SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #8 - La Bohème (2002, Broadway Theatre, New York City, NY)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. Credit inventive film director
Baz Luhrmann with a spellbinding genius for turning
La Bohème, one of the most enduring of operas, into a thoroughly accessible and excellent Broadway theatrical event, thanks in part to its unobstrusive overtitles.
Not since Dorothy landed in Oz have I witnessed as glorious a transformation from black and white to full blown color as I did during this ravishing production. The ingenious designs from
Catherine Martin,
Angus Strathie and
Nigel Levings popped at the very moment when love burst into full bloom.
The magnificent music from
Giacomo Puccini and libretto from
Giuseppe Giacosa and
Luigi Illica helped make believers out of those previously unitiated by opera and
Rent-heads alike.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.
Labels: Baz Luhrmann, Broadway, Catherine Martin, Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, Opera, Rent, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties
38 Down, One To Go (Plus One)Even if I wasn't so enamored by the current revival of
Guys And Dolls, it did afford me the opportunity of crossing another Broadway theatre off my list. Thirty-eight down,
one more to go ... if you don't count that
"new" theatre coming to a Broadway near you in September.
It may be heresy to other theatre lovers, but up until seeing
Guys And Dolls during one of its last previews prior to opening, I had never set foot inside the wonderfully restored
Nederlander Theatre (pictured here, photo by Matthew Blank). That's right, I never saw its previous occupant
Rent there, even though it squatted at the Nederlander through 5,123 performances. Fear not,
Rent-heads, I actually took in the very first "Angel" touring company of
Rent during its initial stint in Boston (way back in 1996), as well as a later tour of St. Paul (2000).
Which of Broadway's current 39 theatrical venues have I visited the most? That would be the
Booth Theatre -- home to countless prestige shows and arguably the Great White Way's most uncomfortable seats -- beginning with the 1992 revival of
The Most Happy Fella and as recently as its current occupant,
next to normal. Which brings me full circle:
Frank Loesser wrote the scores to both
Guys And Dolls and
The Most Happy Fella , while
Michael Greif directed both
Rent and
next to normal.
So, dear readers, how many Broadway theatres have you visited? And do you think I should just bite the bullet and finally see that
last remaining show (even though I
have seen it in London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas) to round out my overall Rialto experience?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Booth Theatre, Broadway, Broadway Venues, Frank Loesser, Guys And Dolls, Michael Greif, Nederlander Theatre, Next To Normal, Rent, The Most Happy Fella
Rent ClosesIt's not every day I write about a Broadway show that's just closed, but then
Rent was not your average Broadway show.
After 5,124 performances, the late
Jonathan Larson's little tuner that infused the Main Stem with an amped up downtown mojo finally closed at the
Nederlander Theatre Sunday evening. Credit the cast with dedicating their final performance to Larson.
All is not lost for those mourning the loss of
Rent from the Great White Way. First, there's the
2005 film version that forever immortalizes most of the original Broadway cast on celluloid. Then, there's a
Sony Pictures'
The Hot Ticket film version of the final performance that will be shown in select movie theatres for a special limited engagement September 24, 25, 27 and 28.
And then there's the
touring production of
Rent that begins anew this January in Cleveland. Headlined by
Adam Pascal and
Anthony Rapp in a bit of a farewell victory lap, the tour will crisscross the United States for 30 weeks before heading to Japan's Akasaka Act Theatre and then to South Korea.
The Tony-winning Best Musical of 1996 is now history. But I'm sure it will live again another day.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Broadway, Closings, Japan, Musical, Rent, South Korea, Touring Production
36 Down, 3 To GoLast week, Chris Caggiano over at
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals was musing about how he'd finally get inside Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre now that
[title of show] is headed there this summer. He mentioned how that would leave just three Rialto theatres in which he's never stepped foot.
His post got me to pondering whether I've been in all 39 Broadway theatres that are currently functioning, and like the geek I am, I systematically went through the
Internet Broadway Database's encyclopedic history on each venue and discovered that I've now been in all but three myself. And those three might actually surprise you.
