Mormon Not Selling Out in LA

[+ Lucky]

Booked for a 12 week run at the huge 2700 seat Pantages Theater, the touring company of The Book Of Mormon is not selling out. Ticket prices remain under $200 for the best seats, compared to up to $500 in New York.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-mormon-tickets-20120720,0,1406180.story

[OneFinger]

Thanks for the info. I'm actually going to look into flying to LA to see it. Tickets for the performance in Portland don't go on sale for a while and they're already predicting a quick sell-out here. LA may be a better option.

[+ deej]

When I got mine, I was surprised to pretty much have my pick of dates and seats. Everything was still available, which was a surprise, particularly after word that Denver had completely sold out.

[+ nycman]

I'm not a huge fan of Mormon.

 

In its defense, no show could possibly live up to the hype it's received. I think if I had

see the show without any clue, I would have liked it lot more. For 90% of the play

I was bored, or at best mildly amused. By the end, they got me and I realized its

brilliance, but it was far too little too late. I had already lost interest.

 

All in all, it just wasn't worth the steep ticket price or the months of waiting.

[+ sf westcoaster]

Saw the show in NY and still do not understand why it has garthered so many raves. However, since there has been so much hype, I have decided to see it a second time when it plays San Francisco later this year, to find if I must something the first time around. No facual inf, but I suspect that this will run for years in NY as a tourist destination show.

[citylaw1]

I loved this musical!

[Isis123]

It will be interesting to see what happens to the London production which is due to open early next year.

The Mormon church is not very big in Britain. There is a strong suspicion that the show will prove popular with the more sophisticated "metro" crowd who will want to see it because of its success on Broadway but fail to pull in the out-of-towners. Without them, no major show can be a financial success.

[+ Lucky]

Everyone whom I know who has seen the show came away from it less than excited. They were very lukewarm. This keeps me from spending much to see it.

I could have seen it early on for $67. But they wanted $11 in convenience fees, so I decided to wait until I got to New York to buy it. Well, by then the big write-ups had come and seats were no longer available. I am not heartbroken at not having seen this show.

[OneFinger]

Everyone whom I know who has seen the show came away from it less than excited. They were very lukewarm. This keeps me from spending much to see it.

I could have seen it early on for $67. But they wanted $11 in convenience fees, so I decided to wait until I got to New York to buy it. Well, by then the big write-ups had come and seats were no longer available. I am not heartbroken at not having seen this show.

I considered going to LA to see this show. But, was able to snag some great seats for the performance in Portland on 06 January 2013.

 

Have had family that saw the show in NYC and really enjoyed it. But, since I'm not a fan of South Park, not sure what to expect. But, very glad I've not seat to see it.

[+ deej]

I went to the matinee at the Pantages today. It's a good time.

 

The show misses Andrew Rannells badly, though. Gavin Creel is playing Elder Price and lacks the voice to carry off some of the bigger songs. Right when he should be belting out "I believe" his voice starts sounding a little thin. He looks mighty good in the magic underwear, though!

 

I was surprised the show was interrupted by a set malfunction, but these things happen.

 

From what I could see, the house was absolutely packed.

 

I'm glad I went.

[+ sf westcoaster]

MOrmon is coming to San Francisco later this year so I bought a ticket to see the show again. I am one of the few who found the show lacking so I thought I would give it a second viewimg to see if I missed something the first time around.

[OneFinger]

I went to the matinee at the Pantages today. It's a good time....I'm glad I went.

 

Thanks for your perspective.

 

I have tickets in January for the Portland run. Have tickets in April on Broadway. I'm anxious to compare the 2 performances.

[jackhammer91406]

I saw this production tonight at the Pantages Theater. The place looked full to me. I saw no empty seats.

 

The show?

Irreverent, balls to the wall musical comedy. No one's sacred cow goes UN-gored.

I loved it.

[OneFinger]

...balls to the wall musical comedy. No one's sacred cow goes UN-gored.

I loved it.

Thanks so much for the input. Have tickets to see it in Portland in January and then on Broadway in April.

 

Hoping it's worth seeing twice.

[jackhammer91406]

 

Hoping it's worth seeing twice.

 

I purchased my second set of tickets today. I'm excited to see it again.

[edjames]

Recent news reports, including the LA Times, indicate that Book of Morman is breaking all box office records in LA...

 

"Following a sold-out first stop in Denver, the national tour comes to Los Angeles for a 12-week run at the Pantages Theatre that began previews on Wednesday and opens Sept. 12. Advance sales have been the highest in the theater's history,"

 

I bet the producers are scrambling to see if that 12 week run can be extended....

