Post by jo on Oct 11, 2014 17:43:11 GMT -5
Ten years ago, we were left with lovely memories of an exhilarating performance by Hugh Jackman which eventually elevated the show to a technical financial hit. This article sums up what was going on after the show was panned on Opening Night --
www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/theater/broadway-honestly-loves-him-but-can-hugh-jackman-save-oz.html
Broadway Honestly Loves Him; But Can Hugh Jackman Save 'Oz'?
By ROBIN POGREBIN
Published: October 27, 2003
''Phantom of the Opera'' has the chandelier.
''Nine'' has the ''naked woman descending upside down in a bedsheet'' number.
''The Boy From Oz'' has Hugh Jackman.
That was at least one producer's answer to the question that has been dogging ''Oz,'' the new Broadway musical about the Australian entertainer Peter Allen, since the reviews began more than a week ago, almost all of them loving the star but hating the show: Will Hugh Jackman be enough to sustain it?
''There have often been people or theatrical effects or one distinct moment in a production that made it worth the price of admission,'' said Scott Zeiger, the chief executive of the North American theatrical division of Clear Channel Communications, which is a major investor in the show. ''I believe that Hugh Jackman provides enough winning and overwhelmingly positive theatrical moments that these reviews and the lack of appreciation can be completely overridden by the enormous response that he is getting. You've got to see it just to see him.''
Broadway is often largely dependent on its stars; the box office dipped precipitously for ''Gypsy'' when Bernadette Peters went on vacation. But ''Gypsy'' is also a classic in its own right, with one of the uncontested great scores of all time. If many critics are to be believed, ''The Boy From Oz'' has little to recommend it except Mr. Jackman.
Although he called the show ''indisputably bogus,'' Ben Brantley in The New York Times also called Mr. Jackman ''an indisputably authentic star.'' Linda Winer in Newsday described Mr. Jackman's performance as ''one of the breakout leading-man musical debuts in recent Broadway memory -- and an object lesson in the limited but undeniable ability of big talent to distract from the labored wax-museum mediocrity of a show.''
Will this charismatic Australian movie star be enough of a draw to enable the show to recoup its $8 million cost. What happens after he leaves? While Mr. Jackman has made an unusually long commitment for a celebrity -- a year -- there is still the future to think about. Who, with similar talent and fame, could possibly replace him, and will the show last long enough to generate the requisite national reputation for a tour?
''It's a blessing and a curse,'' said Michael David, a Broadway producer not associated with the show. ''It's the kind of performance that vaults you over the many conventional hurdles into a new set on the other side.
''It conceivably gives the show a chance to see what an audience really thinks of it,'' he continued. ''But what about after he's gone? It's sort of a stunning moment and it will be interesting to see what happens. There aren't a lot of models for it.''
Rarely has there been such a stark disparity between perceptions of the show and its star. Probably the most recent comparable example is ''The Graduate'' last season; although critics panned that production, people kept coming to see Kathleen Turner undress anyway and the show made back its money -- despite Lorraine Bracco's stepping in as Ms. Turner's replacement -- until it closed in March after running for nearly a year. Similarly, ''Annie Get Your Gun,'' featuring Ms. Peters, recouped despite weak reviews, running for a year and a half. By contrast, despite strong reviews, Brian Stokes Mitchell was not enough of a draw to make ''Man of La Mancha'' pay back its investors last season. It closed in August after nearly nine months.
The box office numbers for ''The Boy From Oz'' -- which chronicles Allen's life and career, including his relationships with Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli -- are solid but not the stuff of hits. On Oct. 17, the day after opening, the show grossed $254,000, including $100,000 in group sales. By contrast, ''Hairspray'' grossed $1.3 million the day after it opened and ''The Producers'' brought in $3.3 million. In the days since, ''Oz,'' which has a weekly running cost of under $500,000, has been grossing between $125,000 and $150,000 a day. The show has an advance of $10 million.
Speaking of the week that ended yesterday, Robert Fox, who produced the show with Ben Gannon, said, ''We'll do well over $800,000 this week, which for any show is a big number.''
Some producers suggested that ''The Boy From Oz'' would have a difficult time overcoming the negative reviews, but others said that Mr. Jackman's performance made them optimistic about the show's prospects. ''I think it will make it,'' the producer Chase Mishkin said. ''This guy is the best musical theater performer I've ever seen, and I've been looking at musicals for 40 years. He's the real deal.''
Because of the power of Mr. Jackman's performance, however, Ms. Mishkin predicted that the show could not survive his eventual departure. ''I don't think the show will have a life after him,'' she said. ''I think he's the show.''
