Stage Writes

The Official Stage Rights Blog

"The Front Page" Draws Crowds During Previews

If anyone asks me what I do for a living, I always tell them I'm an actor - which means that I wait tables. In L.A., this surprises no one. But I can attest to the perks of simply living and working in a cinema city, because these include getting to meet wonderful, down-to-Earth people who also grace my T.V. screen. Dann Florek (Law & Order: SVU) is one of those lovely neighborhood friends, and I was recently deprived of his company at my restaurant due to a show opening on Broadway. This show is The Front Page, starring Nathan Lane, John Goodman, John Slattery, and many others.

The Front Page

John Slattery, John Goodman, and Nathan Lane star in a revival of The Front Page on Broadway. (Frazer Harrison and Theo Wargo, Getty Images/Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

What makes the show's preview week so noteworthy is the amount of money it raked in during only six preview shows. Variety.com reports a whopping $150,000 per performance, while attributing its success to the popularity of the title combined with a star-studded cast. No other show has recently claimed numbers as high, especially while playing to sold-out crowds.

Imagine my delight in reading the headlines claiming such a wonderful preview week for the nonmusical on Broadway. When Dann had decided to climb onboard with the Broadway play, he spoke enthusiastically about the play and the director; even then, I doubt he anticipated what a success it's liable to be. He probably didn't realize, either, that had I known he was to share a stage with Nathan Lane (whom I saw in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum on Broadway at age 11) or Sherie Rene Scott (whom I belt Aida along with in my car), I might have insisted he take me with him to New York.

Dann Florek

Dann Florek (courtesy of IMDb)

Congrats to Dann and the whole cast, and here's to a terrific Broadway run!

Click here to read the full article by Gordon Cox on Variety.com, posted on September 26, 2016. Click here for an article with additional info on the box office numbers by Lee Seymour on Forbes.com, posted on September 26, 2016.