First, the theatre housing Broadway's all-time longest running show is the
Majestic Theatre. Is it heresy for someone purporting to be "Steve On
Broadway" to admit he's never actually seen
The Phantom Of The Opera on the Great White Way? Sure, the show's been running for 20 long years, but since I first caught the London production about the time the Main Stem incarnation was first being performed, I didn't feel compelled to go to see it at the Majestic. Oh sure, I've seen it again -- thanks to freebie tickets 10 years ago in Los Angeles, and then again for kicks and giggles just last year in the truncated
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular -- but suffice it to say that as long as
The Phantom Of The Opera is playing the Majestic, I won't be going there.
Second is the
Nederlander Theatre, home to the musical
Rent since 1996. I've seen
Jonathan Larson's landmark tuner twice, just never in New York. In fact, the first time I saw it was when the first touring company swung through Boston during the winter of 1996-97, and I saw it again in St. Paul in 2000. Unlike
Phantom, I actually enjoyed this profoundly moving show, and I had even considered (at the last minute) to get tix for the Broadway version when
Adam Pascal and
Anthony Rapp reprised their turns as Roger and Marc, respectively, just last year. But alas, the show was sold out the first time I tried and only had back row seating available the next. With the departure of
Rent from the Nederlander now imminent, coming in September, I suspect that I'll finally get into that theatre sometime in the next year.
Finally, I have never been to the
Neil Simon Theatre, host to current occupant
Hairspray since 2002. Through a little bit of serendipity, I actually saw and loved
Hairspray with its original cast, but it was when I was passing through Seattle during its tryout performances there. And I also enjoyed seeing the first touring production when it passed through Minneapolis. While its current cast is appealing, I am probably not inclined to go see it, saving my theatregoing dollars for other shows.
So which theatre have I been to the most? That distinction goes to what is arguably Broadway's worst venue: the
Booth Theatre. Always one for prestige productions, I've been going there since 1992 when the acclaimed revival of
The Most Happy Fella enjoyed a 229 performance run. Almost in spite of how lousy this theatre itself is, including some of the least desirable seating
(read: tightly crammed), some of my best Broadway memories came from this house, where visions of
Paul Newman,
Dame Edna,
Vanessa Redgrave and others still dance in my mind. And I'm absolutely looking forward to returning next month to see
Laurence Fishburne in
Thurgood. I'm just not looking forward to being uncomfortable.
Finally, my very first Broadway theatre
ever was none other than the
Winter Garden where I caught
Cats near the beginning of its 18 year run. Fortunately, as much as I disliked that show, it has not deterred me from coming back to the Great White Way for performance after performance.
I just wonder how many more years it will take for me to check the Majestic off my list....
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Broadway Venues, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Hairspray, Musical, Rent, The Phantom Of The Opera, title of show
Rent: New Short-Term LeaseSo much for
one final
song glory.
This must be the Nederlander's
season of love. Although they could just as easily have said
take me or leave me, they're instead saying
I'll cover you for a little bit longer.
You'll see, if you're a
Rent fan,
I should tell you that I have
news today 4 U! The word
on the street out tonight is that the bohemian tuner is being temporarily taken off
life support to live
another day, although not quite through
Happy New Year or
Christmas Bells or even
Halloween. However,
without you, the show would have closed on June 1, but now it's been
tuned up through September 7.
No doubt
Rent fans are
over the moon, if not doing the
tango, after
contacting all their fellow fans leaving
voicemails shouting, "
La Vie Boheme"!
So now
will I have to ask all you
Rent fans, are
you okay, honeys? I'm sure with
what you own in your achievement in keeping the show going, you're thinking, yes,
we're okay. I'll just
light my candle in your honor.
Now, I'm off to
Santa Fe. With
Maureen.
This is
Your Eyes aka Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Rent's Nederlander Lease Expires In About 197,946 Minutes (January 16, 2008)
Labels: Broadway, Extension, Musical, Rent
Show Deals: Breaking The CodeSo you want to see a show? For less?
Here are some current deals -- and the best part is you don't have to wait in the TKTS line to take advantage of them:
The Show:
Grease (
Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway)
The Deal:Save up to 35% with select select orchestra/front mezzanine seats priced at $71.50 per ticket for performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays (matinee only), Thursdays, Fridays and Sunday evenings.
