Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
#2re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
Posted: 4/23/07 at 11:56amBecause performers are gods to us, and we don't think they should have to work on Mondays. Mondays suck. We all hate them. So we give them to our performers as golden, work-less days. Kind of a sacrifice of sorts, because we worship them.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
#4re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:10pmFrankly I don't understand why more Broadway shows don't perform on Monday and choose another weekday to make dark. The selection of Broadway shows to see on Mondays is very limited...
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
erinrebecca
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/29/04
#5re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:36pmIt's not universal. Some Broadway shows do have Monday performances, and some tours do perform on Mondays. Often with tours, Monday is their travel day so that is the reason for no performances.
#6re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:42pm
CapnHook --- i agree. Especially with some of us out of towners.
But i'd rather see sunday evening shows before monday shows happen at any rate.
#7re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:52pmWheras on the Westend only 4 shows perform on a Sunday and all the others perform on a Monday!
#8re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:54pm
Frankly I don't understand why more Broadway shows don't perform on Monday and choose another weekday to make dark. The selection of Broadway shows to see on Mondays is very limited...
But, what would that accomplish? Then that other weekday would have a limited selection.
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
#9re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 1:02pm
99.9 percent of shows in the uk do mondays
Its rare that UK shows do sundays(thats our day off)
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
siny
Broadway Star Joined: 2/8/07
#10re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 1:38pm'cause everyone needs a day off ? Even actors ?
StageFan2
Broadway Star Joined: 4/8/07
#11re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 1:42pm
"'cause everyone needs a day off ? Even actors ?"
Agreed. Most especially stage performers.
#12re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 1:58pm
"But, what would that accomplish? Then that other weekday would have a limited selection."
What would it accomplish? What a silly thought! It would allow more of a selection on Monday, equal to that on Tues-Thurs.
If whatever shows playing at 1/4 of Broadway theatres are dark Mondays, 1/4 dark Tuesdays, 1/4 dark Wednesdays, and 1/4 dark Thursdays - then you have a GREAT selection on any given weekday. PLUS, it gives Broadway performers a chance to see other shows on their dark day. Two birds with one stone.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
p.s.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/30/06
#13re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 2:05pm
Frankly I don't understand why more Broadway shows don't perform on Monday and choose another weekday to make dark. The selection of Broadway shows to see on Mondays is very limited...
But, what would that accomplish? Then that other weekday would have a limited selection.
Les Miz [in late February] cancelled Sundays (3:00pm) for the summer (6/24-9/2)[actually sending out refunds], and added Mondays (8:00pm) instead (6/18-8/27).
[Dark on both Sunday 9/2 and Labor Day 9/3]
One response to a previous thread:
Les Miz did this to their schedule every year... at least post tenth anniversary...Sundays are a HARD sell in the summer. Few people want to be in a theater at 2;00 on a beautiful sunday afternoon in june ,july and august.
p.s. Any other shows doing the same?
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#13re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 2:16pmMondays are typically the slowest day of the week for businesses that cater to evening entertainment...it's the first day back to work, school, etc. Some Broadway shows do have performances on Mondays, which can also be the start of vacations for some people (keep in mind that on the road, most cities aren't drawing tourists to their theatre-scene).
misschung
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/18/07
#15re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 2:36pmwhat does that have to do with their being off on Mondays?
The morning star always gets wonderful bright the minute before it has to go --doesn't it?
#16re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 2:51pm
I think it has more to do with what Fosse76 said that Mondays were traditionally a slower time for entertainment based endeavors.
There was a time when most dining establishments, at least the better ones, used to be closed on Monday and Thursday nights, as they simply did not get the patronage worth keeping them open.
-Politics is like driving. To go backward, put it in R. To go forward, put it in D.
Boq101
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/20/06
#17re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 3:12pm
Because Garfield hates Mondays, obviously
#18re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 3:14pmBecause they often don't have Sunday off.
#19re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 3:31pmIt is because of this that i am flying into New York and back out on a Monday so i know i wont miss anything, lol.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre
#20re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 4:22pmAll sorts of changes took place in NYC in the mid-1970's. Up until then department stores were closed on Sundays and all Broadway shows were dark on Sundays too.In the mid 1970's the "blue" laws were ammended and that allowed stores to open on Sundays. Theatre followed by deciding to take advantage of weekend availability of patrons who didn't have to go to work on Sundays. Now Mondays are the chosen day off for the theatre community, in most cases. It's as simple as that.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
Boq101
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/20/06
#21re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 4:59pmWell imo I always figured that most people go to the city on the weekend (north jersey does) to go hang out and shop and stuff a lot more often during the school year than on regular weekdays. It makes sense to put shows on the weekend to me.
siny
Broadway Star Joined: 2/8/07
#22re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 5:55pm"Fantasticks", which is now dark on Mondays, switches to dark on Thursdays after Memorial Day. Why would they do that except to confuse out-of-town visitors ?
worrell4077
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#23re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 8:23pm
I'm going to agree with the earlier statement of slow business on Mondays, most people are going back to work or school on Monday after the weekend off, and it gives a nice break for actors by taking Monday off.
Does Spring Awakening have a day they go dark? I know that they do a Monday show and I heard that they don't have a matinee, but do they ever have a dark day?
NY10024
Swing Joined: 4/14/07
#24re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:10pm
Having Mondays as the dark day also provides for the longest break between performances--from Sunday after the matinee until Tuesday evening, if you're following the traditional performance schedule. It'd be much shorter if, say, Tuesday were the dark day instead, because you'd have a performance Monday night and need to be back for a Wednesday matinee.
As someone who works in the industry, I've always been grateful for the Sunday-Tuesday break, especially when needing to make a quick trip out of town.
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#25re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 9:56pm
I think it has something to do with the rationale for theaters being open on Sundays. This probably came about because it allows families to be able to see shows together or out-of-towners to see a show in New York -- which is very good for business. But most shows open only for Sunday matinees and the cast and crew are free in the evenings. By making Monday their day off - it allows them a much longer rest period -- from after the Sunday matinee... to the warm-ups for the Tuesday evening performance.
Just guessing 
ThankstoPhantom
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
#27re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/23/07 at 11:01pm
Spring Awakening is dark on Tuesdays.
Jo-actors love the Monday thing for that reason.
It's all TRADITION! Broadway has almost no schedule variety. The West End on the other hand, does. Some shows matinee on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, et cetera.
They're more fun out there!
How to properly use its/it's:
Its is the possessive. It's is the contraction for it is...
Dover
Leading Actor Joined: 4/29/06
#28re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 12:20am
Producers decide for their shows whether they think Monday or Sunday will be more profitable, sometimes by trial and error. Some shows (such as Les Miz, traditionally) purposely change their schedules for the summer season and then switch back in the fall.
Sometimes a big star can influence the dark day if they have a strong preference for one schedule or the other. Most theatre people have a preference -- performing on Mondays means you have one less matinee, but performing on Sunday means you get four extra hours on the weekend, which is especially liked by people who have houses out of town they like to visit.
As for why shows don't pick a random day and have everyone have a different schedule, I can think of two reasons -- one, it would confuse the hell out of everyone; and two, it would make things unpleasant for people who work on Broadway and Off- who would not be likely to have the same day off as their spouse or friends. Of course producers don't really care about that, so I guess somehow it must come down to $$$.
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