Peter Filichia's Response to Stew's Broadway Comments

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 7/30/08 at 9:44pm

Thought this was an interesting, well argued, response to Stew's comments about Broadway.

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Besides, Stew admitted that he wasn’t 100% happy doing eight a week, and that he was "no Broadway baby." So he should take his awards, his great reviews, his memories of rabid applause, his Spike Lee film, and happily return to what he truly loves to do. But there’s no reason why he must put down the traditional Broadway musical, especially if he’s going be inaccurate about it.

In his blog, Stew said that his musical "gave certain people a kind of hope that maybe there could be more to Broadway than shiny buttons, an uplifting first act closer, and a happy ending." That’s simplistic and off-the-mark. True, many Broadway show songs have so-called buttons, but songs in rock concerts have them, too — and they should, for there’s n-o-t-h-i-n-g wrong with an audience getting the chance to applaud something they love. Plenty of people loved applauding plenty of Passing Strange songs that had buttons, and they were in their right to do so. Besides, off the top of my head, I can think of at least three genuine Broadway musical show-stoppers that could have brought down the house with applause buttons but didn’t go for them: "Broadway Baby," "Who Couldn’t Dance with You?" and "Is Anybody There?"

I then went looking through all the Tony-winning book musicals that have intermissions, and found only 14 that have "an uplifting first act closer." Otherwise, I see first-act closers offering conflicts as slight as a spanking all the way to police raids, sabotage, reputations lost, murder, threats of murder, destruction of property, a substantial loss of much-needed money, an attempted suicide, and an ocean liner hitting an iceberg, among others. Besides, most dramatists know they’re better of ending their first acts with chaos and conflict and not with something "uplifting."

As for the happy endings, true, the vast majority of Tony-winning musicals do have them, but Fiddler, Sweeney, Evita, Les Miz, Phantom, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Passion, Sunset Boulevard, Titanic, and Spring Awakening range from bittersweet to tragic. One size does not fit all, as Stew seems to think.
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Filichia Article

[Weez]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 4:46am

See, I don't mind if people want to diss musicals. But I'd REALLY like it if they knew what they were talking about. Stew's opinion of what musicals are is what I encounter constantly, although thanks to Tim Burton, it's never been easier to throw 'Sweeney Todd' back at them as a prime example of why they're wrong on every count. Once - just ONCE - I'd like to see a musical-hater who actually GETS musicals.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 8:02am

Who cares what a failed rock star thinks? Or a failed Broadway star for that matter. If he knew how to deliver a show people wanted to see it wouldn't be closing already.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 8:36am

Stew seemed to be commenting on the perception that bway musicals are all shiny and happy.
And to 99.999% of the population that is the common belief. Even now the big successes are what most would consider "fluff".
There has been an encouraging trend of late to tackle more difficult and morally ambiguous subject matter, but these tend to fail.
For every Grey Gardens or Spring Awakening, there is a Little Mermaid or Spamalot. And the latter are what people think of when they think of bway, plus they make more money.

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 8:45am

While it was as good rebuttal, I'm a little disappointed Filichia even bothered to acknowledge the opinion of such a non-player.

Stew Who?

[joe5]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 9:06am

Taz, I totally agree with your post. It's unforunate that Broadway is more about money these days. Hence, stunt casting and the reality show thing. Getting back to Stew, profit for art isn't his thing. joe
Updated On: 7/31/08 at 09:06 AM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 10:20am

Broadway is turning into Vegas. It's sad.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 11:50am

"it's unfortunate that Broadway is more about making money theses days."

What days was it not about making money.
Stew was trying to do something different and it appealed to some but the general public just didn't care.
He's entittled to his opinion, and he is a TONY Award winner.

[jasonf]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 11:57am

I agree with Weez - I have yet to meet anyone who has any actual knowledge of what musical theater is really about who says, "It just isn't for me." Those who claim to hate musicals are generally ignorant of the genre. My best friend was that way - thought they were ridiculous and couldn't understand my fixation on them until a girlfriend took him to Les Mis and Sweeney. Now he gets it and has actually apologized for his unfounded bias before.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 2:52pm

Ohhh please, this article's a little foolish to me. Everyone gets up and arms and starts defending Broadway. Calling him a failed rock and broadway star (FYI Sondheim, Hammerstein, Comden and Green all have had runs much like Passing Strange)...as if what Stew said isn't partcially true. Stew isn't the only one who needs to do a little acknowledging. There are exceptions to every rule so when someone makes a comment, OF COURSE there will be an exception. But honestly look at musicals for the past 10 years. Look at what's done in MOST regional houses and summer stock. It's the shiny-buttoned love story with a happy ending. Sure there are the Sondheims and Hammersteins who change things but we need to look at the MAJORITY of musicals being presented across the country. There's a reason why there's a certain perception to non theatre people.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 2:58pm

well said, Jazzysuite.