The Code:
Click
here and use code
PLAY or call 212.307.4100 and use same code.
The Fine Print:
Offer valid on select orchestra and front mezzanine locations and subject to availability and prior sale; not valid on prior purchases; cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. Not valid February 15-17, 2008 and Saturday matinees or evenings or Sunday matinees. This offer can be revoked at any time. Limit 8 tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet orders are subject to standard service fees. All prices include a $1.50 facilities fee. Offer valid through Friday, March 14, 2008.
The Show:
Hairspray (
Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway)
The Deal:Save up to 40% on performances through April 13 with tickets for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays priced at $65 (orchestra/front mezzanine) and $55 (mid mezzanine). Tickets for Fridays, Saturdays (matinee only) and Sundays priced at $70 (orchestra/front mezzanine) and $65 (mid mezzanine).
The Code:
Click
here and use code
TMEB2 or call 212.307.4100 using same code.
The Fine Print:
Offer not valid for Saturday evening performances, February 15-17 or March 20-23. Offer subject to availability and prior sale. Applicable only to specified performance dates and times. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with any other offers. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Cast subject to change. Blackout dates may apply. Telephone/Internet orders subject to standard Ticketmaster service fees. Limit 8 tickets per order. Offer may be revoked at any time. Expires April 13, 2008.
The Show:
Is He Dead? (
Lyceum Theatre, Broadway)
The Deal:Save up to 50% off tickets, priced at $55 (orchestra), $45 (mezzanine) and $40 (balcony) for all performances.
The Code:
Click
here and use code
IHPBX55 or call 212.947.8844 and use same code.
The Fine Print:
All prices include a $1.50 facilities fee. Offer valid on select seat locations through March 16, 2008. Blackout dates may apply. Subject to availability and prior sale. Normal service charges apply to phone and Internet orders. Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts and not valid on prior purchases. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. All sales final -- no refunds or exchanges.
The Show:
Rent (
Nederlander Theatre, Broadway)
The Deal:Save up to 50% with orchestra seats priced at $65 and front row mezzanine seats priced at $55.
The Code:Click
here and use code
PBILL08 or call 212.307.4100 using same code.
The Fine Print:
Offer valid for all performances except Saturday evenings from February 2, 2008-March 23, 2008. Tickets must be purchased by February 15, 2008. Limit 8 tickets per order. All sales are final -- no refunds or exchanges. Blackout dates may apply. Offer is subject to availability and prior sale. Not valid in combination with any other offers. Offer may be revoked at any time.
The Show:
Sunday In The Park With George (
Studio 54, Broadway)
The Deal:Save 40% on performances through February 20 with tickets priced $22.25-$73.25. Or save 30% on performances for February 22-April 27 with tickets priced at $25.75-$85.25.
The Code:
Click
here and use code
SPPBOL2 or call 212.719.1300 using same code.
The Fine Print:
Offer valid on select seating for performances through April 27, 2008. Must order by February 21, 2008. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount and is not applicable to previously purchased tickets. Limit six tickets per order. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Offer subject to availability and includes a $1.25 facilities fee. Normal phone and Internet service charges apply. Offer may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.
Enjoy!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Grease, Hairspray, Is He Dead?, Rent, Special Offers, Sunday In The Park With George, Ticket Prices
Rent's Nederlander Lease Expires In About 197,946 MinutesOne of Broadway's longest running tenants is set to close June 1. Just 5,012 performances into its award-winning run,
Jonathan Larson's
Rent will vacate Broadway's
Nederlander Theatre.
Based in part on
Giacomo Puccini's classic
La Bohème,
Rent captured a moment in the Big Apple '90s when there was little hope for those told they had HIV. Fortunately, those times have changed dramatically, but it has turned the once rebellious little production into more of a dated old relic that's barely taking in an audience capacity of 50%. Last week, the show was filled to 54.5% capacity with the average seat costing just $51.48.
