and I had tickets for March 9th. The fact that the show didn’t even last 3 months is sad enough, but also that this was an important piece of theatre 😭
I can testify about the Who’s Tommy coming in, since I saw it in Chicago last summer, and it was amazing. I didn’t know what to expect (I never saw the original) and was surprised and excited with what I was given. I hope you enjoy it when you come back to NY!
Oh boy! A 30 minute Nicky video. While I am sad for Shucked, I am excited (and nervous) for The Who’s Tommy. I saw it in Chicago and it was incredible- with some blocking issues that I think they need to fix before Broadway
Really enjoyed both Harmony and How to Dance in Ohio and glad I was able to catch them over Christmas!
Alternative Title for this Video: The increasingly exasperated expressions of Editing Mickey Jo 💖
I watched How to Dance in Ohio about two weeks ago and I was very impressed by the show. Despite everything being very quiet and monotonic so that people with high sensory sensitivities can enjoy it, the show successfully captures the audiences' heart including me. I thought the script was very cleverly written. Good sense of well-balanced humor about autism without too much self-deprecation. It starts strong and ends well, but the structure around the intermission felt a little bit strange, maybe because they cut lots during the previews to shorten it for autistic audience... Anyway, I highly recommend the show if you have a chance to see!
Interesting that Tommy is going into the Nederlander, as that’s where Rent was, and the transfer of the original broadway production of Tommy in the West End went to the Shaftesbury, where Rent also played in the west end! 😂😂
I'm so sad that I'm unable to see How to Dance in Ohio (and I was really hoping it would come to the UK, but now that hope is extremely diminished unfortunately) as, knowing how The Little Big Things has made me feel, due to having an extremely complex medical history, I was hoping How to Dance in Ohio, if I did ever see it, being autistic and having ADHD, would make me feel the same things.
I am autistic as well and it was an amazing show it made my family cry I hope it goes to the UK so many others with autism can see the show
I had planned our late March/early April two-week show trip months ago. Now screwed with the closings of Harmony and How to Dance in Ohio -- we were really excited to see them. I am sure that Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, Water for Elephants and Titanique will be running and our seats are safe, but I'm worried about our seats for Lempicka, Days of Wine and Roses, The Outsiders and Suffs. Sigh...
Days of Wine and Roses is already a limited run, but I feel like with both Kelli and Brian it's safe until it's closing date.
I think all of the above mentioned are safe in late March / early April if that's any reassurance!
I wonder if Broadway would consider doing something akin to National Theatre Live in the UK and broadcasting a live performance into cinemas to whet peoples' appetites ? I bought a ticket to The Life of Pi tour based on seeing a live stream of it from London x
I just saw Kimberly akimbo and can’t believe it’s closing😢Best thing I’ve seen in a long time
Thank you so much for this wonderful post although very sad. I was hoping to make it to NYC to see How to Dance in Ohio, but sadly will not. Shucked was a phenomenal show (even though Alex Newell’s under study performed-she was good…). I look forward to its touring. I hope it comes to our hometown as we are season ticket holders.
I think the Outsiders musical is another musical that going to get hype due to notoriety of it for this season as well.
i absolutely LOVED some like it hot when i saw it after christmas. i didn’t even consider the panic over drag contributing to its closing. it sucks cause it was so funny but also very heartfelt
I saw how to dance in Ohio last weekend I loved it I felt all the emotions as an autistic person this show deserves recognition I would have loved to see it have a life on broadway this makes me so sad.
The fact that How to Dance is closing is devastating. As an autistic individual, I applaud it as a very good beginning of showing a spectrum. One of my favorite things was at the beginning, it states "if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." Coming as an autistic individual who has seen terrible portrayals of autism on screen, it's a travesty this is closing.
I was really pulling for Harmony. The music and performances were great, but the book had big problems. None of the characters had enough depth and specificity. It's a tragic and sad story, but the book kept the audience at a distance. I haven't seen "How to Dance in Ohio," but the reviews were almost universally mediocre. I'm one of those who wants to see more original musicals, but they have to be GOOD. Good intentions alone don't cut it -- not with the price of tickets these days.
