‘Spider-Man’ to Close on Broadway

[Irvine511]

Bono does a Mr Burns impression? Is this a Known Thing?

 

[rennowba]

Any idea were its going to in vegas? I know the director wanted the show in a arena from the get go

 

[Musikwala]

Watched that clip of Boy Falls From The Sky for the first time yesterday. The song shows a lot of promise. If not part of an album, I hope they at least release it separately as a stand alone single.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Any idea were its going to in vegas? I know the director wanted the show in a arena from the get go

 

[Irvine511]

^ boy, McGuinness has really let himself go since retirement.

 

[Hewson]

^ boy, McGuinness has really let himself go since retirement.

And he looks ridiculous in the Spiderman suit.

 

[doctorwho]

Bono and The Edge sure must hope the new album sells a whooooole shit load to make up for the millions of dollars they wasted on this pile of dog shit.

Not to mention wasting a great song in Boy Falls From The Sky to boot.

While I agree with you about the loss of some potentially great U2 songs, the production itself was a hit on Broadway. In fact, it's one of the highest grossing plays ever. So... no millions wasted. Most likely, millions made.

 

[bono_212]

While I agree with you about the loss of some potentially great U2 songs, the production itself was a hit on Broadway. In fact, it's one of the highest grossing plays ever. So... no millions wasted. Most likely, millions made.

Grossing...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

While I agree with you about the loss of some potentially great U2 songs, the production itself was a hit on Broadway. In fact, it's one of the highest grossing plays ever. So... no millions wasted. Most likely, millions made.

Actually millions lost.

Per week.

Gross is meaningless if the net is negative.

The play cost so much to put on that they would have had to sell out every show for 6 years simply to break even on the initial investment.

They fell just a tad short.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Just because I'm tired of debating this, because there is zero debate about what an epic financial disaster this show was, just read the New York Times article from yesterday...

Investors and executives with the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” said on Tuesday that the show will have historic losses of up to $60 million when it closes on Jan. 4. The closing follows a sharp decline in ticket sales because of competition from hotter musicals and a lack of star attractions in the cast.

Millions made!

Please.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/11/2...tors-shaken-by-projected-60-million-loss.html

 

[Irvine511]

The music really gets kicked around on Broadeay sights, and that article is no different.

This really was an all around failure and more or less the Broadway equivalent of Ishtar or Waterworld or whatever.

It's too bad they didn't seem to have the musical chops to pull it off. I quite like some of what's on the cast album, but I'm clearly in the minority and I never saw the show (likely never will).

Hopefully they learn from it and it fuels a great new record.

 

[Popmartijn]

Bono and The Edge sure must hope the new album sells a whooooole shit load to make up for the millions of dollars they wasted on this pile of dog shit.

Did they invest money in this project? Or only time?
As far as I know, Bono & Edge were only responsible for the music (and the lyrics), not for bankrolling the whole project.
(Actually, I once read that The Edge did put some money in it, not sure how much though)

 

[bono_212]

Did they invest money in this project? Or only time?
As far as I know, Bono & Edge were only responsible for the music (and the lyrics), not for bankrolling the whole project.
(Actually, I once read that The Edge did put some money in it, not sure how much though)

I'm almost positive that edge, at least, did.

 

[mama cass]

Just because I'm tired of debating this, because there is zero debate about what an epic financial disaster this show was, just read the New York Times article from yesterday...



Millions made!

Please.

‘Spider-Man’ Investors Shaken by Projected $60 Million Loss - NYTimes.com

cheers Headache, i'm tired of talking about this too now and trying to explain these things to certain posters in here lol

 

[The Panther]

$60 mill? Damn, if U2 invested in this turkey they might actually have financial motivation now to make an album!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Did they invest money in this project? Or only time?
As far as I know, Bono & Edge were only responsible for the music (and the lyrics), not for bankrolling the whole project.
(Actually, I once read that The Edge did put some money in it, not sure how much though)

The Edge put a lot of his own money in. Bono put nothing.