Still, this show not only served as a wonderful springboard for such talents as
Idina Menzel,
Taye Diggs,
Adam Pascal and
Daphne Rubin-Vega, but it managed to touch my heart when I first saw it back in 1996 --
Rent was the first piece of live theatre to bring tears to my eyes. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning work had that kind of power and presence back in the day.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Pascal, Broadway, Closing Notices, Idina Menzel, La Boheme, Musical, Rent, Taye Diggs
Ever Had A Front Row Seat?Last week's
discussion on where you prefer to sit when taking in live theatre got me to reminiscing about all the shows I've seen from a front row vantage point.
Among the Broadway shows:
Spring Awakening (
Lilli Cooper practically sang to me),
Our Town (
Paul Newman as the narrator towered directly over me for a significant portion of the show),
The Boy From Oz,
Rent,
Xanadu (I could have reached out and touched
Kerry Butler and
Cheyenne Jackson as they were perched on the edge of the stage) and
Long Day's Journey Into Night (
Robert Sean Leonard's off-stage gaze seemed to be staring straight through me) .
Topping them all was when I took in the excellent 2004 revival of
Assassins. My front row center seat at
Studio 54 literally placed me face to face with
Neil Patrick Harris, who looked straight into my eyes as he sang part of one of the show's tunes. Talk about riveting.
While I'm sure there's more, those are the ones that sprang to mind. My positioning certainly made a difference in how I viewed each show literally and figuratively.
How about for you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Where's Your Best Seat In The House? (September 26, 2007)
Xanadu (The SOB Review) (July 11, 2007)
Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Labels: Assassins, Broadway, Front Row Seats, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Neil Patrick Harris, Our Town, Paul Newman, Rent, Robert Sean Leonard, Special Messages, Spring Awakening, The Boy From Oz, Xanadu
Rent: 5,492,160 Minutes And CountingIt's been nearly ten and a half years since
Rent --
Jonathan Larson's East Village take on
La Bohème -- opened on Broadway. But is its time running out?
If you look at this past week's box office totals,
Rent is in a class by itself among all musicals, and given the category I'm talking about, that
isn't good. It is the only Broadway tuner to have an average ticket price of under $50. At $49.43, that makes the egalitarian show eminently accessible for most audiences. But with overall box office now selling only 58.6% capacity -- down 6.8% from last week -- can this groundbreaking show remain open?
The only musical playing to less capacity is
The Producers, which saw a week-over-week drop of 4.1% to 50.4%. However, the average ticket price for
Mel Brooks' most successful venture ever on the Great White Way still comes in at $68.65.
Rent and
The Producers are the only two musicals playing to capacities of under 60%.
Of course, both of those productions are doing boffo box office compared with the week's weakest link,
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, which in its first full week of previews attracted a capacity of only 24.4% with an average ticket price of just $47.80. That certainly doesn't bode well for its opening later this week unless it gets positive notices from the critics.
And for the week's box office champs? In terms of capacity,
Usher's apparently working his magic by ushering
Chicago back to the top (up 3.8% to 101.2% capacity).
Jersey Boys drops to number two (down .1% to 100.7%) with
Wicked right behind (down .5% to 99.7%). In terms of average ticket prices,
Jersey Boys is still tops with $118.67, followed by
Wicked at $95.24 and then
Chicago at $89.36. However, in terms of overall weekly gross,
Wicked remains king with a total take of $1,367,250;
Jersey Boys took in $1,167,994;
The Color Purple was third with $938,537 (
Chicago only ranked eighth with $781,545 in receipts).
Will dwindling numbers for Rent and The Producers spur closing notices anytime soon? Stay tuned.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Broadway Box Office Rebounds (September 19, 2006)
Broadway's Biggest Box Office (September 13, 2006)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, Jersey Boys, Musical, Rent, The Producers, Wicked
Broadway Box Office ReboundsAs predicted, Broadway bounced back
somewhat this past week from the steep decline it experienced the week before. Most shows enjoyed at least a bit of a rebound week-over-week.
Leading the pack in terms of week-over-week capacity increases was
The Wedding Singer with a 17% larger audience than the week before at the
Al Hirschfeld Theatre. That increase brings the tuner's weekly capacity to 69.5%, ahead of such venerable hits as
The Phantom Of The Opera (69.3%),
Hairspray (68.9%),
Rent (65.4%) and
The Producers (which remains in the box office basement with 54.5%).
