What broadway play?

[lenquixote66]

That it's a whole lot easier to sell out a 199 seat theater Off Broadway for many years than it is to sell out a 1250 seat theater in one of the 40 Broadway theaters.

 

Pretty Women will not make any of the "longest playing musicals" lists in it's current incarnation

 

 

Not always that easy to sell tickets unless the play is really good . A cousin of mine had a play at the Troupe Theater off broadway and it closed in a week.

[Nitemare]

Of course. And Fantastiks was the easiest 50% off show in the history of TKTS and still didn't sell out. But they were in a theater with low overhead and the LONGEST RUNNING PLAY IN HISTORY billboard ensured there would always be some folks willing to pay their price to see the show.

 

 

That won't be the case with Pretty Women.

[cruiserking]

Of course. And Fantastiks was the easiest 50% off show in the history of TKTS and still didn't sell out. But they were in a theater with low overhead and the LONGEST RUNNING PLAY IN HISTORY billboard ensured there would always be some folks willing to pay their price to see the show.

 

 

That won't be the case with Pretty Women.

The Fantasticks is a musical and it ran Off Broadway for 42 years.

 

The longest running play in Broadway history is Deathtrap which ran from February 26, 1978 to November 13, 1982.

 

The longest running Broadway musical is Phantom of the Opera which opened January 26, 1988 and is still running after 12,750 performances.

 

The longest running show in history is Agatha Christie's the Mousetrap which opened in in London's West End in 1952 and has over 27,000 performances and still going strong after 66 years.

 

 

Jonathan

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Forums mobile app

Edited September 19, 2018 by cruiserking

[MarkBearSF]

If I'm not mistaken, the Fantastiks record has a big asterisk because it ended for a year or few and then picked up again (back 10-15 years ago, I believe).  And "Oh Calcutta" has another of the "longest running" records...
In any case, the fact remains that it's easier to keep running in a tiny, cheap, off-Broadway house than in a larger Broadway theater.

Glad to see that this thread has picked up again. FYI - here are the shows we'll be seeing in June.

• Tootsie - got great reviews pre-broadway, with a fun score by David Yazbek (Band's Visit, Full Monty)
• Gary - a new play written by the performance artist, drag queen, and McArthur genius Taylor Mac, billed as a "sequel to Titus Andronicus," starring Nathan Lane and Andrea Martin
• King Lear - starring Glenda Jackson as Lear
• Hadestown - a musical retelling of the Orpheus myth, it got rave reviews off-broadway and the West End (Staged by Rachel Chavkin, who did The Great Comet)
• Moulin Rouge - likewise, great reports from its pre-Broadway tryout in Boston (based on the movie)
• Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune - just announced, A limited run revival of the play, starring Audra McDonald.

...and I've got a remaining slot which will probably be filled with one of these

• Kiss Me Kate - musical revival starring Kelli O'Hara (hoping it extends a few weeks so I can catch it)
• The Prom - a funny musical from the guy behind "The Drowsy Chaperone" a few years back. I't getting great reports but has weak box-office, so it's likely not to be running when we visit
• To Kill a Mockingbird - a new play by Aaron Sorkin, based upon the novel. Getting great reviews. Currently starring Jeff Daniels.
• The Cher Show - another bio-jukebox musical. With the wonderful Stephanie A Block as one of the Chers.

But unlikely to be

• King Kong - a really bad musical surrounding a really great puppet.
• Be More Chill - a fun little musical by Joe Iconis. Popular with "the kids," it's sort of Mean Girls meets Little Shop of Horrors. (We already saw it off-Broadway last summer)
• Beetlejuice - got slammed by bad reviews pre-broadway
• Pretty Woman - Another movie adaptation, with noting to add to the movie. I'll see it on tour when it inevitably comes to SF
• Hilary & Clinton - a play starring Laurie Metcalf

Looking forward to March and April when most of them start previews.

Edited January 29, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[MarkBearSF]

^ OOPS - Stephanie J Block

[George C]

Glad to see updates we go up at end of May and hopefully will see. 4 plays, most likely will use tkts which we have had great luck with in the past. 

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for the updates Mark. I’m impressed with your list. I’m more of your “B” list kinda gal. Love anything Kelli O’hara is in. Even “Bridges of Madison County” lol. Same with Audra McDonald. Two broadway divas. 

