Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Popular Plays - Audience Appeal

Message

As with most CT's we're always looking for plays that will be popular and will put lots of bums in seats.

I'd be curious to hear what play(s) have been the most popular and best attended for YOUR CT.
Limit yourself to about the last 5 years or so only. 
You can list just 1 play, but list no more than 5 plays total.
List them IN ORDER, with the most popular & well-attended one at the top of the list.
Please provide the play's correct & current title, the names of the playwright(s), the type/genre of play it is, and if possible the name of the play publisher which carries it.

I'll go first.  Each of these plays had the best attendance at one of the four weeknights we perform (Wed. thru Sat.)

FRIDAY
Dad's Christmas Miracle by Pat Cook, a comedy, The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois
SATURDAY
The Shipbuilder by Ken Mitchell, a historical drama, {publisher uncertain}
THURSDAY
The Foursome by Norm Foster, a comedy, Playwrights' Guild of Canada
WEDNESDAY (2-way tie)
Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, a comedy, Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, a comic drama, Samuel French, Inc.

So... what are your CT's most popular & successful plays in the last 5 years?

OH BY THE WAY:  Please don't list musicals.  Our CT currently does only NON-musical plays.

Author	Message
SpenceKenzer Star Joined: 1/23/09 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 71	Topic: Popular Plays - Audience Appeal - your recent best Posted: 2/25/09 at 5:47pm
	As with most CT's we're always looking for plays that will be popular and will put lots of bums in seats. I'd be curious to hear what play(s) have been the most popular and best attended for YOUR CT. Limit yourself to about the last 5 years or so only. You can list just 1 play, but list no more than 5 plays total. List them IN ORDER, with the most popular & well-attended one at the top of the list. Please provide the play's correct & current title, the names of the playwright(s), the type/genre of play it is, and if possible the name of the play publisher which carries it. I'll go first. Each of these plays had the best attendance at one of the four weeknights we perform (Wed. thru Sat.) FRIDAY Dad's Christmas Miracle by Pat Cook, a comedy, The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois SATURDAY The Shipbuilder by Ken Mitchell, a historical drama, {publisher uncertain} THURSDAY The Foursome by Norm Foster, a comedy, Playwrights' Guild of Canada WEDNESDAY (2-way tie) Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, a comedy, Dramatists Play Service, Inc. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, a comic drama, Samuel French, Inc. So... what are your CT's most popular & successful plays in the last 5 years? OH BY THE WAY: Please don't list musicals. Our CT currently does only NON-musical plays.
	--------------------<*> Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... !

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janetk Player Joined: 11/15/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:45am
	Well right now we are performing Kitchen Witches - playwright Caroline Smith (Samuel French). We were basically sold out before we open. We did 8 shows - 3 weekends. Very funny show with a small cast.
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MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 2/26/09 at 11:48am
	Best in "sales" this year has been "The Queen of Bingo"... and "A Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, a Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultous act"
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
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jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 2/26/09 at 2:39pm
	"Dearly Departed" did huge numbers for us.
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pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 2/26/09 at 2:41pm
	One of the most popular we have done in recent years has been Escanaba in Da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels. We ran it as an experimental show as it was a bit off our regular show list. It has repeatedly been one of the show most requested for a revival at the playhouse. (Sorry if this was not in the requested format.)
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Kathy S Celebrity Joined: 8/21/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 303	Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:11am
	Our biggest drawing shows have been our musicals (Guys and Dolls, Forum and Oklahoma) and some of the real well known comedies (Steele Magnolias, The Odd Couple) -- and over the last couple years Leading Ladies, Dearly Departed, Dearly Beloved and Christmas Belles.
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GoldCanyonLady Celebrity Joined: 2/05/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 172	Posted: 2/27/09 at 10:20am
	1. Curious Savage by John Patrick---Audience loved it ---Dramatists Play Service. 2. A Bad Year for Tomatoes by John Patrick---funny show and lots of fun. Dramatists Play Service. 3. Busybody by Jack Popplewell. Funny murder mystery. Samuel French.
	Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Dough Boy Walk-On Joined: 3/20/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/02/09 at 12:49pm
	1. Dearly Departed....Dramatists 2. Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story...get license at http://www.buddythemusical.com/ 3. Messiah on the Frigidaire...Samuel French
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Ogreking4 Player Joined: 2/25/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 22	Posted: 3/24/09 at 12:35pm
	Our most recent successes include "The Wizard of Oz" (the musical), "Funny Money" (Ray Cooney), and "Squirrel Lake" (Brian Mitchell).
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Cravens Player Joined: 11/03/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 4/07/09 at 5:19pm
	Noises Off, Once Upon a Mattress, Dearly Departed, Fiddler on the Roof and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat(musicals do very well in our market)
	Tracy www.longmonttheatre.org
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