I still think about this video a lot and I’ve been making a point to check out new shows, especially from smaller theater companies, and I purchased a membership for a theater company’s next season
So sad to see all the shows closing.
Was gutted about Crazy for You had tixs booked for original closing night (went to see Little Big Things instead). I heard that two strangers who carry a cake cancelled there last day of performances over the weekend (do we know why?). Shocked about Frozen (especially as it's one of the big family shows), agree Drury Lane is massive so will need a big show to fill it (interesting your thoughts about totoro). I too have heard rumours about Oliver (that it will be a transfer of the version currently playing at Leeds Playhouse).
But as ever it will be interesting to see what shows will be coming in, really hope The Witches transfers over.
You are so right!
I really enjoyed Harmony. While the show’s first act has flaws, the second act is strong, and the cast is incedibile… but I think the biggest flaw this show has is it’s marketing. They did not partake in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade or do any TV spots on national news or related shows (all of which can drum up interest), and the signs/ billboards don’t tell you much about the show… like I know someone who thought it was a Barry Manalow jukebox because of some of the marketing (which it’s not).
On their Insta pages I saw that they did do TV shows. Maybe not the right ones?
@@behindthemirrorofmusic4351 what show? Was it just an interview or a full-on performance of a song from the show? Growing up a couple of hours outside of NYC I know a lot of people who use those performances to gauge what shows they may want to include in a trip to the city or not. Harmony has songs that could have worked like the Josephine Baker songs that opens Act II for an outdoor performance or the waiter song with the water in Act I, or the "Where you go" that features Sierra and Julie would work if they just had an opportunity to do something in a smaller space.
Remember now that we're still in covid times theatre goers rather see musicals they know and musicals even though they are jukebox musicals. I would do the same. I loved seeing MJ The Musical with Aramie Payton & Bailey McCall, & Juliet with Lorna Courtney & Betsy Wolfe and the 3rd musical Sweenet Todd with Josh Groban & Annaleigh Ashford all three musicals were all worth the money my mom and i spent. Saw Moulin Rouge with Jamie Muscato and Melissa James in Moulin Rouge they had sexual chemistry and lovely voices together. Nice and Neat to chat with them afterwards.
While I am always sad to hear about shows closing early especially those with original scores, neither Harmony or How to Dance in Ohio were particularly good. I know that both shows have their fans but I also saw a decent amount of people leave during intermission at the performances I attended for each of these... So I am sad for all the people involved but also not very surprised by the news
I wish Ohio had had advertising - I live in the NYC area and I only saw something about it once: when the director was on the CBS local news. That was in... January, I think - that was the first time I heard about it!
The songs are catchy enough that you think they would have aired a commercial or two with Building Momentum in it! I never saw a single commercial for it and I watch broadcast TV ~3 hours a day!
I hope these shows won't be forgotten when nominations for Tonys are decided.
As for Harmony, which I really liked alot, I think that while the timing of its opening makes it very topical, there have been a number of similarly themed shows in the past few years. Theatre goers are exhausted and depressed about the related topics.
I saw Harmony last week and How To Dance In Ohio last night. If you don't live here in the city, it is so hard to be able to see everything! I live in Manhattan and still feel like I'm constantly scrambling to catch shows
I think part of the problem with Crazy For You was the advertising. I was reluctant to go see it because the promo photos made it look quite sleazy and old-fashioned, I only went because the tickets were cheap, and I absolutely loved it. I think they should've used different photos!
So sad about How to Dance in Ohio. I was planning to go and see it in the next couple of months and couldn't believe they plan to close only 2 weeks after they announced.
I feel like this is happening with everything like TV shows, everything seems to be getting cancelled nowadays
im soooo sad about how to dance in ohio, i had tickets for me and my mom to see it in march and we were super excited😢
I noticed that Disney are actively saying that Frozen will not tour in the UK in response to Instagram comments. Trying to get people to book seats for the next 9 months in London instead of holding out! It will be interesting to see if it does ever tour, despite the current denials.
