ah, another theatre research paper

Posted: 1/12/05 at 3:52pm

Well it's that time again: another high school student asking for help on a paper. I have to do my paper over the Majestic Theatre; does anyone have any interesting facts about the theatre or the shows that have taken place in the theatre for me to put in the paper?
-Mini

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/12/05 at 4:40pm

Hie thee hence to the library for At This Theatre by Louis Botto for starters. There are other books out there too.

Then figure out why the Majestic is so sought after. Since 1981 only two shows have played there--42nd Street and Phantom. Figure a POV for your paper. A straighforward history of the Majestic would be pretty dry.

The list of hits in the last 50 years reads like a history of the Broadway musical.

In no order and certainly not complete: Golden Boy, Sugar, South Pacific, Phantom since 1988, The Wiz

The shows that opened somewhere else and moved there: 42nd Street (81-87), Fiddler, 1776, Forum, Funny Girl, Night Music.

And then some flops. But not many. Ballroom, Brigadoon.

Then dig into some newspaper's archive and read what they had to do structurally to prep the theatre for Phantom. In a phrase, a whole lot.