Only One Play running come September!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/81386.html
The article is up on playbill.com. Wanna see a Broadway play? Come Septemeber, Take Me out is your only choice. I never saw a play in my life, and I wouldn't spend my money on one when I could see a musical, unless it's something really great, but I can't believe there will only be 1 play running.

Wow BillyLawlor...why don't you like plays?

This is all VERY sad to hear. In my teens and 20s, many of the plays I spent my money on were infinitely more satisfying and memorable than many of the musicals of the same period. A few highlights, and I'm sure I'll remember others...

'night Mother with Kathy Bates and Anne Pitoniak
Glengarry Glen Ross
Noises Off
Grown Ups
House of Blue Leaves
Crimes of the Heart
Amadeus

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I love going to musicals, but I have to agree that good plays are much more memorable; and the smaller the cast the more memorable the play, usually. A good actor will leave the character and story in your mind...while a good singer will merely allow you to remember a song from yet another musical.

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You can remove Harvey from the above list. It is no longer coming in.

I recently got to see "Long Day's Journey" and was blown away by Vanessa Redgrave's performance. It's a pity that there are people who may have missed such an experience simply because she didn't sing.

I do understand to some extent the feeling. For people who don't live near the city, often times their only connection to what is playing here is through the cast recordings. Coming here for the first time, they may have but a few days to see the dozen or so shows that up til now they have only been able to hear.

Stock companies are eliminating non-musicals left and right because they don't sell well and touring companies are probably 75% musicals (or more...). Community theatres do not always have the actors to pull off a non-musical as brilliantly as the play may deserve to be seen (I realize that is not always the case, I know of many great community theatres across the country!).

However, seeing only musicals is similar to going to the movies and only seeing comedies. Even if you love comedies, don't you sometimes like suspense films or action flicks?

Broadwaygirl hit it on the nose for me. I would NEVER go see something I don't know anything about right now, because theater is too expensive to take that risk. For someone who works, and has the money to do so, I say go ahead. But kids and teenagers can't do that. I agree with Broadwaygirl- music is the thing that has drawn me to theater. And a teenage friend of mine who saw "Long Day's Journey Into Night" a while back said she hated it, but she saw Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street, and fell in love with both shows. Younger people aren't drawn to that type of theater, but singing and dancing is exciting. Now I'm not saying all plays are "Long Day's Journey Into Night" or all plays are bad. And what I meant by "unless the play is great" is- I would see it if I have heard about it, know what it's about, and has something that draws me to it. For example- I was planning on seeing "The Miracle Worker" because I am a fan of Hilary Swank, I have read the play before, and loved it, finding it very interesting. I also read a lot of plays- I, believe it or not, go to the library and check plays out and read them. This broadens my love and interest of theater. But to sum it all up- musicals hit the spot for me, besides the fact that I don't have the money to go see other Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway or regional plays.

If you have the money to see Millie three times...then you should have the money to try something new! Wouldn't have been more excited to see something fresh then going to see TMM for the third time? I love musicals...but I can honestly say the few times I've actually been "amazed" in a theater was during and extraordianry performance in a play. And many times plays are cheaper than musicals. So my advice is read up on some plays...pick one that interests you and give it a shot. Why not try Take Me Out next time you're thinking of going to see Millie?

I am mortified. MORTIFIED. And yet somehow not at all surprised.

well put queenss

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And let's not forget that during the summer there is always Shakespeare in the Park. All we are saying is please don't be so afraid to take a risk. OK, so you've never heard of a certain play. Maybe you'll end up liking it and tell someone else how great it is. It's really a shame that plays have to survive by word of mouth.

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Auntie Sueleen is truly disturbed. I won’t lecture, but everyone should take the advice above and go see a play, NOW. There is always a little singing in Shakespeare.

My plea is to Bernadette and Sutton: If these young people adore you as they say they do get thee to a non-musical role STAT!

Bernie, how about a revival of WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF? (You would at least get to sing the title song!) Nathan would be a great George.

Sutton, could you and Gavin please do something like FRANKIE AND JOHNNIE?

I am afraid you are the only hope for getting certain people to sit through a straight play.

Now I need to take a couple of aspirin. I feel a sinking spell coming.

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I find this no-play trend disturbing as well. How about going to see a play for the writing, the story, the performances? Why does a character have to break into song every five minutes to make a show worthwhile? Now I love musicals. My favorite shows are musicals. But, sorry, I just find it sad for people to eliminate plays from their theatre going repertoire, both for the sake of their own experiences and for the future of playwriting.

Do you only see movies that are musicals? I can't believe the only recent movies you have seen are Chicago and Moulin Rouge? And at 10 bucks a pop, movies aren't so cheap either these days.

When I was a teen/young adult, some of my favorite trips to TKTS resulted in plays such as Gemini, Deathtrap, Noises Off, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and later A Few Good Men, Love Letters, Rumors, etc. Some of my children's (age 9 and 13) recent favorites have included Noises Off, Play What I Wrote, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (off-broadway), and they have seen plenty of musicals.

No I don't see movies that are only musicals, movies are about 90 bucks cheaper than shows. Plus, usually I see a movie when it is aired on TV or I rent it for 5 bucks (usually paid for by someone else in my house). I would love to see a play, I woud just RATHER see a musical, that's all.