Cleaning House

Alittle late, I know but the strike is over. Shows started once again on Thursday night with new opening dates set for six shows. The details of the contract between the Union and the League have yet to be published and right now no one knows the direct result the strike had on Broadway. One thing that is unanimous is that many are glad the great white way is up and running.

Finally on another positive note it was announced that Gypsy would once again make another Broadway revival, this time starring Patti LuPone. This is no surprise, LuPone pulled off a sold engagement of the musical, many considered the greatest, last summer at City Center. As someone lucky enough to get the ticket, I'm already excited.

Dear Telecharge Customer

Dear Telecharge Customer:

Any email beginning with these words often brings bad news and this statement could not have been more valid than when I found myself opening an email with this exact statement followed by, “You’re performance of THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION has been canceled.” I don’t know whether it was seeing the title in all capital letters, or just the feeling that this email was coming that made it feel and sound so bad.

Being an avid theatre-goer this was the first time a performance I was going to attend had been canceled. Suddenly I found myself with thousands of other theatre-goers whose plans were changed because of the ongoing Broadway Stagehands Strike.

Like many other’s I always enjoy going to New York City around this time of year so that I may partake in the Christmas decorations, shopping and grab a quick Broadway show before heading home.

A few months ago I had booked a Broadway bus trip and bought tickets for the new Aaron Sorkin play, “The Farnsworth Invention”. Our plans soon changed after the strike was declared on November 9, 2007. All but a few Broadway theatre’s would go dark (industry talk for being closed), and it suddenly left me with the void of theatrical performance. So like any good traveler, I had a back-up plan, and upon receiving the Telecharge email, I instantly booked tickets for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of “Pygmalion” at the American Airlines Theatre.

On the Ground:

Upon arriving in New York City at the corner of 42nd St. and Broadway, I could tell something was wrong. Stores in and around the theatre district, including Times Square, were empty. Even the street vendors selling fake Coach bags and Rolex watches were not as plentiful. Even the TKTS booth, which sells half priced, same day, discount tickets was empty. All of this was nothing compared to 44th & 45th Streets whose theatres are home to shows considered Broadway royalty including, “A Chorus Line”, “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserable”.
The streets, which usually by an hour before curtain are packed, were deserted. There were no ticket holders waiting to get in, no vendors selling programs and not excitement. It was as if all the energy and electricity generated by live theatre was gone. The only lines that could be found were those of the stagehands picketing.

So How's Business?

Fortunately for me though I did have a ticket to one of the few matinee shows that was playing, “Pygmalion”. With so few Broadway shows running during this time, I was curious to see what business would be like for this play, most often associated with its musical sibling “My Fair Lady”. After arriving at the theatre my question was promptly answered when looking at the box office I saw an enormous sign saying, “THIS PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT!” Upon receiving my ticket at the will call window I asked the attendant how business was doing since the strike. Her reply, “We’ve been very busy.”

The production itself was much better than I could have imagined and key parts of the dialogue are still ringing inside my head along with the pictures of the magnificent set. As for Ms. Claire Danes making her Broadway debut as Eliza Doolittle, a role famously associated with actresses Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn, after taking five minutes to settle in Ms. Danes was delightful.

Doing the Impossible: Getting Dinner

The play, which has five acts, flew by in a good way and during intermission I asked the very busy Chief Usher, how’s business? Her response, “We’ve been sold out every night.” After the show I had a chance to participate in a talk back between the audience and the cast, than it was off to a quick dinner with a friend at Ruby Foo’s Pan-Asian restaurant in Times Square. Usually getting a table at a restaurant in between shows on a Saturday night is next to impossible. On this night I did the impossible; I walked into the restaurant, told the waiter that I needed a table to two and was seated quickly. While walking to my seat it was easy to see that the strike was affecting more than just the theatres. The restaurant was half-full, and afterward catching a cab was painless.

Again I couldn’t quite get ever have empty this city was. I’ve been visiting New York for ten years and in all that time this was something I had never seen before. Anyway it was back to Washington, D.C. and I must say that even with seeing a different show than the one I wanted to see, I was glad I came.

