Will DOLLY dethrone HAMILTON?

[Zamedy154]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 9:47am

With its record breaking advance, does HELLO, DOLLY! have a shot at knocking HAMILTON out of the top spot on the Broadway Grosses leader board? 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 9:59am

No.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 10:03am

Shubert holds 10% more folks than the Rodgers does, so if Dolly can get the average ticket price close to Ham's nearly $300 level then they could do so.

 

In other words, as haterobics said, no.  Tourists won't pay that.

 

It will get more Tony awards than Hamilton does next year, though.

[froote]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 10:07am

Nope.

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 10:17am

At the moment premium ticket prices for Hamilton is $749 or $849 so I doubt Dolly will dethrone Hamilton. For Hello Dolly, their premium prices are $499 ($650/$750 for front row depending on the day.) I've noticed though that Hello Dolly increased the number of premium seats in orchestra. Back in early January when I bought my ticket, I bought row M center orchestra seats for $189 (it was the first row in orch center that wasn't designated as premium.) Now from looking at telecharge, even row O center orchestra is priced as premium! 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 10:17am

Dolly's premium ticket price is $650, HAMILTON'S top price is $1,000. So no.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 11:06am

It will definitely dethrone one of the top 5 grossing shows, though.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 11:41am

DOLLY is also only doing 7 performances/week until June, as opposed to HAMILTON's 8.

[The Other One]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 1:23pm

Highly unlikely in the long run.  "Hamilton" is already significantly sold out for the next year.  Plus, Bette will probably not remain in "Dolly" for more than a year and I don't think the show is going to prove as star-proof as "Hamilton."  Do you?  

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 1:34pm

The Other One said: "Highly unlikely in the long run.  "Hamilton" is already significantly sold out for the next year.  Plus, Bette will probably not remain in "Dolly" for more than a year and I don't think the show is going to prove as star-proof as "Hamilton."  Do you?  

 

"

I agree with you. However, I would wager that after the reviewes come out, it will be a harder ticket to get than Hamilton on the secondary market based mostly upon what was said above. 

 

This is selling as a star vehicle and the advertising states as much. Bette will not likely be with the show for much more than a year. Translation: limited number of performances = higher demand. 

This is somewhat meaningless to the producers unless they held a stockpile of seats back to sell after opening. If they did, I wouldn't be shocked to see those released at 1000 per seat and perhaps exceed Hamilton's weekly gross. This would also be the case with any extension period. 

Seeing this in 30 minutes and so excited!

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 2:03pm

I agree. After the nominations come out or after the Tony Awards, I can see premium tickets for Hello Dolly going up to $1000 (if not more.) 

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 3:58pm

I'd also guess that the producers are already searching for Bette's replacement. I doubt she does the show longer than one year. 

[Mike66]

Posted: 3/18/17 at 4:03pm

Zamedy154 said: "With its record breaking advance, does HELLO, DOLLY! have a shot at knocking HAMILTON out of the top spot on the Broadway Grosses leader board? 

 

"

None.  Nope.  Thanks for playing.

Truth is, whether it's a "good thing" or not -- "Hello Dolly" is musical theatre, and can be really good or great musical theatre.  But Hamilton is something else, something that has transcended the theatre community and created a special niche in "American Culture."

I love the show, but I'm still amazed on what has happened.

 

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 2:22pm

This is exactly what I was thinking.  This revival of Hello, Dolly is all about Bette.   It sounds like a fantastic production top to bottom with some fantastic casting. But you pull Bette out of the fray and it will be perceived as just another revival of Hello, Dolly with some well-known Broadway stars (but mainly stars who are known to the theater crowd only--outside of Frasier fans of DHP, that is).  

It will depend on who they get to replace her.  Even then it would have to be big.

HD is one of the best musicals out there in my opinion though, and I'm hoping for a long run, whoever takes on the lead after Bette departs.

Hamilton hit the stratosphere though its brilliance.  And did so without a household name attached (as in an iconic international diva).

The buzz surrounding this revival of Dolly though is undeniable.  And will make a lot of money while Bette is in it.

 

The Other One said: "Highly unlikely in the long run.  "Hamilton" is already significantly sold out for the next year.  Plus, Bette will probably not remain in "Dolly" for more than a year and I don't think the show is going to prove as star-proof as "Hamilton."  Do you?  

 

"

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/19/17 at 11:31pm

"But Hamilton is something else,"

It's something else, all right. Something insufferable.

"something that has transcended the theatre community and created a special niche in "American Culture.""

 

Oh, ho, ho! That's a good one! American "culture," you say? What "culture?" The "culture" that bows and scrapes before puerile tripe like Hamilton? Give us a break, please!

 


 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 4:19am

After Eight said: ""But Hamilton is something else,"

It's something else, all right. Something insufferable."

You know all about being insufferable.

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 5:37am

ACL2006 said: "Dolly's premium ticket price is $650, HAMILTON'S top price is $1,000. So no."

Not to mention, Dolly's top ticket price is the front row. Hamilton's is the entire center orchestra from the third row back to around R or S, and four seats on the side orchestra for the same, and then the "mid-premiums" on top of that for $400+. 

They're not remotely close.

