Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?- Page 2
Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Mondays?
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 $$$.
lindas13
Understudy Joined: 4/2/06
#29re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 8:41am
great answer ny10024....... stage performers work a lot and hard. even more than soap folks. stage performers are on stage the whole time and do the same thing over and over for years(with the grace of God) but all need some time off to rest voices and and bodies and brains. also they still may do changes and rehearse for a while so are probably still doing something.
** Just my opinion**
leefowler
Broadway Star Joined: 7/13/04
#30re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 9:02am
One of the great things about London is that the show times are so varied, and you can schedule a lot of shows in a short period. A play might have a performance at 6:15 on a Friday, giving you enough time to see another show at 8:45 that night! Sometimes shows will have a Tuesday or Thursday matinee. I wish it was like that here.
But as to the real reason why Mondays are usually the chosen night off, it's because after a 5 performance weekend, the actors are tired. Besides, there are less tourists in town.
Behind the fake tinsel of Broadway is real tinsel.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#31re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 9:25am
Umm... first of all, you have to have a day off because the union says you do.
Very few shows have a "five show weekend". Most do Tuesday through Saturday nights, with matinees on Wed, Sat. and Sun. Very few do Sunday evenings.
In the past, some shows that were not "family friendly", did Monday through Satuday, with only Wed. and Sat Matinees, no Sunday shows. I remember that KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN had that schedule.
CRAZY FOR YOU performed on Mondays and took Thursday nights off - so for a while in the early 1990's you had at least KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN and CRAZY FOR YOU available on Mondays.
#32re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:08pmAs I said in an earlier post on this thread, prior to 1975 no Broadway show had a performance on Sunday. Check it out as to why.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
MrsVampyre
Stand-by Joined: 8/26/06
#33re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/24/07 at 4:29pm
IMHO... here are the reasons most shows are dark on a Sunday night:
1) Sunday is the weekend for most people, and a popular time to go to a matinee.
2) Actors work 2 shows on Saturday, and one on Sunday. They need at least 1 full day off.
3) Mondays are the start of the traditional work week. So it would probably be the slowest sales day of the week.
4) It allows the actors to enjoy all the Monday holidays, and share the day with family and friends.
junkyard
Stand-by Joined: 4/9/07
#34re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:25pmonce upon a time, in another era that ended in the early 70s, the Broadway work week went from Monday - Saturday. This had something to do with the historic blue laws that limited activity on Sunday (can anyone remember the days when the only stores open on Sunday were the mom and pop grocery stores). As times changed, so did people's recreational habits. People started doing things on Sundays. Day trippers began to flood NYC. so the shows slowly started doing Sunday Matinees. Suddenly the recreational choices in NYC meant more than the movies, Coney Island,or the Yankees. Sunday matinees still heavily rely on day trippers as many tourists return home on Sunday(hotels have the highest vacancy rates on Sunday and Monday evenings). Have you noticed how an increasing number of productions are experimenting with 2 shows on Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised that in a few years the typical broadway work week will be Wednesday - Sunday (matinees on Wed. Sat, Sunday). And how i hate those 'two a days'. How will Joe Allen's stay open?
#35re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:45pmJunkyard you have explained in a somewhat better way what I posted 2 days ago on this thread. The amending of the blue laws had the eventual effect of opening up the theatres on Sunday. But having the stores open on Sundays also gives competition to performing arts groups of all kinds--concerts as well as theatre.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
#36re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:23pmJunkyard has it down pat. When I was a kid, the shows played Monday to Saturday, with blue laws ruling on Sunday meaning no performances. However, it was always well known that Mondays were the weakest days at the box office, so when the blue laws were lifted, the producers, to make more $$$, started Sunday matinees making Mondays dark. Some shows that rely heavily on tourists have Wednesday or Thursday dark as these are the days the tourists are traveling because of hotel package deals and not here to go to the shows.
junkyard
Stand-by Joined: 4/9/07
#37re: Any reason why Broadway plays and touring shows don't perform on Monda
Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:53pmGypsy....your post reminded me of an old term we used to use....Wednesday Matinees were referred to as "Shopping Bag Shows". Most of the audience were women from the suburbs, who would come in by train or bus, shop in the morning, drink a nice lunch and see a show. One of my first jobs was as a replacement actor in a popular Broadway show. I ACTUALLY COULD HEAR THE RUSTLING OF THE SHOPPING BAGS DURING THE SHOW.....by the way the top ticket price for a musical on a Wednesday Matinee was $4.80
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