As for the strike, well it currently is in its second week, with no settlement in sight. This was the first Thanksgiving in memory where most Broadway houses were dark and nobody dares ask the question what Christmas will bring. Though many are hoping not to get an email with the phrase, “Dear Telecharge Customer.”

Give Me Your Strike Story:

Affected by the strike? Give me you story of finding Broadway dark in our comment section! Also be sure to check of the next post with pictures taken during my last visit to New York and if you have pictures you would like to submit, email them to me btomchik@gmu.edu. Finally should you find yourself needing information regarding obtaining ticket refunds of general strike or theatre information be sure to check out the theatre links section below.

Theatre Links:

For Updates about the Strike and everything Broadway please check the following websites:
http://www.playbill.com/

If you bought a ticket to a show that was canceled the link provided with tell you how to obtain a refund.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/112903.html

Also be sure to check with your Broadway show's official website to see what their status is during the strike and recommended courses of action.

The Strike - First Hand

Outside of the Music Box Theatre, home to "The Farnworth Invention". The only thought that comes to mind is, "I was supposed to see that!"

The TKTS booth and walkway underneath the Marriot Marquis hotel. On any given day there are at least two waves of people lining up to get discount theatre tickets, today was not one of those days.

The TKTS board during the strike. The left side usually displays all Broadway show offering discount tickets. Normally this board has over ten shows on it. Today, there is only four. In contrast the right side is displaying all off-Broadway shows selling discount tickets. Off-Broadway theatres are theatres with less than 500 seats. During the strike, off-Broadway business has been booming, and that's putting it mildly.

Stagehands striking outside the theatre of "A Chrous Line"; often called the show that saved Broadway.

Local news stations cover the strike outside the Majestic Theatre, home to Broadway's longest running show "The Phantom of the Opera".

One day more.....NOT! Stagehands on strike outside the Broadhurst theatre, home to Les Miserables, the second longest running show in Broadway history.

On the ground

Okay, I just got back from NYC early this morning and in one word, my trip was erie. The streets were not crowded at all, TKTS the discount ticket both had no line and the only people on the streets where the strikers. I'll be published a full report within the next week after the holiday, but New York was different. The best way I can highlight this is by describing the lakc of energy in the city. Usually by 1:30PM there are lines of people waiting to get into each show and that just wasn't happening. There was no electricity there was no excitement. Overall I had a great time, but it was sad. In addition it looks like this strike could last beyond Thanksgiving.

On the bright side of life I did happen to cath the fantastic revival of "Pygmalion" with Claire Danes. I must admit that I really wasn't expecting much but I was wrong. The revival was first rate and quite enjoyable. Anyway Happy Thanksgiving and here' s hoping this thing is over soon.

Humor in all of this

CNN reported today that on monday night you can still buy tickets for tuesday nights show. So there won't be a show, but you'll still have tickets. Anyway I hope this makes someone laugh!

Great article covering the strike:

http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=22912

STRIKE!!!!!!!

As of Saturday morning over twenty Broadway shows went on strike, leaving much of the Great White Way dark for the first time since 2003. The Stagehands union, which was negotiating with the Producers, rejected the Producers final offer on Friday night and choose to officially start striking Saturday morning. At this point so much has been said about the strike, that I'd like to write about from someone who maybe affected.

This Saturday at 2pm I have tickets to see "The Farnworths Invention", the new play by Aaron Sorkin. Probably best known for writing, what I think, was one of the best American dramas "The West Wing", "The Farnsworth Invention" was to have covered the race to create television between David Sarnoff & Filo T. Farnsworth. As of right now I don't know whether or not I'll see this show. Part of me is always hoping for good news, but on the other hand I'm starting to brace myself, because this may not happen.

I support the union in this labor dispute, a rarity for me. I think that with Broadway tickets now costing over $450 dollars a seat the producers are being greedy. What hurts me the most is to think of all the people who will have a lasting bad taste in their mouth from this experience. One only has to go online to various news website, and a person can see pictures of tourists walking away angry.

If I could just end on one note, I would urge both sides to get Broadway up and running soon. Not only because I want to see this show, also because I don't want this strike to push away the theatregoers. The theatre is such a great part of life, that for it to disappoint is really, sad.

There back!!!