The other top gainers week-over-week were
Hairspray (increase of 16%),
Beauty And The Beast (increase of 12.3%),
Rent (increase of 11.4%),
The Drowsy Chaperone (increase of 11.1%) and
The Producers (increase of 10.7%). Only two shows experienced drops in their box office:
The Color Purple (down 1.7% to 84.1%) and
Wicked (down a scant .1% to 99.7%). The latter still leads all shows in terms of gross ticket sales at $1,389,174 for the week followed by
Jersey Boys at $1,161,546. Still number one in terms of capacity is
Jersey Boys (100.8%), followed by
Wicked. Talk about a one-two punch.
Not counting shows currently in previews, the productions with the lowest average ticket prices include:
Rent ($50.48),
Beauty And The Beast ($50.58),
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ($61.41),
Hairspray ($63.47),
The Wedding Singer ($65.16),
The Phantom Of The Opera ($66.67),
Avenue Q ($68.44),
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (69.05) and
The Producers ($69.52).
Still no word on which musical will be the next to depart from the Broadway stage. But my bet remains on an early exit for
The Producers, although barring additional stunt casting,
Rent's days could be numbered.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway's Biggest Box Office (September 13, 2006)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Rent, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Producers, The Wedding Singer, Wicked
Fall At Broadway's Box OfficeThe week after Labor Day traditionally marks a decline at the box office for many Broadway shows. But this year, the decline was decidedly more pronounced and steeper than a year ago.
Last year at this time, five shows were playing to less than 50% capacity. Compare that to this year where just one show --
The Producers -- is playing to less than 50% capacity and you'd think that all is well on Broadway. But drill down a little deeper on the information and you'll find that in the last week, eight major hit shows have plummeted by 20% or more in capacity from one week to the next (no show dropped by more than 20% last year). The biggest drops came from:
Of these shows,
The Phantom Of The Opera and
Beauty And The Beast are actually
outperforming their box office capacities from one year ago of 59.9% and 52.5%, respectively. During the following week last year, most Broadway shows ultimately enjoyed a week over week rebound. A cursory review of previous years shows a similar box office rebound.
Will the same trend manifest itself this year? Or are the celebrated runs for shows like
Hairspray,
Rent and
The Producers nearly over?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Rent, The Producers
Will It Play in Peoria? How About Iowa?Going all the way back to the days of vaudeville circuits, a common refrain to measure broad-based success -- particularly among podunk* towns -- was to ask, "
Will it play in Peoria?" With today's broad communications ranging from television to Internet to, yes, the touring companies of Broadway shows, our world is smaller than ever. Yet, I profess to being surprised whenever I learn just how broad-based the appeal of Broadway actually is.
Fast forward to this past Saturday and a mere 209 miles north-northwest of Peoria, Illinois to the quaint small town Decorah, Iowa, where I attended a good old-fashioned farm-family wedding. Much to my pleasant surprise, my dinner table discussion drifted to which Broadway shows were worth seeing -- and no, I did
not initiate the topic!
Now, it should be noted that there is an interesting pedigree on the young groom's side of the family.
First, his great-great uncle was writer Philip Stong, who penned the best-selling, Iowa-based "State Fair" novel from 1932.
"State Fair" was such a proven success that it became the basis for a top movie in 1933 with
Janet Gaynor,
Will Rogers and
Lew Ayres; the film earned two Academy Award nominations including for Best Picture.
Then in 1945, to capitalize on the unparalleled success that Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II enjoyed through
Oklahoma!, "State Fair" was translated into a movie musical in 1945, starring
Jeanne Crain,
Dana Andrews,
Dick Haymes and
Vivian Blaine; that silver screen version won Rodgers and Hammerstein their first Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It Might as Well Be Spring." (My mother, who's
completely unrelated to the aforementioned farm family, once told me that this was the very first movie she ever saw, and she remembers it fondly.)
