The Neil Simon Plays Closed Sunday November 1st

After only 25 previews and 9 performances The Neil Simon Plays closed last Sunday.

Currently playing was Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound was set to play in rep with Brighton starting in December. The two autobiopgraphical plays Neil wrote based on his life were together renamed The Neil Simon Plays. Brighton Beach got wonderful reviews from the Times and it looked like things were going well for the classic american playwright-and then it happened, a closing notice.

Why is this important? (shame on you for asking)

The premature closing of The Neil Simon Plays has two lessons to teach:

1. Marketing is everything (I will explain in a bit)

2. If Neil Simon cant sell tickets-its not a good sign for theater.


Lets start by looking at marketing. On my way to work each day I pass by the Neederlander. And each day I saw the Billboards for The Neil Simon Plays. I also work in theater and am aware that The Neil Simon Plays is indeed happening on Broadway and I just assumed people bought tickets becuase it is Neil Simon.

But what if you didnt know it was happening? I would wager that a vast majority of the american public had no idea these shows were being performed. Since I am a stickler for good marketing here are some of the things I noticed in the lack of marketing and what I would have done.

1. Renaming both shows The Neil Simon Plays-doing this created confusion for the public. I had many questions if this was a new Neil Simon play. I understand that they were trying to make an event out of the two plays but they didn't do a good enough job of making it a MUST SEE event. Rather than rename the two why not call them what they are-Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound in a rare must see event-or something like that. Make the titles prominent so that people see them and go "Oh! I remember Broadway Bound" Its nostalgic.

2. Getting the word out about the performances. I saw no adds or billboards or commercials or anything really. The only reason I knew it was happening was because I walked by the theater.

3. Broadway Bound was scheduled to open later into the run of Brighton Beach. What they should have done was opened both at the same time in Rep to promote the event of the two together.

All of that was to say that marketing is important to every show-hence why Midsummer's Marketing is so important to me. In order to get the word out we are having fundraisers, facebook events, twittering, advanced ticket sales, and a great cast telling all of their friends.

What do you think was the problem with the Neil Simon Plays?