If you are a tourist in New York City, thank you! Why? Because without you the performing arts in New York would be dead, seriously. A survey by the League of American Theatres & Producers, release this week, found that over the course of the past year, tourist make-up 65% of broadway's core audience. This explains why shows such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miz can continue to play for decades, because tourist want to see a name brand show.

Overall the survey concludes that six years after the attacks on 9/11, when theatre was just hanging on, tourist are coming back and in record numbers. Last year tourist accounted for over 12.3 million tickets sold, the highest number in a decade. Even more suprising was that theatre-goers under the age of 18 accounted for 1.42 million tickets.


These numbers are incredible because it was barely a decade ago that many around the world started wondering if broadway was dead. Show's weren't opening and audiences seemed to want something more. Than after 9/11 shows tried every trick in the book to get audiences, and now it seems those tricks are paying. While actor's and directors and stage managers etc., are celebrating with these numbers so are producers. My word of caution (Mr. Brooks) don't ruin a good thing. The reason tourist go is because it's affordable. The minutes tickets start climbing higher and the top price is over $500 these numbers could fall. As for now, while I may loathe tourists in the city, I don't loathe them in the city.

Under the sea....not a bad place to be

Quick update to yesterday's blog. For the first weekend of previews thew Little Mermaid had 100% attendance. Not bad for early November when most shows are lucky to hit the mid-80's. This is according to The League of American Theatre & Producers.

Hitting the High Seas Once Again

If this week is remembered for one thing it is that Disney’s new, long-awaited musical The Little Mermaid finally opened to previews at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Based of the hit 1989 movie of the same name, this is Disney’s first musical since it flopped with Tarzan last summer. Arguably though The Little Mermaid sails into New York with a little more clout than Tarzan did and expectations are high.

It features one of Disney’s most beloved scores and the story of Ariel, the mermaid who longs to be apart of “your world”, is a story that has enchanted millions of young girls around the world. In addition the Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Glenn Slater score boast some of Disney’s biggest hits with, “Under the Sea”, “Kiss the Girl”and “Part of Your World. The pressure is on Disney to produce another mega hit on the great white way. Its last being The Lion King over a decade ago, The Little Mermaid will seek to regain Disney’s clout in the business.

After playing a successful out-of-town tryout in Denver last summer, The Little Mermaid officially started playing previews Saturday night in preparation for a December 6, 2007 opening. Aside from everything mentioned above, what makes this show such a big deal is that it will be one of two big musicals opening this fall. The other of course being Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein, the follow-up to his 2001 smash The Producers.

Already buzz is being generated that these two shows are the leading contenders for the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, Broadway’s top prize. Each show has their own niche audience and time will tell who comes out on top. For Disney though this show is more than just about an award, it is about once again proving that they have what it takes to a player in the theatre world. In one month the critics on Broadway will have their say and then it is up to the audience, but if history is to repeat itself, than The Little Mermaid could once again prove to be Disney’s saving gem.

The Little Mermaid official website:

http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelittlemermaid/index.html

A quiet october...........

It has been quiet in New York in the last week. Most new shows are just starting to open to previews with many officially opening in either November or December. This is typical for the theatre because the fall usually is more quiet than the spring. The spring is when most shows open to compete for the Tony Awards and the summer tourists. Ironically though New York's busiest weeks all occur in the fall; Thanksgiving week and New Years Eve, just to name a few.

Probably the biggest story going on right now is occurring between the Stage Hands and the Producers and this story could later on grow to become quiet big. Since July 31, 2007 the Stage Hands Union have been working without a contract. Since before that time the Union, Local 1, has been negotiating with the Producers for a new contract. After months of talks and rejected contracts the union authorized to strike last sunday, but has said that it will not do so till December 1.

What could make this story so big is that a strike could shut down Broadway and this would be the second strike in four years. The last strike occurred in 2003(see picture) when the musicians union struck. The problem is that December is one of the theatre's busiest months with regards to openings and tourists. A strike could paralyze the theatre and be even nastier to the fans. I can't recall who said, but imagine a strike, than imagine a little girl in green face paint crying outside the Gershwin Theatre, where Wicked is playing. She has waited for over a year to see this show and now what? This is bad PR and the theatre doesn't need, not now. Not as it is starting to comeback in the mainstream culture.

But for right now all is quiet and the November tea leaves will start to reveal more to us. Until them here is hoping for a great November and a working December.

