Mrs Henderson Presents to close on 18 June

[Will42]

Posted: 4/9/16 at 3:28pm

The new musical adaptation of Mrs Henderson Presents will close on 18 June 2016 at the Noel Coward Theatre. The show opened on 16 February 2016 following previews from 9 February.

Reviews for the show have been mixed: "One of the most delightful and winningly old-fashioned musicals London has seen for a while" (LondonTheatre.co.uk); "Has plenty of heart, but its art is somewhat lacking" (The Telegraph); "Not only improves on the original movie, but also gives the comatose British musical a healthy injection of energy" (The Guardian); "The last thing the West End needs is an endless stream of American musicals, but this home-grown fare simply isn’t good enough" (Evening Standard).

Synopis: "It's London, 1937, and recently-widowed eccentric, Laura Henderson, is looking for a way of spending her time and money when her attention falls on a run-down former cinema in Great Windmill Street. Hiring feisty impresario Vivian Van Damm to look after the newly renovated Windmill Theatre, the improbable duo present a bill of non-stop variety acts. But as war looms something more is required to boost morale and box office... When Mrs Henderson comes up with the idea of The Windmill Girls – glamorous young women posing as nude statues – audiences flock. And as the Blitz hits London, The Windmill provides a refuge for all, boasting the spirit-raising slogan "We Never Close"."

Mrs Henderson Presents features a book and direction by Terry Johnson, lyrics by Don Black and music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain. It is based on the original screenplay by Martin Sherman.

The cast includes Tracie Bennett (Laura Henderson), Ian Bartholomew (Vivian Van Damm), Emma Williams (Maureen),Jamie Foreman (Arthur), Robert Hands (Cromer), Matthew Malthouse (Eddie), Samuel Holmes(Bertie), Katie Bernstein(Peggy), Lizzy Connolly (Doris), Lauren Hood (Vera) and Liz Ewing (Lady Conway).

The production features choreography by Andrew Wright, design by Tim Shortall, sound by Gareth Owen, costumes by Paul Wills and lighting by Ben Ormerod.

 

http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/news/ltg16/mrshendersonpresents147811.htm

[Spotlight61]

Posted: 4/9/16 at 4:35pm

The announcement of any show closing is a sad moment for all those who have created, developed and worked on the show many years before it sees the light of day. My heart goes out to all those.

In recent weeks, I became aware of a new addition to the poster and all advertising in the media - 'Limited Season'.

I don't remember seeing this before.

I suspect that the producers hoped to have an uplift in the box office after the Oliviers and the song featured but a few people I spoke to, whilst liking the performance didn't feel it was enough to promote the show.

The show has been heavily discounted from the outset, which suggests that it has struggled to find its audience even an audience!

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:57am

Cue more walling about the lack of a recent UK originated big hit musical.  (I'm guessing Sunny Afternoon is a hit, but the lack of message board buzz suggests it's not a "big hit" - but that may not be true either!).  

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 5:29am

Original musical theatre in the UK is indeed in trouble- or even crisis.

,'Mamma mia' really changed the landscape for new musicals in London, elevating the jukebox shows (which tended to be bio-musicals like 'Buddy' to resemble traditional musicals with a story- however flimsy- but a score with built-in recognition.

Since then it has been virtually impossible in London to present a new show and new score- unless it could be boosted by a major star or movie connection.  Since 2000, when 'Mamma Mia' opened, the only 2 shows to have real commercial success outside the jukebox model are 'Hairspray'  and 'The Book of Mormon'- both from Broadway!  Even American hits like 'The Producers', 'Spring Awakening' and 'The Drowsy Chaperone' under-performed in London.

Original British musicals ranging from 'Taboo' to 'Love Never Dies' made nowhere near the impact of original musicals in the 1980s and 1990s.  (The one noble exception, 'Billy Elliot', did at least have the star power of Elton John to help, whilst 'Matilda' like the American  'The Lion King' had a built-in children's audience.  'Chocolate Factory' is boosted by audience awareness of the movie musical, too).

Any producer who thinks they have even a 50-50 chance of making money on a new British musical, is living in dreamland.  And a show like 'Mrs Henderson...', though based on a modestly successful movie, had the odds stacked against it from the start.