In 1962, a remake of
"State Fair" landed at cinemas across the country with
Pat Boone,
Bobby Darin and
Ann-Margret. And finally, in 1996, a Broadway incarnation of
State Fair finally blossomed with John Davidson, Kathryn Crosby (wife of the late Bing Crosby), Andrea McArdle and Donna McKechnie. While the tuner received two Tony nominations -- including, incredibly enough, for Rodgers and Hammerstein in the Best Original Score category despite the fact that the music was not specifically written for the stage -- the show was no match for the season's light-years-ahead contemporary
Rent.
State Fair closed after a mere 110 performances at the Music Box Theatre.
Another part of the groom's interesting pedigree is his grandmother. She's the modern-day folk hero Norma "Duffy" Lyon, who's perhaps better known as
The Butter Cow Lady for making life-sized sculptures out of butter for nearly 50 years at the very same Iowa State Fair mentioned above. Not only has she been featured on NBC's
"Today" show and
David Letterman, but she was also on
"To Tell The Truth." It was during that appearance some 40 years ago that regular guest panelist
Kitty Carlisle Hart correctly guessed who she was after asking, "Which type of cow is the only one to have brown eyes?" Duffy Lyon answered, "Jerseys."
So with a "six degrees of separation" scenario dancing in my head, I shouldn't have been taken aback that there would be such genuine interest in theatre
even in Iowa, despite the crowd and locale. We talked at length about
Cats (with the exception of one lone
Cats lover, the show was universally panned by this unlikedly group of critics),
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (my seat mate told me how she had gone to Broadway to see
Mamma Mia! only to find it sold-out, so she took the recommendation of a friend and saw the show with
Norbert Leo Butz and
John Lithgow instead and
loved it), and invariably
Wicked and
Rent.
Most telling was when my seat mate told me how addictive she found live theatre and how each performance she takes in makes her want to go see yet another show. If there's this much enthusiasm for the art of theatrical performances in small town, "fly-over" country, Broadway producers should be able to sleep a little easier knowing that there is a such vast market for what they do that movies and television can never take away.
As for the old line, "Will it play in Peoria?" The answer appears to be a resounding, "Yes!"
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
* The etymology of Podunk actually comes from the name of a small village in Massachusetts as well as a locality in Connecticut.Labels: Broadway, Cats, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Mamma Mia, Musical, Oklahoma, Rent, Special Messages, State Fair
Wicked Becomes Broadway's 8th Overall Cumulative Grosser Among Current HitsWicked continues to defy gravity -- and some of its original critics -- by now eclipsing
Hairspray in total cumulative grosses to become Broadway’s 8th top grossing production currently performing. Not bad for a show that opened to mixed reviews 14 months after the celebrated Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2002-03. What’s more,
Wicked has now grossed over $100 million more than
Avenue Q, the seemingly little musical that had the audacity to vigorously campaign for -- and win -- the Best Musical Tony right from under the more deserving (in my humble opinion) Joe Mantello-helmed story of the Witches from Oz.
The Phantom of the Opera, which is now Broadway’s longest running show ever, continues to lead the pack of top grossers by a very healthy margin of more than $155 million over second place
The Lion King.
So how long will it be before
Wicked catches #7
Rent?
The
Wicked juggernaut is one of the few Broadway shows that consistently sells out every performance, which means a weekly audience for a gross of about $1,350,004 -- all in all, a pretty remarkable achievement given that
Wicked’s home is the mammoth 1809-seat Gershwin Theatre, Broadway’s largest. Additionally, since
Wicked is such a tough ticket to come by, it’s no surprise that last week’s average ticket price for the musical was $93.28.
Rent, on the other hand, took in a mere $455,106 last week with a total audience of just 7,835.
Rent’s average ticket price is also significantly lower than
Wicked’s at only $58.09. If those numbers were to continue at the same pace, it would take
Wicked another 44 weeks simply to match
Rent’s current cumulative grosses and approximately another 23 to surpass the 10 year old musical as both would have taken in roughly $256 million. My guess is that
Rent’s weekly grosses will continue to decline, enabling
Wicked to leap to the #7 position sometime about one year from now.
Additionally,
Spamalot has now knocked
Avenue Q out of the top ten. Keep your eye on
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which could overtake
Avenue Q sometime in 2007.
