#1
Posted: 5/5/04 at 11:40am
From today's Times:
May 5, 2004
Playing Soon on Broadway: G.O.P. Conventioneers
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Forget about "Assassins," the Broadway show that focuses on presidential killers. Don't even think about "I Am My Own Wife," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play about an East German transvestite. Even "Avenue Q," with its irreverent use of puppets, seems a bit too risqué. When the Republican delegates arrive in Manhattan this summer, the city wants to send them to wholesome Broadway musicals on their first evening.
And who gets to see "Wonderful Town"? The Ohio delegation, of course.
The New York City Host Committee is obligated to provide entertainment for the thousands of delegates and elected officials who are to arrive on Aug. 29, the day before the convention begins. Traditionally, host committees arrange for state delegations to have their own parties, but not this time. Instead, more than 13,000 conventiongoers will be sent to eight Broadway musicals on their first night in town. In fact, the performances are to be Sunday at 5 p.m., just for the delegates.
"The great thing about this is it is not only something that is different, but it is a wonderful promotion for Broadway," said Kevin Sheekey, president of the host committee and a moving force behind the Broadway outing.
But the Broadway that delegates will see will not include the sort of pointed, controversial plays and musicals that help define New York theater. No one will be sent to see Mark Medoff's play "Prymate," for example, a show that confronts racial sensitivities and has a black actor playing a gorilla. They will not be sent to Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change," a serious musical about civil rights. In fact, they will not be sent to anything that touches on contemporary issues.
They will, however, get a touch of philosophy in "The Lion King" when a meerkat and a wart hog sing "Hakuna Matata," the upbeat tune that advises the audience to live with "no worries." In "Wonderful Town," they will get the characters Ruth and Eileen Sherwood singing in "Ohio" of how they long for their home state after coming to Manhattan.
"This is awesome, you have no idea," said one Ohio delegate, Concepción Reyna, when told she would be seeing "Wonderful Town." "I live in a little town, West Chester, Ohio, between Cincinnati and Dayton, off Interstate 75."
In fact, Ms. Reyna is coming with her sister, Bea Lyons, but they will not be staying in a basement flat in Greenwich Village (like the sisters in the musical) but rather at the New York Marriott Marquis in Midtown.
New York City officials had used Broadway to help attract the convention to the city for the first time in the Republican Party's history. When the party's site selection committee visited, some Broadway players put on a performance in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's townhouse on the Upper East Side, said Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers.
"Almost immediately after the selection of New York City, we put together a number of suggested ideas and programs to integrate Broadway as part of hosting the convention, because Broadway is an iconic part of New York," Mr. Bernstein said.
The league presented Mr. Sheekey with about 16 shows that offered to participate in the convention events, Mr. Bernstein said. But some did not make the cut, including "Movin' Out," the Tony-winning show set to the music of Billy Joel that tells a Vietnam-era tale about a group of friends from Long Island.
Manny Azenberg, the show's producer, said he offered the committee seats at a discount, even though that week is usually sold out.
"They said no to 'Movin' Out,' " Mr. Azenberg said. "We said you could have us as a friendly gesture. It was offered and they rejected it. I didn't know we were a left-wing show."
Mr. Azenberg said that he was happy the delegates would be going to Broadway and that he expected some to choose to see shows like "Movin' Out" on their own. "It's just very unsurprising," he said of what shows the host committee left off the list.
Mr. Sheekey said that Mr. Bloomberg would be announcing the program for the event today, in Times Square, and that The New York Times, the chief corporate sponsor, would be helping to pay for the purchase of the tickets. Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The Times, said in a statement: "It brings together three things we love - theater, Times Square and politics. As the premier New York City newspaper, we are happy to welcome the Republican National Convention to our hometown."
Mr. Sheekey said the selections had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with economics and logistics. He said the committee selected the shows that were willing to provide a 25 percent discount and had the largest theaters. "Literally, that is how the process worked," he said. "It was just easier to take 8 theaters than 16."
On the other hand, he said geography did influence decisions about which delegation went to which show. Florida, for example, will be going to see "Fiddler on the Roof," he said.
"Every delegate, alternate, party official and elected official will receive a ticket based on where they are from to a show on Broadway," Mr. Sheekey said.
Delegates will also get to see "Phantom of the Opera," "Aida," "Bombay Dreams," "Beauty and the Beast" and "42nd Street." Before the performances, there will be welcoming speeches from people like Gov. George E. Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg, former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who is chairman of the host committee, and others.
"It is the hope of the city and Broadway that these people go back and tell their friends and relatives what a great time they had on the Great White Way," Mr. Sheekey said.
