2023-24 shapes up to be a Broadway season of revivals

[Ali Gator]

The 2023-24 Broadway season is shaping up to be one of many revivals; both musicals and plays. This will make some rather interesting competition come Tony Awards night next June. So far: 

MUSICALS:

Merrily We Roll Along (October 10 - March 24)

Spamalot (November 16 - Open Ended)

Tommy  (March 28 - OE)

The Wiz (April 17 - OE)

Cabaret (April 21 - OE)

Gutenberg : The Musical ! (October 12 - January 28)

Here Lies Love (July 20 - OE / Off B'way in the past productions but could possibly qualify as revival)

 

 

 

[Marc in Calif]

Yawn 

[+ nycman]

40 minutes ago, Marc in Calif said:

Yawn 

Agreed.

[cany10011]

Just got advanced purchase tickets to Cabaret with Eddy Redmayne. Looks good. 

[skynyc]

Curious if your "yawns" are for this set of revivals, or revivals in general. This year's options are classic and contemporary, and the casts - and known material - are drawing audiences...which is good for NY. 

Are there any revivals you'd particularly like to see? I've been chomping at the bit for City of Angels to come back...with modern technology, the Color vs. B/W could be pretty impressive. 

[+ WilliamM]

Agree about City of Angels 

[Marc in Calif]

10 hours ago, skynyc said:

Curious if your "yawns" are for this set of revivals, or revivals in general.

It points to the lack of creative new musicals and to the fear among producers to risk their investments. 

Casting the Emcee role in Cabaret is always a bit of a stunt -- that's who draws the audiences into the theatre. I assume that Redmayne will do a predictable yet competent job of it.

[Ali Gator]

On 11/1/2023 at 8:12 PM, Marc in Calif said:

It points to the lack of creative new musicals and to the fear among producers to risk their investments. 

 

For the past two seasons there have been creative new musicals, most which closed with the blink of an eye. Read the theater message forums - audiences simply weren't interested in being hit over the head with "social issues" by these new 'creative musicals', which is why revivals such as "Funny Girl' and 'Music Man' (among others) did so well, instead.

[+ Lucky]

On 10/31/2023 at 4:59 PM, cany10011 said:

Just got advanced purchase tickets to Cabaret with Eddy Redmayne. Looks good. 

Are tickets on sale already? I looked yesterday and it didn't seem to be the case.

Eddie Redmayne was great in Red.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

4 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

For the past two seasons there have been creative new musicals, most which closed with the blink of an eye. Read the theater message forums - audiences simply weren't interested in being hit over the head with "social issues" by these new 'creative musicals', which is why revivals such as "Funny Girl' and 'Music Man' (among others) did so well, instead.

Funny Girl was doing very badly before they stunt cast Lea Michele.  A brilliant move that paid producers back.

They also celeb cast the Music Man revival.  The reviews of the show in the trades weren't exactly kind, but audiences ate it up.  Hugh Jackman is box office gold.

Audiences aren't shying away from shows with issues (Kimberly Akimbo, Merrily, Good Night Oscar, etc), but they always show up to musicals with big names.  

Plenty of other musicals that were splashy and shiny closed (NYNY, Once Upon a One More Time, Camelot, Dancin', Bad Cinderella).

Bottom line, there's the NYC audiences and then there are the tourists.  The Manhattan audiences can't keep a show open single handedly, so it's up to the whims of tourists to fill in the sizable gap.  This usually includes seeing someone 'famous' performing live in a currently running show.

@Marc in Calif is correct that producers are shying away from the smaller shows, as many of their larger show investments aren't paying back as quickly (or at all).  As per the usual, Broadway producers have a few big hits that allow them to invest in the artistic risks.  With theater rents going up and production budgets at an all time high ($15+ million for a new, small musical), I can't blame them for investing in splashy names.

