Flops of the season.

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 1:47pm

When was the last time a show on broadway closed during the preview period? Its the third preview tonight of be more chill and it is ALREADY on tkts. Could this be glory days round 2?

Another show to note, Aint too proud. Virtually, no stars, no advertisements, first preview isnt even sold out yet, no buzz
at all, and the show is no where close to selling.

Could these two musicals be the flops of the season?

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 1:54pm

Wasn't Dear Evan Hansen on TKTS? 

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 1:55pm

Yes, but not during the first week of previews.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 2:05pm

If I recall, shows now have to play beyond Opening Night for insurance/investment purposes. (Hogan or someone can explain more eloquently.) If a show was really doing poorly with no chance of improving, they'd stumble through opening, and post closing soon after, giving the actors the proper required notice.

TKTS in the first week of previews is not a sign of failure. It's better to sell seats than leave them empty, and it can help build buzz. Not many shows are sold out in the first few weeks.

Ain't Too Proud has a lot of great reviews coming out of its out-of-town tryout, and is supposedly one of the better jukebox musicals in years. Reviews/buzz could help it. Previews also don't start for another few weeks. You also might not be the target for its advertising.

We've already had 2 flops (Gettin the Band and Head Over Heels), one on its way to flopland (King Kong), and possible another yet to open (Beetlejuice). And some question-marks (Be More Chill, The Prom, etc). Let's see what happens over the next 10 weeks.

[zainmax]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 2:08pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "If I recall, shows now have to play beyond Opening Night for insurance/investment purposes. (Hogan or someone can explain more eloquently.) If a show was reallydoing poorly with no chance of improving, they'd stumble through opening, and post closing soon after, giving the actors the proper required notice.

TKTS in the first week of previews is not a sign of failure. It's better to sell seats than leave them empty, and it can help build buzz.Not many shows are sold out in the first few weeks.

Ain't Too Proudhas a lot of great reviews coming out of its out-of-town tryout, and is supposedly one of the better jukebox musicals in years. Reviews/buzz could help it. Previews also don't start for another few weeks. You also might not be the target for its advertising.

We've already had 2 flops (Gettin the Band and Head Over Heels), one on its way to flopland (King Kong), and possible another yet to open (Beetlejuice). And some question-marks (Be More Chill, The Prom, etc). Let's see what happens over the next 10 weeks."

Not sure of any reason to keep it running until opening night, but I've heard of shows staying open longer for licensing and stuff.

Also, agree re. TKTS. Shows are often up there during previews!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 2:32pm

I believe the last show to close in preview was Bobbi Boland (7 previews) in 2003.

Other shows of note to close in previews:

Senator Joe (3) 1989

Truckload (6) 1975

Face Value (8) 1993

And probably my favorite, Me Jack, You Jill (16) 1976

I have a glorious audio of Me Jack, You Jill and some of it takes place in a theater. At one point all the lights in the onstage theater go out and one of the characters says, if you don’t turn on these lights, I’m going to close the show, to which the audience starts clapping and jeering the proceedings! It’s the closest I’ve ever heard to an audience mutiny. At one point, the windowcard was hanging in Joe Allen.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 5:34pm

I see "Ain't Too Proud" ads all over town.  

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:06pm

_(•_&bull_/ said: "Yes, but not during the first week of previews."

It was on there the first week of previews. In fact the first night was on TKTS.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:08pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "If I recall, shows now have to play beyond Opening Night for insurance/investment purposes. (Hogan or someone can explain more eloquently.) If a show was reallydoing poorly with no chance of improving, they'd stumble through opening, and post closing soon after, giving the actors the proper required notice.

TKTS in the first week of previews is not a sign of failure. It's better to sell seats than leave them empty, and it can help build buzz.Not many shows are sold out in the first few weeks.

Ain't Too Proudhas a lot of great reviews coming out of its out-of-town tryout, and is supposedly one of the better jukebox musicals in years. Reviews/buzz could help it. Previews also don't start for another few weeks. You also might not be the target for its advertising.

We've already had 2 flops (Gettin the Band and Head Over Heels), one on its way to flopland (King Kong), and possible another yet to open (Beetlejuice). And some question-marks (Be More Chill, The Prom, etc). Let's see what happens over the next 10 weeks."

Summer also flopped x

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:16pm

Summer is not from this season.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:18pm

n2nbaby said: "Summer is not from this season."

It flopped during this season  

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:34pm

LuPita2 said: "I see "Ain't Too Proud" ads all over town."

I get targeted ads on Instagram Stories every single day. Too bad I can’t click something to tell them I already have a ticket:)

[LuPita2]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:44pm

Haha, me too! :)

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 2/15/19 at 6:54pm

Mormon was also on TKTS during previews. It made about 72% gross potential for 4 weeks (respectable but not great), and then the rest is history.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 12:47am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I believe the last show to close in preview was Bobbi Boland (7 previews) in 2003.

