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?
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.
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.
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?)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
^ 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.
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.
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joined:6/27/07
Posted: 12/28/12 at 10:08pm