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Re: ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF.......DEATH

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:43 pm
by FlyingDutchfan
accessmenj wrote: The show will have to close in London for the theater construction. Only the USA tour will remain......
The closing down of the good old VPT is doomed to happen - probably already in 2013 - triggering the question: when will the final curtain fall and what's the likely follow-up?

Apparently U.K. auditions for the Billy/Michael parts are scheduled until the end of May. Considering the period needed for selecting the final candidates (normally during the summer holidays) and the following months of training them (as a rule of thumb at least four months) one may expect this new harvest making its debut towards the end of 2012. Consequently, would it be safe to trust London's BETM to continue till (at least) mid 2013, thus - sooner or later - seeing ticket sales opening up beyond (currently) December 15, 2012?

And for the follow-up: would BETM be transferred to another London venue or continue as an UK tour production? Or even - heaven forbid - being mothballed until the moment of a (too) far away future revival?

Any insights, anybody?

P.S. No need to consult the bookmakers ;)

Re: ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF.......DEATH

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 1:26 am
by accessmenj
Now is the time for BETM to accept the approaching closure of the West End production, probably next year. The end of the Olympics, the scheduled construction, and this indication of declining attendance, point to at least a temporary shutdown.

dwallen wrote
"Finally, and very worryingly, I have never seen the Dress Circle so empty especially on a Saturday Night. I doubt whether it was even half full."

But the bright side of the shutdown is the example that the second tour set in North America. After the Broadway closing, the tour got better, attendance increased, and income improved. More people than ever can afford to see the show when it comes to their hometown.

Europe needs a Billy Elliot The Musical tour. Great Britain and Ireland could be the start of the tour, with many other countries to follow. The European tour should avoid the mistakes of the first USA tour(too long a sit-down) and the start of the second tour(too expensive). With proper planning, the seats will be filled in every city.