Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 9/15/19- Page 2

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 9/16/19 at 9:59pm

RippedMan said: "I think people just expected Potter to be a Hamilton-style monster it, and it seems to have fallen into the comfortable long-runner status quite quickly. I mean there were a bunch of $40 seats available for this week."

 

I see; thanks for the reply. Yes, I do see that tickets are not very difficult to get, and there are $40 orchestra seats for this Wednesday. Two parts is a big commitment, and it certainly hasn’t had the pop culture phenomenon status that Ham has had.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 9:27am

I agree with RippedMan. Also, I don't know the weekly nugget but it's probably around $1 million a week. I really hope it recoups!

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:11am

barcelona20 said: "ACL2006 said: "Bill Snibson said: "Hamilton’s numbers are so insane. MR! is holding strong maintaining the #2 spot for the past few weeks. What else is coming in this season to rival that? ??‍♂️"

Nothing this season. Everything will be a bargain this season compared to what the MUSIC MAN is charging the following season. Gonna make HAMILTON tickets look cheap."

I just don't understand the desire of people willing to pay big bucks for a revival of Music Man. Hello Dolly made sense to me, but this, I just don't understand."

As a movie star who has little charisma IMO, Hugh Jackman has mega-charisma on stage.  He is the sole reason for the ticket prices.  I venture that most of the seats would be $100 less he was not in it.  While I am disgusted with the prices, I assume that pricing is based on the premise that the show will probably close once Jackman's contract is up, and that that pricing will return the investment and a decent return on investment as well. 

I still question whether Rudin should've closed HD, but he did, even though there were a number of female stars (and probably a few in drag) who could have played the role and done decent -- if far from Bette -- business for a while longer.  And, who knows, maybe he could've found Pearl Bailey some point.  David Merrick and Pearl are the reasons HD ran as long as it did...it was mega-out-of-steam when Bailey took over and turned it into a major hit again.

With Music Man, I can't think of anyone who will want to take over after Jackman leaves AND who will actually sell tickets.  I can think of a few movie stars who can sing and would probably even be good, e.g., Jake G., Chris Pine, but I question why they would want to do it.  Unless I am forgetting someone, I can't think of a Broadway regular who would sell tickets AND be right for the role.

I would argue that Jackman is more important to MM's success than Bette was to HD, and I assume the prices reflect that.  Why? what other male star would sell tickets to MM (LMM??).  While business would not have been what it was with Bette, there were other females who would have sold tickets for a decent run.  IMO.

[ggersten]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 2:04pm

Jarethan said: "With Music Man, I can't think of anyone who will want to take over after Jackman leaves AND who will actually sell tickets. I can think of a few movie stars who can sing and would probably even be good, e.g., Jake G., Chris Pine,but I question why they would want to do it. Unless I am forgetting someone, I can't think of a Broadway regular who would sell tickets AND be right for the role.

I would argue that Jackman is more important to MM's success than Bette was to HD, and I assume the prices reflect that. Why? what other male star would sell tickets to MM (LMM??). "

Not a Broadway regular, but Josh Groban probably could sell tickets. (I am agnostic on whether he would do well in the part)  I wonder if Seth Mcfarlane would sell tickets - but he is probably too busy even for a few months. 

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 2:30pm

How about Neil Patrick Harris? I'd think he'd certainly sell tix. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:02pm

NPH, James Cordon, John Legend, there’s plenty of male stars they could get to take over. They can also stunt cast other roles and give a Broadway Leading Man the part for a while if needed.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:13pm

If he were available, Stephen Colbert would be perfect. There's also Steve Carrell?  Will Ferrell?  Robert Downey Jr.?, Bradley Cooper?  Ricky Gervais?  Seth Rogen? Kelsey Grammer?  Lots of possibilities.

 

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:28pm

Chris Evans is on the record as having said he'd love to do a musical.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:43pm

Just have to see how Adam Pascal does in the role.

[Fredrich Yeager]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:51pm

JSquared2 said: "If he were available, Stephen Colbert would be perfect.There's also Steve Carrell? Will Ferrell? Robert Downey Jr.?, Bradley Cooper?Ricky Gervais? Seth Rogen? Kelsey Grammer? Lots of possibilities.
"

Ricky Gervais as Harold Hill? Now that's a disaster I'd pay serious money to see.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 3:59pm

Matthew Morrison would not be bad.

[scripps]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 4:00pm

I dreamed of Christian Slater playing Harold Hill almost two decades ago, and I still want to see that happen one day, but ... probably not on Broadway after Hugh.

Updated On: 9/17/19 at 04:00 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 4:23pm

scripps said: "I dreamed of Christian Slater playing Harold Hill almost two decades ago, and I still want to see that happen one day,but ... probably not on Broadway after Hugh."

