This week was particularly rough, as a trio of musicals - 1/10th of the entire Broadway market - took their final bows. Each was quite different from the next: one was a traditional revival, one had the backing of a multi-billion dollar corporation, and one began life as a series of improvised workshops in New Jersey.
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The list of shows featured on Broadway are constantly changing, but few understand why. This article piqued my interest because I never truly understood the inner workings of the financial aspect of commercial theatre. The three productions featured, Spongebob Squarepants, Carousel, and Getting the Band Back Together vary in subject matter, era, and style, yet they all faced their own challenges. As a theatre artist, it is sad to say that it all came down to money. While Spongebob was being housed in a theatre about to undergo renovations, if it had truly been grossing enough it would have transferred elsewhere. The profit figures mentioned in the article seem massive, but I realized I had to consider the investors behind it all. A Broadway show must not only breakeven, it must exceed that to maintain the valuable real estate that is the heart of New York City. For this reason, productions like Carousel that did not intrigue enough of the public eye, had to close down, despite its stellar choreography and score. When I saw this production in July, I was scrambling to get my hands on a ticket, yet in the theatre I saw rows of empty seats. While there was not as much demand, the show had to remain expensive to last on Broadway.
Of these closures, the one that is most interesting to me in Spongebob. The other two seem like a more straightforward case of not enough people wanting to see the show, but given that The Palace renovations were planned, it does seem the Spongebob was never expected to last. It makes a lot of sense that the Broadway production was just meant to be a launching point for a tour, which would be the real source of money. Especially given the audience, parents are a lot more likely to take their children to a show that is touring to their city than to Broadway. Arguably Nickelodeon could’ve just skipped Broadway and toured a Spongebob musical, but that wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much interest as the tour of the Broadway production will. I also wonder if Nickelodeon also made a conscious decision to have production and operating costs be too high for them to make back in order to ensure the Broadway production was impressive enough to make a big splash and get interest for the likely much cheaper to produce tour.
One thing that has always bothered me about Broadway is the fact that the costs of mounting a Broadway show almost always kill a show before it launches. A Broadway show usually costs around 10 million dollars, which is similar in budget to that of a smaller movie. The difference is that a movie is immediately accessible by most of the world, while a Broadway show may never be accessible to people outside of New York. It is incredibly difficult to keep numbers high enough for long enough to earn back that money. National tours are the easiest way to make back money, but if the show was an overwhelming flop to begin with, it's just going to shove it deeper into the red before any profit can ever be made. Personally, I think that once a show closes on Broadway it should be shown in a movie theater, for about the same price as a movie ticket. This way, all the people who want to see a show don't have to rely on a bad bootleg. I understand the desire to keep theater live, however I think that as the times are changing we must change too. In my opinion, seeing a show in the movie theaters would probably just make me want to see it more live. Websites like Broadway.com have started offering streaming services, but barely any current shows are offered there. If we want to get these amazing productions to as large an audience as possible, and make theater less exclusive, then perhaps it's time we rethink the way theater is being brought to people, at least just to see if it helps.
Broadway is probably the biggest theater platform in the world. Every production and its creators dream of creating an experience that is worthwhile to be put up on the Broadway platform for the audiences to enjoy.
In such a scenario, it is heartbreaking for any producer and its staff to pull down their show from Broadway. For one, huge monetary losses are incurred. Producers are hard-hit, many have even reached the point of bankruptcy. And once a producer is hit, a domino like situation is attained where every working member of the production is affected monetarily which is not the best thing.
Second, and probably the more emotional aspect of something like this is that everyone's dream of making it big on and through Broadway are send crashing down to the Earth. Actors put in a lot of work in understanding the characters and their parts to bring the characters to life on stage. The designers work day and night to create the best and true setting of the play. Everyone is disheartened!
