Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times- Page 3
Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
#50Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
Posted: 5/7/14 at 10:46pmThat is (badly) photoshopped.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
#51Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
Posted: 5/7/14 at 10:53pmI would love to see Foster in Once Upon a Mattress with LuPone as Queen Aggravain.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
#52Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
Posted: 5/8/14 at 4:26am
"It does seem that the calculation of the grosses for Violet must include subscribers, but I can't tell how they are being included. For example, when a subscriber purchases season tickets and gets a discount off of the single ticket price, does that discount negatively impact the percentage of potential grosses for Violet? That is, are the maximum potential grosses determined based upon the single ticket prices? I'm not sure."
Well according to the potential gross the average ticket price should be $131 (771400/5872). Because this is quite a high number and the potential gross seems to be fixed week-on-week it is probably determined only by single ticket prices. Now, admittedly the weekly running costs of Violet are likely lower than other musicals and the implications of being a flop aren't as important as a commercial show. However, I think that the phrase "selling well" grossly overestimates the financial state of the show. For the first month the show had an average ticket price of close to $50. The general cheapest subscription option is $79 per show, so obviously there must have been a generous amount of comps to keep the theatres full. Now there is less comping going on (indicated by the higher ticket price) but they still aren't selling the tickets (indicated by the lower attendance). This show never has 'sold well'.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 5/8/14 at 04:26 AM
Steve721
Stand-by Joined: 2/21/14
#53Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
Posted: 5/8/14 at 11:28am
"Well according to the potential gross the average ticket price should be $131 (771400/5872). Because this is quite a high number and the potential gross seems to be fixed week-on-week it is probably determined only by single ticket prices. Now, admittedly the weekly running costs of Violet are likely lower than other musicals and the implications of being a flop aren't as important as a commercial show. However, I think that the phrase "selling well" grossly overestimates the financial state of the show. For the first month the show had an average ticket price of close to $50. The general cheapest subscription option is $79 per show, so obviously there must have been a generous amount of comps to keep the theatres full. Now there is less comping going on (indicated by the higher ticket price) but they still aren't selling the tickets (indicated by the lower attendance). This show never has 'sold well'."
Since the Roundabout renovated the American Airlines Theater, there have been 42 productions there; this is a link to the summary of grosses for each of those productions:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossestheater/AMERICAN-AIRLINES
With average weekly grosses (so far) of $275,689, Violet is sixth on that list. (The Pajama Game is number one with average grosses of $403,873. The Pajama Game also holds the record for the highest weekly gross in that theater, $477,030. By comparison, Violet's last weekly gross was $303, 237.)
So for this theater company, Violet is a hit, at least compared to their other productions, although I'm still not sure how their subscribers are included in the calculation of the weekly grosses.
GilmoreGirlO2
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/13/05
#54Best Leading Actress Article in the NY Times
Posted: 5/8/14 at 1:13pm
I initially took Kelli’s “want to love the music right now” comment to be referring to the catchiness of pop-infused scores. They often stick in your head easier than something more orchestral – I (usually) find it much easier to leave a theatre humming a tune from a pop-infused score than one from a more traditional Broadway score (or, really, any score that isn’t pop-influenced). I feel like I am constantly hearing/reading comments about how the catchiness of a score really adds to one’s enjoyment of it (I, personally, understand the appeal of a catchy score, but my reaction to a score is often more focused on how it was used in the show itself and adds to the story/characters). For example, in the debate last year regarding the “Kinky” score vs. the “Matilda” score, I remember many said they preferred the “Kinky” score because they were able to leave the theatre humming the songs and weren’t able to at “Matilda.” So, when I read Kelli’s quote, this was the first thing I thought of.
Really love this interview. I thought the “veteran” ladies were particularly honest, upfront, and insightful.
