It is clear from the grosses that this has not been a sell-out hit.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
May not be the right board on which to post this, but the NY Post seems to be hyping this to the skies -- Reidel, Cindy Adams, and, with a few caveats, Elizabeth Vincentelli. Does the Post have a vested interest in this or is it because people are panicking that, for the most part, the other shows haven't been all that spectacular. Reminds me of what happened in 1985, when Big River, a mediocre show at best, suddenly became THE show to watch because other promising items had been disappointing. It's always great to have a new show to rave about, but I don't feel you absolutely MUST a have a slam-dunk in every season, no matter what. OK, musical-wise, it's been somewhat disappointing but it's NOT the end of the world and I have faith that the Fabulous Invalid will be serving up some first-rate winners in the future -- just not this season.
Ticket sellers gamble. Sometimes the gambles don't pay off. So, yes, if your point is gambling sometimes doesn't pay off... then I agree.
The important thing to remember is that these are tickets that were already purchased for the show, and will count for its weekly grosses, whether at full price or if purchased with a discount code.
Any reading of this as indicative of Bullets' failure, as opposed to it not being a hot enough ticket to make people go to the secondary market when the primary is meeting their needs, seems a bit too far of a leap.
I've often bought great tickets to sold-out Madison Square Garden concerts from ticket brokers who overestimated demand. I've never thought of misattributing that circumstance to the band, rather than the folly of the broker.
Updated On: 4/16/14 at 03:54 AM
All that said, Bullets is having trouble selling tickets, period. And it's not a cheap show to operate. I'm not optimistic. A great number on the Tonys could help a lot. But at the moment, it's behaving like a flop that people had high hopes for.
"But at the moment, it's behaving like a flop that people had high hopes for."
Its grosses are far from "flop status", and it got mixed reviews with some positive notices. It's definitely not like Matilda which came in on a wave of hype that it lived up to (both critically AND gross-wise), but calling this a flop right now makes no sense.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "