BE MORE CHILL (Broadway) Previews- Page 11

[Annette170]

Posted: 2/27/19 at 8:15pm

_(•_&bull_/ said: "40 year old white people? Okay!"

I don’t know who made that comment but I’m a 50 yr old Hispanic woman and I completely understand that comment. When I started going to the theater in my early 20s, there were many people who didn’t look like me. I know for myself, cost was a huge factor and I can only imagine that is one reason why we don’t see a lot of diversity in the audience. If it not were for RUSH seats, I wouldn’t have seen 90% of the shows that I did back then and even now. If you are not a person of color, you may find the comment off putting but it isn’t. It should make you pause and try and understand how someone feels. If we can have more shows that bring out the youth and or minorities, I’m happy about it. We need a variety of shows and not all need to be classics or that familiar old school theater vibe. Theater is art and as we all know very well, art is subjective.  I am happy that I do see more people of color at shows but it’s still not where I’d like it to be. Ticket prices aren’t all to blame. Growing up in the “hood (as I did), theater wasn’t something people spoke of. It was also something many people thought wasn’t for them. Our schools and after school programs need to introduce theater to our children and let them take it in and dream. 

I guess my point is that I wouldn’t want anyone misunderstanding the “white” comment. It’s a reality for people of color. We take notice when we are the only or one of the very few. We also notice when audiences are more diverse. It makes a difference and it makes me happy to see. 

Updated On: 2/27/19 at 08:15 PM

[Aroberts3]

Posted: 2/27/19 at 10:37pm

Anyone at the show tonight report whether george salazar was in tonight?

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/27/19 at 11:18pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "Troy should take over as the principal for Michael. It wont skyrocket ticket sales, but it's a start."

I heard George was out again last night-Tuesday. Everyone seems to prefer this Troy dude over George maybe they should replace him?

 

 

[Bwayornoway]

Posted: 2/27/19 at 11:46pm

greenifyme2 said: "Bwayornoway said: "I'm wondering if the off bway show "Superhero' will be the Hit BMC wants to be. I haven't seen 'Superhero' but the videos of the show songs seem more engaging and relatable to a wider audience then the songs of BMC. Nothing against BMC and we are now comparing a freshman off bway show to a now bway show. May the strongest heartbeat win!"

Don’t see how that’s possible.Not to throw this thread off track but I sat in the front row of Superhero, it was one of the most perfect seats I’ve ever been and was bored out of my mind. Not going to bother listing all of my issues with it here, but I’ve never walked out on a show and if I was there by myself, I would have left at intermission."

Thanks for saying this - I haven't seen the show but the buzz seems to be pretty positive.  I've only seen the couple of highlight videos and I liked what I saw - I'll post again after I see it - Cheers

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:38am

Bk wrote:

"Is forty supposed to be old now?"

Not only now. Remember the mantra of the unlamented hippie era, "don't trust anyone over thirty?" (Real charmers they were, right?)  Well, we've certainly seen how well that has played out.

 "Young people throughout history have come to Broadway shows."

Yes, indeed. And to far superior ones, for sure.

"You think you're the first generation to see Broadway shows at a young age? "

Right. Everyone thinks they're the first person to invent the wheel. Such is the prevailing mindset of our self-centered age.

"The difference NOW is that shows are pandering to your age group - THAT is the difference."

Exactly. Imagine, young people once went to musicals about people other than themselves, and enjoyed them, no less! Unthinkable, Molly Brown!

But in truth, as far as this old timer is concerned, I find the teen musicals --- at least the innocuous ones --- easier to sit through than today's so-called "adult" fare. Sure, they may be mediocre or worse, but sometimes you can hear a passable tune or two, and perhaps even get a couple of laughs along the way. (Of course, I'm not talking about the "serious," foul-mouthed howls of teen/twenty-something angst like Rent or Spring Awakening which are absolutely impossible.) But to me, shows like Clueless, Be More Chill, Mean Girls, etc. are far more palatable than such dire and dismal ordeals as Once, Hamilton, Fun Home, The Band's Visit, etc. 

Updated On: 2/28/19 at 02:38 AM

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 9:30am

bk said: "YvanEhtNioj said: "everythingtaboo said: "One kid was in a tux with a red bowtie saying it was the best thing he ever saw, and that was a really sweet thing to see."


"

"40 year old white people" - Is forty supposed to be old now? I'll ignore the "white people" comment. Young people throughout history have come to Broadway shows. You think you're the first generation to see Broadway shows at a young age? The difference NOW is that shows are pandering to your age group - THAT is the difference. "

You're reaching. Reread the comment. 