 

It is a fabulously funny and creative show, one of the best I have seen in a long time. So far it's grossed over $105 million!

 

ED

[jackhammer91406]

 

I bet the producers are scrambling to see if that 12 week run can be extended....

 

ED

As much as I wish that were possible it is much more likely that the show will make a return engagement to Los Angeles sometime next year since the current cast opens in San Francisco at the Curran two days after the show closes here in L.A. It's tour is booked through next August with only a day or two between cities. Chicago is getting it's own stand alone production opening in December of this year which will play for about 6 months.

[+ deej]

Out of curiosity, jackhammer, how was Gavin Creel's voice when you saw the show? I thought it a little on the weak side, but I did see the production during previews.

 

Creel tweeted yesterday that he'd had to bow out mid-show due to laryngitis. I'm wondering if endurance may prove to be a problem.

[jackhammer91406]

Deej,

Gavin's voice seemed very strong to me during the performance I saw. Of course it was a Tuesday performance, so he and the rest of the cast had a night off on Monday. Endurance may well be a problem since almost all of his songs are belt type show biz ballads, but he showed no difficulties the night I saw him. One thing I will point out however is that many of his hold syllables, (the words or syllables that he holds for extended time) are the e vowel and that makes a voice sound very thin to begin with...I BELIEVE being the best example of this.

[jackhammer91406]

I saw the show again tonight for my birthday. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. The cast was the same, and Gavin Creel was in fine voice...very strong. The house was packed. The L.A. Times today said that Mormon last week set the all time Pantages record for sales somewhere over the 2.2 million mark (the theater holds 2703 seats). In fairness, the man sitting next to me did not return for the 2nd act. His wife was seated elsewhere as they couldn't find two seats together. I want to believe he saw the 2nd act with his wife since he laughed like crazy during the first act and said how much he enjoyed it as he got up for intermission.

[+ Lucky]

I am curious to what you guys paid for seats. In New York, the average ticket for Mormon is $189.

[+ Axiom2001]

MOrmon is coming to San Francisco later this year so I bought a ticket to see the show again. I am one of the few who found the show lacking so I thought I would give it a second viewimg to see if I missed something the first time around.

 

You're so, so lucky. When I found it advertised for AMEX card holders in an email which I received, I could not purchase because all tickets per this ad had been sold.

On the day that I tried to purchase a ticket when offered to the general public, every friggin' date was completely sold out; they did begin to offer tickets via a lottery.

I said to myself: "forget it." Is it worth the wait and more than likely more disappointment?

[+ Lucky]

SFWestcoaster's reaction to the show is not uncommon. Many people wonder after they have seen it why all the hype is being given to it. Fans of South Park are more likely to like it, or I think.

I could have seen it at a discount for $67 when it first opened. But, I did not want to pay the $11 in online fees, thinking I could just buy it in New York. But by the time I got there, the hype had begun and no seats were available.

I am all for having fun at the theater, but paying big bucks to laugh for two hours or less is not always a bargain.

[jackhammer91406]

SFWestcoaster's reaction to the show is not uncommon.

 

Lucky,

I would guess my reaction to the show is not uncommon either. I am not saying it is for everyone, and I have no problem with you drawing attention to how many people don't appreciate the show, although it seems like your negative opinion runs pretty intense for someone who hasn't seen the show .

 

I will say, in my opinion, that it is a clever satire on hypocrisy and I have no trouble expressing my recommendation to see the show. I took a female friend from my church last night and she loved it and can't stop talking about it today.

 

I have never watched South Park that I recall, and I am not a fan of potty humor. This show is working on several levels it seems to me, and while the potty humor is certainly there on the surface, the satire runs deeper. It is also fun to pick out the various homages to other Broadway shows ( Wicked, Music Man, The King and I, Hairspray and The Sound of Music to name a few).

 

To answer your original question, I paid $89.00 plus $3.00 handling for my subscription ticket the first time and $189.00 last night. I don't believe my opinion is based on trying to justify how much I paid (like overpaying for car and then looking for reasons to justify it) since I then paid twice as much to see it again. I am not a frivolous spender but frankly after the last few years I have had, laughing for two hours seems worth it at any price.

[+ Lucky]

Jackhammer, please do not read into my posts that I have judged the show to be lacking even though I have not seen it. I would be happy to see it when prices return to normal. But, whenever hype drives up a ticket price, I look at the reasons why. That's how I happen to hear the dissenting voices, and I post about them just as I have often posted about the exciting voices. (See Kinky Boots!)