New Original Musicals By Black Playwrights In The Last 10 Years On Broadway- Page 2

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 1:48pm

Yeah, I have a lot of respect for Gyllenhaal. He seems like a guy who really cares about supporting interesting theatre/film projects

I'm not saying that "star producers" should be the driving force of our industry, because they're not common, but... imagine if high-powered people like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Oprah, Denzel Washington, Gyllenhaal, Spike Lee, Whoopi, and John Legend each said "I realize Broadway has a diversity problem and the system is broken. I'm committing to investing/raising $500k-$1m for a new play or musical by an artist of color every 2-3 years on Broadway." It wouldn't solve all the problems, but it jumpstarts fundraising, offers a "named" producer as a stamp of approval to ticket buyers and theatre owners, and could attract new money to Broadway. (And who knows, maybe they recoup their investment and win a Tony.)

Updated On: 8/12/19 at 01:48 PM

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 3:39pm

I think a lot of it comes down to people's ingrained thoughts of basically racism. Producers see a show that is utterly fantastic and probably better then most shows on Broadway that is written by a black playwright or lyricist or composer. They are approached about transferring it, but for some reason in their mind they think "this won't work because it's a show for a black audience and Broadway is a mostly white audience." I've seen this happen in theaters that I work at. An August Wilson play is marketed behind the scenes as "the Black play." In reality, this really should not be the case. Yes, will a play written, starring, or directed by someone who is black bring a larger black audience. But a play written starring, or directed by a gay man will do the same thing. I believe producers seem to think that if you aren't black you can't "relate" or "see yourself onstage" in a show written by a Black playwright. I beg to differ. I'm not Black, but "A Strange Loop" was one of the best things I have seen all year. Not simply because the writing was new and fresh, but also because I felt Usher's pain of being overweight and gay. I know those feelings and heard his thoughts in my head. Did know everything he was going through? Of course not, but that doesn't mean the musical did not have the same impact on me because I still saw myself. The same with "Choir Boy." I think it's well past time for the industry to stop labeling shows based on, who wrote them. Theater is theater. And yes, certain shows will bring in a certain audience simply because they see themselves onstage or in support. But behind the scenes industry executives should not think about this or that in bringing a show to Broadway. With the right marketing and structure of opening, "A Strange Loop" could be a run away hit. With the audience filled with everyone because it's a damn fantastic show. 

Updated On: 8/12/19 at 03:39 PM

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 4:09pm

People of color have had to relate to white people’s stories for all of history. It’s possible for white people to relate to a black person’s story. I’m not white or lesbian and don’t have a closeted father who killed himself, but I related so much to the story of Fun Home. In the same way, A Strange Loop is so specifically about a black, gay, femme, bigger man who likes “white girl music,” but in that specificity, the story was so relatable. Again, people of color have been seeing themselves in all-white productions of plays and musicals since the beginning of time basically, so if something is good, it’s worth seeing and there will be something to take away. It’s amazing that there are any people of color working in theatre at all with how the cards are stacked against them.

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 4:56pm

MarilynMonroeSmash said: "I think a lot of it comes down to people's ingrained thoughts of basically racism. Producers see a show that is utterly fantastic and probably better then most shows on Broadway that is written by a black playwright or lyricist or composer. They are approached about transferring it, but for some reason in their mind they think "this won't work because it's a show for a black audience and Broadway is a mostlywhite audience." I've seen this happen in theaters that I work at. An August Wilson play is marketed behind the scenes as "the Black play." In reality, this really should not be the case. Yes, will a play written, starring, or directed by someone who is black bring a larger black audience. But a play written starring, or directed by a gay man will do the same thing. I believe producers seem to think that if you aren't black you can't "relate" or "see yourself onstage" in a show written by a Black playwright. I beg to differ. I'm not Black, but "A Strange Loop" was one of the best things I have seen all year. Not simply because the writing was new and fresh, but also because I felt Usher's pain of being overweight and gay. I know those feelings and heard his thoughts in my head. Did know everything he was going through? Of course not, but that doesn't mean the musical did not have the same impact on me because I still saw myself. The same with "Choir Boy." I think it's well past time for the industry to stop labeling shows based on, who wrote them. Theater is theater. And yes, certain shows will bring in a certainaudience simply because they see themselves onstage or in support. But behind the scenes industry executives should not think about this or that in bringing a show to Broadway. With the right marketing and structure of opening, "A Strange Loop" could be a run away hit. With the audience filled with everyone because it's a damn fantastic show."

Wow! I agree with all of this! Thank you for sharing!

It is definitely time for change. I'm just so blown away to discover that barely no original musicals by Black writers have been produced on Broadway in the last decade, maybe even two decades. Really a crazy revelation this thread has exposed.

Now, if 'Strange Loop' transfers, what an amazing thing that would be! Like you said, I hope it's promoted in a way that attracts all audiences, because although the story is very specific, there is definitely something there for many others to hold on to.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 5:30pm

FWIW, A Strange Loop has had a commercial producer attached to it since before the Playwrights Horizons run, and it wouldn't be their first time bringing a risky musical to Broadway. Not that that means a move would definitely happen (they need to raise the money and secure a theatre), but it's not like Jackson is waiting around for someone to pick up his project.