It’s unbelievable how much money it takes to run a show. Honestly, I can’t even begin to fathom how a show is more successful than another. Sometimes there are obvious factors, but other times amazing shows close without a warning. It says a lot about the hidden part of the industry that no one can really peel back and examine. I’m sure there are underlying politics behind every show. However, I can understand how parents may not want to fork out over $100 for SpongeBob over The Lion King and how Carousel crossed a few lines as far as racial stereotypes. Building upon the racial stereotypes, I’m surprised how no one commented on how putting an African American in the role of the sexist, violent, womanizing Barry Bigelow would raise questions about racial stereotypes. Still, it is always sad to see a show close, no matter how questionable it may have been. One joy of theater is how it’s able to raise questions and make people talk to one another. I’m curious to see if any of these shows will make it to the wall of Broadway flops at Joe Allen’s…
Truthfully, I’m not really surprised by anything in this article. Though I loved (LOVED) Spongebob Squarepants the Musical, I could tell it wasn’t going to last that long. The idea that in one weekend 1/10th of the shows on Broadway closed is overwhelming, and it seems on paper really really bad. But I think the real reason all of this is happening is the Broadway is in a renaissance. Following Hamilton, there’s a push now more than ever to put new work into the Broadway market. This means more people are coming to see shows, and more shows are being created. But it also makes the market much more competitive because it is a little saturated right now. And throwing any sort of original work into the mix is even riskier. But I think that looking back at this 5-10 year period on Boradway, we will realize it was a time for a lot of artistic movement in the community.
It's that time of year in the Broadway season where shows that could not last are moving out to make way for the Tony arrivals coming this fall and spring of 2019. The shows in this article are not shocking, but I am a little surprised at Spongebob for not lasting longer. As the article points out, I think the Broadway market is flooded with family-friendly musicals, but I think it will do fantastic on tour. A question I often have that this article brought back up is, why do shows open if they know they probably won't do that well? Specifically, Getting the Band Back Together seemed like they knew it wasn't going to do well in the season. So why bring it to Broadway then? It's still a job for so many people, but it seems silly on the producing end. I know many shows go through this same cycle, so I guess I'm just more curious why people invest in theatre? I know many people hope to be a part of the next Book of Mormon or Hamilton, but can't you guess from the show's content whether it has the potential to be a hit? And if you know it is maybe not the next hit, what pushes you to still put your money into the show?
I certainly not shedding a tear for any of them. In what seems like the norm of fairly creative rivivals and shoddy well known properties being transformed into half assed musicals I could not be happier to see them go. In particular Carousel which has always been my least favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein show, probably because as a kid I just never understood it and because it lacks a child-like optimism the rest of them have. As for SpongeBob I was the rare child who did not watch the television show and when I eventually did never got the humor in it, it seemed immature and garish. Luckily so did the musical. While I will admit the opening number was an ear worm of a tune. The more chances for new musicals and better conceived or inspired revivals to come along the better. Though this closing of Carousel does not look good for Jack O'Brian who has had this and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory be relative flops on the stage. What a pity. I am not going to fret though and wait for the next Gentlemans Guide, Matilda, or Ragtime to come along.
I am certainly not shedding a tear for any of them. In what seems like the norm of fairly creative rivivals and shoddy well known properties being transformed into half assed musicals I could not be happier to see them go. In particular Carousel which has always been my least favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein show, probably because as a kid I just never understood it and because it lacks a child-like optimism the rest of them have. As for SpongeBob I was the rare child who did not watch the television show and when I eventually did never got the humor in it, it seemed immature and garish. Luckily so did the musical. While I will admit the opening number was an ear worm of a tune. The more chances for new musicals and better conceived or inspired revivals to come along the better. Though this closing of Carousel does not look good for Jack O'Brian who has had this and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory be relative flops on the stage. What a pity. I am not going to fret though and wait for the next Gentlemans Guide, Matilda, or Ragtime to come along.
