What's Happening to GOOD Theater?

Well, according to some.....the "good" shows are coming late this season. When WOMAN IN WHITE gets here I bet it will be great (if the AMAZING cast recording is any hint). But, yes..I agree. I am getting tired of shows based on people's music and the whole movie to musical craze, even though I like the cd to Hairpsray.

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You said it, Robbie! Support the good sh*t!!

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It depends on what you call "good theatre", but if you look ahead, there are lots of great possibilities on their way including The Light at the Piazza, Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Women, Woman in White, Jerry Springer the Opera, not to mention the plays. Hardly an indication that "Broadway is leaving".

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bronx, is there any truth to the rumor that 49th street will be closed indefinitely to automobile traffic to allow all day tractor pulls outside your masterpiece?

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What do you mean? I'm looking forward to "The Lizzie Maguire MUsical" based on the music of Hillary Duff...

dry2olives, you bring up a good point about the tourists who see only a few shows a year. THey want to see something safe, something that is familiar to them and that would me mamma mia or the lion king etc. But i am still waiting for a new amazing musical to come our way.

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Well, I don't really have a problem with HOW you create a musical as long as its good... the movies turned musical don't bother me as long as they don't become TOO frequent (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is going too far... putting a movie that starred Michael Caine and Steve Martin on stage? Come on! I loved that movie, but without them it probably would have sucked! I just can't see that being successful). But I LOVED Hairspray and I'm optomistic about Spamalot. But Dirty Rotten Scoundrels... and then this wave of musicals based on music is bad. I mean, once in awhile a musical based on music already written CAN be good. Mamma Mia looked okay, though I never saw it, and I personally loved the way they used already written material in Moulin Rouge (I just thought it was really cool how they took all those different songs and put them together to form a story line). So they CAN be good if done really well. I don't have any interest in Moving Out, All Shook Up, Good Vibrations, etc. though. None at all. Blech. And there are just too many of them. One or two is definately enough.

Interestingly enough, when we were in NYC, my mom saw a sign for Dracula and said, "Geez, they need some new material." And I do agree.

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The reason theatergoers are looking for familiarity is that they are paying through the nose for their tickets, and that is after the cost of traveling, hotels, food, etc. for many of them. They can't afford a wild card.

Talk to the unions and theater owners (remember, the producers get paid AFTER everyone else is paid). The reason people went to the theater as often as they did the movies years ago is because theater cost LESS than the price of a movie ticket - because the actors, stagehands, musicians, and theater owners were satisfied with making a decent living like the rest of us, just doing what they loved.

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I was just about to say that most of the "good" theatre right now lies in straight plays. And it's sad that those amazing shows don't last for nearly as long as they should because people want to see spectacle. The "jukebox" musicals were mentioned in the beginning of this post - I don't think we need to worry about "jukebox" musicals taking over Broadway. There were two successful jukebox musicals, so now producers look at them as easy money makers - but I think after this season they will see that the fad is over, and people are looking for more than that. I think the second half of the season might be looking a little brighter than it does right now.

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It is all subjective anyways. Americans have such short attention spans we need musicals.

Morning!

Some very insightful thoughts here. I can only agree and add that "we" as in public craving entertainment, are caught up in sensationalism both on film and tv. This has found its way to the stage, particulaly with many of the musicals being offered.

I also agree that there are few very Braodway actors that are not re-inventing themselves via concerts, workshops, hopefully tv or film spots, tour stints... really anything to keep bread on the table. This is not by choice, but necessity. Because so many shows don't last beyond a year or so, actors need to have a plan B in their pocket. Sadly some of them get out of the business and get into reality, investments, consultants etc. because there are not enough roles to support them.

It's a real Catch 22 circle. Producers, composers are scrambling to create new works and comming up short of valid works = doubts for investors to part with their money = actors move on to other means to support themselves.

Plus theatergoers are hesitant to put out $100 on shows they are not enjoying that much = producers are back to the drawing boards trying to create again and get investors to back them.

I know many will not agree with me but much of your best works are now found Off Broadway and in professional theaters around the country. So, don't envy living in or around NYC....some of the best theater is far from the city. Just my opinion.

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you're right about that...and ultimately that is where thousands come to put their best foot forward and with that there's a hundred readings, workshops and auditions that give it their best shot.
It has to come from some where! NYC IS the place where producers and agencies look seriously at talent and projects. But the numbers that make it vs. don't are staggering. But... that's why some of them end up off Broadway or picked up by investors to try out other than risking everything on Broadway.

A "recently unpopular" composer once told me;"Broadway is a 12 block area that runs to the river. The rest of the world is a stage. Sure, you'd like to have Broadway as a flagship for your project, but I'd rather write for the love of theater everywhere".

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