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Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by zamedy 2012-12-28 22:08:56

I know it's still relatively early into its run, but is it safe to say this much-hyped latest revival of ANNIE has been a disappointment at the box office? It has pulled in more than a million dollars for four weeks so far but has yet to play to a week-long capacity of more than 94.4% (and this is without any competition yet from MATILDA). Thoughts?

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by SondheimFan5 2012-12-28 23:22:57

Only time will tell. If the producers are smart (which I think they are), they should be able to break even at 50-60% per week. They have done much better than that for the past few weeks; business has been steady since the beginning.

Remember, it's selling on the name and reviews alone: They don't have any big star names for this show. That also means no huge star salaries (ala Pacino, Radcliffe, Jackman, Johanssen). The orchestra is 17 and the cast is 27 - running costs aren't all that expensive.

Long story short...I think ANNIE is doing fine. Even with Elf, A Christmas Story, Newsies, Peter, Mary P, Lion King, and The Grinch (family-friendly shows), it is pulling in good business, and it will continue to do that.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by BdwyFan 2012-12-29 00:20:57

The show is doing just fine. Annie is a brand name. This production is excellent and the producers have a great marketing campaign from what i can see. And Matilda is A very different show - very dark, not necessarily for kids.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-29 01:21:05

This production is excellent? Bwahahaha.

Matilda is based on a CHILDREN'S book. Yes, all of Roald Dahl's work is a little dark -- but they are all children's fare. There will be competition, and Annie is likely to be the loser. (I mean, good lord, who hasn't had to sit through a middle school rendition of Annie?)

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by AEA AGMA SM 2012-12-29 02:15:11

On the other hand, I have a feeling that Matilda will become a very hot ticket (I know that there are a lot of people in the industry itself who are beyond excited for it, myself included), in which case Annie could potentially pick up those ticket buyers who are unable to get in to Matilda. Obviously that's not a guarantee, but it is a possible scenario.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by AnythingGoes23 2012-12-29 07:13:56

I'm surprised as I thought Kate in the role of Hannigan was going to be one of those things you go to see the show for.

Matilda will steal Annie's market I think come Spring and could put a big dent in the shows audience figures.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by AnythingGoes23 2012-12-29 07:14:00

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by massofmen 2012-12-29 08:48:57

newsies will also take a hit. You are going to have Cinderella, annie, matilda and newsies as family/childrens shows. Also lets not forget about Lion King and Mary poppins still out there.

they all cannot run at the same time.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by Phantom of London 2012-12-29 09:00:56

Wicked is also a family show and is showing slow down in attendance, last week selling 9 in 10 tickets.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by ReggieonBway 2012-12-29 12:36:39

I think you're all vastly overestimating how popular Matilda is going to be.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by CapnHook 2012-12-29 13:01:50

MATILDA will be similar to BILLY ELLIOT. It will be very successful at first, and will probably wane in attendance after 2-3 years.

MATILDA isn't going to be responsible for the closure of ANNIE but it will certainly be a first choice over it.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-29 13:24:38

I can see your point very well Capn'.

And let's remember: revivals are not usually meant for long runs. Lots have been successful, but running a year - 18 is pretty common for most revivals. Therefore, Annie's natural life (without all the other "family fare") might have only lasted through the summer anyway.

But the reminder of just how many family friendly shows are going to be on the boards in the spring is staggering.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by little_sally 2012-12-29 13:59:57

I don't know if Matilda that recognizable of a name, not like Annie. I'm not sure if it's going to really appeal to casual theatre-goers. The book and movie aren't things that have constantly remained in the public's consciousness.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by PitPro2004 2012-12-29 20:32:11

Don't people tend to categorize Annie as a Christmas offering? I can't see how this is going to keep running past Superbowl Sunday. I think the producers would want to end on a high note. Then again I've lost track, has it recouped yet? Maybe they'll get their money back before Matilda?

