Broadway Journal

OSCAR BOUNCE FOR ‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’?

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DEH Ben Platt 0030 - Photo Credit Matthew Murphy
Ben Platt/photo by Matthew Murphy

Dear Evan Hansen, the new show by the lyricists of La La Land, had a record week on Broadway as their movie musical got 14 Academy Award nominations.

With music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen is about an anxious high school boy (played by Ben Platt) whose life changes after a lie he tells about a troubled classmate goes viral. Steven Levenson wrote the book. Sales for the week ending Jan. 29 increased by 1% to $1.1 million. That’s its best showing for an eight-performance week since it began previews on Nov. 14.  The last week of 2016 was higher, when Dear Evan Hansen and most other shows held nine performances to capitalize on the influx of tourists.

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THE GRANT WHERE IT HAPPENS: THE N.E.A. SEEDS BROADWAY

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The Band's Visit at the Atlantic/Ahron Foster
The Band’s Visit/Ahron Foster

CORRECTION: This story originally referred to a pro-N.E.A. tweet by Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State designate at the time. A Trump transition official later said the Twitter account was fake.

Hamilton, Next to Normal, War Horse and South Pacific have something in common besides acclaim and awards. They share a patron in the federal government.

The National Endowment for the Arts, which may face an existential threat from the new administration in Washington, has subsidized the development of many of the most praised shows on Broadway and off-Broadway. (See below for a list of nonprofits that have received notable NEA grants.)

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HISTORIC BROADWAY SEASON PRODUCES MUSICAL DELUGE

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[3]_The cast of COME FROM AWAYEXCLUSIVE: For anyone in need of a diversion, Broadway is presenting its busiest season for musicals in 36 years.

Nineteen new musicals and revivals have opened or are scheduled to open through April 27, the cut-off for Tony Award eligibility. That’s the biggest tally since 1980-81, according to the Broadway League. If all 19 arrive, 2016-17 will have the most musicals since Ronald Reagan was first sworn in as President.

Without an early Hamilton-scale blockbuster, the competition for theatergoers and Tony Awards should be robust. There are constraints on how much demand can rise to meet supply. In recent seasons, about 15 percent of all seats have gone unsold. The average musical customer sees just four a year, according to the Broadway League’s demographic study, regardless of how many are playing. And of the 13 new musicals this season, five at most will be nominated for best musical and guaranteed a performance slot on the Tony telecast in June.

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BRYAN CRANSTON ON DECK FOR ‘DAMN YANKEES’ REVIVAL

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Cranston in ‘All the Way’/Evgenia Eliseeva

EXCLUSIVE: A star of the new heyday of television is taking a swing at a golden age musical.

Bryan Cranston, the Breaking Bad actor who loves baseball and theater, is in talks to headline Damn Yankees, people familiar with the discussions said.

Jeffrey Richards leads a team of producers developing it for 2018. Richards enhanced (or subsidized) an Encores! revival of the show at New York City Center in 2008. Kathleen Marshall is to direct and choreograph Damn Yankees on Broadway.

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HELLO MIDLER! ‘DOLLY’ INTRODUCES $525 TICKET

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screen-shot-2016-11-28-at-5-58-41-pmThe producer of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler recently raised its top ticket to $525, the most expensive seat on Broadway that isn’t for Hamilton.

Introduced after runaway advance sales, it’s the biggest price ever for a musical revival. As of a few weeks ago, Dolly’s costliest ticket on Telecharge or at the box office was $425. But like Hamilton, it’s exploding on the resale market. Prime Dolly tickets on StubHub exceed $2,000, with seventh row center offered for over $5,000, with fees.

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BROADWAY ON TRUMP: RESISTANCE ISN’T FUTILE

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Broadway’s unofficial post-election strategy: hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Citing Donald Trump’s campaign statements, commercials and recent appointments, many theater artists — including actors, writers and producers — fear that as president he’ll curtail civil liberties, accelerate climate change and undermine the nation’s moral authority and standing in the world.

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BROADWAY RECOILS AT TRUMP UPSET

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Broadway performers and writers, who lampooned Donald Trump and his wife during the presidential campaign and raised millions for Hillary Clinton, expressed despair and defiance as  the developer and reality TV performer pulled off what Politico called the biggest upset in United States history. Continue Reading

RUDIN SEEKS TO SILENCE ANGELS

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 17: Scott Rudin during the 2016 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards at 54 Below on May 17, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/Getty Images)
Scott Rudin at the 2016 Drama Critics’ Circle Awards. Walter McBride/Getty

EXCLUSIVE: While expanding Broadway’s boundaries, Scott Rudin is reining in his investors.

The daring and powerful producer is requiring backers to sign away their right to criticize him and the plays and musicals that they’re capitalizing. The unusual provision appears in recent prospectuses obtained by Broadway Journal. It prohibits investors from making “negative remarks orally or in writing in any medium,” including social media, about him, his show or his business practices.

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