 

I’m going to admit I loved Mean Girls and I’m over fifty. 😀

[MarkBearSF]

2 hours ago, George C said:

Glad to see updates we go up at end of May and hopefully will see. 4 plays, most likely will use tkts which we have had great luck with in the past. 

 

I know you're on top of these things George C, but for the benefit of others on this thread, remember that TKTS has sites at Lincoln Center and South Street Seaport with MUCH shorter lines than Times Square (you can also buy matinee tickets for the following day). You could hop onto the #1 subway train, for a quick ride back and forth to Lincoln Center and buy your tickets before you'd be back before getting 1/4 of the way through the line in Times Square.

Also - Times Square has a much shorter line for plays only (no musicals).
And, If you've bought a ticket already, you can skip the line for the rest of the week (Just bring your stub)

Edited January 30, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[MarkBearSF]

25 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

Thanks for the updates Mark. I’m impressed with your list. I’m more of your “B” list kinda gal. Love anything Kelli O’hara is in. Even “Bridges of Madison County” lol. Same with Audra McDonald. Two broadway divas. 

 

I’m going to admit I loved Mean Girls and I’m over fifty. 😀

 

Certainly neither Kiss Me Kate and Frankie & Johnny are "B-list" shows. However neither is selling tickets for my dates yet. (KMK is due to close a couple of weeks before - hoping for a likely extension, and F&J was just announced but no theater or ticket availability yet)

I'm especially interested in Kiss Me Kate to balance the somewhat heavy nature of many of the other shows this trip. And as far as I'm concerned, it's Audra McDonald's world and we jut live in it!

We're over sixty and we both loved Mean Girls too. (last year)

[George C]

23 minutes ago, MarkBearSF said:

 

I know you're on top of these things George C, but for the benefit of others on this thread, remember that TKTS has sites at Lincoln Center and South Street Seaport with MUCH shorter lines than Times Square (you can also buy matinee tickets for the following day). You could hop onto the #1 subway train, for a quick ride back and forth to Lincoln Center and buy your tickets before you'd be back before getting 1/4 of the way through the line in Times Square.

Also - Times Square has a much shorter line for plays only (no musicals).
And, If you've bought a ticket already, you can skip the line for the rest of the week (Just bring your stub)

Even though our great hotel the Michelangelo is walking distance to Times Square we love Lincoln center location which is a short and cheap Uber away , that also sells maintee for next day , so I can buy Friday night and Saturday afternoon at same time on Friday, seaport does same . Great reminder Mark. Wife just booked our air so we are all set. Spending 5 days in buffalo area also , one day in nyc will cost almost same as 5 days in Buffalo, but we do book a really nice suite. 

[MarkBearSF]

To continue the positive comments on "Come From Away," the tour is in its final week in San Francisco. I'm an usher at the Golden Gate Theater where it's playing. It's a joy to work the show (and not just because it's 100 minutes with no intermission). Everyone loves it and there's great gush of emotion from the audience by the end. This evening, Beverly Bass, the actual pilot, was in the audience. (I didn't seat her, but was told that she's really nice. I know that she's seen the show hundreds of times.)

To reiterate - the show is highly recommended. And the tour is fully the equal of the Broadway production.

Edited January 30, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[Lois R]

Good morning, I have not gone back to read the 5 previous pages but I am going to see BEAUTIFUL in April pre-cruise.

I LOVE Carole King and am really looking forward to it!!!

[George C]

We have seen beautiful twice and could see it again , very entertaining show.. 

[George C]

here is today tkts prices and shows this changes daily 

roadway Shows:

2:00 PM	50%	$74		Anastasia
2:00 PM	50%	$58-$93		Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
2:00 PM	50%	$68-88	P	Choir Boy
2:00 PM	50%	$43-97		Come From Away
2:00 PM	40%	$86-104		Dear Evan Hansen
1:00 PM	40%	$77		Frozen
2:00 PM	50%	$58-$86		King Kong
2:00 PM	50%	$97		My Fair Lady
2:00 PM	40%	$110-116	P	Network
2:00 PM	50%	$93		Pretty Woman
2:00 PM	50%	$43-$88		The Band's Visit
2:00 PM	40%	$104		The Cher Show
1:00 PM	50%	$88	P	The Ferryman
2:00 PM	50%	$53-93		The Prom
2:00 PM	50%	$93	P	True West
2:00 PM	50%	$58-103		Waitress

[Lois R]

9 hours ago, George C said:

We have seen beautiful twice and could see it again , very entertaining show.. 