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-29 23:05:33

Recouped? It only started previews in October and opened in November. Is it POSSIBLE to recoup before Matilda opens? Perhaps...but it would likely need to remain VERY strong throughout -- and we know how hard that is to do in the next few months.

And no, this isn't usually considered a "holiday show". The original run started in April. The first revival started similarly and didn't even make it to its first Christmas. Sure...it's set AT Christmas, but that is for sentimentality's sake.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by broadwaydevil 2012-12-29 23:14:47

I'm not sure if Cinderella will really appeal to children as much. This R&H's Cinderella, not the Disney version.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-29 23:25:36

Parents will drag their little princesses to it. I suspect the audience will be nightmarish the same way I found Little Mermaid to be. (shudder)

Personally, I can't stand the show, and even though I like the casting, I simply cannot bring myself to go see it. Neither of my kids have any desire, and one of them has performed in the show themselves!

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by broadwaydevil 2012-12-29 23:29:34

I know this doesn't prove a trend but my 5 and 8 year old nieces (I know, shudder) who are obsessed with Mary Poppins (their mother has taken them five times) are completely turned off by the "not-Disney" Cinderella. I really think the show will have a tough time finding an audience. Although in the end I guess it will depend how they market it. If they make it look like it's Disney they'll probably drag in the little girls but honestly I can't imagine my nieces or most children their age sitting through and enjoying it.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-29 23:38:39

I think most people are ignorant when it comes to these things. They won't know its NOT Disney-esque or care very much before buying tickets. And even those that DO know, aren't likely going to worry about explaining that to their kids. I don't think too many kids have a say in what they want to see on this kind of scale.

My kids (and seemingly your nieces) are minorities at a young age having opinions about b'way. BECAUSE I bring my kids a lot, they are given choices, and they definitely have opinions. They don't always agree, and sometimes have to put up with their sibling's choice -- but they are pretty good about keeping an open mind. I didn't give my kids a choice about seeing Pippin. I thought they would like it, and I decided we would go -- they were fine with that. One adored it; the other, not so much.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by seaweedjstubbs 2012-12-30 01:29:03

little_sally - I have to disagree about MATILDA not being that recognizable/remaining in the public's consciousness. Sure, it might not have the instant name recognition of ANNIE, but the movie airs pretty regularly on television and many people that I know (both theatre people and non-theatre people) have shown interest when I tell them it's going to be a musical. Maybe I'm just friends with a bunch of MATILDA fans, but it seems pretty popular to me! Hoping for the best when it comes to Broadway! I've been listening to the cast recording for a while now and I absolutely cannot wait to see it! My friend wasn't really excited about seeing it in London, but ended up saying that it was incredible!

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by TheHappyPhantom 2012-12-30 04:25:49

I don't anyone who'd actually go to see Matilda. Annie is a terrible show and the box office reflects that. Comparing either to Billy Elliot is silly. That was an adult show, with children in it and was far more successful than either of these two will be.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by My Oh My 2012-12-30 04:59:23

I know close to nothing about Annie, yet I've never bought the claims it's a lame kid show. Just the few numbers I know from it tell me it's a lot more than that. Just a pet peeve.

I read the Roald Dahl novel as a kid and know very well Matilda just as well as I know Annie, as far as name recognition is concerned. It was a fairly popular book when I was growing up, and I grew up in East Los Angeles where there isn't a childrens' book store in sight among the freeway interchanges and sea of filth producing factories that flanked my lovely Latino neighborhood.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-30 05:20:55

Hey, Happy Phantom -- You DO realize that Matilda is a big fat hit in London, yes? Will that guarantee a success here? Of course not, but in no way should you write it off.

Also: have you SEEN the box office returns for ANNIE? They aren't awful at all. It may not be MY personal favorite, but there are scads of people that love it. (I'm not directly talking of THIS production, but the show in general.)

