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hewantedmebtch

The John Dagliesh Waterloo Sunset will continue until morale improves!

hewantedmebtch

ANDREW DURAND IS BENJAMIN

hewantedmebtch

TCCoBB off-Broadway announce your cast already I can’t wait another minute

hewantedmebtch

Guess who got himself stuck!!!!

hewantedmebtch

In depth analysis of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s tickets sold and what I think that means for the financial future of the run below:

(Disclaimer: We are still over three months from the start of the run and there is a lot of time left for people to buy tickets)

Percentage of tickets unsold in October: 27.95%

Percentage of tickets unsold in November: 34.9%

Percentage of tickets unsold across the entire run: 29.07%

Percentage of tickets unsold across the entire run excluding special events (captioned performances, sign language performances, opening night, etc): 31.07%

Overall, November and late October is selling significantly worse than early-mid October for some reason.

The Sunday evening problem:

So apparently they have decided to do a Sunday night show instead of a Wednesday night show, which doesn’t appear to have been the best decision. Sunday evenings are all selling horribly compared to same-day matinees (79% sold v. 58%,72%/47%,70%/43%,82%/51%). Saturday evenings, despite also having a matinee, don’t have this problem.

My theory is that people are hesitant about the energy levels of the performers after two two-show-days in a row, thereby purchasing tickets for different dates instead (as all tickets are the same price), but I could be wrong. If TCCoBB goes to Broadway, they will be exposed to a more general audience more populated with tourists instead of an audience comprised of more dedicated theater-goers. Sunday evenings could be a wise choice on broadway, but it is not one off-broadway.

Anyway, feel free to get your tickets now! Especially for the closing performance, as only 57% of tickets are sold so far. I’d jump on that if I weren’t coming from out of town earlier in the run for my birthday.

hewantedmebtch

POV: Your OC is an actor but you can never remember what he’s been in

hewantedmebtch

Top 5 characters from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

1: Benjamin Button. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our title character first and foremost. This poor guy. He only wants to loved. He goes through so much, but at the very end, he was loved. I want to give him a hug.

2: Jago Trenlee. Okay I know that he doesn’t have all that much stage time but I do love him. He gets the best solo in the show, and has an amazing set of lines in the one scene immediately before he dies.

3: Roger Button. I feel so terrible for him and yet hate him so much, which is exactly what we need in an antagonist.

4: Elowen Keane. She is such a wonderfully complicated character, with a plethora of interesting qualities and just teeming with personality. I love her quirkyness in act one before The Moon and The Sea especially.

5: Locryn Button. He is so cute at the start of act two, so furious in the middle, and so jovial and lighthearted toward the end. Anna Fordham is so good at acting.

hewantedmebtch

Top 5 songs from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

AHHHH okay here we go

1. Rollin’ Away

Listened to this one over a hundred times in the first six months of the cast album and made a whole entire animatic about it (yes this is a shameless self-promotion please search my blog for it and watch it it took forever).

I specifically enjoy how this song epitomizes the “major key, dark lyrics” philosophy which is frequently present within folks songs, and which is used to great effect throughout the duration of TCCoBB. Another thing that I enjoy about this song is how perfectly it demonstrates the world’s (and Benjamin’s) dismal opinion of Benjamin. I am of the opinion that the strangers represent Benjamin projecting his internal thoughts on those around them, but at the very same time Benjamin isn’t exactly wrong in this particular situation, as whenever they say anything diegeticly it is just as negative as Benjamin assumes it would be. Most everybody he meets on his journey really does hate him.

2. When E’er She Looked At Me

Another significant example of the “major key, dark lyrics” philosophy. They describe Elowen so perfectly in this song it’s as if I’m seeing through Benjamin’s eyes. Also loved the “please, thank you”. Additionally loved how the central premise of the in-universe part of the song was that some guy was drinking himself to death because the girl he loved didn’t love him back meanwhile the woman’s verse was like “have you tried asking her. She might say yes.” (Or at least that’s how I interpreted it).

3. Home

Gotta be honest, Damien James’ solo is really boosting this song in the ranking. I also love the message that there a place where you are loved by everyone who matters waiting for you when you finish you journey, I think it’s incredibly reassuring and inspiring.

4. The Western Wind

HILARIOUS. Every bit of it. With some beautiful melodies and vocal harmonies chockfull of dramatic irony as a wonderful addition to that. Serves as an amazing introduction into the worlds of both the villagers and Roger in particular, and ‘sets the stage’, so to speak, for how Roger and Mary will react to the dramatic turns of the plot later on.

5. The Pickled Crab

I know it’s an instrumental with narration, but how the harsh percussion sounds combined with the fiddles demonstrate the anxiety that Benjamin is feeling leaving the attic for the first time in his life, as well as the joys and adventure contained within the outside world and, specifically, The Pickled Crab, is a level of musical genius that I can only hope to achieve.