Off-Broadway is losing a theater

[vampire musical]

There's going to be one less Off-Broadway house...is commercial Off-Broadway dead?

http://www.playbill.com/article/nys-legendary-tammany-hall-to-demolish-theatre-space

[Deena Jones]

Terrible

[neonlightsxo]

The New York Times (and Playbill) are way behind on this. It was posted elsewhere months ago.

http://bedfordandbowery.com/2016/01/shops-and-union-square-theatre-vacate-tammany-hall-clearing-way-for-makeover/

 

[newintown]

Commercial Off-Broadway has been pretty dead for several years, except for non-verbal spectacle acts like Stomp, De La Guarda, or Blue Man Group. There hasn't been a financially successful commercial book musical (like Little Shop of Horrors) or play Off Broadway since I don't know when.

[HogansHero]

I think mourning the loss of the physical theatre is misplaced. I think what has been lost are non-garbage shows capable of sustaining themselves. I count about 2-3 in the whole city right now or in the recent past. And if you focus on the +200 market, only one, and it has been on Broadway previously. Great theatre has moved on.

[Mr Roxy]

Losing more and more of NY history every day and it shows no signs of abating. The beat goes on.NY is rapidly losing all of its history in the name of progress.

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

This is my neighborhood.  My husband grew up here for all his 46 years and I've been here with him for the past 27.  His parents owned a business here that belonged to his grandparents back in the 30's and the changes in the landscape of the neighborhood is a sad transition to watch.  It's a shame the building couldn't remain used for the arts in different capacity than performing, if the film academy could have stayed or NYU use it. When Fuerza Bruta closes I wouldn't be surprised if the old bank it's in gets torn down for more glass blocks to go up.

[ChairinMain]

newintown said: "Commercial Off-Broadway has been pretty dead for several years, except for non-verbal spectacle acts like Stomp, De La Guarda, or Blue Man Group. There hasn't been a financially successful commercial book musical (like Little Shop of Horrors) or play Off Broadway since I don't know when.

 

I'd speculate  this has something to do with the way producers now take any show with promise and transfer it to a Broadway house as soon as they can.

[vampire musical]

Non-verbal shows are thriving because they are non-union.  It's hard to turn a profit with under 499 seats unless it's a one person show that has somewhat of a name actor (Come Sleep Walk With Me, etc.), a former Broadway show (Avenue Q), or non-union (Sleep No More, Fuerza, Blue Man, Stomp). 

[PalJoey]

 

So much for keeping their hands off Little Old New York.

 

 

[RippedMan]

Trip of Love seems to have outlast a bunch of shows this season and shows no signs of closing up?

[HogansHero]

vampire musical said: "Non-verbal shows are thriving because they are non-union.  It's hard to turn a profit with under 499 seats unless it's a one person show that has somewhat of a name actor (Come Sleep Walk With Me, etc.), a former Broadway show (Avenue Q), or non-union (Sleep No More, Fuerza, Blue Man, Stomp). "

right on all points. Two further points: First, the economics of doing a legitimate theatre piece is actually more acute in the 200-499 range than below it. And second, it does not have to be thus. The folks at the Barrow Street have solved the riddle, but no one else seems capable of learning from them. The lesson I think we need to learn is that the real estate is not the culprit; it is a symptom. We keep hearing these choruses of dismay that building are being put to other uses but we seem oblivious to the fact that these landlords are not turning down great theatre: it is just that no one is producing it. When you consider that so many Broadway shows are unmitigated flops, it is not surprising that any halfway decent show is going to take its chances on Broadway rather than at the larger end of the off-B market. E.g., The Humans.

[Mr Roxy]

Someone with very deep pockets is pumping money into Trip like there is no tomorrow.Seems like someone with money to burn has taken it on as a vanity project.I know someone who has seen it 9 times and keeps going back and back.

[Kad]

Trip of Love comps like no tomorrow. I don't understand how it's still around; I've never seen anything like it.

[neonlightsxo]

The producer is a Japanese business person with lots of money.

[vampire musical]

The producer behind Trip of Love is one of the original Blue Man Group producers so he's got $$$ to burn

[CarlosAlberto]

Mr Roxy said: "Losing more and more of NY history every day and it shows no signs of abating. The beat goes on.NY is rapidly losing all of its history in the name of progress.


Oh stop being so melodramatic!

 

[Mr Roxy]

There is your answer Vampire.

[HogansHero]

vampire musical said: "The producer behind Trip of Love is one of the original Blue Man Group producers so he's got $$$ to burn"

Actually, I'm pretty sure neither one involved significant use of his own money. Trip is financed by Japanese businessmen who (a) apparently like it and (b) like the idea of having a show running in New York much in the way that the same individuals like having homes in European capitals and yachts that precede them as they travel around in their gold plated jets.

[Liza's Headband]

HogansHero said: "vampire musical said: "The producer behind Trip of Love is one of the original Blue Man Group producers so he's got $$$ to burn"

Actually, I'm pretty sure neither one involved significant use of his own money. Trip is financed by Japanese businessmen who (a) apparently like it and (b) like the idea of having a show running in New York much in the way that the same individuals like having homes in European capitals and yachts that precede them as they travel around in their gold plated jets."

 

....and thank god for those individuals who have the freedom to burn and throw away however much cash they desire. Broadway wouldn't exist without them.