“Time and the Conways” Concludes Performances

Elizabeth McGovern Starred In J.B. Priestley Play

Today, November 26, 2017, Time and the Conways plays its final performance at the American Airlines Theatre, where the show began previews on September 14, 2017 ahead of an opening night on October 10, 2017.

Elizabeth McGovern, who is best known for her role as the matriarch Cora Crawley on the television series “Downton Abbey,” starred in Time and the Conways as Mrs. Conway. In addition, McGovern has appeared on Broadway in the 1989 production of Love Letters and the 1992 production of Hamlet, in addition to her Academy nominated turn as Evelyn Nesbit in the 1981 film version of Ragtime.

A Star-Studded Cast

Starring alongside McGovern in Time and the Conways was a series of accomplished Broadway actors, including Steven Boyer, who earned a Tony nomination for the lead role in the 2015 play Hand to God, Gabriel Ebert, who won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Mr. Wormwood in Matilda, Anna Camp, who has previously appeared in Equus and The Country Girl, and Charlotte Parry, who has previously appeared in The Winslow Boy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Coram Boy, and The Real Thing.

The director is Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), and the show was produced by Roundabout Theatre Company. The play, written by J.B. Priestley, first appeared on Broadway in 1938, and Priestley’s other works include The Good Companions, Dangerous Corner, Laburnum Grove, Eden End, I Have Been Here Before, and The Linden Tree. Perhaps Priestley’s best known work in today’s age is An Inspector Calls, which was his most recently revived work with the 1994 production that starred Philip Bosco, Rosemary Harris, and Kenneth Cranham.

Mediocre Box Office Throughout The Run

Of all the weeks of reported box office figures thus far, which include all but the final week, the average percentage reached of gross potential for Time and the Conways was 48.21%.

With a top ticket price starting at $139 and rising to $149, the average paid admission through the run was $62.90, and the audience capacity averaged out at 82.69%. Therefore, while there was a considerable amount of interest in the show, as demonstrated by the audience capacity, there was not quite enough demand to warrant the usual high Broadway ticket prices, and thus a fair amount of discounting was necessary in order to sell the tickets.

Box Office Struggles

In closing in the fall season, the show will have a difficult time competing in Tony Awards season this upcoming spring, but it is still likely that Elizabeth McGovern will be considered for the category of Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play. When the show opened last month, the reviews were not particularly good.

The New York Times review determined that the show was working too hard, and that opportunities for romance were overlooked. The Hollywood Reporter review called the revival lumpy but eventually intriguing, culminating with a mixed response. AM New York also called the show intriguing but conceded it was difficult, and Timeout New York called the show so boring that it makes you aware of the passing of time.

Tony Award Considerations

Whether the show will be considered for the category of Best Revival of a Play remains to be seen, but as the reviews were quite mixed, there is less of a chance of that. Also, fresh off the heels of her win for Indecent, Rebecca Taichman may be in the running for Best Director of a Play, but as the show was not particularly well reviewed, that seems less than likely.