Monday, November 10, 2008
Bloody Sunday: 'Tale of Two Cities' Will Shutter Sooner Than Thought
Yahoo! News: "Producers announced the new close date at 4:30 PM Friday. Telecharge.com had already indicated that tickets were on sale only through Nov. 9. A cast member also confirmed to Playbill.com on Friday afternoon that company members were told the bad news by telephone."
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9 comments:
Most unfortunate. It is so hard to think about how seriously the economic state we've been plunged into is affecting our brothers and sisters throughout the industry. I often comment to teachers and friends about how much of an isolate island, a bubble CMU is -- it almost as if the world could come crashing down right around us and we would have no idea. Without feeling the impacts of this crisis directly, I can only sympathize from afar. However, I know in 4 years I'm going to have to make a fairly important decision as to whether I think I will be able to survive off this industry.
I think that the production team is amazing for this show seeing that the scenic designer was the original designer for Guys and Dolls! I really wanted to see this show when I was in New York a few weekends ago but as of the economic state that we are in at the moment it was extremely difficult to get a ticket. I do not understand why so many shows are closing and also allowing ticket prices to soar sky high! I think it is something we as the "next generation" should look into and fix!
I'm rather surprised at the turn of luck for Tale of Two Cities. When I was reading about it during it's Florida run it seemed audiences were entertained and that Broadway would likely find moderate success for a year or two with the piece, despite speed bumps in its journey. I can't imagine what is worse: never making your broadway dream come true or getting to broadway and closing before the first frost because it sank that fast.
I definitely agree with jlechterman that the CMU School of Drama is very detached from the outside world. It will be interesting to see just how much the current economic state of our country affects the arts. Historically during times of economic hardship, the entertainment business has been one of the few businesses that was the least hit. But with the current price of a Broadway ticket we'll see what happens.
I am not particularly surprised with the fact that Tale of Two Cities is closing its doors due to the economic crisis. However, what I do wonder is about the described link between Les Miz and Tale. If they are so connected, than why did it not have the staying power that Les Miz had? I think if this crisis is teaching us anything it is that the american theatre going public is becoming more and more selective of what they are willing to spend money. This is absolutely going to impact not only what shows are produced in the coming years but also what shows survive.
These news articles always leave me with a wave of fear. I certainly agree with the others here that at CMU we live in a bubble. Articles like these are a wake up call. I find myself re-evaluating my position in this program and whether or not I will be able to pay the bills come four years. But then I remember that theatre has survived economic droughts drier than this one. The sets are often the first piece to get cut and as a scenic designer, the idea can be frightening. Perhaps this is a warning to branch out into other areas of tech for job security's sake.
Like many have already said i am extremely sad and disappointed that this production has not had a chance to really get its act together so to say and truly stretch its legs. I had such high hopes for the play because i really enjoyed reading Dickens book in high school and was excited to see it portrayed on broadway!
I think that TTC closing is really unfortunate, but not only should the economic situation be taken into consideration when thinking about the reason for its closure, but also one must look at the current Broadway season. It's full of real world stories - All My Sons - A Man For All Seasons - The Seagull. It's either 'Broadway glamor' or straight realism, and TTS doesn't fit in either of those categories. Also - I think many are associating the show with Les Miz - which has a very similar topic.
Theatre is just like any other aspect of life… it is affected by anything and everything that happens. The themes and messages that the audience takes away from a show is directly effected by the happenings and headlines of that specific time, as is the directors intent at the pre-production stage. So too is the economic aspects. This is an important consideration and cannot be overlooked. However sad, it is just another challenge and thus creative solutions must be enacted.
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