Here is the current list of box office champs, including their cumulative grosses, opening nights, total performances since May 28, 2006 and the total capacity of their current home theatres:
#1 The Phantom of the Opera -- $612,009,225.03 (Opening Night: January 26, 1988; Total Performances: 7645. Majestic Theatre has total capacity of 1607)
#2 The Lion King -- $455,219,895.94 (Opening Night: November 13, 1997; Total Performances: 3563. New Amsterdam Theatre has total capacity of 1801)
#3 Beauty and the Beast -- $385,084,029.00 (Opening Night: April 18, 1994; Total Performances: 4972. Lunt-Fontanne Theatre has total capacity of 1509)
#4 Chicago -- $270,050,996.30 (Opening Night: November 14, 1996; Total Performances: 3971. Ambassador Theatre has total capacity of 1080)
#5 The Producers -- $261,735,338.00 (Opening Night: April 19, 2001; Total Performances: 2126. St. James Theatre has total capacity of 1706)
#6 Mamma Mia! -- $230,544,769.56 (Opening Night: October 18, 2001; Total Performances: 1918. Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre has total capacity of 1498)
#7 Rent -- $226,672,392.93 (Opening Night: April 29, 1996; Total Performances: 4193. Nederlander Theatre has total capacity of 1181)
#8 Wicked -- $166,374,168.00 (Opening Night: October 30, 2003; Total Performances: 1076. Gershwin Theatre has total capacity of 1809)
#9 Hairspray -- $166,024,354.00 (Opening Night: August 15, 2002; Total Performances: 1576. Neil Simon Theatre has total capacity of 1428)
#10 Spamalot -- $66,252,571.94 (Opening Night: March 17, 2005; Total Performances: 501. Sam S. Shubert Theatre has total capacity of 1441)
#11 Avenue Q -- $64,306,089.21 (Opening Night: July 31, 2003; Total Performances: 1180. Golden Theatre has total capacity of 796)
#12 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels -- $49,394,226.65 (Opening Night: March 3, 2005; Total Performances: 515. Imperial Theatre has total capacity of 1435)
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Butz and Pryce Flee the Scene on July 16 (June 5, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Lucie Arnaz Plays Omaha Chic in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (May 23, 2006)
Approaching One Year, Chicago's Wicked Continues to Captivate (May 23, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Ann Harada to Reprise Avenue Q Role in London (May 8, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Musical, Rent, The Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30While I’ve spent considerable time – perhaps too much -- this past week focusing on the two Broadway musicals that received mixed to negative reviews, my underreported story of the past week is the rousing success enjoyed by British import
The History Boys. In fact, I didn’t report on it at all, but really should have.
Alan Bennett’s hit is the likely front-runner for this year’s Best Play Tony. For me, the show would be worth the price of admission just to see the talented Frances de la Tour perform live; de la Tour is primarily known to American audiences for her role as Madame Olympe Maxime in the latest big screen incarnation of Harry Potter. Personally, I loved her fine understated performance in “Love Actually,” which was completely edited out (fortunately, it still lives on DVD among the deleted scene selections).
The History Boys also marks yet another milestone along the already shining track record for director Nicholas Hytner, who helmed everything from
Miss Saigon in the 80s to
Jumpers two years ago.
Rent celebrated its tenth anniversary on Broadway this past week with a star-studded concert that featured its original cast. Among them was Idina Menzel, who will be returning to her Tony Award-winning green roots to once again play Elphaba as
Wicked shoots for a September opening on London’s West End. Also heading to London will be
Spamalot’s Christopher Sieber, who will reprise his role as Sir Galahad (and others) along with Tim Curry, who will once again play King Arthur.
Off Broadway, the critically-acclaimed
Stuff Happens – which had previously sold out at the Public Theater – has extended again, this time to June 25. The historical drama centers on the Bush Administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq.
Perhaps the most exciting news of the past week is that four-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury may be ready to tread the boards once again on Broadway. When contemplation turns to reality, you can bet that I’ll be reporting on it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Approaching One Year, Chicago's Wicked Continues to Captivate (May 23, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Tony Award Nominations Announced (May 16, 2006)
Broadway Season Nears Finale (April 30, 2006)
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Broadway, Play, Rent, Stuff Happens, The History Boys, Wicked
