Is SIX the new BE MORE CHILL?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:08pm

Will SIX have the same trajectory as BE MORE CHILL?   Will the small (but VERY vocal) group of tweens and millenial superfans go nuts over it for a few months on social media, and then move on the the next "big thing"?  Will it have any appeal to the regular tri-state area theatregoing crowd and the tourists? This show will need people buying full-priced tickets in order to run past September.  I honestly don't see that happening (yet).

[GlenCoco]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:14pm

JSquared2 said: "Will SIX have the same trajectory as BE MORE CHILL? Will the small (but VERY vocal) group of tweens and millenialsuperfans go nuts over it for a few months on social media, and then move on the the next "big thing"? Will it have any appeal to the regular tri-state area theatregoing crowd and the tourists? This show will need people buying full-priced tickets in order to run past September. I honestly don't see that happening (yet)."

 

are only the young people responding to it? i feel like it has a wider appeal than BMC

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:15pm

no

[barcelona20]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:15pm

Not even close. Six should have a very healthy run and reach a lot wider age group.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:21pm

Not trying to start anything here, but Six is actually a really good show. BMC spoke really deeply to a small group of people and they cherished it, but it wasn't strong enough to survive for casual theatergoers. Six is fantastic all around.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:24pm

GlenCoco said: "JSquared2 said: "Will SIX have the same trajectory as BE MORE CHILL? Will the small (but VERY vocal) group of tweens and millenialsuperfans go nuts over it for a few months on social media, and then move on the the next "big thing"? Will it have any appeal to the regular tri-state area theatregoing crowd and the tourists? This show will need people buying full-priced tickets in order to run past September. I honestly don't see that happening (yet)."



are only the young people responding to it? i feel like it has a wider appeal than BMC

"

I'm 50 and I've seen it 8 times. My best mate is 40 and has seen it 7 times. I've also taken a 60 year old and a 70 year old and they both loved it. The 60 year old has been back twice since.

[FlyHigh523]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:25pm

I’ve seen it twice and I just can’t get into it.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:29pm

Six has been a hit in several cities, including a still-going London run. BMC has only been a hit online.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:31pm

Valentina3 said: "Not trying to start anything here, but Six is actually a really good show. BMC spoke really deeply to a small group of people and they cherished it, but it wasn't strong enough to survive for casual theatergoers. Six is fantastic all around."

I could consider myself a fan of BMC, but it still is hard to ignore the fact that Six is just a better show all around. Even if Six doesn't last specific on Broadway, it definitely has reached and spoke to a wider demographic than BMC.

Updated On: 2/13/20 at 04:31 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:34pm

I spot-checked a dozen dates on Ticketmaster between now and end of March, and all are at least 2/3 full (with some previews almost sold-out). Now, that's not a perfect indicator because seats could be held back, but it's a good sign. April has more inventory, but it will all pick up after word-of-mouth, reviews, and possibly Tonys. SIX hasn't released a discount code yet, right?

SIX's capitalization (and probably its running cost) is also much lower than BMC: $5.5 mil compared to $9.5 mil.

[RexInLights]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 4:38pm

No, they are not even remotely comparable. Besides the fact that Six is a far superior show, it has proven to be a hit in multiple marketplaces already (BMC was never really a hit anywhere, except for its limited Off Broadway run) and it deals with historical characters that aren't teenagers that will have a far wider appeal. The simple pitch of: a pop musical about Henry VIII's wives is far more intriguing to the older average theatergoer than a scifi musical about a horny teen who takes a pill that makes him cool. 

 

On top of that, as others have mentioned, the capitalization and running costs for Six are much lower than BMC. I expect the show to recoup fairly quickly and have a healthy run. 

Updated On: 2/13/20 at 04:38 PM

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 5:30pm

Six is nowhere close to being on the same level as Be More Chill. The only mild connection it has is that people in the States found out about the show through social media platforms. However, the show is an Olivier Award nominated hit on the West End (where many Broadway hits originated from) while Be More Chill played a regional theatre in New Jersey first. Six has embarked on several national tours in various countries, while Be More Chill didn't. Six is a product of this post-Hamilton history exploration through musical theatre and Be More Chill is a productive of a young adult novel being adapted by a talented songwriter.

The comparisons are limited. Six has had healthy runs in major cities around the globe. Broadway is it's next stop.

[QueenTwinnied]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 5:56pm

Doubt it. I've seen Six three times and I think it appeals to much larger audiences. I took my parents to a performance (who are in their fifties) and they absolutely loved Six. 

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 6:38pm

Just because two shows have a fan base made up of a very vocal younger demo does not make them the same. Because the bulk of Be More Chill's fanbase starts and ends there. Six's fanbase on the other hand does have that as a big favor, but appeals to more then just that but more importantly they appeal to a typical Broadway ticket buyer. That was always Be More Chill's problem. They targeted a demo that could not afford the average Broadway ticket price tag + the cost of travel + the need to convince a parent or guardian that may or may not even like musicals themselves into agreeing. Six targets people that can just go see a show if they want, when they want.

The only factor they share really is that their soundtracks were big on social media. But you can also say that about Beetlejuice and Mean Girls as well. ESPECIALLY Beetlejuice. Just look at TikTok

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 2/13/20 at 6:38pm

Just because two shows have a fan base made up of a very vocal younger demo does not make them the same. Because the bulk of Be More Chill's fanbase starts and ends there. Six's fanbase on the other hand does have that as a big favor, but appeals to more then just that but more importantly they appeal to a typical Broadway ticket buyer. That was always Be More Chill's problem. They targeted a demo that could not afford the average Broadway ticket price tag + the cost of travel + the need to convince a parent or guardian that may or may not even like musicals themselves into agreeing. Six targets people that can just go see a show if they want, when they want.

The only factor they share really is that their soundtracks were big on social media. But you can also say that about Beetlejuice and Mean Girls as well. ESPECIALLY Beetlejuice. Just look at TikTok