Breaking News: AFTER MIDNIGHT to Close on Broadway in Late June- Page 3

[senorvoce2]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:12am

Since the unions don't share the profits, why should they shoulder any losses?

As has been said earlier, it is the producers job to sell their show. If they can't, it closes. Twas ever thus.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:50am

I have never known news to come out on a Saturday before?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:54am

So surprised that this is closing already. (Sorry I'm late)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 10:02am

With unions like that, who needs bad reviews?

I'd still like to know which unions said yes and which ones said no.

Updated On: 6/15/14 at 10:02 AM

[pat_NYborn]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 12:27pm

Wow! This news really caught me off guard....was all set to see this next month. Any idea if there is a chance it could move off Broadway (like Million Dollar Quartet did)?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 1:18pm

're the unions

If there are no profits the show closes and they are out of work

It is,a musical revue much like Contact. They were both song and dance pieces. If a show needs a name to keep running.....

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 1:30pm

"I have never known news to come out on a Saturday before?"

Well, the news you plan in advance you time as appropriate. The news you don't plan comes out when it comes out... I imagine they had to tell the cast that day, so better to put the news out ASAP.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 2:53pm

"If a show needs a name to keep running..."

You seem to think that star vehicle deserve to close for some reason? What is wrong with a business plan or marketing strategy being based on the presence of a star name? It's a bit like complaining that certain dishes are only tasty because of the sauce.

Perhaps the producers could be blamed for not ensuring the necessary star presence was in place, but not for subscribing to a well-established commercial tradition.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 3:08pm

I f*cking hate the unions. Not a surprise they're essentially responsible for the shuddering of this musical. The words "concession," "compromise," and "understanding" don't come easy to unions. But, yet, they bully their own vendors and members when it comes to high worth contracts, exorbitant fees and dues, and the like.

That's a crock of BS. Unions can kiss my butt.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 4:18pm

"Great contribution to the discussion."

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 4:19pm

The unions didn't close the show the producers did, it is good the unions stuck by there guns on this, how long would it be before shows close after NewYear and re-open end of March, when the tourists are back?

I wouldn't be surprised if Nederlander group were very hostile towards this as well, losing a weeks rent, plus liquor sales.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 4:19pm

The unions didn't close the show the producers did, it is good the unions stuck by there guns on this, how long would it be before shows close after NewYear and re-open end of March, when the tourists are back?

I wouldn't be surprised if Nederlander group were very hostile towards this as well, losing a weeks rent, plus liquor sales.

[Mike Costa]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 6:14pm

Remember that what you read in a press release and what is really happening are often two different things.
Given the speed a new show was announced for this theater, only The Neederlanders could have made this happen since they would not conceded to no rent for the week, no theater owner wants that.

If the press release is true at all the greed of the producers to close a show just because it is going to have a couple of bad weeks is almost unprecedented. Good that the Unions or The Neederlanders stood up to them.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:17pm

I'm as sad about this early closing as some of you, but I think it's a bit premature to be blaming anyone for the show's financial failure - producers or unions. While it's tempting to blame the hold-out unions, at the end of the day, if the only thing that could save the show was a one-week hiatus, it was already in a lot of trouble.

And, as sad as it makes me to say this, perhaps the audience for a revue of great music from legendary early 20th century composers just isn't there anymore. It seems that when re-purposing songbooks for new musicals - be they revues, jukebox shows, or book musicals - they are most successful when tapping into the nostalgia and musical roots of babyboomers. See: Mowtown and Beautiful. In fact, I think you could argue that the signing of guest stars like Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and even Natalie Cole was to appeal to those babyboomer sensibilities.

Perhaps music from the 20s-40s is just considered too old fashioned for the average audience member. Anyone who's seen After Midnight knows how raw and vital and alive this music sounds with this company of supremely gifted musicians/singers/dancers, but the problem was never with the audience reaction to the show itself, but with getting people in the door in the first place.

As much as I ADORED Fantasia in this show, if they'd been able to open with stars that appealed to that babyboomer demo, like LaBelle, Knight and Cole, perhaps they would have been off to a stronger start.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:52pm

Who says the unions have the right to make decisions for performers about whether or not they accept a hiatus?

There is a big difference between sacrificing a week in return for 8 more weeks more directly afterwards, and a show closing from January to March. In the latter case, the performers would most likely choose to take other jobs.

And besides, it would be very unwise and therefore unlikely for any production to take that kind of break. Audiences would dry up and it would be very hard to start up interest again after such a time out of public attention.

So if that is what the unions think they are preventing, it is a pointless exercise.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 6/15/14 at 7:53pm

Quick look through the lead producers credits, only Roy Furman has real cred. We're talking wonton Marsalis, Candy Spelling and a couple of groups with 1 or 2 credits

If the reason is truly the absence of a star a few weeks out then it is just poor planning. A shame.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 1:10am

Just a note on this idea of an unprecedented concession and producers shutting shows down for the winter,
This has some precedent.. and the contracts already prevent producers from long shut downs. The unions and landlords just have to agree to allow it to happen.
National tours, though no landlord is involved, take a one to two week hiatus with layoffs when a book is not to found. Flashdance had one several weeks before the show closed. Memphis had a three week layoff just prior to the start of the second year of the first national. Te casts are NOT paid for those weeks.
On Broadway, shows have been known to shutter for a week or two when a star takes vacation.. Boy From Oz closed for two weeks during Jackman's vacation, though as I recall, the cast was paid.
It seems that After Midnight was asking for a hybrid of that.
As far as producers taking a lengthy hiatus, union agreements prevent that. After X number of weeks closure without pay, all contracts expire and the producers have to refile with the unions dectating how many people will be hired and then all contracts must be reoffered and negotiated from scratch. Disney employed that tactic when moving Beauty from the Palace to the Lunt.

Updated On: 6/16/14 at 01:10 AM

[Funny Girl]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 8:54am

I just checked Ticketmaster this morning and they are still selling tickets past the closing date in June. Is this common?

[newintown]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 9:12am

I enjoyed this show very much for what it was, but honestly - it was only an evening at a nightclub (minus food, drinks, and social dancing) - fun singing & dancing and a good band. It's not like this was Broadway Gold (or even Broadway Bronze).

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 9:22am

"Wow! This news really caught me off guard....was all set to see this next month. Any idea if there is a chance it could move off Broadway (like Million Dollar Quartet did)?"

Needs a much bigger space than you can get at Dodger Stages or similar

[evic]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 9:44am

I ain't moving anywhere except maybe a touring production. Maybe they should do a few weeks at the Apollo. A brilliant production that I saw 3 times which I rarely do for shows.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 9:50am

I'm surprised that they are closing before the expected Gladys Knight engagement, but it's understandable. Look at the gross potential percentages, they haven't been doing too well.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses/AFTER-MIDNIGHT

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 10:08am

Sure sounds like they're using the unions as a scapegoat. If the only choice really was to go on shutdown for a week or close the show, then there's no way the show made it a few weeks past the shutdown anyways.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 10:18am

That's irrelevant. It does not shift the onus of responsibility. The party ultimately guilty of shutting this one down was the unions. They'd rather lose a paycheck for multiple weeks (or months) than lose it for just one week. Absolutely ridiculous.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/16/14 at 10:24am

Nope, still the producer's faults. They had contracts with the unions and wanted to break them.

Also, why are you so sure it was ONE union? It could have been several. Updated On: 6/16/14 at 10:24 AM