I live in NYC and have a long background in theater. Last season I saw almost 20 Broadway shows. This season I’ve seen 2. Everyone talks about how they haven’t seen anything this season (besides the Gutenberg scramble).
I hope Crazy for You comes to Broadway. Saw Kimberly for the 5th time in NYC this past weekend!
I was surprised that Frozen on the West End has its last show in September. But Elf will be taking over for Christmas
I could imagine Sunset Boulevard popping into TRDL , LW theatre, Massive stage to fit that Massive screen, and perfectly accessible stage door for the titular number… also i really wanna just watch it again
I hate seeing shows close so early. I love that you’re encouraging people to see new original shows. Have you seen or heard anything about the musical Super You? It’s a fantastic new musical that was set to debut off broadway but sadly that didn’t happen because that’s when Covid happened and Broadway went dark. It’s I think the only show to perform during that time as they did a socially distancing live performance in a outdoor drive in movie theater upstate NY with each cast member staged on the back of a pick up trucks to keep over 6 feet distance. Since then they also have performed concerts of the music in Carnegie Hall, in New York City, and in the West End. There was also a workshop production in Milwaukee. I’m hoping it gets its chance on Broadway as it’s a beautiful story and the music is incredible!!! By Lourds Lane
There have been hints that we may get this in the UK as Lucie Jones, one of my favourite UK , been sneaking snippets of songs from it on her socials ?
Saw the announcement about Frozen yesterday...cannot believe this show is closing. Every time I've been its been a packed house. It's such a popular show and such an amazing show at that....pretty much the best all round show in the West End...it makes no sense that Frozen is closing?
They've had great ticket prices for several months (i got front row for 45 pounds), that's usually the death knell. I love the show but i dread all the loud children
@emhu2594 It's not just children unfortunately- I go to London most weekends and watch at least 1 theatre show...and the amount of people (adults more.often then not) who don't know how to behave in a theatre is unbelievable. It's very frustrating and quite sad really.
Yes, they do have offers on tickets, but what west end show doesn't? One thing you can say is that it's always close to, if not, full. Which says a lot for such a huge theatre.
They are pricing people out of Broadway. The people who can afford to come to theatre are now living out of town because they are working remotely. But they don't want to drive all the way into the city and be charge congestion pricing and parking. It's already expensive to get into NYC, not to mention the traffic. On top of that the shows are so expensive to see and have been seemingly thrown up on broadway before they are fully ready. It used to take minimum 10 years to develop a show before they even thought about announcing it for Broadway. There are some excellent shows that go up but not all of them belong on broadway and thrive better off-broadway. A lot of things going on.
Very sad about How to Dance in Ohio. I know someone in the cast and it was just pure joy to watch. It’s frustrating because it feels like without a recognizable name or star, there’s no time to build an audience before the show inevitably closes.
As an Autistic person, I am so sad that audiences did not give How to Dance in Ohio a chance, and this may also be due to the fact that the general population have a very warped view of what an Autistic person looks like (I often have to tell people that I am not like Rain Man or Sheldon Cooper in the year of our lord 2024, but I digress). The show's cast recording has just been released, and I would love to see a UK production in the near future.
I believe SHUCKED closing is a similar situation as BEETLEJUICE/Music Man as TOMMY wanted the nederlander theatre
I suffer from this each year as my Birthday is at the end of January and I like to goto either London or New York to see show this year I had hoped to go to see crazy for you and the time travellers wife but they had closed even before I got to book tickets and this happen more and more I may have to take my Birthday trip at at a different time of year
I was heartbroken about Harmony and How to Dance In Ohio closing. I loved both shows. I have seen How to Dance in Ohio 4 times now. Going up to NYC for the final performance. I do agree with people that it would do well off Broadway and I think it would do well on tour. Coming to NYC is so expensive and I think it would do better traveling across America. I’ve seen Harmony twice and just love the musical. I hope it tours but im not sure how it would do across America.
Have you made any recent vids on predictions on where musical theatre is heading? I understand itd hard with everything changing, but should we be concerned or be aware of things that will be different moving forward?