As for no one YOU know wanting to see Matilda, that is not an indiator of anything. The buzz on this show is huge. I'm bringing 100 people to see this in April -- it was FIRST on their list -- a list they made months ago.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by mikey2573 2012-12-30 08:41:51

I don't think ANNIE will be here this time next year. It is a very weak revival. I've seen community theater productions that I liked better than this current Broadway offering. But MATILDA will still be going strong at this time next year.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by little_sally 2012-12-30 12:37:13

^ Well, in Annie's defense, most revivals don't last past a season these days anyway. If they wanted to they could easily stunt cast Hannigan or Warbucks. Not that I want them to but they could.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by degrassifan 2012-12-30 13:59:20

Why do people always rag on Annie? Granted, I have never seen a stage version of it, but I have seen the movies and they were not lame kiddie films. And, even if it was a kiddie show, what's wrong with that? What's wrong with 2 and a half hours of fun?

Matilda is doing very well in London, and I think just by name alone, it will do well here. The movie is a classic among kids and adults who grew up with it. It also comes on ABC Family all the time, and when it comes on, it's a trending topic on Twitter.

I think Cinderella will do well. Cinderella is Cinderella, no matter what the version is. Little boys and girls will recognize the name and basic story. Adults and teens will recognize the "Rodgers and Hammerstein" name attached to the title. Believe it or not, the 1997 version is considered a "classic" among my generation. When that movie came out, it was the High School Musical of my time in elementary school. Everyone in school kept singing the songs. Older adults will possibly remember the 1965 version and maybe the 1957 version. I think it will do fine.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2012-12-30 15:20:04

I don't thing "everybody" rags on it, there were a lot of people here that were quite excited about it coming back and had high hopes. Many people are down on THIS production, however, based on seeing it.

Personally, I just don't like it. I don't like too many things that get by simply on the "aw, aren't those kids cute" kind of success. It's not because its for kids (or marketed that way).
I find nothing about Annie "fun", even when my own kid was in it.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by GavestonPS 2012-12-30 15:28:42

I "rag" on it. I saw it about 3 weeks into the original run and found it a mess. I understand why little girls like it, but there's no excuse for anybody else.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by TheHappyPhantom 2012-12-30 15:40:55

Exactly. It doesn't matter which production it is. It's a terrible show. Family shows are one thing, but Annie is strictly children's theatre and doesn't really belong in a Broadway house.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by GavestonPS 2012-12-30 15:47:23

I just realized we never even took our children to see ANNIE, even though we lived in New York through most of its run. PETER PAN, on the other hand, we saw many times.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by degrassifan 2012-12-30 17:23:17

Ok, I have never seen the stage show, but is it really that bad? Or, are people just being too nitpicky? This is a serious question. Why is Annie always looked down upon on these boards, while other shows with kids in them (Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, Oliver!, Music Man, Peter Pan, The King and I, etc) are held in high regards? I find it hard to believe that a show with such classic tunes, so many Tony Awards, and has stood the test of time to be really bad.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by GavestonPS 2012-12-30 18:10:55

I don't know what to tell you, degrassi, except that I was profoundly bored throughout most of the show. By the time Annie came down the stairs in her red dress during the title number--an obvious homage to a certain Mrs. Levi who came down the stairs in a red dress during HER title number--I was convinced ANNIE was a show about nothing.

I have since learned to enjoy Dorothy Loudon in YOU TUBE clips and I think the song "Maybe" is nice for a kid.

But for me, the show is a random olio of manipulative moments. Sad orphan, cute dog, "I Love New York" song, cardboard villains (yes, I realize it's based on a comic strip), but with none of the satiric bite of the comic strip or another comic adaptation, LI'L ABNER.

