What Was the Biggest Monetary Flop?- Page 2

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 4:35pm

I'm curious... if the current Sweeney will finish "in the black," and it's the only other Sondheim show besides Forum to do so in its Broadway run...

...why exactly is that? Were the cost of all other Sondheim shows THAT high? Or are ticket prices so high now that they can actually turn a profit on Broadway with shorter runs?

The run of the current Sweeney is around 320 this week, and it's closing soon.

Night Music ran 601.
The original Sweeney ran 557 (in a much larger theatre), but it had that giant foundry set.
Into the Woods originally ran 761.

So, how is the revival Sweeney managing to turn a profit with such a short run? I know costs are high these days, even for "minimal" production value like this. Still it doesn't add up, unless its due to the ticket prices.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 4:44pm

best12bars, Sweeney recouped within 19 weeks (it was announced the week of March 19.) The entire capitalization was $3.5 million.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/98593.html

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 4:47pm

So isn't that one of the fastest recoups in recent history?

3.5 mil isn't "Wicked" costs, but it's still not chicken feed to take only 19 weeks for it to recoup.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 4:56pm

Not sure about it being the fastest recoup, but one of the reasons it broke even is the nut is so low. Doubling actors and musicians, kept costs low too (although concessions were made with the unions). Premium seats have made a difference on most shows as well.

Margo, I'm sure you can help out here!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:04pm

Scarlet Pimpernel might hold the record for Broadway. Between the three versions, I believe it lost over $20 million.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:09pm

TomMonster -- I forgot about the "doubling" fact.

But even straight plays on Broadway (with budgets presumably at or below the revival Sweeney level)... are they recouping in just 19 weeks??

Any of them?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:11pm

Odd Couple did very well before the show even started rehearsals. So well, in fact, that all of the profits from souvenir sales (hats, shirts, posters) went to BCEFA and Hurricane Katrina charities.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:13pm

I know Pillowman recouped, but I'm not sure how long it took.

It also depends on star salaries. In Sweeney, I don't think Michael and Patti took their "normal" pay rate (even though they really don't command Broderick and Lane money!).

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:20pm

Remember that the original Sweeney had 27 actors (plus understudies) and 27 musicians, while the revival had a total of 10 actor/musicians (plus understudies) and a weekly nut of around $315,000, making recoupment a fairly fast affair during the months they weren't discounting.

As for fast recoupments, I think either Spelling Bee or Q recouped in 18 weeks as I recall (one was 18 and the other was 24, but I can't remember which was which). And as for plays, recent all star revivals like Odd Couple and Three Days of Rain both recouped more or less before they opened. And History Boys and Faith Healer both recouped in about two months.

[colbol2005]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:27pm

Can somebody explain why Sunset was such a huge flop. It seemed to run for a good long time in London(where I live), and I saw it many times(with all the many controversial leading ladies!!!) and it was always very busy. The Broadway production with Glenn Close is kinda legendary, and regarded as a hit in terms of critical and public acclaim, as well as how it would be perceived by the man on the street.

I realise the set was gargantuan and the leads probably commanded a huge fee, but its not like it closed quietly after a season(certainly in London), or after 30 previews and 4 performances(e.g.)

Why did they keep it running if it was losing so much? Ego?

[colbol2005]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:29pm

ALSO!!!!!!!!! Why did they mount it in the first place if the overheads would be so enormous?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:30pm

Oh and I believe Company, A Little Night Music, Side By Side and the Forum revival with Lane all recouped by they time they closed on Broadway (Into the Woods recouped within a few months of its national tour; the original Sweeney finally recouped from tours and subsidiary sales in 1990).

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:34pm

According to Sondheim, Night Music and Company did not recoup during the run. Although he tends to think of all of his shows being flops...

I don't know much about the revivals recouping.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:35pm

One of the things about Sunset Boulevard was the Patti LuPone debacle. I don't know if that factored into the budget, though.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:48pm

Sunset was a classic case of bad producing by Webber and his company. Not only did they spare no expense in mounting the show making for an astronomical initial capitalization (that was all but impossible to ever repay), but the weekly running costs were so high that I've heard the show had to be close to a sellout in order to even see a slight profit (I was told that they could only break even if they had 80+% attendance with no discounting whatsoever -- for most shows that figure is in the 60s). Things were fine as long as Close was in it, but went south very fast after she left and the show was hemorraghing money every week as "star" after "star" took over the lead role.

Yes, ego was at play in all of this and Webber and company kept holding out hope that each new leading lady they brought in might turn things around, but things actually kept getting worse. In the end, it nearly bankrupted Webber's Really Useful Company (he had to lay off most of the staff) and while I've never seen an officially confirmed number as far as how much it lost, I've heard that it was well over $10 million.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:48pm

Some straight plays are indeed recouping, and doing it quickly. Most recently, Faith Healer recouped in 8 weeks and The History Boys in a little over six weeks. Doubt recouped in 15 weeks. The Pillowman recouped shortly before ending its six month run. Proof and Tale of the Allergist's Wife recouped in 12 weeks.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:53pm

I had no idea that Broadway was so "in the money" these days.

I guess you CAN thank the jacked ticket prices for that.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 5:58pm

Premium seats now go for $250+ that certainly has helped! Also, producers filling seats with discounted tickets and student rush. A full house is a full house and it looks good for audiences to see a full theatre whether or not they paid full price. Kinda like the airlines...the person next to you paid how much?

[Producer2]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 6:36pm

Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadette recouped in less than a year.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 6:45pm

Less than a year isn't so surprising. I would hope that most shows can recoup roughly around 1 year.

But 6 weeks? 8 weeks?

I'll remember that the next time they jack up ticket prices again. I won't be crying very hard for the financial woes of Broadway.

[colors of fate]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 8:11pm

The Civil War never went to Broadway...it only toured...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 8:17pm

The Civil War played the St James . We enjoyed it & the music is amazing

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 8:17pm

The Civil War went to Broadway. It got nominated for Best Musical.

In My Life was destined to crash and burn the minute Joseph Brooks concocted that...well, I can scarcely call it an idea.

Lord knows how much money Lestat lost.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 8:20pm

These are guilty pleasures & we loved all 3

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/20/06 at 8:21pm

And The Civi War lost its entire $8 million investment on Broadway.