I think JoeKevvy was talking about himself when he mentioned the "failed Broadway star" part...

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 3:04pm

"While it was as good rebuttal, I'm a little disappointed Filichia even bothered to acknowledge the opinion of such a non-player.

Stew Who?"

I can't tell if you're kidding or a genuine jackass. Please clarify.

Thank you.

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 3:24pm

Who cares what a failed rock star thinks? Or a failed Broadway star for that matter. If he knew how to deliver a show people wanted to see it wouldn't be closing already.

Yeah! Like that guy Sondheim, with all those Broadway flops no one wanted to see - bunch of failed Broadway stars these people are! I wish Sondheim too knew how to deliver a show people wanted to see, then they wouldn´t have closed!

P.S. Do you like to humiliate yourself on purpose? Looks like you do.

Updated On: 7/31/08 at 03:24 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/31/08 at 10:46pm

"He's entittled to his opinion, and he is a TONY Award winner."

Yeah. All one of 'em. And as far as comparing Stew (who?) to Sondheim, Hammerstein and Comden and Green, come back to us after Stew has had a hit or two. Other than Amsterdam, LA and Germany, who the hell knew who he was before he hit off-broadway?

He wanted to play on Broadway. No one dragged him there. He doesn't know what a mezzanine is? He should learn. He should show a little respect. He shouldn't let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:30am

Blah blah blah. Pick a little talk a little...ugh I hate that show btw. If the internet existed in 1964 I'm sure this is the stuff that would have been said about Sondheim after his Anyone Can Whistle.


Ugh who does that Sondheim think he is attacking the way we live. HA tell him to come back after he has a hit. He can't be compared to Rodgers and Hart or Irving Berlin. THAT's REEEEAL Broadway.

Really people. Did anyone bother READING his blog? I don't see anything offensive AT ALL. I encourage those pissy to actually read where Peter's response came from and see that it's actually kind of a petty rebuttal. Stew's comments weren't given in context and if you read BEFORE & AFTER the quoted portions, you'll see he's actually rather humbled by the whole thing.

Updated On: 8/1/08 at 12:30 AM

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:35am

I don't think this article is about defending Broadway as much as it is putting holes in Stew's assumption, or gross generalization, that musicals were all hugs and smiles before he came along.

[WordedGrace]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 11:27am

Sounds like a little Passing Blame to me.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 11:51am

Well Blaxx, I think Mr Sondheim has managed to achieve a few things, so if he wanted to pontificate a bit on what's wrong with theater in the new millennium I might take him a little more seriously than a guy who's created one unsuccessful show.

Filichia made his point well- this guy (who apparently has absolutely no knowledge of theater- not just theater history but the shows running concurrently with his on Broadway now) is not really an "expert" in any sense of the word.

And joe, if "profit for art isn't really his thing" then he should stand outside the subway and play for free. Why waste all that investor money on a Broadway show?

[joe5]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:38pm

Joe, I really don't know where he is coming from. When he makes a comment like that. He is not into the "profit for art". All artists do have to make a living. I found some of his actions, a little self-indulgent. He should have sold that show big-time on the Tonys. But it appeared to be about him. And not others involed with the show. joe

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:45pm

OK- we're on the same page there. I've seen so many people waste their chances not wanting to "sell out" or whatever- but my thought is, if you create something and you're proud of it, why not have it seen by the biggest number of people? If he wants to change Broadway, he'd be a lot more effective as a guy who's selling tons of tickets.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:53pm

then you should write a musical with your cat.

[joe5]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 12:57pm

Please, no cat fights!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 1:18pm

TDH why are you obsessed with my cat?

[njohn]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 4:42pm

Stew who?

[ben4]

Posted: 8/1/08 at 5:26pm

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=123981577&blogID=413951240

If you follow that link you'll find Stew's actual blog entry and I think you'll be hard-pressed to feel that Stew has some riff against B-way after reading it. He just seems, as JazzySuite said, very humbled by the whole experience.

I don't know if it's fair to criticize him. And in all honesty, last year's Broadway season of 'new' musicals would have seem pretty barren if not for Stew's invaluable addition of creativity and genuine artistry.

The debate between what is "art" in musical theater and what is devised to make money is an ongoing and generally pointless discussion. In truth, everything that plays on broadway is a mixture of both.

Let's not fool ourselves. Passing Strange had a marketing campaign. A genuinely ineffective one, in my opinion, but nevertheless the people behind the production wanted it to make money. And the creative staff behind musicals like Young Frankenstein and Little Mermaid certainly don't get involved in those because they're money grubbing whores. Actors/designers like to feel that they're making art, even when they are in fact boiling the pot.

In the end, perhaps the money-makers need the art as much as the art needs the money-makers. You have a baker for bread (Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein), a child for warmth (Passing Strange, A Catered Affair) and an "In the Heights" for ... y'know... whatever...
Updated On: 8/1/08 at 05:26 PM