Paul Vogt didn't have much time to develop the Edna Turnblad character after Harvey Fierstein left "Hairspray."
Kelli Sawyer embodied Kate Monster in "Avenue Q." The show at Wynn Las Vegas closed in May. Photo by John Gurzinski.
Should what happens on Broadway stay on Broadway?
The second closing of a Broadway musical in as many months raises questions of whether Las Vegas casinos have imported unfair expectations along with the titles.
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Local producers of "Hairspray" announced Monday the show will close Sunday, after four months at Luxor. Co-producers Michael Gill and Myron Martin would not comment beyond Gill's statement, "The show did not find the audience it needed for us to continue."
It follows the May closing of "Avenue Q" at Wynn Las Vegas and last year's closing of "We Will Rock You," a musical imported from London, not Broadway.
Backers of new versions of "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Producers" remained resolute Tuesday, while Wynn Las Vegas officials reconfirmed plans for "Monty Python's Spamalot" early next year in a 1,500-seat theater.
"Ultimately, the public decides what to support," said "Phantom" co-producer Scott Zeiger, of Base Entertainment. "Phantom" has a "brand recognition (that) is second-to-none and really transcends the 'Broadway' label. That gives us great confidence as we get ready to open" Monday at The Venetian.
"The Producers" is set for Paris Las Vegas in late September or early October.
"I really believe the grim reaper of theater does not come to categories of shows, he comes to specific shows," said Michael Weaver, vice president of marketing for the casino.
Industry speculation about "Hairspray" covered everything from whether original star Harvey Fierstein's hefty paycheck -- said to be more than $1 million -- did not translate into ticket sales, to the recessed location of Luxor's box office.
Remodeling of Luxor restaurants and its nightclub also may have driven showgoers away from the property.
But future titles will wrestle with these issues:
• The Cirque du Soleil factor: "Hairspray" closes just as Cirque's Beatles-themed "Love" opens, adding vigorous competition.
Cirque has an exclusive Las Vegas agreement with MGM Mirage and an unblemished track record on the Strip, despite talk that grosses for "Ka" struggle to match its high operating costs.
If Cirque was not an option when "Hairspray" negotiations began with Mandalay Resorts, it became one when that company was absorbed in a corporate merger.
Cirque's chairman recently suggested its next show would be Elvis Presley-themed and probably bound for Project CityCenter. But the potential for that or another Cirque show might have diminished Luxor's patience for the inherited musical.
• Too many seats, too many shows: Producers count the number of seats sold, while casinos may see the number of empty ones.
"On Broadway, if the bottom line is a black figure you're doing well. But that's not how a (Las Vegas) hotel looks at a show," said one theater professional. "If there are 1,800 seats, they want 1,800 people in them."
"Love" and "Phantom" will add more than 38,000 new tickets to the local market each week.
Broadway producers not only face larger theaters on the Strip, but a local norm of 10 shows per week instead of eight in New York. While "The Producers" will play in a 1,400-seat theater, it will open with seven shows per week, perhaps improving its chances for success.
• Ticket sales: Broadway's ticketing infrastructure is weighted heavily toward group sales, while producers on the Strip struggle to convert day-of-show decisions into pre-sales. "That's a huge part of all this," said a source close to the "Hairspray" closing.
Shubert Group Sales -- a division of The Shubert Organization, Broadway's dominant player -- is said to be eyeing the Las Vegas market, but didn't arrive in time to help "Hairspray."
• How much touring is too much touring: Exclusivity did not help "Avenue Q," which might have benefited from brand-building in major cities. But "Hairspray" producers may have misjudged the saturation point of a musical that played Hollywood's Pantages theater just last month.
"The tourists prioritize," noted Robert Brewer, artistic director for Nevada Conservatory Theater. "They will ease themselves toward the Cirque spectacle, which they can pretty much only see here in Vegas."
"The decision-making process for everything is extremely fast, and in such a saturated entertainment market, people want to go with what they know," Zeiger said.
Review-Journal writer Jason Bracelin contributed to this story.
"Ultimately, the public decides what to support," said "Phantom" co-producer Scott Zeiger, of Base Entertainment. "Phantom" has a "brand recognition (that) is second-to-none and really transcends the 'Broadway' label. That gives us great confidence as we get ready to open" Monday at The Venetian.
"The Producers" is set for Paris Las Vegas in late September or early October. "I really believe the grim reaper of theater does not come to categories of shows, he comes to specific shows," said Michael Weaver, vice president of marketing for the casino.
Industry speculation about "Hairspray" covered everything from whether original star Harvey Fierstein's hefty paycheck -- said to be more than $1 million -- did not translate into ticket sales, to the recessed location of Luxor's box office. Remodeling of Luxor restaurants and its nightclub also may have driven showgoers away from the property.
But future titles will wrestle with these issues:
n The Cirque du Soleil factor: "Hairspray" closes just as Cirque's Beatles-themed "Love" opens, adding vigorous competition. Cirque has an exclusive Las Vegas agreement with MGM Mirage and an unblemished track record on the Strip, despite talk that grosses for "Ka" struggle to match its high operating costs. If Cirque was not an option when "Hairspray" negotiations began with Mandalay Resorts, it became one when that company was absorbed in a corporate merger.
Cirque's chairman recently suggested its next show would be Elvis Presley-themed and probably bound for Project CityCenter. But the potential for that or another Cirque show might have diminished Luxor's patience for the inherited musical.
n Too many seats, too many shows: Producers count the number of seats sold, while casinos may see the number of empty ones.
"On Broadway, if the bottom line is a black figure you're doing well. But that's not how a (Las Vegas) hotel looks at a show," said one theater professional. "If there are 1,800 seats, they want 1,800 people in them."
"Love" and "Phantom" will add more than 38,000 new tickets to the local market each week.
Broadway producers not only face larger theaters on the Strip, but a local norm of 10 shows per week instead of eight in New York. While "The Producers" will play in a 1,400-seat theater, it will open with seven shows per week, perhaps improving its chances for success.
n Ticket sales: Broadway's ticketing infrastructure is weighted heavily toward group sales, while producers on the Strip struggle to convert day-of-show decisions into pre-sales. "That's a huge part of all this," said a source close to the "Hairspray" closing.
Shubert Group Sales -- a division of The Shubert Organization, Broadway's dominant player -- is said to be eyeing the Las Vegas market, but didn't arrive in time to help "Hairspray."
n How much touring is too much touring: Exclusivity did not help "Avenue Q," which might have benefited from brand-building in major cities. But "Hairspray" producers may have misjudged the saturation point of a musical that played Hollywood's Pantages theater just last month.
"The tourists prioritize," noted Robert Brewer, artistic director for Nevada Conservatory Theater. "They will ease themselves toward the Cirque spectacle, which they can pretty much only see here in Vegas."
"The decision-making process for everything is extremely fast, and in such a saturated entertainment market, people want to go with what they know," said Zeiger.