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 9:32am

Annette170 said: "

I don’t know who made that comment but I’m a 50 yr old Hispanic woman and I completely understand that comment. When I started going to the theater in my early 20s, there were many people who didn’t looklike me. I know for myself, cost was a huge factor and I can only imagine that is one reason why we don’t see a lot of diversity in the audience. If it not were for RUSH seats, I wouldn’t have seen 90% of the shows that I did back then and even now. If you are not a person of color, you may find the comment off puttingbut it isn’t. It should make you pause and try and understand how someone feels. If we can have more shows that bring out the youth and or minorities,I’m happy about it. We need a variety of shows and not all need to be classics or that familiar old school theater vibe. Theater is art and as we all know very well, art is subjective. I am happy that I do see more people of color at shows but it’s still not where I’d like it to be.Ticket prices aren’t all to blame. Growing up in the “hood(as I did), theater wasn’t something people spoke of. It was also something many people thought wasn’t for them. Our schools and after school programs need to introduce theater to our children and let them take it in and dream.

I guess my point is that I wouldn’t want anyone misunderstanding the “white” comment. It’s a reality for people of color. We take notice when we are the only or one of the very few. We also notice when audiences are more diverse. It makes a difference and it makes me happy to see."

Thank you so much. 

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 11:54am

Super nice of you to just assume I’m white because I had a problem with the comment “40 year old white people”, give me a break.

[Pashacar]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 12:59pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "Troy should take over as the principal for Michael. It wont skyrocket ticket sales, but it's a start."

I saw Troy in his first performance off-Bway and couldn't believe how good he was, especially during "Bathroom." I've since seen many videos of George performing it, and IMO there's more to Troy's, plus he's more believable as a teen. Nothing against George, but I think he'd be a great choice to take over.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 1:02pm

"40 years old and white" literally describes the average Broadway audience member, according to The Broadway League:

"The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 40.6 years old, the lowest since 2000.

One quarter of all tickets were purchased by non-Caucasian theatregoers."

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2017-2018 Season

Updated On: 2/28/19 at 01:02 PM

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:07pm

Kad said: "

"The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 40.6 years old, the lowest since 2000.

One quarter of all tickets were purchased by non-Caucasian theatregoers."

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2017-2018 Season"

 

MIC DROP. 

I'm honestly surprised that that comment triggered people so much as if minorities and younger crowds are making up 80% of the audience. Yeah. Okay.

I never saw a show or cared for theater until I was like..20. I always had the mindset that every show had the same style of music, only had white leads, [it's a very ignorant mindset but] I never thought i'd be one of those "Musical gays", my high school didnt have a theatre program, etc.. I randomly took a trip to NYC and saw "Bring It On: The Musical", and it completely changed my view on musical theatre. I loved the music, the diversity, the jokes, the dancing. I couldn't stop thinking about it even days later. Since then I've seen so many shows that I've lost count. 

No, Be More Chill isnt my favorite show but i can tell for a lot of younger theatregoers, it's their Bring It On: The Musical. You're focusing so much on one sentence that you're missing the main point of my post - shows like these are bringing a new generation and demographic into theater and I love that. 

Updated On: 2/28/19 at 02:07 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:21pm

I applaud this post! ^

[Annette170]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:24pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "Kad said: "

"The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 40.6 years old, the lowest since 2000.

One quarter of all tickets were purchased by non-Caucasian theatregoers."

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2017-2018 Season"



MIC DROP.

I'm honestly surprised that that comment triggered people so much as if minorities andyounger crowds are making up 80% of the audience. Yeah. Okay.

I never saw a show or cared for theater until I was like..20. I always had the mindset that every show had the same style of music,only had white leads,[it's a very ignorant mindset but] I never thought i'd be one of those "Musical gays", my high school didnt have a theatre program, etc.. I randomly took a trip to NYC and saw "Bring It On: The Musical", and it completely changed my view on musical theatre. I loved the music, the diversity, the jokes, the dancing. I couldn't stop thinking about it even days later. Since then I've seen so many shows that I've lost count.

No, Be More Chill isnt my favorite show but i can tell for a lot of younger theatregoers, it's theirBring It On: The Musical.You're focusing so much on one sentence that you're missing the main point of my post - shows like these are bringing a new generation and demographic into theater and I love that."

