SPIDER MAN What the hell?- Page 2
SPIDER MAN What the hell?
bk
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/03
#25SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 9:43pmYou can just sit back and watch the passing parade and hope that someday Broadway will have real producers again.
#26SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 9:49pm
Sad, but oh-so true, BK.
Ah, well...
... at least there's A VERY LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and PUTTING IT TOGETHER 2.
P
#27SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:02pmHere's my question. Why has the score been guarded so closely? No one has heard a demo, there's been no staged reading, no concert version, no previews like Love Never Dies. Other than Bono's word for it, there is currently no proof that the show even exists.
#28SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:11pmHas anyone ever seen Julie Taymor and Bernie Madoff in the same room?
Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!
#29SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:19pm
Scott Briefer,
You are correct that it makes sense that the show's company should control the revenue, but simply put, it is not the case for Broadway and is only sometimes the case for off-Broadway. I am not willing to be more specific on my breadth of experience, but I say this with first-hand knowledge of producer and theatre owner deals in both arenas.
On Broadway, revenue from ticket sales all flow through the theatre owner. In the case of phone and online sales through Ticketmaster and Telecharge, the monies are remitted by the ticketing agencies to the theatre owners on a weekly basis less service and handling fees, credit card commissions, chargebacks and miscellaneous other deductions. Box office sales via credit card work in the same fashion (since the revenue flows through the Ticketmaster or Telecharge computers). Cash sales at the box office are deposited into the bank account that the theatreowner has set up for each of their theatres. The money the theatre owner receives each week from Ticketmaster or Telecharge (and from TKTS as applicable) is based on the *sales* for the prior week.
The production settles with the theatre at the end of each week and receives the revenue from the *performances played* during the previous week less facilities fees, group sales commissions, all of the theatre operating expenses (as per the theatre license agreement, which includes all labor, benefits and payroll taxes), and the theatre's contractual rent (which typically has two parts - a fixed weekly amount and a percentage of gross).
In short, a Broadway show does not realize the revenue from its ticket sales for a particular week of performances until said week is played off. Until that time, the sales revenue for future weeks of performances sits in an interest-bearing escrow account held by the theatre owner in which the production does not share.
If I can dig up the language from an actual license agreement, I will be happy to do so and post it but I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is the case.
"No matter how much you want the part, never let 'em see you sweat." -- Old Dry Idea commercial
Scott Briefer
Broadway Star Joined: 5/3/04
#30SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:42pmYou seem knowledgeable, and as my experience with contracts between producers and theater owners is limited, I will for now bow to what appears to be a greater wisdom. I have written The Broadway League with this question and tomorrow, I will contact the office of a prominent producer I am friends with and ask this question. However, having read your posts, I suspect that you are in the know.
#31SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 10:56pm
It's like an actual living version of NINE
they say its happening...but, where is ANY proof at all?
Now all I see are cute boys with short haircuts in a maze of their own...
#32SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 11:04pm
Even if they back out now, they still lost a s**t load of cash.
Ranging in the millions.
"Everything in life, is only for now"
-Avenue Q
#33SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/8/10 at 11:15pmYes, but aren't they only selling to AMEX members right now? If the show was opening in six weeks, wouldn't the tickets be open to the public and wouldn't the box office be open by now? Just curious.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#34SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 12:20am
What cast were let out of thier contracts?
Does anyone know any actors who were cast and signed?
I know Cummings talked about a costume fitting and that other guy said he was flying without a plane,
but have there been real rehearsals?
I think anyone who buys a ticket till an official announcement is made, letting anyone one get interest on your purchase for such an iffy schedule is foolish.
Any inside info?
bk
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/03
#35SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 12:56am
"f the show was opening in six weeks, wouldn't the tickets be open to the public and wouldn't the box office be open by now? Just curious."
Do you even need to ask this question? Of course they would. Why would anyone in their right mind think this is going to open in a few weeks - seriously.
gypsy4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
#36SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:08amchecked the official website and it looks pretty suspicious maybe this is taymor's Idea of a prank reality show?
#37SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 3:17amIF it’s true that the actors have been let go and they are still selling tickets starting next month for a show they know to not be happening just to get the money for a future date, that’s FRAUD!
jeffmiele
Broadway Star Joined: 11/6/07
#38SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 4:40amthe source i got my information from regarding the cast being let go was a very good friend of mine who's friend was cast in the musical, i do not want to say which part, and that each cast member was told they were released
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#39SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 4:53am
I'm fairly certain someone else also offered this information...but I could be waaay off base.
Someone above mentioned the website seeming fishy. Can I ask in what way? Other than it not being updated recently, I think it looks pretty good.
And yes, I agree that it seems odd that it's only available to American Express holders this close to "opening". Hmmmmm...
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Updated On: 1/9/10 at 04:53 AM
rockfenris2005
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#40SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:10am
Is it possible they could be having secret rehearsals somewhere and this is all an elaborate prank or something? If the posters still say February 25 (I know the website does) and this is supposed to be an unprecedented $52 million stage production (All memories of "Carrie" almost totally eclipsed - Not to mention "Dance of the Vampires" 
- if it fails) this could be the greatest disaster Broadway has ever seen...
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try
-South Pacific
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#41SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:13am
I suppose they COULD be doing that, but you would think with all the speculation going around that they would be LOUDLY tooting their own horns about their progress.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
rockfenris2005
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#42SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 5:21amAnd I suppose at least someone here would know if it was happening. Hmmm...
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try
-South Pacific
#43SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 10:28am
average is totally right about interest from advance sales- the theatre does not pass this to the producer in my experience.
PS PGenre, the show isn't called Putting it Together 2- it's correct title is SidebySide by Sondheim 3!
#44SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 10:33amWe haven't heard any of the songs yet because Bono hasn't written them yet. He's gone into retreat in a Venetian spa with his wife, his estranged mistress and a friendly but sassy costumer. To combat his composers' block, Bono is busy imagining the numbers from the musical on a soundstage in his head, where they are sung not by Evan Rachel Wood, but by Nicole Kidman.
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
DryMartini
Stand-by Joined: 3/20/06
RyToast1
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/07
#47SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:06pm
Alan Cumming is doing a Time Talk at the Times Center tonight at 6pm, so I'm sure this will come up. If it doesn't, I'll ask during the Q&A. 
WishingOnlyWounds2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/25/08
#48SPIDER MAN What the hell?
Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:48pmI just called the theatre and spoke to someone, as per the guy who answered the phone: previews begins February 25th.
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