Chances of Side Show closing before March?

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:20pm

I am taking a Side Show-obsessed friend to see the show in March 2015. We are also coincidentally going to be in New York in mid-January. He is thinking that perhaps we should exchange our March tickets for January tickets because the show may not last that long.

I already called telecharge and they said it is done all the time and it's called a "return/re-buy".

But then again, if it does close early, it would most likely be on January 4th, which would defeat the purpose of switching the tickets. Any opinions/inside info/gossip from the merch people about if Side Show is closing?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:24pm

Unless things really improve greatly, it will be gone by March.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:26pm

You have nothing to lose by switching, and at least you can stop worrying and have some peace of mind. Just do it.

Updated On: 12/10/14 at 06:26 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:29pm

Yes, see it in January. March is probably a long shot considering the grosses.

[Baileyboo]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 6:35pm

If Side Show is on your list of must-see shows, do not wait even until January, as it is unlikely to go much past first week of January.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 8:59pm

Okay... what I don't get is that I have tried to see Side Show and have approached the St. James box office on three occasions. Each time I have informed the box office attendant that I am extremely flexible regarding when I can go. (I live in New York.) I have tried to use a discount code and found the seats they are selling under those codes to be way too far on the side. So, I suggested full price and was informed that the best I could get was row O or further back. Everything closer is premium.

If they are doing such poor business, why can't I acquire a pair of seats, just about any evening, orchestra center, somewhere between row D and L for FULL PRICE?

This just makes no sense to me.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 10:31pm

Discounts only go up to January 4. I really want to see the show on the week of January 5-11 but having already purchased tickets for 13 shows for my trip I can't afford another full-price ticket, otherwise I'd gladly support the show with one ! I hope its box-office improves and the show is around for long ! But, wouldn't a show that is struggling have already put up discount codes for the difficult month of January, in order to push advance sales and collect some money ? What's usually the norm ? I hope this is not a bad indication...

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 10:35pm

This has probably been said before, but they simply picked a house that was too big for a show like this. They should have tried for the Hayes after Christmas. Darn shame.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 10:46pm

Because they had to open in the fall due to Condon's schedule, and the St. James was the only house available.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 10:50pm

Here's the thing to remember when suggesting a show should go to a smaller house. Sometimes that helps ticket sales when it seems tickets are more in demand, but it doesn't always make a show cheaper to run, and it then cuts into potential profit margins. Some shows can't afford to go to a smaller theatre. For instance, Rock of Ages currently has a gross potential of $564,649 at the Hayes. My guess is that Side Show is probably costing at least $500,000 a week to run. They would stand even less chance of recouping at the Hayes than they do in a bigger theatre, since they would have to run significantly longer and earn pretty much 100% gross potential every week.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 10:55pm

How was Gentleman's Guide struggling this time last year in comparison to Side Show? Maybe Universal will back it long enough to see it get a best revival nomination (let's face it, weather it's open or not, it will be nominated).

[ggersten]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 11:09pm

Here's what the BWW database says about 2013 numbers for Gentlemans Guide:
Ticket sales were running around 80% of capacity -
However, as to gross potential which was, in general, 892k:
Percent of Gross Potential week to week started at:
42.99 10/27
34.54 11/3
39.7 11/10
36.14 11/17
46.47 11/24
58.27 12/1
59.54 12/8
57.87 12/15
60.44 12/22
75.35 12/29

Things didn't really pick up until May....
Gentleman's Guide Box Office Numbers 2013

[gleek4114]

Posted: 12/10/14 at 11:45pm

Hopefully Side Show will do the same.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 11:21am

I can't tell you how much I want for this incarnation to succeed. That said, every time I pull up BWW on my phone I am holding my breath for fear I'll see a closing notice. I am optimistic but not hopeful, and my gut feeling is they'll go out with the January slaughter.

But then there's the little voice that tells me to think of the shows that have opened in the fall and been successful - Spring Awakening, Gentleman's Guide, etc. If they could only make it to the Tonys...But then, how much would that really affect ticket sales?

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 12:25pm

If they are doing such poor business, why can't I acquire a pair of seats, just about any evening, orchestra center, somewhere between row D and L for FULL PRICE?

They might be depending on those premium ticket prices and aren’t willing to drop those to full price. If they aren’t selling that many tickets (and have plenty of discount options for other seats), they may want to get as much money as they can on those best seats.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 12:31pm

Lots of shows seem to sell no seats, but maintain very strict discount strategies. I keep trying to see Once from a side orchestra aisle, and it is full price only. But on some days, nearly the whole house is still unsold when I'm looking. And it's the first four seats for the first 12 rows or so, all full price.

They aggressively reduced the side orchestra prices to as low as $49 on some nights, but there's no middle option where for $89-99, I can get side orchestra aisle. I'm going to be in midtown a lot next week, so I'm just going to try the box office and see what they can do for me...

Ticketmaster seems to have more logic built into their discounting system. At a certain point, premiums become regulars without discounts. Much closer to show time, unsold regulars that didn't allow discounts before then do, etc.

I'd like to see it again, but if I don't, oh well...

Updated On: 12/11/14 at 12:31 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 2:33pm

Some shows really give tickets away to certain services (no names) while others like this hold on to them for dear life only releasing them to TDF or TKTS

Honeymoon now has a ton of shows on TDF. That show should try to move its opening date up. If it does not, it will be bleeding money before it does open. If it does move it up and get decent reviews, it may help build box office. No idea why it has a 2 month preview period. It looked ready to my wife & I . It definitely will not change that much by the end of the official preview period.

Wish SS luck but barring a miracle it looks to be among the January casualties.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 2:54pm

"Some shows really give tickets away to certain services (no names) while others like this hold on to them for dear life only releasing them to TDF or TKTS "

You mean, some shows would rather sell their tickets than give them away? Shocking.

[A1st]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 11:18pm

Sorry!

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 11:40pm

Damn. My Side Show-obsessed friend will miss out on this show once again. On the bright side........I will get my $300 back for our March tickets!

[gleek4114]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 11:54pm

I'm really sad right now...

[Robbie2]

Posted: 12/11/14 at 11:55pm

Chances are that it is closing sadly enough on January 4, 2015!