Right there with you!!! Agree. Whatever brings ALL people to the theater is something I can get behind. 

[Annette170]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:25pm

YvanEhtNioj said: " Thank you so much."

You’re welcome 

[\_(•_•)_/]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:30pm

I guess your comment “triggerd” me because I don’t want theatre to be a “white person” thing, if that makes sense. I enjoy that we live in a time (2019) where diversity, is being extremely successful and all races (mixed, full) are being represented on the screen and stage. If this was back in the 90’s or even the early 2000’s I would agree with your comment. Yes, Kad brought up some evidence that white 40 year old men are the dominate theatre goer, but in 2019, I find theatre to be very diverse and the audiences to be very diverse.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 2:53pm

You can find whatever you want, but the Broadway League's report speaks for itself. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 3:21pm

But Kad, those facts don’t support their reality. Surely there must be an alternate group of findings that do support the totally false claim that audiences are young and diverse across the board? No? Facts are facts, you say? Alrighty then.

[Annette170]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 3:42pm

“Yes, Kad brought up some evidence that white 40 year old men are the dominate theatre goer, but in 2019, I find theatre to be very diverse and the audiences to be very diverse. "

 

I agree the theater is more diverse now than in the 90s but when I’m one of the few people of color in the Harry Potter Audience, I don’t consider that to be a “very diverse audience”. Broadway is moving in the right direction but it’s not there yet. I’m not putting the progress down but I’m calling it like I see it. I think I have seen 6-7 shows this past year and I wouldn’t say the audiences are very diverse. That’s far from truth with my experiences. 

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 3:53pm

I also think perception really depends on where you see theatre, even in large cities. Until 8 years ago, 90% of the theatre I saw was in the San Francisco Bay Area, and about 80% of that was in San Francisco proper. I didn't appreciate how diverse the audiences were for the tours that came through SF until I started seeing the same (or similar-caliber) shows on Broadway and I'd be one of a handful of Asian faces.

[haterobics]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 5:01pm

_(•_&bull_/ said: "Yes, Kad brought up some evidence that white 40 year old men are the dominate theatre goer, but in 2019, I find theatre to be very diverse and the audiences to be very diverse."

His "evidence" is last season's demographics, so basically the latest stats available.

That said, you can easily roll your own anecdotal info if you see Mean Girls instead of My Fair Lady and Be More Chill instead of Waverly Gallery. It won't prove anything, but it will seem different than what is being reported...

[bwaylinds]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 8:07pm

I saw the show on the first night of previews after a friend of mine, a huge fan of the show, took me since his fellow superfan who he planned on going with got sick. I didn't really love the show despite the fact I'm a 16 year old queer kid, aka the target audience and should've either seen something else or stayed home but that's besides the point. I had a ticket last tuesday night that I had bought in the "squip zone" right when they went on sale because I missed it off-broadway and didn't get the hype it got on the internet so I wanted to experience it and form my own opinion. Obviously I didn't know I would see it before my planned date so since, I couldn't sell my ticket and didn't want it to go to waste, I wound up in the Lyceum again, knowing very well that I probably would once again not enjoy the show. But I was pleasantly suprised at how much more I enjoyed it, all because of Troy Iwata. I had heard online that George Salazar was the big "not-to-be missed" performer in the show and thought Michael in The Bathroom was the only good song on the album so I obviously had high expectations for him. Underwhelmed would be an understatement. He reads so old on the stage and he overacted every action to the point where Micheal in The Bathroom almost seemed comedic. Troy on the otherhand brought the much needed youth to the charachter and was overall more realistic throughout the show. As to I didn't like the show as a whole, it felt very campy and tried too hard to push it's very basic message. I'm an old soul in the sense that I much rather have seen My Fair Lady or Mockingbird as opposed to this but it doesn't necesarily mean I hate modern shows as I enjoyed The Prom very much. Overall, the show would be significantly stronger if Troy was promoted to principal Michael but I can only imagine the fan riots that would cause. Also to those wondering, the "Squip Zone" is just a seat in the first two rows with an "exclusive" pin shaped like a pill along with a "certificate of authenticity" so yeah, not worth it.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 11:07pm