Bono did, however, convince the head of Live Nation to invest heavily.

Hmm...

Bono: so we have this great play we're going to put in. We just need a little investment help

Live Nation: sure Bono... How much we talking here?

Bono: ummm... 60, 70 million? But we guarantee you'll get your money back!

Live Nation: oh we'll get our money back... Don't you worry about that...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfUM5xHUY4M&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[doctorwho]

Actually millions lost.

Per week.

Gross is meaningless if the net is negative.

The play cost so much to put on that they would have had to sell out every show for 6 years simply to break even on the initial investment.

They fell just a tad short.

I don't know about the production cost for each show. But it grossed over $200M on Broadway. Initial investment was $64M.

 

[Irvine511]

it costs a ton to keep it going week after week, 11 shows a week.

like how 360 was $750,000 a week just to exist.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't know about the production cost for each show. But it grossed over $200M on Broadway. Initial investment was $64M.

So you missed the part where they said they're losing 60 million dollars on the production?

 

[mama cass]

I don't know about the production cost for each show. But it grossed over $200M on Broadway. Initial investment was $64M.

jeeeesus doctorwho!

 

[Cactus Annie]

"[Joan Rivers] was there backstage to develop more material for her stand-up act, which lately has begun with a moment of silence for 'those Americans risking their lives daily – in 'Spider-Man' the musical'."

Don't you just love Joan Rivers?

 

[Cactus Annie]

The music really gets kicked around on Broadeay sights, and that article is no different.

This really was an all around failure and more or less the Broadway equivalent of Ishtar or Waterworld or whatever.

It's too bad they didn't seem to have the musical chops to pull it off. I quite like some of what's on the cast album, but I'm clearly in the minority and I never saw the show (likely never will).

Hopefully they learn from it and it fuels a great new record.

Try Heaven's Gate. Both Ishtar and Waterworld made money through video sales & TV rights

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The cost of costumes for Spderman alone equaled the entire production costs of Book of Mormon.

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Looks like it's moving to The Venetian - their 1600 seat theatre hosted a reworked version of The Phantom Of The Opera until a year or so ago. It is currently being used for a Tim McGraw/Faith Hill residency. Rock Of Ages is also on in the smaller 900 seat theatre in the same complex. Since Mandalay Bay's theatre is now hosting Michael Jackson One - The Venetian is the only vacant strip theatre available.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I'm sure the musical had a very profitable period, but there was something about it needing to reach like 90% capacity on most nights just to break even. They kept adding to their losses early on, then it became one of the biggest hits on Broadway and then, recently, they likely started adding up more losses every week. If they were about 80 million in the hole by the time audiences started seeing it in droves, it would have taken an eternity to clear that debt when their weekly profit was supposedly something like 200-300K with sellout crowds. 250K x 52 = $13 million for one very successful year. No way did they ever come out of the hole.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Well ... it's not like it's CLOSING closing. It's moving to Vegas. They'll probably sell loads and loads of tickets there. Will it make it not "a failure" in the end? I don't know.

Rent in Manhattan was obviously one of the big issues. At a Las Vegas theater with cheaper rent, they can probably break even with much lower crowds.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Let's make something clear... nobody ever went to see spiderman "in droves."

They had a brief period where they did fairly well, largely with discounted tickets for their most expensive seats. It was never a tough ticket. If you wanted to go see it? You could go see it.

It's okay for something U2 is tied to to be a failure. Really, it really is.

 

[last unicorn]

From last night's Mandela screening in NY

"Three hugely successful years, and then it’s off to Germany, it’s off to Las Vegas,” Bono said Monday night on the red carpet for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

U2′s Bono optimistic about ‘Spider-Man’ musical after it closes on Broadway early next year | 680News

Interesting. If it really comes to Germany, I might try to go and see it.

 

[Hewson]

It's okay for something U2 is tied to to be a failure. Really, it really is.

 

[Musikwala]

Did somebody say U2 is a failure?!?!?!????

Spoiler

etc.