Its closing time for three shows on Broadway. It seems like the timing of these closings becomes quicker and quicker even for shows that people enjoy. The bulk of the need for these shows to close seams to be operating costs and the lack of high constant ticket sales. In the case of Spongebob the musical I think that it is an issue that even though it was nominated it speaks only to a limited few also know as a small generation who grew up with the TV show and are not the most willing to go see a show on Broadway. Then we have the show Carousel which I had thought had been relegated to the regional theatre category of our industry. It is one of those shows that everyone should see and that has a definite meaning behind it but can't support a consistent audience. Lastly the lesser know original work Gettin' the band back together let's just say I saw this coming.
I don’t think there is anything wrong or unusual about those shows closing. The articles headline made it seem like three shows closing was something rare but it is very common for shows to close around labor day so that the theatres can be filled for a winter opening. One major difference between SpongeBob and carousel vs getting the band back together is that the first two shows did extremely well in the beginning of their run grossing in the high K and low million which is where a show should be grossing. The issue with those two shows though are there high operating costs. The higher the weekly operating cost the more time it will take for a show to recoup their investment. The issue with getting the band back together is that the producer tried shady and unattractive ways to promote the show and the critics hated that. The reviews were some of the harshest I have read in a while. While it is sad that three Broadway shows closed, Broadway is like life and as one show closes another will open.
I do not entirely agree with the negative point of view presented in this aricle. I do not always think that a show closing is some big failure. As mentioned in the article, the Spongebob musical will likely do very very well on tour, and with the high operating costs on Broadway, I'm sure the tour will be much more successful long term. As for the other two, it does not seem like either show was supposed to have a fantastic long run, so again I am not really lamenting the loss of them on Broadway. Even though shows are closing, that just means there will be new ones to take their places soon. I don't think that every piece of theatre brought to Broadway needs to be a smashing success, and I think future producers of future musicals can learn a lot from looking at why these shows closed when they did, and maybe next time we will get an amazing piece of theatre that does have an amazing long run.
This is the first article I've ever submitted to the green (teal) page and a lot of people have commented on it! Wow!! When I read this the thing that stood out to me the most were the variety of reasons and opinions the author had on each show closing. Although it is unusual for three musicals to close on the same night, show closures are a natural part of the Broadway market. The reason I initially read this article was because of Spongebob the Musical (may it rest in peace), as I really loved the show and was curious to see what the author had to say about it. I was very surprised to learn that the renovations at the Palace Theatre were going to always put a hard end date on the show. To me it seems silly to put up a musical there that wasn't already a limited engagement if they were interested in running it past that date. Although I think the show will do well with its tour in the future, it's a shame that it didn't do well enough to justify transferring to another house.
Of the three broadway musicals this article speaks of, the only one I'm sad about is Spongebob, and just because I really wanted to see Spongebob on the broadway stage. Unfortunately I have actually never seen a broadway show, and in fact my first time in new york was over the summer, when I had to pick up a curtain from New York City Centre. for my job at williamstown, an 8-hour round trip. I think this is a bit of a problem, actually, since I haven't had the chance to witness first-hand the scale of work that goes on on broadway. Also, I just have a special spot in my heart for spngebob, having watched it from a very young age. There are people in this comment thread who say they think Spongebob is childish and ridiculous, and to that I say theat they are being childish and ridiculous, since both the spongebob musical and the feature movies are packed with hidden and not-so-hidden adult jokes and themes. Honestly though, I think I would want to see spongebob only to see those sick squidward legs, a technical marvel to be sure.
I have never been one to fully keep up with what’s happening on Broadway, but this article peaked my interest because I never knew what would make a show close on such a high platform. It seems it all came down to money and just not making enough. The closing of Spongebob made sense because of the contract that had already been signed. Even though it may have been childish, the thought that went behind the creation of this production is mind- blowing! I had my friend describe the shows to me before writing this response just to fully understand the concept for each one. The closing of Carousel is more due to social issues. It’s controversial and it doesn’t appeal to the audiences today, so they’re not making any money from it. I don’t necessarily see all of these closings as a bad as the article makes it seem. Theater is always progressing, shows will close and more shows will open.
