Whats happening to Broadway- Page 2

[Steve2]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:41am

Here is another example of something gone very wrong.
ALW's Sound of Music Reality TV Show for Maria

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:44am

I agree that the "Cell Phone Blues" has been sung a lot around here.

But the SAD reason for it is that there is STILL a huge problem with it. If people grow accepting of cell phone rings during performances, then it will be allowed to get worse.

Incidentally, when I saw Curtains last Saturday, there were TWO reminders (one before each act) to turn off all cell phones and pagers. I was glad to hear it.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:50am

Plums forever!

I'll take my illegal love threads where I can get them!

[GodIHopeIGetIt]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:53am

I'm slightly more... aware, and will now officially reply to the post.
It's the age old problem (and yes, I call it a problem) between art and commerce. In our society, without money, your art can’t be seen. Sondheim/Lapine delve right into this in the second act of SITPWG, and even so, it will not, and cannot be solved, especially in our society today.
I hate finally admitting this, but we’re not living in the most fantastic time for art in general. It’s part of the fact that people are, seriously, becoming not as smart and original. Reality TV, the country’s addiction to the media, being brainwashed, etc really have ruined us, in my opinion. Less and less creative people are in existence, and even if they did exist, it’s hard as hell to get their work out there. It’s a different time from when Sondheim, Prince, Bernstein and Laurents put up West Side Story. What will make money, not what’s well done, will get backers. Most things will not get producers, and will never see the light of day.
People have said to me that in 20 years, there will be another artistic revolution. There always is, and we’ve been waiting long enough. I don’t see how this is possible. I guess I’m being a pessimist, but I really can’t see how the geniuses are going to be able to work. Brilliant composers like Guettel and LaChiusa are constantly disrespected. Seriously, Spamalot beat Piazza (well, if I’m going to continue, La Cage beat Sunday… etc). How are we going to recover when we’re so deep into what we are?

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:56am

I agree. But we also need to remember that theatre in general was more likely to make money then than it is now, because nobody cares about theatre anymore. I realize that that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. So that struggle is also greater now for that reason.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:56am

i actually am excited for the reality show in a way
it should bring some good business to the revival, and should be interesting to watch
i also hate the rude audiences and cell phone rings...but who doesnt?

:P

[GodIHopeIGetIt]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:58am

actress- Why would we want it to make more money if it's just going to be spewing out more s*it? I'd rather have no broadway than an all Disney/Jukebox Broadway.

((but can I still have my cast recordings? pweeeeeeaaaasseee??))

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 12:01pm

GIHIGI - That's not what I meant. What I was saying is that it's easier to put ANYTHING out when the art form is more popular. I.E. If more people go to the theatre, and are aware of the theatre, it's easier to put WSS out there. I think that the fact that theatre is declining in pop cuture plays a great part in the new(ish) direction that commercial theatre is taking. It is, for the record, not something I am happy about.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 12:09pm

I wonder how much more important people got in 20 yrs. Now they insist on being on call 24/7. And what I don't get is that Broadway shows are at 8 pm, who's calling you that you must answer?

[GodIHopeIGetIt]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 12:11pm

Actress - Okay, NOW I get it. It's again, a thing between art and commerce... basically what I said in the post... I think. Now, because of musical theater is 'corny' to most of the population (and if the kids are aware of it, they want to be on Broadway, but don't know who Stephen Sondheim is. Trust me, it pained me too.)

The other thing, we can't have a Broadway full of Drowsy Chaperones, Sweeney Todds, and Light in the Piazzas (as AWESOME as that would be). No one would make any, you guessed it, money. It's a vicious cycle, in my opinion. We need Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and all that other crap, so that when Bob and his three kids from Indiana come to the city, they have something to see. That’s why Wicked was marketed to be about the green and pink girls, not a political satire (which it is, it’s lost much of the essence, but it truly is). 90% of the tweeneyboppers who love the show would hate it, if that was admitted.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 12:23pm

Times change, and in time, Broadway will change. Not may change, WILL. Maybe not now, but many feel that our society is at the edge and will soon fall off into a winding new direction. Hopefully things will smooth out and we will begin to delve into an artistic revolution where people will be accepting and embracing of theatre's power again.

[GodIHopeIGetIt]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 12:26pm

*raises hand* I’m one of those who think it’s ACTUALLY going to be the apocalypse. Hopefully we can have an artistic revolution before that.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 1:38pm

Oh god, the pearl-clutching in this thread!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 1:43pm

When do we get back to the plum shots?

[GodIHopeIGetIt]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 1:45pm

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 1:48pm

I feel like they're family now.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 11:53am

Is this not the best thread ever?

love you, love you, love you,

nomdeplum

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 12:19pm

Hey, I LOVE How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:09pm

There's so much crap being slung in this thread that I should just click and forget, btu one statement is so outrageously false I just must...

I won't cut & Paste and repeat it, but there was a statement made that our modern time is producing stupider people, or more stupid people or people of poor taste....

There is a higher rate of intelligence now than at any time in recorded history. You may not want to admit it but it's inarguable-- Literarcy, percentage attending school, number of college degrees awarded....any way you slice it we're better off now than ever. And taste has not eroded: There have always been "mindless" mass entertainments, whether it's comic books, penny dreadfuls, Punch & Judy Shows, Harlequin Romances or Joe Millionaire. And people have always loved them.

And before people ranted about Cell Phones, we complained about people talking back to the actors, or saying "WHAT did she say?" or going to the bathroom (Or outhouse, probably) during the show.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:12pm

I've only read the last page of this thread, so FWIW...

You're right: thse days it's all about commerce. What show will draw in the crowds and turn the fastest profit for the investors is the sole criteria... which, frankly, is why we're seeing this revival of CHORUS LINE. It's an easy sell. Unless it's downright awful, it'll pay for itself *and* turn something tidy for the investors, who, no doubt, think it'll run as long as the original and make them just pots and pots of money.

There's the occasional show that breaks the current mold, but look at what we have here. No less than five Disney shows -- one of which should never have seen the light of day and one more that will probably need major rework before it gets here from London. But it's Disney, that name for "quality family entertainment" for fifty years. Folks feel "safe" about dropping four hundred bucks for tickets for the family -- which means we get these weird abominations like TARZAN. They're money machines, no different from the Disney Store at your local mall.

And that's the future, for the time being, of the Broadway scene. Producers will look at what's successful, see Disney, ad trot out something as close to it as they can. WICKED is certainly in that vein. So's DROWSY CHAPERONE: family-oriented, feel good kinds of shows that have lots of splash and tons of eye candy and scores you can go out singing.

PASSION would last about ten minutes in today's market.

[Esparzafan]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:20pm

Let's go back to plums! Happy plums! Let's all get plummy now!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:21pm

And so nomdeplum's clandestine love thread (read page 1 for details) continues onwards, turning into...

plum pudding!