The Fabulous Invalid
Thanks to the internet, it's rare I read a tangible copy of The New York Times. But when I have one in my hands I always check out what's playing on the Great White Way.
There are 34 shows running (or about to be) on Broadway. 27 are musicals of one kind or another. Now I love a good musical, but isn't there room for anything else? (At those prices, perhaps not.)
Some of them are revivals, which might be fun, but if I've seen the originals (such as A Chorus Line) I'm far less interested. Three are adaptations of Disney cartoons--Beauty And The Beast, The Lion King and Tarzan. Even if the reviews are good that's not my kind of show. Other adapations of movies include High Fidelity, Mary Poppins, The Color Purple and The Wedding Singer. Only the first really intrigues me.
There are two jukebox musicals, which might be fun, but I prefer songs written to fit a story, not the other way around. Then there are long-running hits, like The Phantom Of The Opera, Rent, The Producers, Hairspray, Avenue Q, Wicked and Spamalot.
There are also special events (two I'd call musical): Twyla Tharp working with Bob Dylan songs in The Times They Are A-Changin', Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and (ugh) Jay Johnson: The Two And Only!.
As to the six straight plays, two are revivals, and the other four have already played elsewhere--mostly England. The revivals (both originally British) are Butley starrng Nathan Lane and Heartbreak House featuring Philip Bosco (perhaps our nation's preeminent Shavian actor) and Swoosie Kurtz. The new American play, coming up from off-Broadway, is The Little Dog Laughed. Friends have told me it's not great, but the Times liked it, so that's good enough.
The other three are British imports. There's Losing Louie directed by Jerry Zaks, The Coast Of Utopia by Tom Stoppard and David Hare's The Vertical Hour with Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy.
If I had a week in town, which shows would I pick? Definitely the Stoppard and Shaw. Maybe the Hare piece or even Louie or Butley, depending on the reviews.
As for musicals, I guess I'd ses Spamalot, even though I know the movie cold and doubt the musical is better. (I'd have said the same for The Producers a few years ago.) I might check out Hairspray, which everyone I know loves. I've heard good things about Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, so I'd try one of those. And the one revival I'd see is Company. Perhaps I'd even catch a matinee of the Martin Short thing.
Then there's off-Broadway, which is often more entertaining and a lot cheaper. Here at least you can see original works.
I don't know what I'd check out but I should note there are three plays with "Jew" in the title. Nice to see they're being represented on the New York stage. (On the other side, there's the production of My Name Is Rachel Corrie.)
posted by LAGuy @ 12:52 AM
2 Comments:
I'm not sure I completely get this blog entry. While I suppose it's nice to have a summary of the shows and their origins, I don't know what to make of your opinions since you haven't seen a one. I have to think that if you sat through all 34 Broadway shows, (just like any other kind of art) some would exceed your expectations and some wouldn't meet them. I know this is just a (free) blog and while you obviously know theatre, I kind of feel like I'd get more out less-informed opinions from people who actually see the shows than (even educated) speculations about which shows sound the most interesting from someone who hasn't.
In this hypothetical week in which you mention what you'd check out could you at least tell us which ones hypothetically delivered?
Or will this week actually happen and will you be seeing the musiscals you "love" so much?
I just put 'em up, I don't explain 'em. If my post fails to have a point, it's probably because I didn't have a point to make.
This entry was just about what's playing these days. I actually wrote more but cut it because I thought the post was too long already.
This isn't about the quality of the stuff, since I haven't seen it, but simply what's available. A few weeks ago I talked about how the new films of fall looked pretty bad, even though I hadn't seen any--this idea seemed just as legitimate.
Regarding straight plays, Broadway was once where you could see new works by the top dramatists in the country. Now they'd rather write movies or TV shows, and if they do want to be playwrights, they have to have a hit elsewhere before Broadway will even consider it, and even then it better have a star.
As to musicals, long runs used to last a few years, but now you want something that runs for decades--many shows are more interested in spectacle than content, and are closer to tourist traps than anything else. They don't seem to integrate all the aspects of a musical that well any more, and I can't think of too many scores I'd like to own.
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