Edited November 4, 2023 by BenjaminNicholas

[Marc in Calif]

5 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

For the past two seasons there have been creative new musicals, most which closed with the blink of an eye. Read the theater message forums - audiences simply weren't interested in being hit over the head with "social issues" by these new 'creative musicals', which is why revivals such as "Funny Girl' and 'Music Man' (among others) did so well, instead.

That's the type of reasoning I'd expect from someone who religiously watches -- and then thoroughly reviews -- every single moment of Big Brother. 😘 😘 😘

[Ali Gator]

22 hours ago, Marc in Calif said:

That's the type of reasoning I'd expect from someone who religiously watches -- and then thoroughly reviews -- every single moment of Big Brother. 😘 😘 😘

Sending thoughts & prayers to you. 

Edited November 5, 2023 by Ali Gator

[Ali Gator]

22 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

Funny Girl was doing very badly before they stunt cast Lea Michele.  A brilliant move that paid producers back.

They also celeb cast the Music Man revival.  The reviews of the show in the trades weren't exactly kind, but audiences ate it up.  Hugh Jackman is box office gold.

Audiences aren't shying away from shows with issues (Kimberly Akimbo, Merrily, Good Night Oscar, etc), but they always show up to musicals with big names.  

Plenty of other musicals that were splashy and shiny closed (NYNY, Once Upon a One More Time, Camelot, Dancin', Bad Cinderella).

Bottom line, there's the NYC audiences and then there are the tourists.  The Manhattan audiences can't keep a show open single handedly, so it's up to the whims of tourists to fill in the sizable gap.  This usually includes seeing someone 'famous' performing live in a currently running show.

@Marc in Calif is correct that producers are shying away from the smaller shows, as many of their larger show investments aren't paying back as quickly (or at all).  As per the usual, Broadway producers have a few big hits that allow them to invest in the artistic risks.  With theater rents going up and production budgets at an all time high ($15+ million for a new, small musical), I can't blame them for investing in splashy names.

One of the most hyped musicals to come along as 'creative' and a 'fresh voice in theater' was A STRANGE LOOP from last season.  Critics were mixed on it, but it got plenty of hype on talk shows. Whoopi Goldberg (who pushed it endlessly on 'The View') warned viewers "You may struggle with it". It opened in April, 2022 and won the Tony as 'Best Musical' a few months later. The box office was a disaster from opening day and seemed to do worse for the rest of the run, which ended in January, 2023. I doubt 'stunt casting' would've even saved this show. 

No one wants to return to Broadway after the pandemic, and spend hundreds of dollars on a ticket to a musical to "struggle with it". They want to be entertained for two hours - not struggle with the 'social issues' of the day which they are escaping from (and playwright Michael R. Jackson couldn't understand this). Producers have to learn that both the NYC audiences and the tourists are the ones who are buying the tickets to these Broadway productions, and both groups need to be entertained (see "MJ: The Musical" for an example of success after the pandemic).  

 

"Funny Girl" was struggling for the first few months NOT because it was a bad production or because audiences weren't interested - it was struggling because it was terribly miscast in the lead role (as well as one of the key supporting roles). Everyone questioned the casting when it was announced, and critics panned the star. (Though the first six weeks of the box office was phenomenal, as those numbers reflected pre-ordered ticket sales which were bought way before the previews and way before the reviews came out the end of April.) Once the star and the key supporting role actress were replaced, and without any major changes to the production itself by the producers or creatives, the show became the hit that it was intended to be from the beginning.  As with 'The Music Man', if a splashy name brings in the crowds - so be it. It puts investors in the 'black' and keeps them away from 'the red'. 

[+ Lucky]

22 hours ago, Marc in Calif said:

That's the type of reasoning I'd expect from someone who religiously watches -- and then thoroughly reviews -- every single moment of Big Brother. 😘 😘 😘

Could we keep cattiness out of this forum, please?

