Did Green Day Kill Neil Simon On Broadway?
Broadway Beach Cleared for Green Day Invasion?
BROADWAY MAGAZINE – For those who saw the new revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs, it came as more than a little surprise that the production is closing after only 1 week. Excellent performances, solid direction, and a Broadway friendly script combined with positive reviews suggested a decent chance for success. Unfortunately, the production closes tonight 1 week after opening night. That means the Nederlander Theatre, former Broadway home of RENT, will be open soon…and with the San Francisco buzz at peak levels for the new Green Day musical American Idiot…odds seem strong that the Green Day show will soon occupy the space.
As a Green Day community member pointed out, Ira Pittelman, one of the producers of The Neil Simon Plays (Brighton Beach and Broadway Bound) is also a lead producer of American Idiot.
The sudden Brighton Beach Memoirs closing, while convenient for American Idiot, could also undeservedly taint the legacy of Neil Simon and director David Cromer (who is already slated to stage Picnic on Broadway next season).
Green Day’s American Idiot is a juggernaut to be sure and has already made even the idea of U2’s Spider-Man feel quaint. The larger question is can Green Day out revolutionize the real revolutionary Fela Kuti? With the Broadway opening of Fela! approaching, the Kuti musical may end up being the real Broadway revolutionary this season. If AI does land at the Nederlander, would a perceived take-out of Mr. Simon’s plays haunt the show with Broadway’s old guard? What do you think?
UPDATE TO THIS STORY: Green Day did not kill Neil Simon on Broadway. The Nederlander is being taken by The Million Dollar Quartet. Right now, it looks like there is no room at the Broadway inn for an American Idiot. Though we suspect that will change at some point and it will won’t be a Broadway orphan for long.
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Tags: , American Idiot, Berkeley Rep, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway, Broadway Magazine, Broadway.tv, David Cromer, Fela Kuti, Fela!, Green Day, Michael Mayer, Nederlander Theatre, Neil Simon, Picnic, RENT, Spider Man, Tickets, U2
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 am
I’m looking forward to the killing that Green Day is going to do on Broadway. I saw “American Idiot” for the third time last night at Berkeley Rep and finally posted my review on my site, The Broadway Critic. It’s fantastic and it will definitely be more popular than “Fela”. Green Day has a huge market and with the reviews that “American Idiot” is already getting, there is no doubt that it will kill at the Tony’s and every other award. It’s gonna be HUGE.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:15 am
[…] MAGAZINE - Though we only said the “odds were strong” that Green Day’s American Idiot would land at the former RENT home the Nederlander, we were […]
November 4th, 2009 at 9:26 am
This is not at all accurate. The producers of American Idiot knew that the Nederlander already had something in behind Brighton Beach, prior to Brighton’s closing announcement. The learned this through discussions with Nederlander organization which went out to see American Idiot.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
What about the actors? Why do I not hear anywhere how devastating this is for them?
These producers made nothing but stupid amateurish moves, and it all comes from Manny Azenberg’s Arrogance and lack of modern
savvy. The ad campaign STUNK. The Norman Rockwell boy leaning against a lamppost?? WHO WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO APPEAL TO?
And NOT OPENING THE PLAYS AT THE SAME TIME. Stupid, stupid.
And David Cromer’s smug comments at the plays’ closing are the most disgusting. WHERE IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT HOW THESE ACTORS WILL BE TAINTED FOR A LONG LONG TIME, while Mr. Cromer continues to work for the next few years, while checking his iPHONE to see if his name is mentioned in chat rooms like these. That Emperor’s clothes will soon be plainly obvious.
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