May 5, 2004
Playing Soon on Broadway: G.O.P. Conventioneers
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Forget about "Assassins," the Broadway show that focuses on presidential killers. Don't even think about "I Am My Own Wife," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play about an East German transvestite. Even "Avenue Q," with its irreverent use of puppets, seems a bit too risqué. When the Republican delegates arrive in Manhattan this summer, the city wants to send them to wholesome Broadway musicals on their first evening.
And who gets to see "Wonderful Town"? The Ohio delegation, of course.
The New York City Host Committee is obligated to provide entertainment for the thousands of delegates and elected officials who are to arrive on Aug. 29, the day before the convention begins. Traditionally, host committees arrange for state delegations to have their own parties, but not this time. Instead, more than 13,000 conventiongoers will be sent to eight Broadway musicals on their first night in town. In fact, the performances are to be Sunday at 5 p.m., just for the delegates.
"The great thing about this is it is not only something that is different, but it is a wonderful promotion for Broadway," said Kevin Sheekey, president of the host committee and a moving force behind the Broadway outing.
But the Broadway that delegates will see will not include the sort of pointed, controversial plays and musicals that help define New York theater. No one will be sent to see Mark Medoff's play "Prymate," for example, a show that confronts racial sensitivities and has a black actor playing a gorilla. They will not be sent to Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change," a serious musical about civil rights. In fact, they will not be sent to anything that touches on contemporary issues.
They will, however, get a touch of philosophy in "The Lion King" when a meerkat and a wart hog sing "Hakuna Matata," the upbeat tune that advises the audience to live with "no worries." In "Wonderful Town," they will get the characters Ruth and Eileen Sherwood singing in "Ohio" of how they long for their home state after coming to Manhattan.
"This is awesome, you have no idea," said one Ohio delegate, Concepción Reyna, when told she would be seeing "Wonderful Town." "I live in a little town, West Chester, Ohio, between Cincinnati and Dayton, off Interstate 75."
In fact, Ms. Reyna is coming with her sister, Bea Lyons, but they will not be staying in a basement flat in Greenwich Village (like the sisters in the musical) but rather at the New York Marriott Marquis in Midtown.
New York City officials had used Broadway to help attract the convention to the city for the first time in the Republican Party's history. When the party's site selection committee visited, some Broadway players put on a performance in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's townhouse on the Upper East Side, said Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers.
"Almost immediately after the selection of New York City, we put together a number of suggested ideas and programs to integrate Broadway as part of hosting the convention, because Broadway is an iconic part of New York," Mr. Bernstein said.
The league presented Mr. Sheekey with about 16 shows that offered to participate in the convention events, Mr. Bernstein said. But some did not make the cut, including "Movin' Out," the Tony-winning show set to the music of Billy Joel that tells a Vietnam-era tale about a group of friends from Long Island.
Manny Azenberg, the show's producer, said he offered the committee seats at a discount, even though that week is usually sold out.
"They said no to 'Movin' Out,' " Mr. Azenberg said. "We said you could have us as a friendly gesture. It was offered and they rejected it. I didn't know we were a left-wing show."
Mr. Azenberg said that he was happy the delegates would be going to Broadway and that he expected some to choose to see shows like "Movin' Out" on their own. "It's just very unsurprising," he said of what shows the host committee left off the list.
Mr. Sheekey said that Mr. Bloomberg would be announcing the program for the event today, in Times Square, and that The New York Times, the chief corporate sponsor, would be helping to pay for the purchase of the tickets. Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The Times, said in a statement: "It brings together three things we love - theater, Times Square and politics. As the premier New York City newspaper, we are happy to welcome the Republican National Convention to our hometown."
Mr. Sheekey said the selections had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with economics and logistics. He said the committee selected the shows that were willing to provide a 25 percent discount and had the largest theaters. "Literally, that is how the process worked," he said. "It was just easier to take 8 theaters than 16."
On the other hand, he said geography did influence decisions about which delegation went to which show. Florida, for example, will be going to see "Fiddler on the Roof," he said.
"Every delegate, alternate, party official and elected official will receive a ticket based on where they are from to a show on Broadway," Mr. Sheekey said.
Delegates will also get to see "Phantom of the Opera," "Aida," "Bombay Dreams," "Beauty and the Beast" and "42nd Street." Before the performances, there will be welcoming speeches from people like Gov. George E. Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg, former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who is chairman of the host committee, and others.
"It is the hope of the city and Broadway that these people go back and tell their friends and relatives what a great time they had on the Great White Way," Mr. Sheekey said.
Stop worrying about what I'm doing -- focus instead on what you're eating.
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