I'd rather see him reprise his performance as Winthrop.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 4:45pm

JSquared2 said: "If he were available, Stephen Colbert would be perfect.There's also Steve Carrell? Will Ferrell? Robert Downey Jr.?, Bradley Cooper?Ricky Gervais? Seth Rogen? Kelsey Grammer? Lots of possibilities."


Few of these men would want to follow in the footsteps of Jackman. It was hard enough getting someone to replace Midler in Dolly; Peters was far from the first choice. (And let's please keep Harold Hill under age 50ish!)

Wayne Brady, Josh Radnor, Zachary Levi, Alan Cumming, and (though young) Darren Criss feel like the type of names who would be willing to replace, but wouldn't mean nearly as much as Jackman. I think Music Man is about as beloved as Dolly, so it could survive 6 months post-Jackman and return a little more profit. Rudin is also a persuasive man and might be able to convince someone like John Goodman or Marty Short to play the Mayor.

It could also be a situation where they don't try to replace Jackman. It should do well on the road –– it hasn't had an Equity tour since Dick Van Dyke did it in the 80s.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 5:54pm

I believe I saw a touring production of the show in the 90s. I’d be surprised if it was non-Union given the gorgeous set I saw. But never know.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 6:33pm

Wick3 said: "How about Neil Patrick Harris? I'd think he'd certainly sell tix."

I stand corrected.  Per other posts, I can't see Groban being any good and; as, much as I love Corden, I just don't see him in the role.  But I could see NPH selling tickets and being terrific.  Other posts have mentioned names who could possibly do justice to the role, but I don't really see any of them selling tickets anywhere near as well as Peters did (and they were not spectacular).

I also disagree with the poster who said that MM is as loved as HD...can't prove it, but I don't think time has been as kind to it as has been with Dolly (even if younger audiences seemed to have little interest in it).  I have seen MM twice in the past few years, in an excellent regional production and a decent Summer Stock production.  In both, the audiences were periodically restless, e.g., barbershop quartet, opening 'patter / rap number' (can't remember the title, but its the 'and he doesn't understand the territory' song; I have never seen HD with a restless audience. 

So NPH or a movie star hoping try Broadway could possibly follow Jackman and sell tickets.  A couple of those movie stars might even be good.

[OneNJen]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 6:59pm

Re: Adam Pascal

That's what I was thinking too! 

 

Is his CA run an advertisement that he should be the replacement?

Updated On: 9/17/19 at 06:59 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:12pm

Seth McFarlane IS Harold Hill

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:22pm

OneNJen said: "Re: Adam Pascal

That's what I was thinking too!

Is his CA run an advertisement that he should be the replacement?"

No. It’s not. 

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/17/19 at 11:25pm

While I've grown tired as Seth MacFarlane as a writer (at least for his recent movies and modern Family Guy), I would adore him more on stage. Really shocked he has not made it to Broadway before, he seems like a natural pick for some stunk casting. Curious though on how much of as draw he would be with audiences. Would this deviate too much from his normal audience? 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 8:08am

RE: The Music Man (and how hard is it to type it out? It's minimum 2 words.)

Josh Groban, John Legend, and Darren Criss are terrible choices. Harold Hill is not a baby-faced conman. 

NPH, James Corden, Kelsey Grammer, Josh Radnor, Zachary Levi, and Alan Cumming are middling choices. There are drawbacks to each but I could see them all doing something interesting in the role and being able to sell a decent number of tickets with good word of mouth but casting any of them would just be to keep the show going. 

Stephen Colbert, Wayne Brady, and Seth MacFarlane feel the best-suited to the role of the names listed but Colbert is too busy. I have no idea how well MacFarlane's concerts and CDs have sold but his audience definitely knows he likes to sing. It's just a question of whether they'd turn out to see him. 

[Kad]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 11:04am

For Harold Hill, you don't just need a leading man- you need a showman. 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 11:42pm

Kad said: "For Harold Hill, you don't just need a leading man- you need a showman."

Showman=Carisma=Jackman=end of story.

Jackman sells 'the package'.

NPH wouldn't cause much 'swoonin'.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 11:45pm

Jarethan said: "Bill Snibson said: "Couldn’t agree more. Music Man will be the toughest ticket and those grosses should be fun to watch. The NYT spread this Sunday was sooo very Scott Rudin. He seems to be the master of marketing."

Even if the ticket prices are obscene. I am hoping that it will openin the Shubert (TKAM will be almost 2 years at that point, so a move to a little smaller theatre, e.g., the Broadhurst,might be appropriate by that time), where there may be reasonable second balcony seats, although I am guessing that the front ofthe balcony will go for $150."

The Broadhurst will be occupied for awhile with JLP. 

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/18/19 at 11:53pm

mailhandler777 said: "The Broadhurst will be occupied for awhile with JLP."

Still too early to see it go either way imo, but it does seem cynical to not even let it move in fully before saying it will flop basically.

Updated On: 9/18/19 at 11:53 PM