PHANTOM, MAMMA MIA! & CINDERELLA to offer Thursday matinees

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:03pm

Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! & Cinderella will switch their schedules starting in April 2014 and will now offer Thursday matinees at 2pm. I personally feel this is long over due. I have to wonder if other shows might follow.
...Starting in April 2014

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:14pm

I've actually never understood the whole matinees are only on Wednesday thing. Seems like you'd have less competition spreading them out. Between this and the HEDWIG weekend schedule next year seems like changes for the better.

[Outoftowner2]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:15pm

I agree, it makes sense. It's about time for some more options.

[Sauja]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:17pm

One show doing this on its own would be incredibly tough unless it was, say, Book of Mormon. Or Wicked. So the idea of joining forces is a great one. But...does ANYone think Cinderella will be open in April?

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:18pm

Seems to me Cinderella isn't planning on going anywhere.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 12:20pm

It is an incredibly smart business decision. Tourists are in town and have to make choices...moving to a Thursday matinee performance when other shows are dark is a great opportunity for them!

Same applies to any shows doing a Monday night show!

When I go to Las Vegas to catch up on shows (or any city with a lot of theater available) I try to fit in any shows possible!

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 1:04pm

So...are they adding a 9th show or taking away the Wednesday matinee?

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 1:05pm

Great for the New York tourist, such as me, as it will allow me to maximise my shows.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 1:10pm

I'm guessing Mamma Mia! will lose Monday or the Sunday evening performance in favour of a Thursday Matinee as they currently have four shows at the weekend and Tuesday as their dark day.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 4:25pm

no 9 shows a week. just a different schedule.

CINDERELLA's will be: Mon - DARK; Tue @ 7pm; Wed @ 2pm; Thur @ 2pm & 7:30pm; Fri @ 8pm; Sat @ 2pm & 8pm; Sun @ 3pm.
MAMMA MIA's will be: Mon - Sat @ 8pm; Thur & Sat @ 2pm; Sun - DARK.
PHANTOM's will be: Mon @ 8pm; Tue @ 7pm, Wed - Sat @ 8pm, Thur & Sat @ 2pm; Sun - DARK.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 4:42pm

Interesting that Mamma Mia! is losing Sundays in favour of Tuesday Evening and both Sunday evening performances, guessing the Sunday show weren't selling so have reverted to the old schedule with the exception of the midweek matinee.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 4:45pm

I like the idea of a different show time availability, but I don’t like that 2 of the 3 shows doing it are now dark on Sundays (especially as an out-of-towner who, when I come into New York, am counting on weekend shows). I hope many other shows don’t follow suit in changing Sunday to their day off (it’s also hard for me to believe that a Thursday matinee will draw more of a crowd that a Sunday matinee).

[binau]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 5:02pm

Chicago had a Thursday Matinee during summer of 2011 and the theatre was less than half full. No TKTS is available either, if I remember correctly. In theory it sounds like a good idea but does it actually work?

Updated On: 11/9/13 at 05:02 PM

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 5:10pm

It does seem like if it’s going to work at all, summer would be the time to do it. (Most) students are out of school and people are taking off of work (and, around the holidays, as the same would be true). In the fall and spring, though, it’s hard for me to imagine that they would get a bigger house on a Thursday afternoon than a Sunday afternoon. They must be basing this action off of some reasoning, though, unless they are just hoping that the lack of competition in those slots prevails.

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 5:55pm

I saw one of the 2011 "Chicago" Thursday mats. Tkts wasn't open. The theatre was beyond empty. I think one third of the orchestra section was filled.

[AntV]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 10:47pm

The bigger surprise is that Cinderlla plans to stay open until at least April 2014.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 1:22pm

with three shows opting for the Thursday matinees, I'm sure at least one window at TKTS will be open to sell tickets for these three shows. Especially since all three are always at TKTS. aren't there a few off-Broadway shows that do Thursday matinees, too??

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 6:03pm

Book of Mormon originally scheduled Friday matinees for their first summer, then cancelled the idea, along with all those performances. (Maybe Chicago was hoping for the run-off business in general that summer, hence the Thursday matinees?)

I think now going at it as a block, especially with Mamma Mia and Phantom as the anchors, is a smart idea. These two shows alone will give more shows that have been wanting to try this the impetus to actually go forward, and that will give TKTS reason enough to open additional days. And don't forget they're doing this right in the middle of Spring/Easter Break period, which is prime for the tourists and groups. Definitely a step in the right direction.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 7:14pm

Book of Mormon did do Friday matinees last summer though. But at this point they could do matinees any day and they would sell out.