‘Dangerous Cinderella’ hemorrhaging money as 2023 Tony noms method

The state of affairs has gone from “Dangerous” to worse.

Over at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Dangerous Cinderella” on Broadway, promoting company RPM and the manufacturing have minimize ties — with simply two weeks to go till Tony Award nominations are introduced.

“The change has been made to work extra strategically to search out our viewers,” producer Christine Schwarzman advised The Publish. 

“Setting this new course, we discovered ourselves not aligned with our earlier advertising and marketing company by way of steps that wanted to be taken. We agreed to half methods and need them the most effective.”

An individual near RPM, nonetheless, bristled, saying that the marketing campaign was “the one good factor” in regards to the maligned musical and that the company had resigned the account.

Schwarzman famous that the manufacturing is now working with SpotCo, Sine Digital and Tremendous Superior Mates.

Regardless, for “Dangerous Cinderella,” midnight grows ever nearer.

The present present obtained across-the-board pans from critics — “a wacko fairytale dumpster fireplace,” mentioned The Publish; “Carry earplugs … Carry eye plugs,” echoed the Times.

On March 25, the day after it opened, a supply claimed the present did a paltry $80,000 in ticket gross sales. 

One other mentioned the quantity was “considerably greater,” however box-office enterprise has demonstrably not been brisk.

For a greater than $20 million musical, $750,000 would have been a perfect take after the improved visibility from opinions. However the notices had been awful and phrase of mouth stinks.

Its weekly grosses are anemic — the present took in simply $571,000 final week, which was its second lowest take thus far — and the advance is alleged to be nonexistent.

A number of sources additionally mentioned there was little communication between Lloyd Webber and Schwarzman, and that the 2 disagree on whether or not the money-draining musical ought to stay open.

They declare the legendary composer says no, and the fledgling producer says sure.

A spokesman for Lloyd Webber denied the spat.

“Andrew and Christine have been thick as thieves currently. They dined collectively, and she or he was with him at ‘Morning Joe’ and ‘The Tonight Present’ yesterday,” he mentioned.

Final week onstage on the Imperial Theatre, Lloyd Webber — whose “The Phantom of the Opera” closed Sunday after 35 years — defended his newest present and instructed the gang throw “well-aimed apples” at New York theater critics. 

The unique Broadway marketing campaign for the present featured a stark crimson coloration scheme and in-your-face messaging.

In a single current on-line advert, the New York Instances assessment is defaced and changed with plaudits from famend theater critic Bethenny Frankel of “The Actual Housewives of New York Metropolis.”

“I laughed, I loved it, it’s f – – king enjoyable. And fabulous!” Frankel’s quote reads.

Now, an incredulous supply mentioned Schwarzman “needs all of the promoting to seem like Rodgers and Hammerstein.”

“Dangerous Cinderella” already had a extra conventional gross sales pitch in London, the place the present was merely known as “Cinderella.”

The West Finish poster was a relaxed, royal blue, however the manufacturing was nonetheless a flop that closed early.

However Schwarzman isn’t leaving the ball simply but.

“We’re going to combat to maintain our present going whereas we attain our broader viewers,” she mentioned.

“We all know the percentages of success, however we wouldn’t be producers value our salt if we didn’t make each sensible transfer we are able to to again our present, our firm and one of many best musical theater artists of all time.”

She’s proper about one factor: The probabilities of “Dangerous Cinderella” changing into a worthwhile hit are tiny — or, because the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” sings, “Unimaginable!” — even when it scores a wholesome variety of Tony nods on Might 2. 

And that’s hardly assured in a crowded discipline of musicals.

Over in London, the present solely managed a single Olivier Award nomination for Greatest Actress in a Supporting Position in a Musical, which it didn’t win.

That vacant-handed development could possibly be repeated stateside.

“Will probably be shut out from each Tony,” a supply mentioned.