Best known as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' and ''X2'' films, Mr. Jackman played leading roles in the films ''Swordfish'' and ''Kate and Leopold'' and recently completed filming ''Van Helsing,'' about Bram Stoker's vampire expert, which is to open in May. He also played Curly in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production of ''Oklahoma!'' at the Royal National Theater in London.
Mr. Jackman's career began in his native Australia, where, in 1999, he was named Australian Star of the Year, so to him Allen is a hometown hero. Mr. Jackman's impassioned performance suggests that he feels honored to be playing the singer/songwriter responsible for such hits as ''I Honestly Love You,'' ''Don't Cry Out Loud'' and ''I Go to Rio.'' (Mr. Jackman declined through a spokesman to be interviewed.) These and other Allen songs make up the show's score.
''He's not apologizing for the show, he's not saying, 'Come see me in spite of the show,' '' Mr. Zeiger said. ''He's expressing his love for the material. It is rare for a movie star who's on his way up to commit this length of time.''
That commitment appears to have made a strong impact on the theater industry. Celebrities typically drop into stage roles for short stints and quickly move on; Broadway is grateful for any star power it can get. ''There is a contemporary spin about this one -- 'What the hell is he doing in this and isn't it exciting?' '' Mr. David, the producer, said. ''This guy is not at the end of his career or in a lull. This guy is on the rise.''
Ultimately, theater professionals say, it is the audience members who will determine whether the show has staying power -- with Mr. Jackman or without. ''That, in the end, is all that matters,'' Mr. Fox said. ''If people have a good time, which they seem to, then they go out and tell their friends.''
It is word of mouth that has made ''Mamma Mia!'' a success, a similar show in that it is a musical built around existing Abba songs. ''I think it's going to be another 'Mamma Mia!' '' said Philip J. Smith, president of the Shubert Organization, which owns the theaters showing ''Mamma Mia!'' ''Gypsy'' and ''The Boy From Oz.''
As to what the show's marketing strategy should be during the next few months, other producers advised exploiting the asset that is Mr. Jackman for all it's worth. Mr. Zeiger said that the producers should not be thinking beyond September, when Mr. Jackman's contract expires. ''Make a gigantic success with him in it, and all of the rest will take care of itself,'' he said.
That is just what Mr. Fox said he had in mind. ''You use him,'' he said. ''That's why you have a star.''
www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/theater/broadway-honestly-loves-him-but-can-hugh-jackman-save-oz.html
Broadway Honestly Loves Him; But Can Hugh Jackman Save 'Oz'?
By ROBIN POGREBIN
Published: October 27, 2003
''Phantom of the Opera'' has the chandelier.
''Nine'' has the ''naked woman descending upside down in a bedsheet'' number.
''The Boy From Oz'' has Hugh Jackman.
That was at least one producer's answer to the question that has been dogging ''Oz,'' the new Broadway musical about the Australian entertainer Peter Allen, since the reviews began more than a week ago, almost all of them loving the star but hating the show: Will Hugh Jackman be enough to sustain it?
''There have often been people or theatrical effects or one distinct moment in a production that made it worth the price of admission,'' said Scott Zeiger, the chief executive of the North American theatrical division of Clear Channel Communications, which is a major investor in the show. ''I believe that Hugh Jackman provides enough winning and overwhelmingly positive theatrical moments that these reviews and the lack of appreciation can be completely overridden by the enormous response that he is getting. You've got to see it just to see him.''
Broadway is often largely dependent on its stars; the box office dipped precipitously for ''Gypsy'' when Bernadette Peters went on vacation. But ''Gypsy'' is also a classic in its own right, with one of the uncontested great scores of all time. If many critics are to be believed, ''The Boy From Oz'' has little to recommend it except Mr. Jackman.
Although he called the show ''indisputably bogus,'' Ben Brantley in The New York Times also called Mr. Jackman ''an indisputably authentic star.'' Linda Winer in Newsday described Mr. Jackman's performance as ''one of the breakout leading-man musical debuts in recent Broadway memory -- and an object lesson in the limited but undeniable ability of big talent to distract from the labored wax-museum mediocrity of a show.''
Will this charismatic Australian movie star be enough of a draw to enable the show to recoup its $8 million cost. What happens after he leaves? While Mr. Jackman has made an unusually long commitment for a celebrity -- a year -- there is still the future to think about. Who, with similar talent and fame, could possibly replace him, and will the show last long enough to generate the requisite national reputation for a tour?
