This week we were treated to the first new musical of the
2012-2013 season when Bring It On officially
opened on Broadway. While I am
personally excited for the show, which I think sounds like a blast, I can also
understand those who are wary of a musical based on a movie of dubious quality
that has no less than four writers. But
aside from being a new show, I think Bring
It On represents a new way of developing musicals that while not perfect
for every show, could end up being a major boon to the future prospects of
certain theatrical properties.
We’re told Bring It On
was never intended for Broadway, and while I find that claim suspect (when
Tony-winning composers Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda are collaborating, any
sane producer must at least *consider* Broadway), the fact of the matter is the
producers chose to skip the Great White Way in favor of a national tour. In doing so, they removed a lot of critical
pressure from the show, as Broadway-bound musicals are evaluated on an entirely
different and much more stringent metric.
These raised standards almost inevitably lead to lukewarm out-of-town reviews,
and if the press is overly negative it can lead to the cancelling of the
proposed Broadway run.
Shows that cancel already announced Broadway runs inevitably
get branded as failures, a major marketing hurdle any future productions or
revisions must overcome. By only
announcing a tour, the producers of Bring
It On managed to keep media scrutiny to a minimum and in essence gave
themselves permission to fail. A tour is
much less susceptible to negative reviews, because by the time bad word of
mouth starts to spread it has already moved on to the next destination, one in
which a good deal of seats are already sold to the touring house’s season
subscribers. The producers and the production
also don’t have to endure the embarrassment of canceling already announced
Broadway plans, keeping any potential downsides at a manageable level.
BUT, since the tour received enough positive response to
prompt a Broadway run, suddenly Bring It
On is positioned to be a pleasant surprise.
In addition to having avoided the massive expectations attached to “Broadway-bound”
shows, Bring It On is also arriving in
the midst of the summer doldrums, making it the only new game in town for New
Yorkers who have seen everything else.
Add to that audience the enormous number of tourists that are currently
increasing the box office of every show in town, and you have a musical that is
poised to do relatively strong business.
The show’s limited engagement should also help increase ticket sales, as
it forces anyone interested in seeing the show to buy their tickets sooner
rather than later.
Of course, New York’s famously jaded theatrical press could
spoil everything by trashing the show, but I think truly terrible reviews are
unlikely. For one thing, the show has
essentially been running for months, meaning that if nothing else it should be
the tightest, most polished version of Bring
It On possible. The competitive
cheerleading setting also necessitates musical staging unlike anything
currently on Broadway, and novelty usually earns at least measured praise from
the press.
If Bring It On can
manage decent reviews and good word of mouth from audiences, I see no reason
why its limited run can’t be extended, making the show more money and
increasing the perception of the show as a Little Musical That Could. The mere fact that the show had a Broadway
production brings with it a certain amount of legitimacy that will help catch
the eye of regional theatres and other touring houses, which in turn helps
widen the show’s exposure. And perhaps
most importantly, the longer Bring It On
runs, the better its chances at some Tony nominations, which would be a huge
boon to its future prospects on the road and as a licensable property.
Am I saying Bring It
On will win the 2013 Best Musical Tony?
Of course not. It’s far too early
in the season to be making those kinds of predictions. But I am saying that by starting with a tour
and then coming to Broadway during the less crowded summer months, Bring It On has maximized its chances of
making money and being generally well-received.
This developmental path would not work for every new musical (for
instance, the big name stars producers love to build a show around rarely go
out on tour), and I expect most shows will stick to the traditional out-of-town
or Off-Broadway routes. But if Bring It On is a success, it gives
producers another option on how to develop new work that helps maximize their
chances at financial success. And the more
money any musical makes, even a bad one, the more money producers have to
develop new works and continue to employ the next generation of theatrical
artists.
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