Off-Broadway is losing a theater

vampire musical
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#1
Posted: 7/5/16 at 12:18pm

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
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#2
Posted: 7/5/16 at 1:10pm

Terrible

neonlightsxo
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#3
Posted: 7/5/16 at 1:16pm

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/

 

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newintown
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#4
Posted: 7/5/16 at 1:22pm

Commercial Off-Broadway has been pretty dead for several years, except for non-verbal spectacle acts like StompDe 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.

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HogansHero
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#5
Posted: 7/5/16 at 1:56pm

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.

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Mr Roxy
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#6
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:09pm

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.

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within - " The Fall Of The Roman Empire" - De Ja Vu all over again
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MyFavoriteBrunette
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#7
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:13pm

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.

'94 Miss Saigon '95 Grease '96 Beauty & The Beast '96 Phantom of the Opera '98 The Capeman '98 Freak '03 Mamma Mia! '03 Sexaholix '04 Bombay Dreams '10 Mary Poppins '12 The Lion King '16 On Your Feet! '16 Les Miserables '16 Aladdin '16 Kinky Boots '16 Book of Mormon '16 The King and I '16 Beautiful: The Carol King Musical '16 Fiddler on the Roof '16 An American in Paris '16 Hamilton '16 Wicked '16 The Humans '16 Something Rotten '16 American Psycho '16 Avenue Q '16 Fun Home '16 The Woodsman '16 Shuffle Along '16 Chicago '16 The Color Purple '16 Fully Committed
Updated On: 7/5/16 at 02:13 PM
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ChairinMain
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#8
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:15pm

newintown said: "Commercial Off-Broadway has been pretty dead for several years, except for non-verbal spectacle acts like StompDe 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
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#9
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:29pm

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). 

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PalJoey
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#10
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:38pm

 

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

 

 

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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#11
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:41pm

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

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HogansHero
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#12
Posted: 7/5/16 at 2:42pm

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.

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Mr Roxy
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#13
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:05pm

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.

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within - " The Fall Of The Roman Empire" - De Ja Vu all over again
Updated On: 7/5/16 at 03:05 PM
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Kad
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#14
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:08pm

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

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
neonlightsxo
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joined:7/29/08
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#15
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:13pm

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

vampire musical
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#16
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:16pm

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

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CarlosAlberto
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#17
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:19pm

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!

 

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Mr Roxy
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#18
Posted: 7/5/16 at 3:30pm

There is your answer Vampire.

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within - " The Fall Of The Roman Empire" - De Ja Vu all over again
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HogansHero
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#19
Posted: 7/5/16 at 4:11pm

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
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Off-Broadway is losing a theater#20
Posted: 7/5/16 at 4:18pm

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. 

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