The future doesn’t look so bright for any show except Spring Awakening in the aftermath of Sunday night’s Tony Awards. It is very frustrating that none of the public will have the opportunity to see Journey’s End, the winner of best revival for a play, or The Coast of Utopia-winner of the award for best play since these productions are already closed.
From the New York Times:
Just about everyone along Broadway knew that “Spring Awakening” would do well at Sunday night’s Tony Awards, but there was still some surprise heard at the after-parties: Few thought it would do quite as well as it did.
The eight wins — for best musical, book, score, direction and choreography, among other things — came, among other things, as a relief to the producers of the show, which began its Broadway life struggling for survival and has inched its way forward since then. Its huge roster of producers, which has become a running gag around Broadway, is a testament to just how hard it was to raise money for the show.
“We struggled; it was clear that we struggled,” said Ira Pittleman, one of its lead producers. “Even I thought it was too risky a proposition for Broadway.”
But as of early yesterday afternoon, according to the show’s producers, “Spring Awakening” had taken in more than $750,000 since the beginning of Sunday night’s broadcast; if things continue at this clip, the advance for the show could easily top $4.5 million by the end of the week.
The uptick of fortune for “Spring Awakening” stands out even more because few of the other awards given out on Tony night will make even a negligible impact on the immediate Broadway landscape.
Of the winners of the four top awards, two — “Journey’s End,” winner of the best play revival, and “The Coast of Utopia,” a record breaker for most awards won by a play, with seven — have already closed and have no current plans to tour. Another — “Company,” winner of best musical revival — has been in critical condition at the box office for weeks.
In fact, although this past season was crowded (at one point in late April, shows were playing in every theater but one), a sizable chunk of Broadway is going to be dark by the end of the summer.
“A Moon for the Misbegotten” and “Journey’s End” closed on Sunday; by the end of August, 10 more shows are scheduled to fold, including “The Pirate Queen,” ending its run on June 17 at a loss of at least $16 million.
Several shows with open-ended runs have been looking shaky. In addition to “Company,” August Wilson’s “Radio Golf,” nominated for best play, has been struggling. There have even been whispers about the fates of “Rent” and “Avenue Q,” given their moderate ticket sales, but Kevin McCollum, a lead producer on the two shows, insists that neither is leaving anytime soon.
Go to New York City! See a play or musical…..or two! This picture of the Tony -nominated Kander and Ebb show, Curtains, makes me want to see this show!
It is a bad sign when even Broadway show tickets are tanking…while this has been a problem for years, it does not give much hope to those working in the non-profit theatre world.