bwaylinds said: "I saw the show on the first night of previews after a friend of mine, a huge fan of the show,took me since his fellow superfan who he planned on going with got sick. I didn't really love the show despite the fact I'm a 16 year old queer kid, aka the target audience and should've either seen something else or stayed home but that's besides the point. I had a ticketlast tuesday night that I had bought in the "squip zone" right when they went on sale because I missed it off-broadway and didn't get the hype it got on the internet so I wanted to experience it and form my own opinion. Obviously I didn't know I would see it before my planned date so since, I couldn't sell my ticketand didn't want it to go to waste, I wound up in the Lyceum again, knowing very well that I probably would once again not enjoy the show. But I was pleasantly suprised at how much more I enjoyed it, all because of Troy Iwata. I had heard online that George Salazar was the big "not-to-be missed" performer in the show and thought Michael in The Bathroom was the only good song on the album so I obviously had high expectations for him. Underwhelmed would be an understatement. He reads so old on the stage and he overacted every action to the point where Micheal in The Bathroom almost seemed comedic. Troy on the otherhand brought the much needed youth to the charachter and was overall more realistic throughout the show. As to I didn't like the show as a whole, it felt very campy and tried too hard to push it's very basic message. I'm an old soul in the sense that I much rather have seen My Fair Lady or Mockingbird as opposed to this but it doesn't necesarily mean I hate modern shows as I enjoyed The Prom very much. Overall, the show would be significantly stronger if Troy was promoted to principal Michael but I can only imagine the fan riots that would cause. Also to those wondering, the "Squip Zone" is just a seat in the first two rows with an "exclusive" pin shaped like a pill along with a "certificate of authenticity" so yeah, not worth it."

 

We have no plans on seeing this but I'm perplexed by all the attention this Troy Iwata dude is getting in BMC!

From what I'm hearing from my industry friends and reading this board....Troy seems to be the right guy for this role on Broadway and far superior to George who looks much older and is not as strong a singer-actor.

^This: Troy Iwata. I had heard online that George Salazar was the big "not-to-be missed" performer in the show and thought Michael in The Bathroom was the only good song on the album so I obviously had high expectations for him. Underwhelmed would be an understatement. He reads so old on the stage and he overacted every action to the point where Micheal in The Bathroom almost seemed comedic. Troy on the otherhand brought the much needed youth to the charachter and was overall more realistic throughout the show.

So, my question is: Since George has been out so far for most of the previews could he-shoudl he be replaced by Troy? He seems to be the better choice for the role. Thoughts? It has happened many times before being replace by the understudy.

Posted: 2/28/19 at 11:14pm

I haven't seen the show yet, but from the preview clip I thought George sounded great but was going over the top with the acting. If Troy is giving a more realistic performance,that's great! I don't think he will replace George unless there's a medical need though, since George has been with the show since it began. And as for the age thing, George looks old but since the rest of the cast is around the same age it's not a dealbreaker.

[bk]

Posted: 2/28/19 at 11:31pm

Annette170 said: "_(•_&bull_/ said: "40 year old white people? Okay!"

I don’t know who made that comment but I’m a 50 yr old Hispanic woman and I completely understand that comment. When I started going to the theater in my early 20s, there were many people who didn’t looklike me. I know for myself, cost was a huge factor and I can only imagine that is one reason why we don’t see a lot of diversity in the audience. If it not were for RUSH seats, I wouldn’t have seen 90% of the shows that I did back then and even now. If you are not a person of color, you may find the comment off puttingbut it isn’t. It should make you pause and try and understand how someone feels. If we can have more shows that bring out the youth and or minorities,I’m happy about it. We need a variety of shows and not all need to be classics or that familiar old school theater vibe. Theater is art and as we all know very well, art is subjective. I am happy that I do see more people of color at shows but it’s still not where I’d like it to be.Ticket prices aren’t all to blame. Growing up in the “hood(as I did), theater wasn’t something people spoke of. It was also something many people thought wasn’t for them. Our schools and after school programs need to introduce theater to our children and let them take it in and dream.

I guess my point is that I wouldn’t want anyone misunderstanding the “white” comment. It’s a reality for people of color. We take notice when we are the only or one of the very few. We also notice when audiences are more diverse. It makes a difference and it makes me happy to see."

I'm intrigued - a fifty-year-old Hispanic woman who joined the board a few weeks ago to post about Be More Chill.  As Mr. Porter once said: Anything Goes.

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 12:04am

I wholeheartedly think George should be replaced by Troy. Troy, Tiffany Mann, and the actresses who play Brooke & Chole stand out so much during the show.

I know that it's very unlikely, and I do feel bad saying it due to his loyalty, but I feel like Troy should be the principal in that role.

Updated On: 3/1/19 at 12:04 AM