Michael Maliakel hopes 'Monsoon Wedding' takes Broadway by storm

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:43am

Michael Maliakel, the young, Indian-American star of "Monsoon Wedding," dishes about working  on Mira Nair's new musical. Now making its world premiere at Berkeley Rep, it's been so popular that it's been extended 3 times, and Forbes says it's heading to Broadway. Maliakel, who grew up in New Jersey, also talks frankly about racism in America, his ''mind-blowing'' meeting with a young fan, and which role he'd love to play in ''Hamilton.''

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Interview-Michael-Maliakel-Hopes-Berkeley-Monsoon-Takes-Broadway-by-Storm-20170619

 

Updated On: 6/20/17 at 03:43 AM

[Robbie2]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 1:56pm

Wayman_Wong said: "Michael Maliakel, the young, Indian-American star of "Monsoon Wedding," dishes about working  on Mira Nair's new musical. Now making its world premiere at Berkeley Rep, it's been so popular that it's been extended 3 times, and Forbes says it's heading to Broadway. Maliakel, who grew up in New Jersey, also talks frankly about racism in America, his ''mind-blowing'' meeting with a young fan, and which role he'd love to play in ''Hamilton.''

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Interview-Michael-Maliakel-Hopes-Berkeley-Monsoon-Takes-Broadway-by-Storm-20170619

 

 

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No thank you...BOMBAY Dreams flopped so will this...Also, heard it's awful!

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 4:05am

Any other shows you wanna trash, based only on hearsay?

''Bombay Dreams'' actually ran for 2 years in London. And though it wasn't a long-running hit on Broadway (it played for about 300 performances), its fate doesn't mean ''Monsoon Wedding'' automatically will ''flop.'' Not ALL Indian musicals are the same. ''Bombay Dreams'' was an original musical about a young man who wants to be a Bollywood star. ''Monsoon Wedding'' is a stage adaptation of Mira Nair's 2001 acclaimed movie about family secrets that spill out during the festivities over an arranged marriage.

I hope you also don't think all African-American musicals are the same, or Latino ones, etc. The first Latino-American work (with music) to hit Broadway was Luis Valdez's ''Zoot Suit,'' which only lasted 41 performances. By your logic, I guess Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegria Hudes' ''In the Heights'' should've been a ''flop,'' too.

Every show deserves to the right to be judged on its own merits, not prejudged simply due to the ethnicity of its cast/subject matter.

Like various shows, ''Monsoon Wedding's'' reviews have run the gamut: raves, mixed ones, pans. Critics can disagree. But one thing can't be disputed: ''Monsoon Wedding'' has been popular with Berkeley Rep's audiences. It's already been extended three times, which might be a record there. Naturally, that is no guarantee of success on Broadway (or anywhere else). But so far, it has found a way to appeal to Caucasian and South Asian audiences, and is deserving of more credit than a snarky dismissal, sight unseen.

Updated On: 6/21/17 at 04:05 AM