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

3 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

One of the most hyped musicals to come along as 'creative' and a 'fresh voice in theater' was A STRANGE LOOP from last season.  Critics were mixed on it, but it got plenty of hype on talk shows. Whoopi Goldberg (who pushed it endlessly on 'The View') warned viewers "You may struggle with it". It opened in April, 2022 and won the Tony as 'Best Musical' a few months later. The box office was a disaster from opening day and seemed to do worse for the rest of the run, which ended in January, 2023. I doubt 'stunt casting' would've even saved this show. 

No one wants to return to Broadway after the pandemic, and spend hundreds of dollars on a ticket to a musical to "struggle with it". They want to be entertained for two hours - not struggle with the 'social issues' of the day which they are escaping from (and playwright Michael R. Jackson couldn't understand this). Producers have to learn that both the NYC audiences and the tourists are the ones who are buying the tickets to these Broadway productions, and both groups need to be entertained (see "MJ: The Musical" for an example of success after the pandemic).  

 

"Funny Girl" was struggling for the first few months NOT because it was a bad production or because audiences weren't interested - it was struggling because it was terribly miscast in the lead role (as well as one of the key supporting roles). Everyone questioned the casting when it was announced, and critics panned the star. (Though the first six weeks of the box office was phenomenal, as those numbers reflected pre-ordered ticket sales which were bought way before the previews and way before the reviews came out the end of April.) Once the star and the key supporting role actress were replaced, and without any major changes to the production itself by the producers or creatives, the show became the hit that it was intended to be from the beginning.  As with 'The Music Man', if a splashy name brings in the crowds - so be it. It puts investors in the 'black' and keeps them away from 'the red'. 

 

You just repeated a lot of what I said.  But okay... 

Also, be aware that there are people in this conversation who have put money INTO Broadway shows, both successfully and unsuccessfully.

[Ali Gator]

7 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

 

You just repeated a lot of what I said.  But okay... 

Also, be aware that there are people in this conversation who have put money INTO Broadway shows, both successfully and unsuccessfully.

I didn't see any mention at all about A STRANGE LOOP in what you said, so not sure what I repeated (if anything I repeated what was said in my OP).

If there are Broadway investors in this conversation - great ! I'd love to hear what they have to say about the state of Broadway these days as it's still bouncing back from the pandemic (so many articles have been written the past twelve months about the slow bounce back and high ticket prices), and what they see for the future - revivals playing  a big part. Their contribution will make for a lively, dynamic conversation among those interested in theater. 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

On 11/5/2023 at 4:49 PM, Ali Gator said:

One of the most hyped musicals to come along as 'creative' and a 'fresh voice in theater' was A STRANGE LOOP from last season

I saw A STRANGE LOOP - a fantastic & mind-blowing original work.  So out-there in the very best way, I’m surprised it ever made it to Bway.   Wanted to see it again, but couldn’t make it work w my schedule

Todays Broadway is usually recycled “revivals” or movie adaptations that are formulas for tourists & suburban people.  The movie adaptations are typically boring as hell/predictable (Tootsie, Pretty Woman, etc) and the revivals are hit & miss.  A truly original piece of new theatre is a rarity on Broadway these days.  And then there’s always the mediocre jukebox musicals.

Funny Girl is not a good show or an interesting one - it relies on a superstar vocalist in the lead role to make it work & overlook the lack of everything else..  I saw it with Beanie (horrible) and I saw it w Leah (fantastic). 

Before Covid, I saw about 12 Bway shows each year.  After Covid, not so much.  Even if there is an interesting show to see, the audience is routinely rude with all the talking & texting. If it’s a well known musical, then it’s basically a sing-a-long for tourists. It’s just not worth dealing with the rude people and then paying $400-$500 for 2 average tickets.  

The more serious or obscure the show, the more likely the audience will be well-behaved & not full of tourists. As I recall, A STRANGE LOOP had none of the typically rude tourists or suburban people because of the subject matter.  It was real theatre. 
I saw MUSIC MAN w Hugh Jackman - boring & flat. 

I’ll see Cabaret (again) w Redmanyne ….it’s a difficult show to screw-up.  And Merrily because of the off-Bway reviews.  Depends on prices tho.  Cabaret will be flooded w tourists.  Merrily doesn’t seem like it will have tourist appeal.  Selfish tourists seem to ruin everything these days - including Broadway.

