America is too commercial

[KateSam]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:16pm

Why do people see Aladdin ?  and not something like Fun Home when it was running  

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:19pm

Aladdin is a family-friendly show. Fun Home is too mature for many families visiting NYC, which is a large percentage of the people who see Aladdin. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:33pm

^so yes America is too commercial, because it's a capitalist country. At least we are democratic too so we can at least have a show like fun home play. While if it were to play in a less than democratic country the people who wrote it would probably be hung, shot or killed in some way shape or form. God bless america

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:40pm

Can't we just be happy to have the choice?  Why must it be either or?  Too commercial for what?  Broadway isn't the only place where live theater happens. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:41pm

*hanged

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:41pm

What does "too commercial" even mean? When does something cross the line out of being permissibly commercial? Let the markets be.

[@z5]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:47pm

Aladdin is also a damn good show and entertaining for all ages and does by a well known and trusted company.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:54pm

I haven't seen ALADDIN, so this remark is a general one. I have nothing against popular productions.

But I think there's a kind of cynicism about some plays (films, novels, etc.) where it becomes clear that choices were made to pander to somebody's low expectation of what people will like, rather than to tell a story the creators care about. Very often such shows turn out to be neither artistic nor popular. But they are "too commercial".

 

[KateSam]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 9:55pm

Fun Home should still be running

[trpguyy]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:02pm

The producers don't think so, and neither does the ticket-buying public.

[Cfried]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:04pm

This post is ridiculous...be thankful that we have the choice! Disney significantly helped with the restoration of Broadway. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:08pm

trpguyy said: "The producers don't think so, and neither does the ticket-buying public.

 

"

Most of the ticket-buying public is making purchases based on very limited information. Producers are largely responding to what those ill-informed ticket buyers decide.

I don't think either are necessarily good judges of quality.

 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:12pm

GavestonPS said: "trpguyy said: "I don't think either are necessarily good judges of quality."

I completely agree, but such is the life with commercial theater. At the end of the day, money is what keeps the show running, not artistic merit. 

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:23pm

Just for the record, the latest mounting of Fun Home was a commercial run... Was it just commercial enough for you without crossing the line into "too commercial" territory?

There is SO much theater in New York. Stop bemoaning the state of Broadway, and look beyond its 40 theaters. If you don't like it, no one's making you go. 

Updated On: 10/1/16 at 10:23 PM

[Ranger Tom]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:26pm

What's in the water today?  "Dolly too frivolous"..."America too commercial."  I thought America guarded its ability to choose over everything.  Now we're show-shaming people... you're less of a human if you go to NY and see Aladdin instead of Fun Home.  Gees.  Hopefully our new President (whichever disaster is elected) will set up a government agency that makes sure you're not too frivolous or commercial in your entertainment selection.  

[KateSam]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:33pm

I just wonder why we have so many crap over commercial productions in the usa

[Sunny11]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:38pm

Ranger Tom said: "What's in the water today?  "Dolly too frivolous"..."America too commercial."  I thought America guarded its ability to choose over everything.  Now we're show-shaming people... you're less of a human if you go to NY and see Aladdin instead of Fun Home.  Gees.  Hopefully our new President (whichever disaster is elected) will set up a government agency that makes sure you're not too frivolous or commercial in your entertainment selection.  

"

Patti Murin should blog about it. 



 

 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 10:52pm

Disney's meticulous restoration of the beautiful historic New Amsterdam theatre alone is worth a spot or two on the Broadway theatre scene. Preservation and restoration is ever a struggle in this country so I'd gladly put up with a "pandering" show or two in exchange.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 11:27pm

trpguyy said: "GavestonPS said: "trpguyy said: "I don't think either are necessarily good judges of quality."

I completely agree, but such is the life with commercial theater. At the end of the day, money is what keeps the show running, not artistic merit. 

 

"

That's certainly true, but you and I don't have to accept length of run as an indicator of quality. Is CATS a better show then FOLLIES? Not by any standard I recognize. No doubt others will disagree, but so what?

 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 12:03am

I think the proper question should be why the general public's taste is shifting towards the arguably less "artistic" shows. The problem is probably not as much in the system as it is in how it's being operated.

Updated On: 10/2/16 at 12:03 AM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 12:08am

I saw and enjoyed both, thankfully you can do that in America. 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 12:10am

KateSam said: "Why do people see Aladdin ?  and not something like Fun Home when it was running  

I've noted that since you became a member here you seem desperate to start a new thread/be noticed or just try to create controversy--perhaps an admirable trait, but I now know which contributor to jump over---thanks for being consistant with your posts.

SL

 

 

 

 

Updated On: 10/2/16 at 12:10 AM

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 12:20am

KateSam said: "I just wonder why we have so many crap over commercial productions in the usa

 

"

Do you even know what commercial means? Because as far as I'm concerned both had successfully commercial runs here on Broadway. 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 12:35am

"That's certainly true, but you and I don't have to accept length of run as an indicator of quality. Is CATS a better show then FOLLIES? Not by any standard I recognize. No doubt others will disagree, but so what?"

I don't think there's a correlation between quality and commercial success. The upside of this is that producers who become wealthy off of schlock can and often do use their means to invest in projects with artistic merit. 

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 10/2/16 at 1:01am

And how is "artistic merit" then defined? At the end of the day, we all respond to art differently, and certain types of storytelling might be more compelling to us than to others. What resonates with you might not resonate with a tourist visiting the city, but that doesn't make his or her response any less valid. And if that tourist is only interested in a Disney show or one of the other long runners, I still think it's wonderful that he/she is plunking down the cash and spending the time to experience live theatre. We should be celebrating the fact that Broadway is still relevant enough of an entity for people to travel to New York from all over the world to catch one of its shows. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, if you don't like what Broadway has to offer, just don't go. There's plenty of alternatives.

Updated On: 10/2/16 at 01:01 AM