[DeNada]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 6:59am

I dunno.  It doesn't take a genius to realise that Mrs H was unlikely to make any money - it's a half remembered film from 10 years ago with no "stars" on the creative team or in the cast, and it's not as if it had great reviews in Bath for its tryout.  

Waitress, as a point of comparison on Broadway (barely remembered indie film from 10 years ago), has Sara Bareilles writing its score (which also appears to be rather excellent) and a long run up in marketing thanks to her being totally behind it.

I'm not unsympathetic to the view that the West End doesn't support non-jukebox shows - although I suspect Groundhog Day could be a big fat hit (star creative team, classic movie - although I suppose Tim Minchin is Aussie...).  

Most of the new musicals that have made it to the West End stage in the past 20 years or so have been, frankly, poor, or totally uncommercial.  It's hard to say whether the market supports good original scores when we generally don't get to see them!

Leaving aside the West End, other than people like bob8rich trumpeting them there's no real awareness of new writing - or it's not particularly worthwhile.  While it's undoubtedly thanks to strong self-promotion, there is a LOT of buzz around Dear Evan Hansen at Second Stage off-Broadway at the moment and it's clearly angling for a Broadway transfer - what have Pasek and Paul, and the producers, done there that we don't manage to do off-West End?  It can't be that the audience is interested - is it just a numbers game, that we don't have enough people to BE an audience?

[nataliealana]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 12:44pm

I went a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday with a £10 slip seat ticket and got moved to front stalls. Great for me, but not a good sign!

I didn't love it, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours!

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:09pm

There are no fewer people making up potential audience than in previous times.  But there are plenty of reasons why the potential is no longer exploited.

I think it is tenuous to say there have been no good shows over the past 20 years!  Plenty of shows have failed with great reviews- from Love Story to The Big Life to Spend Spend Spend.  

The trouble is, the culture or nature of the public in the UK has changed.  

Having mentioned the impact of 'Mamma Mia', I think the other contribution to the real crisis in new British musical theatre comes from the stranglehold of Really Useful and Cameron Mackintosh, companies which have actively monopolized business in the West End for many years.  

Furthermore, where American producers with large funds have repeatedly invested in developing new talent (eg Scott Rudin), our richest entrepeneurs have invested in real estate, making relatively tiny contributions to writing programmes or the production of diverse material off-West End.  Whilst there is a relatively thriving market for small-scale revivals (either at the Chocolate Factory or Southwark etc), new musical writing rarely appears.  And it's no use saying new musicals aren't being written- there are plenty of real quality shows, even from relatively well-known/ established writers.  The backers just aren't out there with deep enough pockets to push them.

Think of the amazing material that has originated at Playwrights Horizon or the Public Theatre in New York.  Where does there funding come from?

Look at what we have in the UK... um...

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 1:49pm

The show is garbage, but to be fair it was intended to be a limited run and to close on 18 June. I don't know how this rumor of closing earlier began, it was always intended to close in June.

[candydog2]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 6:37pm

Actually no, it was never supposed to be limited. It said that on posters to sell tickets but it was never ACTUALLY intended to close in June. The cast were contracted with the intention of a much longer run.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 8:30am

Ooh, really? I'm sorry, I had no idea... not the smartest trick, apparently. The producers were delusional if they thought it might have become a hit.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:01am

I'm going to be in London later this week and this was on my potential list of a show to get a day seat to. Based on what I've read/seen it's between this, How the Other Half Loves, ShowBoat, Guys and Dolls, and People Places and Things. I have a few slots (already have tickets to Sunset and Funny Girl), but which others would you recommend? 

[Posner11]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 3:57pm

To be honest given the reviews and the offers on Tickets I am surprised it going to last until then - Saw this when it premiered in Bath and while had great reviews and was a very enjoyable evening - as a touring show I am sure it could have been successful but with a functional but plain and forgettable score and a mix of characters to follow you were never sure just what or who's story you were meant to follow it certainly wasn't West End standard. 

It did have a superb designed set however which went from from front of theatre to back to rooftop and underground bomb shelter with very clear staging.