''It's a blessing and a curse,'' said Michael David, a Broadway producer not associated with the show. ''It's the kind of performance that vaults you over the many conventional hurdles into a new set on the other side.
''It conceivably gives the show a chance to see what an audience really thinks of it,'' he continued. ''But what about after he's gone? It's sort of a stunning moment and it will be interesting to see what happens. There aren't a lot of models for it.''
Rarely has there been such a stark disparity between perceptions of the show and its star. Probably the most recent comparable example is ''The Graduate'' last season; although critics panned that production, people kept coming to see Kathleen Turner undress anyway and the show made back its money -- despite Lorraine Bracco's stepping in as Ms. Turner's replacement -- until it closed in March after running for nearly a year. Similarly, ''Annie Get Your Gun,'' featuring Ms. Peters, recouped despite weak reviews, running for a year and a half. By contrast, despite strong reviews, Brian Stokes Mitchell was not enough of a draw to make ''Man of La Mancha'' pay back its investors last season. It closed in August after nearly nine months.
The box office numbers for ''The Boy From Oz'' -- which chronicles Allen's life and career, including his relationships with Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli -- are solid but not the stuff of hits. On Oct. 17, the day after opening, the show grossed $254,000, including $100,000 in group sales. By contrast, ''Hairspray'' grossed $1.3 million the day after it opened and ''The Producers'' brought in $3.3 million. In the days since, ''Oz,'' which has a weekly running cost of under $500,000, has been grossing between $125,000 and $150,000 a day. The show has an advance of $10 million.
Speaking of the week that ended yesterday, Robert Fox, who produced the show with Ben Gannon, said, ''We'll do well over $800,000 this week, which for any show is a big number.''
Some producers suggested that ''The Boy From Oz'' would have a difficult time overcoming the negative reviews, but others said that Mr. Jackman's performance made them optimistic about the show's prospects. ''I think it will make it,'' the producer Chase Mishkin said. ''This guy is the best musical theater performer I've ever seen, and I've been looking at musicals for 40 years. He's the real deal.''
Because of the power of Mr. Jackman's performance, however, Ms. Mishkin predicted that the show could not survive his eventual departure. ''I don't think the show will have a life after him,'' she said. ''I think he's the show.''
Best known as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' and ''X2'' films, Mr. Jackman played leading roles in the films ''Swordfish'' and ''Kate and Leopold'' and recently completed filming ''Van Helsing,'' about Bram Stoker's vampire expert, which is to open in May. He also played Curly in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production of ''Oklahoma!'' at the Royal National Theater in London.
Mr. Jackman's career began in his native Australia, where, in 1999, he was named Australian Star of the Year, so to him Allen is a hometown hero. Mr. Jackman's impassioned performance suggests that he feels honored to be playing the singer/songwriter responsible for such hits as ''I Honestly Love You,'' ''Don't Cry Out Loud'' and ''I Go to Rio.'' (Mr. Jackman declined through a spokesman to be interviewed.) These and other Allen songs make up the show's score.
''He's not apologizing for the show, he's not saying, 'Come see me in spite of the show,' '' Mr. Zeiger said. ''He's expressing his love for the material. It is rare for a movie star who's on his way up to commit this length of time.''
That commitment appears to have made a strong impact on the theater industry. Celebrities typically drop into stage roles for short stints and quickly move on; Broadway is grateful for any star power it can get. ''There is a contemporary spin about this one -- 'What the hell is he doing in this and isn't it exciting?' '' Mr. David, the producer, said. ''This guy is not at the end of his career or in a lull. This guy is on the rise.''
Ultimately, theater professionals say, it is the audience members who will determine whether the show has staying power -- with Mr. Jackman or without. ''That, in the end, is all that matters,'' Mr. Fox said. ''If people have a good time, which they seem to, then they go out and tell their friends.''
It is word of mouth that has made ''Mamma Mia!'' a success, a similar show in that it is a musical built around existing Abba songs. ''I think it's going to be another 'Mamma Mia!' '' said Philip J. Smith, president of the Shubert Organization, which owns the theaters showing ''Mamma Mia!'' ''Gypsy'' and ''The Boy From Oz.''
As to what the show's marketing strategy should be during the next few months, other producers advised exploiting the asset that is Mr. Jackman for all it's worth. Mr. Zeiger said that the producers should not be thinking beyond September, when Mr. Jackman's contract expires. ''Make a gigantic success with him in it, and all of the rest will take care of itself,'' he said.
That is just what Mr. Fox said he had in mind. ''You use him,'' he said. ''That's why you have a star.''
