Suddenly, MEMPHIS is a Hot Place to Visit; MEMPHIS Box Office Sales Increase

A recent article from Variety talks about the recent box office increase at MEMPHIS, despite star Montego Glover's vacation. Did Michelle Obama's visit coupled with the Tony win turn around the destiny of MEMPHIS?

Although Tony-nominated actress Montego Glover took a vacation from MEMPHIS during the first week of August, the box office jumped $26,723 for a $923,397 gross, the second-largest to date for the Broadway musical. In general, Broadway musicals generally dip at least a hundred thousand dollars when the star takes a vacation; when Catherine Zeta-Jones of "A Little Night Music," was out, receipts slipped nearly 50%.

"The star of the show is the show," say "Memphis' lead producers, Sue Frost and Randy Adams. Ten months into its run, MEMPHIS secured back-to-back sessions on Broadway's top 10 Box Office chart.

"Like WICKD and a few others," the article explains, "MEMPHIS is a Broadway show that has slowly built buzz and box office, helped by attention from first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood types like Zac Efron and Oliver Stone. (The Tony best musical winner is even leading Manhattanites to give the tuner a try.)"

MEMPHIS is a Broadway survival story. After the shows tryouts at La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theater last year, it created little buzz , causing Amex to nix a full-page ad in the New York Times.

When MEMPHIS, loosely based on the life of deejay Dewey Phillips, opened in October, local newspapers didn't have many nice things to say. Despite the dim outlook, MEMPHIS targeted tourists to help them through the winter months.

Plus, Frost and Adams were able to use an unexpected rave from the late critic Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press.

For a hit musical like Billy Elliott, up to half its group sales in the first few months can come from local charities and fundraisers. "But with 'Memphis,' it was close to zero percent," says Janette Roush, director of ticket services for Type A Marketing. "The theater parties passed us over completely."

Then, in the spring first lady chose "Memphis" as the first show on Broadway to take her two daughters.

"Michelle Obama's bringing the kids sent out a huge message for families to come," says Adams. "We never had that before her visit."

After the visit, 40% of the show's group sales this spring came from students.

Then, "Memphis," with its original book and score by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, won the Tony for best musical.

"Many groups are kicking themselves now that 'Memphis' won the Tony," says Roush, who projects that a fifth of the show's group sales this autumn will be charities and fundraisers, with the rest coming from retail tour operators who service theatergoers making a day trip into New York, according to the article. "One-fifth is a lot. You generally don't see any" in a show's second year.
"The Tonys made it OK for everybody to see the show, including the New York tried-and-true/show-me audience, who still care about the New York Times," Frost says.

"They didn't see us last fall, so maybe they'll come see us this fall," Adams says.

Ten months into its Broadway run, "Memphis" needs many more $900,000-plus sessions in order to recoup.

In some ways, "Memphis" may remind some of "Avenue Q" and "In the Heights," shows that started out slow and built at the box office on their way to the Tony.

Spotco prexy Drew Hodges, who does advertising/marketing for all three shows, rejects the comparison.

"'In the Heights' and 'Avenue Q' were boutique musicals. They started small. 'Memphis' started as a big musical from day one," he says of the show's 28 cast members, multiset changes and $10.5 million capitalization. Equally important, says Hodges, " 'In the Heights' and 'Avenue Q' were critical darlings, with critics (touting) 'a brand new voice.'"

"Memphis," on the other hand, was the popular choice, "with audiences going, 'You'll love it!'?" says the marketing guru.

For the full article, click here.