No, it probably isn't as bad as it seemed when it won every award in town. At the time I was convinced it was the death knell of the Broadway musical.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by goldenboy 2012-12-30 20:07:00

I don't rag on Annie. It is a great musical.
You would never know it from the crap that is smelling up the palace theatre. You know when you get a foul ball in volleyball and you are kid and you ask for a do-over??? I wish we can erase that Annie mess and ask for a do over. From casting to choreography to sets ---- do over.....
So while it may not be a financial disapointment (yet)... it certainly is an artistic one. How anyone can screw up Annie is beyond me. Leave it to James Lapine and Andy Blankebuehler.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by Mattbrain 2013-01-04 08:36:41

The grown ups are talking now, goldie.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2013-01-04 08:43:07

It's not becauses kids are in them. Those other shows you mention have quite a bit of substance, and thought, and need nuance. Not so much with Annie.

In a number of those shows, the kids are not the center of attention, they are just a part of it.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by Kelly2 2013-01-04 08:47:12

I'm pretty sure it's not just "little girls" who are allowed to like ANNIE, Gaveston. As an orphaned and adopted child myself, I have always loved the show and continue to love it as an adult. An organization I'm a part of for adoptees and orphans actually took a group to the show of all ages and I'm told that it was an amazing experience and the production was loved by all the attendees I spoke with.

Lots of hate in this thread but say what you want, Annie means a lot to a lot of people and if you can't understand why, then I don't know what to say to you.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by EponineAmneris 2013-01-04 10:48:03

^^^ "Lots of hate in this thread but say what you want, Annie means a lot to a lot of people and if you can't understand why, then I don't know what to say to you."

Well said, Kelly2.

I saw the production on December 16th and loved every second. It was the musical that started it all for me as a child. It is not a "bad" musical and all the hate really upsets me. Like any musical or play, you either like it or you don't.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by frankywhitley 2013-01-04 11:11:31

"LOTS OF HATE IN THIS THREAD"

I couldn't agree more with THAT statement. Wow. sounds like alot of Matilda producers on here having a board meeting. The box office for ANNIE just so everyone knows... is fine. They made over 2 million this past week and made it to the top 5 shows. With all of these shows closing they will certainly make it to the summer and then get a bump from Tony Season. They also have an amazing advance sale for february and march from what ive heard from my friends who actually WORK in the box office.....And afterall they got great reviews, overall a 3.5 out of 4... so lets all calm down Dramamammas and be nice to broadway shows that make people happy. Not EVERYONE in the world is as cynical as you. With that said. you are entitled to your opinion... and its just that... i mean, if we are looking at the 13 million they have already made since previewing in october. Have a NICE day

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by finebydesign 2013-01-04 11:14:49

I'm still baffled it opened at all.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by FindingNamo 2013-01-04 11:22:46

That $2,054,848 gross last week does spell flop. If you live in Opposite Land.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by dramamama611 2013-01-04 16:21:27

But the thing is: MOST of us have been saying the entire thread that we didn't see the point of the original question since it's been doing just fine at the box office. We did question it's future with so many other family shows also coming down the pike.

Lastly, I've only discussed my dislike of the show in response to specific questions as to WHY. Of course, people can like different things ... I just never understand why folks get upset because some DON'T like it. How does that affect your enjoyment. (Unless you happen to be sitting next to me when I sigh uncontrollably with my discontent.)

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by LizzieCurry 2013-01-04 16:23:00

Ugh, I am all about your last paragraph there. Oh no! Someone doesn't like something you don't like! Ah, I've got the vapors.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by Kelly2 2013-01-04 16:27:46

Dramamama, I wasn't addressing you, I hope you didn't think I was. I was referencing the comment Gaveston made about how only "little girls" should enjoy the show. Of course people are entitled to dislike it, but to be condescending and imply that enjoying the show or finding it meaningful past puberty is somehow indicative of poor taste or whatever it may be is inaccurate and rude.

Is ANNIE considered a box office disappointment?
Posted by mb87 2013-01-04 17:02:37

People on here rag on Annie like it's the antichrist.

Then again, the same old people bitch on here all the time.