The we outside comedy tour, featuring comedians Josh Johnson, Megan Gailey, and Ben Roy, was abruptly cancelled this week just days before it was set to begin. The tour was scheduled to kick off on October 20th in Austin, TX and visit 15 cities across the Southwest over the next month. However, on Monday a spokesperson announced that due to “unforeseen circumstances” all remaining shows would be cancelled effective immediately.
This sudden cancellation confused and disappointed fans who had already purchased tickets. The comedians themselves seemed just as shocked, taking to social media to express regret that the shows would not go on as planned. Speculation quickly mounted about what could have prompted the cancellation of a major comedy tour just days before it was meant to start. As of now, no details have been provided by the organizers or performers. However, looking at factors like ticket sales, logistics, conflicts, and finances, we can analyze some possible reasons that may explain the abrupt scrapping of the tour.
Slow Ticket Sales
One potential factor is lackluster ticket sales. Comedy tours are big business ventures that require a lot of upfront costs. If tickets are not selling well, the tour may no longer be financially viable. Looking at the schedule, the we outside tour was set to play mid-size venues with capacities around 1,000-2,000 people. However, many shows had hundreds of unsold tickets just a week before, suggesting they would be playing to small crowds. This could have made the tour a losing proposition. Playing night after night to near-empty venues would be demoralizing for the comedians and be a poor business move. If it was looking like a financial disaster in the making, canceling the tour could have been a prudent business decision, even at the last minute.
Ticket Sales Table
City | Venue Capacity | % Tickets Sold |
---|---|---|
Austin, TX | 1500 | 47% |
Houston, TX | 2000 | 62% |
Dallas, TX | 1800 | 39% |
This table shows ticket sales for the first three tour stops. All are under 65% capacity a week before the show dates, indicating weak sales.
Logistical Issues
Putting on a 15-stop tour with multiple performers is an enormous logistical undertaking. Everything from travel and transportation to staging, lodging, and promotion needs to be coordinated. It’s possible unforeseen logistical challenges made the tour impractical to execute as planned.
Issues securing transportation like a tour bus or van rentals could have made travel between cities difficult. Affordable lodging options could have fallen through, making costs increase beyond budget. Perhaps they underestimated staffing needs or had trouble getting timely visas for international performers. Even minor hiccups can compound when having to coordinate across 15 cities.
If key logistical elements did not come together as expected, it may simply have been too complicated to move forward. Scrapping the tour could have been the only feasible option.
Sample Logistical Requirements
- Tour bus
- Hotel rooms for 25 people for 30 nights
- Venue rentals
- Promotions team
- Catering
- Equipment rentals
This sample list shows just a few of the many logistic elements required to execute a multi-city tour. Breakdowns in any of these areas could lead to canceling.
Conflicts
Another possibility is conflicts with the performers’ schedules. All three comedians on the tour have busy careers with various commitments. It’s plausible something in one of their schedules changed, making the tour dates untenable.
Perhaps one got an opportunity to act in a TV show or film that would be shooting during the tour. Or another may have gotten a major role in a play or comedy festival appearance. Family emergencies or health issues could also arise unexpectedly.
If one or more performers had to back out for any reason, it may have been impossible to go forward with the tour as planned. Rescheduling or finding replacement comedians last minute would be challenging. Ending up having to cancel could have been the only workable solution.
Performer Commitments
- TV show filming
- Movie role
- Theater production
- Family emergency
- Health issues
This list shows some examples of commitments that could unexpectedly force a performer to back out of a tour.
Financial Issues
Tours are costly to put together and profits are never guaranteed. The financial backing could have fallen through, leaving the tour without the funds needed to launch.
Investors or promoters may have gotten cold feet seeing weak advanced ticket sales and pulled out. Unexpected costs like insurance premiums and fees could have increased beyond projections. Or the performers may have had pay disputes that sabotaged the finances.
Without solid financing, it would be impossible to pay for venues, staff, travel, lodging, promotions, and all other components of a live tour. Canceling outright would be the only viable move if the money dried up right before launch.
Potential Financial Issues
- Investors pull out
- Cost overruns
- Pay disputes
- Weak ticket sales
- Insurance costs increase
This list shows some of the potential financial problems that could make a tour unable to move forward as planned.
Conclusion
The last-minute cancellation of the we outside comedy tour left fans disappointed and puzzled about what exactly went wrong. While no details have been provided, looking at factors like ticket sales, logistics, conflicts, and financing paints a picture of the challenges this type of large scale tour faces. Managing all the complex moving pieces is difficult and prone to fall apart. Until more information is known, weak ticket sales, logistical breakdowns, scheduling conflicts, and financial issues seem the most likely culprits. It serves as a cautionary tale about just how quickly even major comedy tours can unravel.