Broadway the Hard Way
09:44 AM PT, Jun 6 2006
The closing of "Hairspray" did not happen in a vacuum. First off, the entire Broadway-to-Vegas nexus is not panning out. After all, "Avenue Q" just closed on May 28. Of course, as written about earlier on the Buffet, "Avenue Q" was a tough sell from the first, being a puppet show without a wide national fan base. Still, the creators tried to adapt it; yet, "Avenue Q" never found an audience here. "Hairspray," on the other hand, did everything right. It also had a talented cast, good marketing and a shorter runtime, cut down to avoid an intermission (unlike "Avenue Q").
Since nothing apparently helped either show in terms of numbers, my guess is the producers of "Phantom: The Vegas Spectacular," scheduled to open later this month, are very nervous. I am interviewing Andrew Lloyd Webber on Thursday for the Buffet and will ask. Of course, "Phantom" has a huge brand recognition and efforts like the name change ("Phantom of the Opera" to " Phantom: The Vegas Spectacular" — how blunt is that?) have been made to make clear to the public that the Vegas version is distinct from anything that appeared on Broadway. Will this help in the end?
Meanwhile, other Broadway production shows are still being readied, like "The Producers" at Paris and "Spamalot" at Wynn. These clearly now fall into the high risk category as there is no evidence that there will be an audience for them in Las Vegas.
But it isn't just the Broadway-based shows. Outside of a few examples (like Celine, Penn & Teller and the Cirque shows) no one seems to be selling tickets now. Summer can get slow, yet I've written before on the Buffet that I think a paradigm shift is going on right now. Tourists no longer feel the need to take in a show while here, whereas once that was considered an essential part of a Vegas vacation. Now, people are going to nightclubs, ultralounges, expensive dining and shopping as replacements for production shows.
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The Broadway show is a dinosaur. Most of the shows that are experiencing any success in NY are derived from old movies (Hairspray, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Producers). They barely work in NY, definitely don't work in LA anymore. I don't know what the Las Vegas hotels are thinking. Give us Queen with Paul Rogers instead of We Wil Rock You. Give us great classic bands, acts like Penn & Teller, stuff you can't find just anywhere. Please no more pretentious recycled Broadway shows.
And, maybe consider a break on the ticket prices too. If people are staying in your hotels, eating at your restaurants, gambling at your tables... let's not hit them for full pop on the entertainment too.
Posted by: DC | June 12, 2006 at 12:49 PM