Hellob said: "Hi- Since I know you to be a long time theater goer, I was wondering if you could answer some questions like a theater AMA
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R1. Besides the well discussed behavior of the current audiences, what is the biggest difference between the past and the present theater audience? As others have said, better dressed in the olden days. I hate how they line up to go into the theatre. I don't know when that started. For at least my first 40 years of going, people just milled into the theatre, and there was never a problem. What is it with these lines to 8th Avenue? They are like Lemmings
2. Did shows usually offer discounts like they do now? What about lottery/rush? If not, when was that implemented? twofers, as mentioned earlier. For awhile, students could get an American Express discount. That's about it. BUT, you could get cheap seats back in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Not sure when it stopped, but even if you couldn't get discount tickets, the cheaper seats WERE cheaper, not much more than the cost of a movie.
3. With the exception of huge hits with huge prices, do you think theater is more or less accessible now? Less accessible. I see average prices in the weekly gross tallies and I can't figure out how to get tix at those prices. I remember thinking when I saw The Audience that young people could not see the show, because the cheapest tix were appx $85. When I saw the 1973 production of A Moon for the Misbegotten, the cheap seats were $3. Hell, the orchestra was only $8 vs. $145 or so now. What else has gone up that much in price? Theatre prices have gone up at least 15 times (forgetting about premium seats -- in 1964, I picked up center Orchestra seats for Hello Dolly for my parents for $9.60, they would be $450 now...that's 45 times). I actually have less of a problem with the concept of premium seats than I do with the fact that for many shows there is no such thing as a cheap seat. There should always be cheap seats, and you shouldn't have to rely on lotteries...you need to be able to plan for them.
4. Has there ever been something as crazy as the Hamilton fervor? If not, what is the closest example and how did people react? The Hamilton craze is pretty amazing. I think that Hello Dolly probably approached it in those days, maybe even Fiddler, but they did not reach it. Back in those days, tickets were a lot harder to purchase...you didn't have Telecharge or the Internet, many people did not have credit cards (I am not even sure that credit cards were used for theatre in those days...I was too young to have one). When a show like Hello Dolly opened, you could wait on line for 2 hours to pay with cash to get tickets, or you had to send in a mail order with a check, and you never knew where the seats were going to be. I can remember some pretty amazing phenomena or a different type...Marat Sade and the Peter Brook A Midsummer Nights Dream were monster hits of epic proportions, probably largely due to the fact that they were limited engagements. But they were nothing like Hamilton.
5. Has the change from majority original works from iconic writers and composers to jukebox and screen to stage tarnished the prestige of Broadway? I personally don't think so. While I would like to see more shows with good new scores, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy Ain't Misbehaving, Mamma Mia, Beautiful, and Jersey Boys. I'd rather see a new musical, but if it is not a good musical, give me a good juke box musical. Hell, a mediocre juke box musical is in some ways more entertaining that a mediocre new musical...at least the songs are likely to be good.
6. Do the stars of yesterday outshine the ones of today? In musicals, no. I am not sure there will ever be another Barbara Harris, but it is not like she was in a lot of shows. In those days, we had Zero Mostel, Gwen Verdon, a young Angela Lansbury...today, we have Nathan Lane and Audra MacDonald and Jessie Mueller, etc. in drama, a different story. Then, we regularly had Jason Robards, James Earl Jones, Christopher Plummer, Henry Fonda, Hume Cronyn, Colleen Dewhurst, Zoe Caldwell, Julie Harris, Geraldine Page, Irene Worth, Maureen Stapleton, Jane Alexander. How many appearing today compare to that list: Cherry Jones.
7. Dismissing shows like "The Hamilton" and BOM, when adjusted for inflation are prices significantly higher (excluding premium seats) see answer to #3
8. What are the moments/shows that had a big impact on you?
Every second of A Moon for the Misbegotten
Every second of Nicholas Nickleby
Angela Lansbury's chilling Rose's Turn in a great production of Gypsy. She is still the best Mamma Rose I have seen
Zoe Caldwell in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Irene Worth in Sweet Bird of Youth
James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander in The Great White Hope
Sweeney Todd...everything about it, including one off he greatest Act 1 closing numbers ever
The original productions of Follies and Mame
Put on your Sunday Clothes and Hello Dolly numbers from Hello Dolly
A New Argentina from the original production of Evita
The last 15 minutes of Nine
And I am Telling You and Step Into the Bad Side from Dreamgirls
Jim Dale in Scapino...not sure I ever laughed so hard until The Producers
Patricia Routledge and Not on Your Nellie from Darling of the Day
Christopher Plummer in Cyrano
Maggie Smith warning how potent cheap music is in Privatee Lives
Rosemary Harris Having a nervous breakdown in The Royal Family
Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree...the greatest musical performance I have ever seen
Phil Silvers in A Funny Thing Happened
Anthony Hopkins and Peter Firth sparring in the amazing Equus, followed by an amazing performance from Richard Burton in Hopkins' role
Lillian Hayman singing her heart out in Hallelujah Baby, a very under appreciated musical
9. If you could go back in time and bring back any show you've seen, what would it be?
The original productions of Follies, Mame, Darling of the Day and Cyrano with Christopher Plummer, and the revival of A Funny Thing Happened with Phil Silvers
Nicholas Nickleby, the 1973 revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie for Zoe Caldwell's performance, the 197X revival of The Royal Family, The Great While Hope with James Earl Jones
That's all for now, but I might think of more. Thanks!!
ETA I don't know all the older members' handles who have been going for 40 years or more so if you fall into the category, I would love to hear your thoughts and I think many others would, too. : )
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Updated On: 2/19/16 at 02:18 PM
