What has happened to Broadway?- Page 2

[ashley0139]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 5:44pm

People have been talking about the downfall of Broadway for many years. Doesn't matter to me if you go or not, but you could at least open up your mind a little bit and try to go for some things that you might like or even not like. Don't if you don't want to, but I think you're missing out on some great things just because Sweeney Todd isn't on Broadway anymore.

Ok, I'm done ranting.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 5:46pm

Sweeney Todd's scheduled to come back in August.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 5:52pm

haha, yeah, sweeney wasn't the best example...

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 5:53pm

What Broadway has become whas brought people back into the theatre. Have you seen the grosses for this season compared to the grosses years ago? Also there are so many more theatres open than before. Be glad that Broadway hasn't died yet and that young people are going to the theatre. It came really close until NYC cleaned up, got their act together and musicals and plays came back to the city.
Revivals are great. How would anyone still know about these great shows without them? The music would die. There are also some fantastic new shows from this season and last. If you like smaller shows go and see LITP. Like music from different decades? All Shook Up and Hairspray are great choices. If you like comedy, DRS, Spelling Bee, and Spamalot are amazing shows for that. Wicked is just totally WICKED!!! I love it. Chitty has some nice music (besides that awful theme) and has some really great costumes.
Amazing plays are now on Broadway too. Go and see those too. There is something for everyone. Be happy that Broadway has not disappeared.

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:02pm

There's a reason Broadway has been known as the "fabulous invalid" for well over 50 years. Every generation says its dying.

The terms comes from "The Fabulous Invalid" is a play written by Kauffman and Hart, produced in 1938; their valentine to Broadway.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:08pm

Broadway is a commercial business that will hopefully never die.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:12pm

"The area has become a lot cleaner and family-friendly."

In other words, it's been turned into a mall. Bring back the hookers and the peep shows!



Updated On: 5/1/08 at 06:12 PM

[LouW95]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:24pm

Many here were critical of Disney coming to Bway 11 years ago and still are. These are the same folks who bemoan "jukebox" musicals as the ruination of theater. Let me remind these folks that Mamma Mia and Movin' On have outlasted every one of the Sondheim plays. Disney's Beauty and the Beast has outlasted Passion (to which it lost the Tony Award). We have much more work to do to make Bway attractive to a wider base of ticket buyers. The national ratings for the Tony Awards clearly show a declining interest in circles beyond theater folk. We need more jobs and those come from more ticket buyers of all tastes!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:28pm

MusicMan and I agree on something! Anti-mall, pro-peep-show.

Lou, all network ratings for everything have been hemorrhaging for years. The Tonys ratings are a symptom of that. And I know you're not suggesting that something outlasting something else makes it inherently of better quality. Are you?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:35pm

Lou is obnoxious and posts literally the same thing in every thread. Then he will go on to call someone who likes something like DOUBT over GOOD VIBRATIONS theatre "elitists."

[Glindafan]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:40pm

Anyone who 'needs an excuse to go to NYC' shouldn't go.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:40pm

DOUBT is 'elitist???'

As T.S. Eliot wrote, "Melodrama is a perennial and the craving for melodrama is a perennial--and must be satisfied." DOUBT is pure melodrama, a cat-and-mouse suspenser accessible to anyone and everyone.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:43pm

No it's not. That's what I'm saying.

Lou continually posts how someone who goes to the theatre to be challenged or moved rather than just surfacely entertained is a theatre snob or elitist, and that's why shows like GOOD VIBRATIONS fail.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:48pm

MusicMan:

PERFECT example. This is what Lou just posted in the CHITTY thread. He drives me nuts.

"The word of mouth on Chitty has given it quite a healthy advance sale. It probably wont win many awards from the theater elitists but it will be around much longer than some of the shows which do get the honors. I want to see more jobs in our community and wish all the productions well. There must always be a wide variety of shows to keep our audiences growing. From what I see, Chitty seems to be reaching many generations of ticket buyers. "

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:56pm

As Michael Musto dubbed the Chitty niche: "Three year olds with $101.25."

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 6:56pm

Yes. Definitely brink back the hookers. This will really help Broadway & the families will flock here . The hookers will not bother them.. Every seat on every show will be sold if only we would bring back the hookers & peep shows & sex shops.

[romanov]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 7:40pm

Thanks for all the advice, but I just found a great air/hotel package for London.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 8:57pm

That's you all over, Mr. Roxy--a literalist with no sense of humor. Enjoy your dinner at Red Lobster.

[Madame X]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 8:59pm

What is this package (seriously)? I've been looking for a good deal to go...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 9:08pm

To Music Man

To set the record straight, the last restaurant we went to is Firebird. I know it bothers you to no end that others have views contrary to yours but their it is

[MusicMan]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 9:10pm

Mr. Roxy, in all honesty, I couldn't care less what your views are.

Updated On: 5/7/05 at 09:10 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 10:23pm

The feeling is mutual MM

I will now put you on my block list so I need not read you inanities

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 10:32pm

no reason that I can see, buh-bye.......don't let the door hit you on the .........

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 10:34pm

heh?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/7/05 at 10:38pm

i think Al Hirshfield said it best on the BTAM dvd.

he said something along the lines of "theater changes, no one knows this better than me. You can't dwell on one particular decade and compare everything to that. you have to roll with the punches. Everything in the 60s wasnt great. just like everything now isnt great. you have to pick the good from the bad, like it is with anythin."

wait, i think i comibned his quote w/ someone elses... hmm...