"SHOW business" -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
"SHOW business" -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#0"SHOW business" -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 9:46pm
"'How do you measure,' Jonathan Larson's lyrics from Rent asked, 'measure a year?' Dori Berinstein's inspired answer is SHOW business-a chronicle of a year in the life of Broadway. The film tracks four original musicals: Wicked, the clever retelling of The Wizard of Oz from the witches' perspective; Avenue Q, in which puppets behave like, well, unemployed twentysomethings; Taboo, Boy George and Rosie O'Donnell's '80s extravaganza; and the pedigreed Public Theater transfer Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change. By virtue of her unique stage door access to these shows and a host of others, Berinstein expertly conveys the creative and technical challenges of preparing a production for the twelve-block territory known as Broadway. As we follow each of these shows from inspiration to opening night, the truth of the notion that theater rests on the passion of its practitioners is borne out. And throughout the film, we hear directly from those arbiters of our own ticket-buying decisions, the seemingly all-powerful New York critics. Putting faces, and overblown pronouncements, to the bylines is almost as much fun as watching some of their Tony predictions proven wrong. And speaking of the Tonys, a.k.a. the 'finish line'-what a horserace it was last year. Would the groundbreaking Caroline, or Change best the upstart puppet show? Would either one have a chance against the million-dollar babies, Taboo and Wicked, and their marketing budgets? It was an unforgettable upset, and it is even more exciting from this vantage point. As one insider puts it-the risk/reward economics of theater are brutal. There's only one reason that people continue to produce it, and that reason is love, which is skillfully embroidered all over SHOW business."
It screens this Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week at the Tribeca Film Festival(http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/index.html)
Here's an interview about it from the Times with George C. Wolfe, Jason Moore and Joe Mantello:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/theater/newsandfeatures/24gree.html
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
#1re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 9:47pmI hope it gets a DVD release. I can't make it to NYC for it.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#2re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 10:15pmI'm working the Festival this week. Hopefully I'll be able to see it!!!!!! :crosses fingers:
#3re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 10:24pm
Someone :coughecord-raycough: it for those of who are less fortunate and live in Illinois. 
This is my signature.
BWayBoy88
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/23/04
#4re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 10:26pmI was just looking at their website today about this film. The only day I can go is Monday, but I dont think its worth $25 to see a movie once. Hopefully there will be a DVD Updated On: 4/23/05 at 10:26 PM
#5re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline at the Tribeca Film Festival
Posted: 4/23/05 at 10:47pm
I WOULD pay $25 to see a good movie.
I would have paid $25 to see BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE - just one time.
I would have paid $25 to see MOULIN ROUGE - just one time.
And I would have paid $25 to see these films for a second time. Another $25 for a third time.
If it's good enough, I'll pay $25. Why not give it a try? Read reviews first. Ask others for their opinions.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#6re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/23/05 at 11:02pmI'm going to see it on Wednesday...I can't wait! Oh and the tickets are only 10 dollars, not 25.
"It's the smile you smile that counts, happy thoughts in large amounts, any problem you can trounce, you can bounce right back."--Donald O'Connor
Corine2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/14/03
#7re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/23/05 at 11:50pm
I got my tickets the minute I heard about the film.
Can't wait till Monday.
#8re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 3:28amI need this movie in LA. And now!
Deet: Shira, I Love You!
#9re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 10:54am
Tickets for the first screening are $25, and they're $10 for the two following that. The website said you have to buy tickets for this one at the door, but then I heard they were sold out, as is the entire festival. I *really* want to see it, but I have no idea what to do. I really shouldn't be, either, because finals are coming up, but that's an entirely different story.
If anyone goes, please post!
#10re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 12:45pmHopefully it will have a regional release, ala, Broadway: The Golden Age, or maybe find a life on cable somewhere.
bwayfan3
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/04
#11re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 12:48pm
As of now, the tix are "door only" That means seats are still available but you have to line up at least one hour before the screening time. I saw a little preview for it on NY1 yesterday. Looks really good. She was basically given unlimited access to the productions.
#12re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 1:46pmThe more I think about it, the more I think I might want to just go down and try.
#13re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 4/24/05 at 5:48pmI'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow. I'm gonna go down there right after class. :::::::::wheeeee!!! I'm excited!!!:::::::::::
whatacharacter
Leading Actor Joined: 8/19/05
#14re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 3:34pmAny word on a wider relaease, or dvd release of this movie?
#15re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 3:48pmThey kept promising a release, they practically guaranteed it. But nothing has been heard yet.
whatacharacter
Leading Actor Joined: 8/19/05
#16re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 4:04pm
washu2002
Chorus Member Joined: 11/5/05
#17re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 6:16pmyeah, is it available on DVD?
#18re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 6:21pmNot yet.
alterego
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
#19re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 6:34pmThis sounds terrific, lets hope it finds it's way to Film Festivals beyond the USA.
bwayfan3
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/04
#20re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 12/8/05 at 6:44pmIt will be shown at some film festival in Toronto in February.
#21re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 8/18/06 at 12:20pm
It's going to be shown at Makor on 9/12.
If you didn't get an opportunity to see this the first time around, I highly, highly recommend it.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/101497.html
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#22re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 8/18/06 at 12:51pmIn all honesty, as fascinating as it sounds, I don't see the point. We already know what happened to those musicals. Taboo crashed and burned, Caroline or Change became another critically acclaimed flop, Wicked became the biggest blockbuster Broadway has ever seen, and Avenue Q won the Tony. But I wouldn't mind seeing it because I love Wicked and Caroline or Change.
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
#23re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 8/18/06 at 1:11pmWell even though Matt just told me EVERYTHING that happened to those musicals...I am still wanting to know if we're ever getting a DVD release!
#24re: 'SHOW business' -- A Documentary on Wicked, Avenue Q, Taboo & Caroline
Posted: 8/18/06 at 7:11pm
The point is seeing how they got to those points, Matt. There's a lot of backstage, pre-Broadway, interviews, and rehearsal footage, which a lot of people, myself included, found fascinating.
But, being that you think Wicked is the "biggest blockbuster Broadway has ever seen," I wouldn't expect you to discern that there's anything more to the story than the end.
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