Do You Think Broadway Will Become Extinct? — Page 2

..See, I think there is a great many people who Don’t WANT Broadway to be made accessible to everyone…They like having it as their own little stomping ground…makes them feel special…dare I say, better than the “average Joe”…

It makes them feel special to deride a Britney Spears while claiming that have that import album with rare Sondheim songs …and they know every lyric…

They can look aghast at Janet Jackson’s breast while crowing that a Sutton Foster would never stoop to something like that or a Chita Rivera never HAD to resort to a cheap stunt ….

It’s the constant degrading of other art forms or mediums by a large number of the Broadway community and fans that is heading all of them right in the direction of the dinosaur…

Ya'll see??…

That's right Mambo...It’s all THEIR fault...!

How much MTV do you watch? Not much if any I would imagine?

Still upset the Beatles crossed over, are we?

Everyone who listens to or enjoys something other than the cast album of "Redhead" is an idiot! Right!

Still casting blame on everyone but an industry that FAILED to acclimate itself to the times?

As I said, your - own - little - club - and as I also said it will end eventually so grab your original cast album of "Greenwilllow" and hold on tight!

nah, anth, i'm just po'd that nwa and public enemy don't get enough props for their trailblazing.

to be honest, i'm not much of a musical fan really and don't even own a single obc album or cd, although i've worked on more than my share. so you can keep your "redhead" (especialy since mrs. mambo has made me swear them off). and i never called anybody an idiot although, if the shoe fits, lace it up baby.

beatles? nah, i always preferred the stones and the stooges and the original misfits.

everything ends. it's a question of whether it ends with it's head held high and at least with a semblance of it's ideals (not that it has ever really had any, but that's beside the point) or whether it panders to the most base instincts of humanity.

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I don't know everyone is getting all upset, in the future will are going to ruled by apes, so it doesn't matter. Now what the apes will be enjoying theater-wise is the real debate. Maybe something like, "Hello Darwin!" will be the big hit....

I love apes...!! so cute and they bray with almost the same power as Sutton Foster!

voiceanth - What makes you think MTV wants anything to do with Broadway in the first place? Broadway has endured wars, assassinations, stock market crashes and terrorism for over 100 years now. I think it will be fine without the sponsorship of the false idol of MTV. The attitude is not isolationist. It is a completely different art form and a completely different forum. If Broadway is guilty of isolating MTV, then MTV is certainly guiilty of the same. When was the last time you heard of a musical making music news on MTV? Possibly a mention of Billy Joel's connection with Movin' Out or Elton John's win for Aida, but only because of their pop star status. MTV takes care of their own such as Joey Fatone when they do a show, but could care less about anything that doesn't contain a pop star.

Personally, I would rather not have Broadway associated with MTV. Does that seem elitist? Maybe. But what has MTV ever offered to the public in the last 15 years that Broadway so desperately needs? A demographic of violence/sex hungry teens who celebrate binge drinking and cruelty? I'm not exactly sure how that would benefit Broadway. Yes, I have watched MTV since its birth in the early 80s and while it used to stand for innovation in the music world, it has very little to do with music any longer. Broadway is not extinct yet. But if it decided to celebrate the mentality of the MTV programming, then what we know as Broadway will be extinct.

"They can look aghast at Janet Jackson’s breast while crowing that a Sutton Foster would never stoop to something like that or a Chita Rivera never HAD to resort to a cheap stunt"

Sutton probably wouldn't and Chita probably didn't.
What's your point? When was the last time Janet Jackson auditioned for Aida? You're talking apples and oranges.

"The Tony’s Ratings have declined precipitously since 1979"

Have they? I don't know the figures. What are they?

"People, when RENT failed to get anyone excited for very long..well…that was pretty much it….."

What do you consider very long? Eight years and it's still running. Seven of the top ten longest running shows in Broadway history have opened since 1982. The other three opened in the mid-70s. Even with slump seasons, each decade is producing longer-running shows. How do you substantiate that people are not excited about Broadway?

"Let it slide down the toilet without any thought of innovation...because the very thought of innovation is enough to make everyone have the dry heaves…"

There have been huge innovations from book structure to scenic and lighting design to musical styles to political and social commentary.

I think the big question here is, what exactly are you expecting of Broadway and musical theatre? And what exactly do you think MTV has to offer that is beneficial to Broadway? And why are you so desperate to compare musical theatre to the world of MTV? It's two completely different genres. While there may be a bit of crossover in musical style of the score, there is really nothing else the two entities have in common. Why not add opera into the mix?

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Speaking of the MTV thing....
I have said before that IMHO most people outside of NYC don't know who most broadway actors are. Movie stars and pop stars are where its at, and for many of these people broadway is seen as a "step down" in there careers. Growing up out of NYC broadway was always talked about as the place where has-been movie and tv actors go when't when they couldn't get any more jobs and I think alot of people still see it that way.

And let's not forget the Buffy Musical!

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newyorkuniq - "Growing up out of NYC broadway was always talked about as the place where has-been movie and tv actors go when't when they couldn't get any more jobs and I think alot of people still see it that way."

Where have you heard of these opinions? Even my friends in Texas and Chicago who are not theatre fans still consider Broadway to be very highly respected. It's still "BROADWAY". Most of the people I talk to consider it a big deal for a major star to perform on Broadway considering they could probably be making more money doing something else. Look at Hugh Jackman, for example. How many people really think he is doing it because his career is dying?

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Justin Timberlake in a revival of PAl JOEY...now, THAT I would go see!

Borstalboy - Have you seen The Visit? I saw the tryout in Chicago and it really wasn't memorable. But I did think it was better than Bounce. The Light in the Piazza was far superior to either show.

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No, sadly, I missed The Visit. But nonetheless...Sondheim and Kander/Ebb are.....well, they're Sondheim and Kander/Ebb! Pioneers that deserve to be produced so that those of us who love them can love them at their worst.

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