Pre-Broadway tryouts in Chicago

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 8:44pm

Lately it has seem like Chicago has been gaining a ton of tryouts here. Just to list a few but, Kinky Boots, Big Fish, The Last Ship, Amazing Grace, and Scheduled tryouts are The First Wives Club, On Your Feet, and N-The Queen of Paris. Does anyone know why there have been so many tryouts here?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 8:50pm

Who can know for sure but I'm going to guess Deep Dish Pizza has something to do with it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 8:52pm

And brat.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 9:15pm

Maybe Chicago houses are cheaper?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 9:22pm

^ You wouldn't say that if you ever tried to buy a house in Wicker Park.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 9:28pm

Ha, well I am actually a native of Chicago, so I know about that.

[jpbran]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 9:30pm

Been that way since the 90s... Spamalot, Aida, Victor Victoria, Sweet Smell of Success, Sweet Charity revival and The Producers too. (And I remember seeing Mamma Mia there before Broadway but after London, IIRC.) Always heard it was because of tourist crowds that are similar to New York's, also with residents accustomed to a thriving professional local theater scene. And a wide selection of grand old theaters.

[bdboston]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 6:48am

Another factor is that Illinois is one of a few states that offers a tax credit to Broadway-bound shows or tour launches as part of legislation to boost local economic development. Rhode Island now offers that tax credit, and it's obviously working; RI has seen many tours launch at the Providence Performing Arts Center in recent years, and the "Beautiful" tour will start there in Sept. Massachusetts tried to pass a similar bill over the summer, but it was shot down (though ironically we still give major tax breaks to movie production teams to shoot films here... don't get me started).

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 10:22am

Don't forget "The Addams Family"

1. It is a theater city with a large audience, and great facilities.
2. Large pool of talent.
3. Tax breaks for theater.

[MDM2015]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:23pm

This is not by accident. "Broadway in Chicago" is owned by the Nederlanders who own many Broadway houses. They created it years ago to funnel shows into their theaters in NY. Often they will co-produce these shows or give them a space to "show off" what they have. Notice many of the shows come there without a house in NY yet. Like "First Wives" and "Amazing Grace."

http://broadwayinchicago.com/about/

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:24pm

^ This.

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 2:17pm

Sure, but the Nederlanders own many theaters in many cities including Broadway in Detroit. Broadway in Tuscon, San Diego, North Charleston, Los Angeles, San Jose.

So, there is more to the number of shows that start in Chicago than the Nederlander influence. "If/Then" started in Washington, DC, in a non-Nederlander theater, but is in a Nederlander theater on broadway. They own 4 theaters in Los Angeles, but no where near the number of shows have their pre-broadway tryout in LA. Chicago has been a "theater town" for decades and the infrastructure that history has created has been what attracted the nederlander organization and the shows. Detroit used to be a "theater town" with more major theaters and theater seats than NYC in the 50's and it was a regular pre-broadway tryout location back then, but has lost its theater going public.

LA is certainly not lacking in actors or rehearsal space or theaters, but it is not a "theater town." And thus lacks the audience willing to see new works in the numbers to attract pre-broadway tryouts in great numbers. Seattle is becoming a "theater town" and has seen several major try-outs in recent years without a Nederlander theatre.

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 02:17 PM

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/9/15 at 12:37pm

Add Gotta Dance to the list
No, not Gene Kellyl