Sadly (for NYC anyway), the way pandemic was handled, the defund the police etc., people aren’t flocking to NYC. Myself included. Last time I was there was February 2020 then in March all hell broke loose. A lady who played in the orchestra for LION KING was attacked in front of the theater right after a show RECENTLY for cryin’ out loud! It doesn’t give a clear “come to NYC” visit. Hope it turns around. I miss going! A LOT!
I think that “Some Like It Hot” closing early may have had something to do with J. Harrison Ghee being out of the show with an injury for quite some time, as their performance was one of the main draws for the show.
Also, this news may not have come out in time for the video, but “Shucked” has announced it’s getting a feature film!
I feel lucky in London the West End has many affordable options for seeing great theatre, having come back from NY ticket prices really hurt.
One show I was aMazed didn’t get a west end transfer was the Fabulous what’s new pussycat from Bham Rep , I and many friends saw it 4-5 times ❤it was quality cast , music ,set , lighting a real feel good show just what we all need it got a full standing ovation each night I saw it 😢
No!! My husband & I just bought tickets to How To Dance In Ohio!😢
Unless you live in or near London; then going to a west end show is massively expensive when you take in to account train ticket prices, hotel room prices etc and people have a lot less disposable income. Therefore these shows arent reaching potential audiences as well as they could be
I've noticed on the west end so many recent shows/productions are limited runs sunset, oklahoma, n2n, even hadestown has only got 6m atm. With frozen closing I can't help thinking Beetlejuice might finally make its way to the uk
Personally I didn't enjoy time travellers wife but I also haven't seen anything overwhelmingly positive on social media at best kinda meh reviews.
Still hoping the curious case of Benjamin button or the secret life of bees can get a west end run they were by far 2 of the best shows I saw last year
Emperor's New Groove is in the works. Don't be shocked if that appears soon.
The "bans" on drag are limited to elementary schools where such adult entertainment has been deemed age-inappropriate for children between the ages of five and eight years old. This is also limited to only a few states and at the request of the parents. Drag shows continue to be performed unabated everywhere else adults in the US wish to see them.
Can’t believe that How to Dance in Ohio is closing already! Did it really make sense to officially open in December?
It’s really sad, how many versions of this video and edits there is
With Frozen, do we think part of the issue is also Samantha Barks going on maternity leave? Obviously not to say she shouldn't have done that, but she is arguably a 'name' that goes beyond the theatre world (plus the profile boost she may have got as a judge on Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream) and I wonder if her being absent from the production especially over Christmas has knocked ticket sales. Will be interesting to see if that picks up when she comes back at the end of the month as it has been something I've occasionally thought about in terms of how key she is to the success of that show
She's back in Feb, and I thought her replacements were good. obviously i'm going to see her in march.
I think it's because ticket sales probably gradually dropped off to the point that they could justify bringing in a new musical (Hercules is what I've heard). The extensions were announced every few months, so that may be Disney's model.
I'm super sad about Harmony. It genuinely feels like it JUST opened. Like, I would've liked to see it at some point (but alas, I don't live anywhere near New York). I hope it tours or something at some point.
Did you see that Merrily We Roll Along was extended until 7 July?
Then they can put Sunset Boulevard in after that for a fall opening.
I literally have not stopped crying from Ohio's closing notice! #SaveHowToDanceInOhio
I definitely enjoyed Some Like it Hot; I'd have voted it for the Tony over Kimberly. I hope to see it again on tour.
@MickeyJoTheatre i love your necklace!
Do you mind sharing where it came from?
I’ve still to this day never seen The Lion King just because they never ever discount, and I was a teenager when the film came out so a bit “too cool” to be into Disney, so I don’t have the same sentimental reaction to those songs. Frozen however, loved it! Was so shocked when I read the news today.
Victoria Clark was also doing a reduced performance schedule - I wonder if that impacted ticket sales. I just happened to see it on a day where understudies were in for all three leads and they were phenomenal. It didn’t impact my experience of the show at all.
Did you see Miguel as Seth? I thought he was WONDERFUL
Deja vu... again lol
Thanks for this, I thougth I was going crazy! It said this was posted 12 minutes ago yet as I watched it, I swore I heard it yesterday!!😃