Has a Broadway musical ever been the subject of a national controversy before? — Page 2

The first national tour of South Pacific had to cut "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" when it played in the South.

Mister Matt said: "For that reason alone the tours of that show made front page news everywhere it went.

The first national tour was the first musical my parents saw together. They saw it in DC (I *think* it was the Kennedy Center the year it opened, but I'm not 100% positive) and they always spoke of the unusual opening with the cast entering the theatre from the back of the house by walking over the arms and backs of the seats in the audience, the chilling finale and dancing on stage with the cast during Let the Sun Shine In. I still have their souvenir brochure and LP of the cast recording (which I heard endlessly as a child along with Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady). It was a special moment for me when I saw the revival and danced on stage with the cast just as my parents did



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I didn't see the D.C. production and, of course, you are merely reporting what your parents said. But in productions I saw in Miami and New York, the cast did not ENTER climbing on the armrests. In fact, the published script calls for the cast to be milling about on stage when the audience first comes in. (Something that was shocking enough in 1968: very avant-garde for the commercial theater.)

The cast left the stage to "assault" audience members and climb on the armrests during one of the early numbers.

If you think about it, the logistics of entering from the back and trying to walk on the armrests of audience members who can't see you coming would be rather daunting.

Just a small point: glad you enjoyed the revival.

PalJoey said: "

The answer is obviously NO. The only times a Broadway musical has been nation ally relevant was as entertainment or inspiration, as was Camelot after the assassination of JFK, or titillating, as were Oh, Calcutta and Hair.

But never controversy!





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I'm not sure how you are defining controversy, joey. Whether HAIR could even be staged was a legal controversy in many parts of the country.

Updated On: 11/23/16 at 09:47 AM

One of the original cast members of Hair wrote a book (I forget her name but it was the lady who played Abe Lincoln) and she has a really detailed synopsis of the original production of the show in New York and mentions the cast milling around the back of the theatre and climbing on the chairs and then (in very stylized slow motion) coming towards the stage right before the song "Aquarius" --

QueenAlice said: "One of the original cast members of Hair wrote a book (I forget her name but it was the lady who played Abe Lincoln) and she has a really detailed synopsis of the original production of the show in New York and mentions the cast milling around the back of the theatre and climbing on the chairs and then (in very stylized slow motion) coming towards the stage right before the song "Aquarius" --"

I was able to see the London cast in the summer of '74. They did the slow motion entrance there as well. It was fascinating. And the interaction with the audience was great too - I remember one of the Tribe taking the hat off an older woman, putting it on and wearing it thru most of opening before coming back down the aisle and replacing it on her head. They didn't do the slow mo entrance every performance though - I saw it four times and they only did it once.

I had tickets to see HAIR in Boston on Easter Sunday in 1970. We had to wait for a judge to rule if the show could go on, which it did. As it happened, a huge blizzard hit Boston on Easter Sunday, but there wasn't an empty seat in that theatre that afternoon.

carnzee said: "After this week's Hamilton controversy, I am trying to remember another time when a Broadway musical (or even a play) was thrust into the national conversation in a comparable way. Any thoughts? "

I think this is a confluence of the reduction of what constitutes a controversy with an unprecedented ability of people to decide what is "trending" in a post-gatekeeper world.

In fairness, Donald Trump is not alone in referring to Hamilton as "overrated". I saw it several months ago and left the theatre wondering what all the fuss was about and I'm aware of others who felt likewise.

QueenAlice said: "One of the original cast members of Hair wrote a book (I forget her name but it was the lady who played Abe Lincoln) and she has a really detailed synopsis of the original production of the show in New York and mentions the cast milling around the back of the theatre and climbing on the chairs and then (in very stylized slow motion) coming towards the stage right before the song "Aquarius"... --

I think she and the script are talking about actors entering from the wings, going into the house and then returning to the stage for the opening number. May some have simply walked down the aisles? Sure. But I don't believe they climbed on armrests from back to front. They would have been blinded and the audience members couldn't have seen them coming and cleared a path.

But we're upsetting ?Macavity?, so I'll let this go.

Updated On: 11/24/16 at 08:57 AM

"In fairness, Donald Trump is not alone in referring to Hamilton as "overrated"."



Except, the issue isn't that someone dared to call "Hamilton" overrated. Of course no show is going to be universally beloved.

The issue is the future president of the United States lashing out at a show because the cast members made some critical - but even-tempered - comments. In this specific context, the "I've heard it's very overrated" thing just comes off as incredibly childish and petulant. It doesn't bode well for how he'll react to the inevitably much, much stronger criticism (and vitriol) he's going to be receiving in the coming years - some of it from foreign leaders.

...There's also the relevant point that Donald Trump hasn't seen "Hamilton," so his opinion of its "overrated-ness" isn't in the least bit relevant.

haterobics said: "carnzee said: "After this week's Hamilton controversy, I am trying to remember another time when a Broadway musical (or even a play) was thrust into the national conversation in a comparable way. Any thoughts? "

I think this is a confluence of the reduction of what constitutes a controversy with an unprecedented ability of people to decide what is "trending" in a post-gatekeeper world.

Huh?

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Show Boat was controversial not only when it premiered in 1927, but as recently as the 1994 Hal Prince revival.

It was the first integrated musical, with both races playing on the same stage at the same time. Some thought that the slaughtered version of the English language the African Americans were given to speak was insulting, others just thought it was meant to be accurate.

Where's yo' all gwine?

Tell dose stingy men o' yourn

To step up here in line!

And of course the first word that greeted the audience was as reprehensible in 1927 as it is now.

n*s all work on the Mississippi

n*s all work while the white folk play.

That Hammerstein guy didn't ****foot around.

The Hal Prince revival spent a year in Toronto before transferring very successfully to Broadway. Many black communities in Toronto were angrily opposed to it: SHOW BOAT SPREADS LIES AND HATE and SHOW BOAT = CULTURAL GENOCIDE.

I didn't get it either.