Definitely prefer to see things off-Broadway if possible as it’s always a better experience: no talking/no texting/no tourists - and much more reasonable ticket prices  

Edited November 12, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[Ali Gator]

And let us not forget the Jukebox Musical (Ben Brantley takes the credit for coining this genre in 2001) which keeps the Broadway box office jingling (see "MJ: The Musical")...

 

There was a very good interview this morning with Alicia Keys on "CBS SUNDAY MORNING", who is opening her juke=box musical "Hell's Kitchen" at the Public Theater (now in previews). She describes it as a loosely based biography backed with her music catalog. She's been working on it for over 13 years, and expects it will transfer to Broadway. 

 

Her interview segued into an interview with former long-time NY Times theater critic Ben Brantley, who discussed the popularity of 'juke-box musicals' (which he says began in 2001 with Abba's "Mama Mia" which he called ridiculous, tacky and mindless) and how they will be part of musical theater for as far as he can see - theater goers enjoy a musical they can sing along with.  He hasn't seen "Hell's Kitchen" yet but believes it will be a hit for Keys because of her music catalog - and will transfer to Broadway sooner than later. 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

27 minutes ago, Ali Gator said:

Her interview segued into an interview with former long-time NY Times theater critic Ben Brantley, who discussed the popularity of 'juke-box musicals' (which he says began in 2001 with Abba's "Mama Mia" which he called ridiculous, tacky and mindless) and how they will be part of musical theater for as far as he can see - theater goers enjoy a musical they can sing along with.  He hasn't seen "Hell's Kitchen" yet but believes it will be a hit for Keys because of her music catalog - and will transfer to Broadway sooner than later. 

Like it or not, Mamma Mia! (two m's and an exclamation point, to be correct) was/is a juggernaut for producers.  Even back in 2008, the trades were reporting it had already made $2 billion worldwide (39 productions).

I don't always love jukebox musicals, but this is where Broadway went, continues to go and what audiences want to see.

I have a ton of respect for Brantley and have exchanged many messages with him through social media (he's very responsive).  From an artistic standpoint, I see where he's coming from, but as someone who's also put money into shows, the bottom line is always the bottom line.

Hell's Kitchen I'm looking forward to seeing next week when I'm back in the city, if only to get to see Shoshana Bean back on stage.  She's an incredible singing actress.

Edited November 12, 2023 by BenjaminNicholas

[SouthOfTheBorder]

Not all Jukebox musicals are created equal - but most are money-grabs & not creative.  
The worst ones seem to be when the performer is long gone & the estate is just tying to make more money.

I’d see Hells Kitchen at the Public tho - a different thing entirely.  

Re: sing-a-longs on Bway: I saw Hamilton twice - once before Covid where it was fantastic. Then I saw it again after Covid and after Hamilton had been streaming on Disney Plus for months.  It turned into a sing-a-long show.  Completely ruined the theatre experience, where I’m paying to hear the cast sing - not the person in the next seat.  Totally selfish.  Why go to theatre if you don’t want to hear the cast perform ??

Edited November 13, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[skynyc]

I've heard buzz that Hell's Kitchen is being slated to go into the Shubert Theater, where Some Like It Hot is closing on 12/30. Didn't move fast enough to get a ticket at the Public, where the Newman, at about 300 seats would be the place to see it. Hamilton there was pretty extraordinary...everyone knew it was something special. 

(And yes, I'm going to closing performance of SLIH. LOL) 

[Ali Gator]

19 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

Not all Jukebox musicals are created equal - but most are money-grabs & not creative.  
The worst ones seem to be when the performer is long gone & the estate is just tying to make more money.

 

The absolute worst one I ever saw was "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical". Even the title wasn't creative. How could this jukebox musical be so awful when the creative minds behind 'Jersey Boys' were behind this ? She deserved so much better.