My hopes for my future in theatre honestly completely exclude Broadway for numerous reasons described in this article. Regardless of the originality of concept, excellence in design, or talent of the cast, if tickets don’t sell (especially difficult in competition with Broadway favorites like The Lion King or Wicked), the show is doomed. In an industry bursting at the seams with artistic potential, I think it’s a treacherous balancing act to retain all the integrity and intention of the show while playing the numbers game. While Broadway is obviously backed by undeniable history and contributions to the theatre world, to me it holds a very limited space in the imaginative scope that theatre has to offer as an art due to its dependence on revenue. The closing of three Broadway musicals is tragic to me for the scale of the investment that went into each one, which includes the creative teams, resources, and lost potential of each.
It's always sad when a show closes and when three close it seems like what we have chosen to do with our lives is just always doomed to be replaced by the next big thing. It's true that finding something like Wicked or Hamilton is a once in a decade hit and I hope that we are all so fortunate to have that success but that is part of the gig. This is an incredibly risky field for everyone involved, and when shows close it is a huge loss of money for producers and a loss of a job for everyone involved. In a way I wish I was more sad that this has happened but truthfully if we lost it every time a show closed or failed then there wouldn't be people for the business anyway. Broadway will move forward and so will the people who work for it. It's the only way to keep moving.
The world of commercial theatre such as Broadway is so foreign to so many people. Shows just seem to open and close without much meaning to the public. This article did a really good job of giving three very different examples of broadway closings and offering justification for each one. SpongeBob the Musical was fairly successful but it was interesting to read that the primary reason it closed was that of scheduled building renovations. Why Nickelodeon decided to move forward with the production when it had a countdown clock on it since the beginning is interesting to me. The next two musicals are what I feel like the more common reason for closing, and that is money. Musicals are huge financial investments with “high risk” and unfortunately, not every musical that opens is the next Hamilton. The next two musicals that were mentioned in the article weren’t disliked by the public but there is always a competition going on in the commercial theatre industry that forces some shows to close and others to thrive.
Every time I show a like on Broadway closes I wonder why, and reading this article which shed some light on why these specific shows closed was very interesting because I believe the reasons for closure for these shows can transfer to many other Broadway shows that have closed. When I found out the Spongebob was closing I was honestly very sad. I had to opportunity to see the show in New York earlier this year and I have been a fan of it since it was created. I understand that this show is not everyone’s cup of tea and that it is traditional from so many other traditional Broadway shows, but that is what I love about it. It makes me very sad to see this show closed because I find the design elements of this show to be some of the most unique I have ever seen on a stage, and I would love more people to be able to experience this show and learn about all of the different ways to do theatre and all of the new elements that artists are adding to their shows. For example, the sound effects for this show are all done with live Foley which can be seen from the audience which is something I have never seen on a Broadway stage before. I am also sad every time I see a completely original show close on Broadway. Although I understand the reasons for Getting’ The Band Back Together closing, I still appreciate that this show was completely the work of someone’s imagination, and not based on anything else.
Reading about the actual business side of theatre is interesting because it is something that I, as a student, do not think about much. It’s definitely interesting to know that people who make it to Broadway will still be at the mercy of the audience’s wallets. It’s hard to know that all the hard work of everyone involved in the development and running of the production will be working on a project with longevity. Any of us would be very fortunate to have the opportunity to work on these productions. It does raise the question: what kind of shows are audiences drawn to? Why are these ones not pulling in the crowds? It’s an interesting subject that people working in the development of theatre will have to pay attention and respond to as the new seasons keep coming. It makes sense for some of these why they were not as popular, so there is a little bit of clarity in the situation.
- J.D. Hopper
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