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 6:49am

haterobics said: "ACL2006 said: "Dolly's premium ticket price is $650, HAMILTON'S top price is $1,000. So no."

Not to mention, Dolly's top ticket price is the front row. Hamilton's is the entire center orchestra from the third row back to around R or S, and four seats on the side orchestra for the same, and then the "mid-premiums" on top of that for $400+. 

They're not remotely close."

If you compare both musicals as they are today, you are correct. However, Hamilton's top price before the Tony Awards last year was $499. After the Tony's, they increased the premium seating price to $549; then to $999 during the holidays (and after new year's day in 2017, to $849). Who knows? Hello Dolly may very well reach those skyhigh prices as soon as this summer. 

 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 7:04am

Wick3 said: "If you compare both musicals as they are today, you are correct. However, Hamilton's top price before the Tony Awards last year was $499. After the Tony's, they increased the premium seating price to $549; then to $999 during the holidays (and after new year's day in 2017, to $849). Who knows? Hello Dolly may very well reach those skyhigh prices as soon as this summer."

Yes, but Hamilton raised its prices in future ticket blocks. Presumably Bette's whole run is on sale. They can raise the prices on remaining seats all they want, but they already sold $40M of seats at the current prices.
 

 

 

"

 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 8:26am

Wick3 said: "haterobics said: "ACL2006 said: "Dolly's premium ticket price is $650, HAMILTON'S top price is $1,000. So no."

Not to mention, Dolly's top ticket price is the front row. Hamilton's is the entire center orchestra from the third row back to around R or S, and four seats on the side orchestra for the same, and then the "mid-premiums" on top of that for $400+. 

They're not remotely close."

If you compare both musicals as they are today, you are correct. However, Hamilton's top price before the Tony Awards last year was $499. After the Tony's, they increased the premium seating price to $549; then to $999 during the holidays (and after new year's day in 2017, to $849). Who knows? Hello Dolly may very well reach those skyhigh prices as soon as this summer. 

 

 

 

"

Unless you absolutely cannot get tickets to Hello Dolly and Bette Midler or someone huge keeps the show running,  I highly doubt it.  I personally was excited for the show because I liked the movie. I doubt most of the audience is going for that reason.  

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 8:39am

haterobics said: "Yes, but Hamilton raised its prices in future ticket blocks. Presumably Bette's whole run is on sale. They can raise the prices on remaining seats all they want, but they already sold $40M of seats at the current prices.

"

Hamilton increased premium prices to $849 starting this past January but in the new block that was released recently, premium pricing went down to $749. 

I don't know if entire ticket block had been released for Hello Dolly but I'm doubtful (at least for tickets after the Tony Awards.) We'll see. 

If there's a week where Hello Dolly has a chance to beat Hamilton in the gross numbers, it most likely would be one of the holiday weeks later this year (provided Hello Dolly has not released all their premium tickets for sale yet.)

 

[GhostXmasPast]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:18am

It is hard to imagine that happening.  Hamilton is a new and groundbreaking combination of subject, musical style, staging and casting.  It perfectly connected with many elements of our society today - and transcended the Boundaries of Broadway - become a touchstone in media, politics, literature and culture.  Combined with groundbreaking ticketing policies - shifting a large portion of scalper profits directly to producers, Hamilton's gross is cemented at stratospheric levels.

Dolly is a revival of a beloved show - with a beloved leading lady - and will be a solid financial performer.  It is not, however ground breaking  in the ways Hamilton is.

 

[froote]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:51am

The reason that Hamilton was able to charge that much was because it became a must see in the eyes of American popular culture. Referenced on every TV show, seen by every celebrity, winning every award, with Lin being a charismatic fresh face (to those that don't follow musical theatre). People felt like they needed to see it in order to be able to join in with the conversation surrounding it or they became fans through the cast recording and were desperate to see the songs performed on stage. It was also something new and current. A revival of Hello Dolly - no matter who the star - cannot and will not have the same impact and therefore the same power to be able to sell tickets for $1000.

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 10:51 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 11:17am

"People felt like they needed to see it in order to be able to join in with the conversation surrounding it."

 

Precisely. It became the in thing that one absolutely had to see as a mark of status --- regardless of how dreadful it actually is. (Which, of course, no one dares admit).

 

Now, a plea to the Broadway World community. Please don't mention this puerile farrago in the same breath as the beautiful, magical Hello, Dolly! 

[bdn223]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 11:30am

I think the producers are definitively hoping to Recoup with Bette Middler. In my opinoin they should then just can go through a series of Limited runs of the Grand Dames of Broadway. I can't imagine Lupone, Peters, Neuwirth, Ebersole, Channing, Murphy would be so prideful that they would turn down their one opportunity to play Dolly on a Broadway stage because they couldn't originate the role and be eligible for a Tony. Add to that the fact that they aged up Dolly for this revival, they can easily take it back down and bring reigning divas Chenoweth, Macdonald,  Scott, Foster, Headley....

I know not all of these women are right for the role of Dolly, but I am just saying the production could make a lot of money doing 2-3 month runs with rotating Dollys akin to what Headwig and the Angry Inch did except considering Dolly is not as physically demanding and specific a role the pool of replacements can increase vastly.