| re: Did either of Ragtime's Broadway productions turn a profit? | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 08:30 pm EDT 10/11/24 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:13 pm EDT 10/11/24 | |
| In reply to: Did either of Ragtime's Broadway productions turn a profit? - GabbyGerard 06:11 pm EDT 10/11/24 | |
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| I'm not sure the original Ragtime production can be used as a solid clean example to judge off... besides that it was a bigger production with a bigger cast than would be done today (even if, God willing, it's bigger than the bway revival was)... it ran for 2 full years and closed as a loss partly due to its running cost (physical production plus huge huge cast) mixed with Garth's shady and illegal laundering and such. But if an Encores production moves, it'll be the Encores production... meaning a staged concert with a decently sized orchestra and almost not proper set. It would be coming off a presumably hot ticket and raved about Encores run (if it doesn't have those, it likely won't transfer anyway)... and it'll probably try for some bigger names for the first and second *rounds* of the Broadway cast. I say "round" because I have zero doubt that they will do the same model they did for Into the Woods, which I imagine is part of how they're interest producers/investors in moving this. If they can plug in at least, what, 4 rounds of cast into ITW, a vastly more difficult and nuanced show to cast well and rehearse compared to Ragtime which I adore but which I think is a more straight forward work with more obvious choices to be made from the cast... I think they could pull it off. Let's not forget that their ITW opened on broadway with HALF the lead roles replaced from who did it at Encores. Ragtime, like ITW has many roles that can be called lead. ITW has Witch, Baker's Wife, Baker, Cinderella, Cinderella's Prince/Wolf, Rapunzel's Prince, Jack, Little Red, Narrator/Mysterious Man, even Jack's Mother could be used for notable casting. Ragtime has: Coalhouse, Sarah, Mother, Tateh, Father, Mother's Brother, as well as showy featured roles like Evelyn Nesbit, Houdini, Emma Goldman, Sarah's friend. Unfortunately for Ragtime is has a few less lead roles and way more ensemble requirements than ITW. But it also has bigger standout/stand-alone songs. If Encores is onto anything lately, it's definitely building a model and precedent for casting around fan dream scenario of "wouldn't it be amazing to see ________ broadway star do that role, even if just for a few weeks?", where they can not only bring in new notable people regularly but also have old and new fans of the show keep wanting to come back. I guess the Weissler's would be horrified at me giving credit to this to Encores, even though their Chicago is an Encores show. But I do think when they did with ITW could work to even bigger results with Ragtime because it has much bigger songs with more changes for more performers to show off in the ways that Broadway fans of today seem to almost exclusively want to see or expect. Maybe it'll be RAGTIME: The Arena Tour ... but if it does justice to that score, I'm fine with it. |
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