Motown to close January 18th, 2015

[Mr Roxy]

Anyone believes this will be returning also believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny. It is finished on Broadway. Neverland will stay open until Harvey W gets tired of propping it up . Plenty of empty theaters in the future and Cats is closer than ever. Meow Meow.

[FindingNamo]

Roxy's never been wrong before.

NOT!

[RippedMan]

Their reasoning makes sense. It's just like Mamma Mia moving theaters. They want to streamline the show. They can run it on Broadway at a much cheaper cost, and I'm sure they will scale back the production. The sets are pretty minimal anyway, right? Sounds like they'll cut back the cast size - which sucks for the actors. I wonder if they'll take the Broadway cast to London a la Hair?

[Musical Master]

This is strange, very strange indeed.

[RippedMan]

Makes sense after reading the article. They made their money back. And the tour will help them make a profit. Now they can retool the show and bring it back sleeker and cheaper. Why they're waiting so long, I don't know. But eh.

[AnythingGoes23]

I think this is a fabulous move. Broadway audiences don't need to "remember" this at all, its for tourists. London will get a good few years run+ out of this show (although possibly not at Dominion but I've heard its postponed to Summer because it wants The Adelphi)

I think the show will easily return to Broadway , probably a touring version or the London show going back - it doesn't matter set wise as the audience just want the songs - and have another successful run.

It could come and go for years, same in London. Let It Be has had three successful runs in London now and will be back again I am sure after this run at Garrick and I am sure.

[MarkBearSF]

Just saw the tour tonight in SF. The house was crazy. The Broadway hiatus won't hurt its brand appeal, and if it finally recoups and returns some profit, the investors should be mollified (so if it doesn't return, no damage).

If, as described, the tour is ready to end (or move to non-equity) in 2 years - the "streamlined" tour production can move into some open house vacated by an inevitable early casualty of that season. Presumably, it wouldn't be too expensive to install the touring sets, and having a known brand with a tourist (and international) appeal at the end of the summer could be gravy.
Weird (and yes, certainly Finding Neverland is the unmentioned factor in this) - but it may be what they say ...more or less.

[qolbinau]

Motown's weekly nut is unsustainably high.....it is surprising but understandable.

[JayG 2]

So Motown will lose and reopen. To paraphrase Sondheim: I'm grateful/sorry.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Ummmm...what? O_o If it's coming back, what's the point of closing?!

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Include me in the camp who doesn't understand the logic here. How can plans already be in place for a return? How can any show be guaranteed a theatre so far out? Something is odd here, it seems like an awfully long hiatus to take for people to remember the show- it's not like it has a cult following! I won't hold my breath for a return- however, I think "Finding Neverland" would work better in this space than in the overly large Winter Garden where it will likely struggle to sell out.

[dreaming]

The Winter Garden isn't a Nederlander house.

I don't think Motown has anything to worry about. I'm sure something will be open. There are other Nederlander houses-something is bound to turn up.

I still think Finding Neverland should wait-but that's their problem.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Maybe "Hunchback" could go into the Lunt? Disney shows have played there before.

[broadwayguy2]

The show's nut is high because it has a huge cast AND royalties to all of the artists depicted.
It isnt so far out of the box.. They can not downsize cast size unless they close for six weeks. People go to see the show for the Brand, not because of the musical. They could bring it in any time and that audience will be there is they have no depleated it. They send the physical production, run the show there with lower costs, make a mint, ship it back and reopen.. or they use the tour set if it closes on the road.
It is not a stretch. It ia an innovative idea.
Shows used to close all the time and come back... A summer hiatus, or a tour and a return engagement. This is not very different.. The "tour" just happens to be London.
Cant blame any producer for streamlining their show once they know how they can manage based on knowing how it runs. Kudos to them for not just chopping it up like certain others have.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Maybe "Hunchback" could go into the Lunt? Disney shows have played there before.

I honestly think they're saving New Amsterdam for Hunchback if they can't find any other theater. TLM and Tarzan only lasted a year, so I won't be surprised if this closes next year (which would be too bad, I really loved it)

[neonlightsxo]

"This has Weinstein written all over it. We'll hear a Finding Neverland/Lunt announcement any day now. "

100% agree. I have no inside info but I would bet a limb that Weinstein cut McCollum a check because he wanted the theater.

[jro_8]

I thought the article said they want to close it because they've seen how they can retool it for a lower running cost?

[JRybka]

So Finding Neverland (which for some reason I keep singing "Finding Wonderland" from the musical Wonderland) will go to the Lunt. But I doubt Aladdin will close too soon. It is the most popular Disney show since Lion King. It is selling very well.

[D2]

"I think "Finding Neverland" would work better in this space than in the overly large Winter Garden where it will likely struggle to sell out."

Lunt-Fontanne: 1509 seats
Winter Garden: 1498 seats

They're roughly the same size.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Didn't the original West Side Story close, go on tour and then do a return engagement on Broadway?

[LizzieCurry]

Just saw the tour tonight in SF. The house was crazy.

Really?
https://twitter.com/AllisonSemmes/status/502708567708033024
https://twitter.com/AllisonSemmes/status/502709465117122560

[mjohnson2]

disneybroadwayfan22, are you being serious? Like, actually? They are most certainly not saving the most elaborate and luxurious theatre on Broadway for one of their most scaled-down shows to date, and they will certainly not close ALADDIN until ticket sales dry up (which probably won't be for another 4-5 years or more). TARZAN (vomit) and THE LITTLE MERMAID both lost a colossal amount of money and closed because they didn't have good enough ticket sales to stay open, while ALADDIN has great reviews, great ticket sales and the death of Robbin Williams, which though tragic will undeniably boost ticket sales. So, no. HUNCHBACK is not going into the New Amsterdam unless ALADDIN takes a nosedive in ticket sales.

GoSmileLaughCryClap, WEST SIDE STORY did that, but that was at a time when Broadway shows actually went on tour with the original cast, not with their own National Tour cast, so this is quite a bit different.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Calm down. It was just a guess. Why does everyone take everything so dang seriously here?

[Liza's Headband]

If you say something absolutely and utterly ridiculous, you'll get that response... Don't act surprised.

By the way, for those who are somehow still confused about this decision, please take the time to read the NY Times article already posted in this thread. It lays out everything. Not very difficult to understand.

[RippedMan]

Agreed. Don't call it stupid until you read his plan. Granted it's def. something that we haven't seen done before, but it totally makes sense. Essentially Les Miz did the same thing just without announcing it.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

"I honestly think they're saving New Amsterdam for Hunchback if they can't find any other theater. TLM and Tarzan only lasted a year, so I won't be surprised if this closes next year (which would be too bad, I really loved it)"

Personally, I think Aladdin will be able to last a nice few years and maybe close around the time Frozen will be ready for Broadway...

Plus with Hunchback having two try-out productions within the next year, I think a Broadway run starting in the 2015-16 sounds more likely.