Who needs a brass section when you’ve got Sutton Foster?- Ben Brantley
In looking at the numbers for the various Broadway shows, I thought it might be a good idea to start with the one that's listed first alphabetically. After all, producers are always looking for an edge, and having a show that starts with "A" definitely gets you seen more and placed higher on lists.
The Story: Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. With timeless classic Porter songs like, "I Get A Kick Out of You," "It's De-Lovely," and the title number, Anything Goes boasts a well-respected score and an older fan base that reveres it for its ties to an older Broadway style. Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall (Grease, the upcoming Nice Work If You Can Get It) produced by Roundabout Theatre Company (a non-profit), and playing the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on 43rd, the big draw aside from the score itself is Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney. Prior to Ms. Foster, Sweeney had been played by the likes of Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, and Elaine Paige. Nevertheless, Foster has emerged from this role a Broadway sensation, commanding the expert singing and dancing needed to make the role her own. She wowed us with her Tony Awards performance and won the Tony for Best Actress. Anything Goes won two other Tonys, for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Choreography. The opening night cast also boasted the talents of Colin Donnell (Merrily We Roll Along), Laura Osnes (Bonnie & Clyde - this show recently closed but Osnes is going to blow up, mark my words) and Jessica Walter (Arrested Development, Archer).
Also, Joel Grey is in this musical. He's a little older now, but he's still charming and all kinds of talented.
The Trailer
The Numbers: Taking a look at the recent grosses for Anything Goes, its seemingly managed the January cold pretty well. There's a lot of red when it comes to changes in gross and attendance, but the only major numbers here are positive boosts for both. Attendance has averaged about 86%, so its still getting its audience to fill its seats (the week of 01/01/12 is an anomaly: most shows do 9 performances to capitalize on the tourist audience in-town for the holiday). While part of this audience is likely still Roundabout subscribers just getting around to see it (opened last April), it's just as likely that the show benefits from high listings on TKTS, discount ticket sites, and print directories. Plenty of very good reviews have come in about the show, and Roundabout actively advertises its shows on Playbill.com, Broadway.com, and other high-traffic Broadway websites to stay in the minds of its potential audience. The average ticket price will likely hover around $90.00 until the great spring weather comes and brings a flourish of NYC tourists. With its consistent track record in terms of sales and total cumulative gross over $36 million, Anything Goes has likely been steadily paying back its investors, though it has not yet recouped its initial investment. The 1,026 seats at each performance are mostly being filled, but with the weekly gross so far away from its potential max gross, I can't help but wonder how much discounting is going on.
The News: Anything Goes is one of several shows that will be featured on "Jimmy Fallon" this Thursday. Its cast album was nominated for the Grammy for Best Broadway Album. Likely due in part to her rise from Anything Goes, Sutton Foster was recently cast in a new pilot, which hopefully has her singing her face off.
The Verdict: I haven't gotten around to seeing this one yet. As I'm learning more and more about the history and evolution of the American musical, I'm realizing it's important I check this one out. Full disclosure, I've heard from more than one source that this show is boring and at times feels too dated. But, nevertheless, Sutton Foster will almost definitely make this worth paying the ticket price (likely a student discount).
As for next week...I haven't decided yet. To change it up, maybe I'll pick a show towards the bottom of the list. Or a play. Or an original piece...
Yeah, I'm not sure yet.
~The Young Mr. Producer
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