Thanks for the reply!  I love her and her music and it will be so much fun watching a show that I know all the words to the songs!

[Got2Cruise]

14 hours ago, Lois R said:

Good morning, I have not gone back to read the 5 previous pages but I am going to see BEAUTIFUL in April pre-cruise.

I LOVE Carole King and am really looking forward to it!!!

Lois you will love love love Beautiful. April will be here before you know it

[Lois R]

9 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Lois you will love love love Beautiful. April will be here before you know it

 

Thanks…….I got my ticket a while ago. And am very happy, I was able to get an aisle seat!  

[George C]

Theater is very nice with plenty of leg room, I am over 6 foot tall and there are several theaters that I will not go to again. 

[MarkBearSF]

Here's a real good rundown on all the new shows coming to Broadway this year. (He starts with the many plays this season - his discussion of upcoming musicals begins about half way down.)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/anticipated-new-york-theater-2019-1171596?fbclid=IwAR3zuQzBzapWLmiUkpW5MulAVXk9tgdllW6TFU6Cyq3HqjBXZ044nOXc9uM

[Nitemare]

The Prom is a blast.

 

Also looking forward to Gary.

 

Wondering how Frankie and Jonnie will be staged.  The last one was quite explicit

[Got2Cruise]

I finally saw Hamilton on Tuesday!! It is truly as good as everyone says. I had bought my tix last May thru Ticketmaster verified purchaser. They send you a link to purchase before the next block of tix becomes available to general public. The tix are not cheap, not even balcony. There are many premium tickets which I think is ridiculous. I paid $223 for orchestra which was the going rate. I believe the premium was $450 ish!

 

The guy at the box office said it’s sold out until Nov 2019 but if you’re planning a trip in the future you might be able to get tix. Also there is a lottery thru the app but it’s only next day tix. Finally I believe there are a set amount of SRO tix for each performance sold day of. 

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

I finally saw Hamilton on Tuesday!! It is truly as good as everyone says

 

It really is!  When we saw it for the first time (this past fall, in London), I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it.  I've since become a bit obsessed about it, enough to have seen it again (in the U.S.).   I'm trying to figure out where number three will be.    The show has so much complexity and things to discover that I think it will bear repeat viewings.   (I'm not as sure about my bank account, though. 🤣)

 

Re Hamilton in London -- it's a fantastic production, and they are using paperless tickets to prevent scalping and re-sale.  So you pay only the prices set by the theatre, which are much cheaper than in NY.   It also means that seats are available, because they haven't been snapped up for the re-sale market.   So for anyone going to London in the near future, check it out.  (There's a new block of tickets going on sale March 11 for July 2019.)   Or -- get some tickets,  then plan a little trip over the pond!

 

 

Edited March 9, 2019 by Turtles06

[lenquixote66]

On January 30, 2019 at 12:24 PM, George C said:

here is today tkts prices and shows this changes daily 

roadway Shows:

2:00 PM	50%	$74		Anastasia
2:00 PM	50%	$58-$93		Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
2:00 PM	50%	$68-88	P	Choir Boy
2:00 PM	50%	$43-97		Come From Away
2:00 PM	40%	$86-104		Dear Evan Hansen
1:00 PM	40%	$77		Frozen
2:00 PM	50%	$58-$86		King Kong
2:00 PM	50%	$97		My Fair Lady
2:00 PM	40%	$110-116	P	Network
2:00 PM	50%	$93		Pretty Woman
2:00 PM	50%	$43-$88		The Band's Visit
2:00 PM	40%	$104		The Cher Show
1:00 PM	50%	$88	P	The Ferryman
2:00 PM	50%	$53-93		The Prom
2:00 PM	50%	$93	P	True West
2:00 PM	50%	$58-103		Waitress

 

[lenquixote66]

Theater,in my opinion is better than film or television. We have a close friend who is a theatrical actress and we go with her and her husband to about 8 productions a year.

[madelinerose]

Coming and pretty sure the audience will be singing along. 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aint-too-proud-the-temptations-story-comes-to-broadway/