Other shows of note to close in previews:

Senator Joe (3) 1989

Truckload (6) 1975

Face Value ( 1993

And probably my favorite, Me Jack, You Jill (16) 1976

I have a glorious audio of Me Jack, You Jill and some of it takes place in a theater. At one point all the lights in the onstage theater go out and one of the characters says, if you don’t turn on these lights, I’m going to close the show, to which the audience starts clapping and jeering the proceedings! It’s the closest I’ve ever heard to an audience mutiny. At one point, the windowcard was hanging in Joe Allen.

I thought I was a theatre geek.  I remember Bobbi Boland...saw it at the Cort and thought it was pretty bad, but I'd seen some shows even worse before (and since),e.g., The Leaf People, We Interrupt This Program, Checking Out.  I remember Senator Joe (didn't see it), don't even recall the other two.

 

Updated On: 2/16/19 at 12:47 AM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 1:01am

I think what posters are talking about above is a standard clause in the production contract for authors that says a show has to play a certain number of performances for the producer(s) to retain his/her/their rights in subsidiary productions. Some shows are run at a lost for a few weeks because the producer believes the show will have a more profitable life outside of New York.

I can't remember the details (which may have changed over the years) such as whether previews count toward the total.

[binau]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 9:11am

Be More Chill may very well flop once the audience drys up in a few months, but just because there is a hand-full of seats left each night does not mean this is a massive disaster the same way we see with other shows time and time again. Proof will be in the grosses, but I suspect there will be a decent start for this song. 

[David10086]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 11:32am

Impossible2 said: "Summer also flopped x"

Don't know if I'd be quick to add it to this list...

I know it probably didn't make back all it's money, but looking at the production it didn't look like there was much money invested, either.

Also, it had a decent run of eight months, and was in the "million dollar club" the first few months of it's run. Granted it didn't sustain that box office past June, but I don't consider it a flop like "Margartiavile" or "Head Over Heels". 

 

(Just my two cents).

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 11:51am

David10086 said: "Impossible2 said: "Summer also flopped x"
Don't know if I'd be quick to add it to this list... I know it probably didn't make back all it's money, but looking at the production it didn't look like there was much money invested, either. Also, it had a decent run of eight months, and was in the "million dollar club" the first few months of it's run. Granted it didn't sustain that box office past June, but I don't consider it a flop like "Margartiavile" or "Head Over Heels". (Just my two cents)."


Flop = an unprofitable show, or a show that is poorly received by critics. Summer (A) did not recoup, (B) got bad reviews, and (C) only got 2 Tony nominations and did not win any. That all adds up to a flop.

The show cost $12 million to produce, in addition to its weekly operating costs. Perhaps it returned a little bit of money to investors at the end of the summer, and it wasn't as reviled as colossal failures like Gettin' the Head Over Margaritaville, but that still doesn't change the fact that the investors lost money.

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 1:20pm

LOL, “Gettin’ the Head Over Margaritaville” is brilliant.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 1:53pm

Look. I know Be More Chill isn't everybody's cup of tea, and believe me it is far from my favorite show of all-time. But come on...do you honestly think it's gonna flop so bad that it closes during previews or right after opening night? We'll see how much staying power it has in the long run, but I guarantee you it'll be more than that.

[Andres_123]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 2:07pm

Be more chill is actually selling really well, todays 2pm performance only had two seats left. It’s first preview along with Thursday’s and Friday’s show didn’t sell out but had two to five seats left. I truly don’t believe this show will close right after it opens I see it lasting till at least January of 2020.

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 2:21pm

Being Sold out doesn't mean anything

[binau]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 2:30pm

I mean, we'll find out in a couple of days, but I suspect that your predictions are wrong. Be More Chill is not going to immediately stagger like any of the truly devastating flops that might have been better off closing in previews (e.g., The Visit, The Scottsboro Boys, Bridges of Madison County etc.). It may not be a hit, but the way you are describing this show makes it sound like it is about to be a complete fiasco financially. 

Updated On: 2/16/19 at 02:30 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/16/19 at 2:39pm

Andres_123 said: "Be more chill is actually selling really well, todays 2pm performance only had two seats left. It’s first preview along with Thursday’s and Friday’s show didn’t sell out but had two to five seats left. I truly don’t believe this show will close right after it opens I see it lasting till at least January of 2020."

 

Tons of papering is being done, and anyone who shows up for rush gets in --- both great ways to show 100% capacity, but lousy ways to keep a show running.  One of the lead producers of this show is former Davenport disciple Jennifer Ashley Tepper --- and Ms. Tepper appears to be borrowing liberally from the Davenport playbook.