For a list of articles relating to the strike, please the playbill.com link:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/112233.html

The picture is from the 2003 Musicians strike and can be found here:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/83397.html

Bloggers Note:

Again the Wicked example was not mine, but if anyone can remember who said it, I would be most grateful to post the story.

WE'RE A HIT!

While Legally Blonde may have standing room only at the Palace Theatre it was also a ratings winner for MTV. This past weekend's broadcast won the 1-4pm timeslot and scored high with the 12-34 age demographic according to playbill.com. What does this mean for Legally Blonde and MTV?

Well for the show it will obviously mean a boast in ticket sales. Viewers who saw the show on tv will now want to see the real thing. As for MTV, no one is quite sure what this means? It could be the start of seeing more musicals geared toward the 12-34 demographic on tv. It could happen. Think Legally Blonde is a new show with a small following and yet it still performed well. Imagine if a show like Wicked with a mega-following was shown on MTV? The word hype would only be one word to describe what I think could be a major tv event.

Anyway I'm excited that Broadway is starting to take steps back into main-stream America and I'm even more excited that such a young audience is taking an interest. Grant, while in my last blog I stated a preference for a different show instead of Legally Blonde to be seen, I still feel that any theatre is good theatre.

"Omi God You Guys" Broadway made it to MTV

If you turned on MTV this past weekend, you would be hard-pressed not to think that it was “Paris Hilton Tribute Weekend.” With pink skirts, little dogs and enough dyed-blonde hair girls shouting, “Omi God You Guys!”, one would think that MTV had changed its focus from music to the hotel heiress. In reality it was not Paris Hilton weekend and all those blonde haired girls were not Paris Hilton impersonators rather they were members of the chorus during the MTV showing of the musical Legally Blonde, currently playing on Broadway at the Palace Theatre.

Now before I begin this review I do want to throw some words of caution out there. This is not a full review of the show; instead overall I plan to review the show and MTV’s coverage of the show.

Legally Blonde is a musical based on the hit movie of the same name which opened on Sunday April 29, 2007 at Broadway’s famed Palace Theatre. It opened to lukewarm reviews which essentially stated that if you a re a musical theatre purists you’ll hate it and if you are someone wanting a good time or a tourist in New York City, you’ll love it.

In his opening night review New York Times lead theatre critic Ben Brantley described the show saying this, “This high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness, based on the 2001 film of the same title, approximates the experience of eating a jumbo box of Gummi Bears in one sitting. This may be common fare for the show’s apparent target audience — female ’tweens and teenagers who still believe in Barbie. But unless you’re used to such a diet, you wind up feeling jittery, glazed and determined to swear off sweets for at least a month.”

And that description is exactly how I feel about the show. Now I am not calling myself a musical theatre purist by any means but Legally Blonde is the essence of playing to the crowd. It is about not taking a risk and it is about entertaining while failing to expand the art form in anyway. Normally I would not take issue with that, but that resolve seems to be the fate of the American musical currently. Shows are no longer about stretching the immigration or making ones heart feel alive again, rather they are about catering to the tourist and about producing who want a quick dollar. It juts saddens me that an art form which gave birth to such shows as Anything Goes, Sweeney Todd, Rent, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line and Annie Get Your Gun are condemned now to the ranks of Legally Blonde.

I applaud MTV for be daring enough to showcase a musical in its entirety and for taking a chance on music that is rarely heard in the mainstream. In addition I am also very proud of Legally Blonde for seeing a new market of theatre-goers and tapping into it. I just wish that with new opportunities and the ability to once again bring America back into the theatre, that Broadway do so with more enthusiasm and less candy.

This program ran on MTV on October 13 from 1-4pm.

Legally Blonde currently is playing at the Palace Theatre, see show link:
http://www.legallyblondethemusical.com/

New York Times review:
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/theater/reviews/30blon.html

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda: A Concert by Patti LuPone

From the moment in Act I where she raises her arms into a “V” and the house lighting moves from the front to the back thus re-creating her iconic and Tony-Award winning pose from Evita, Patti LuPone wraps the audience around her finger for unforgettable evening of the songs she coulda, woulda, shoulda and did sing.

“Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda” is a evening of song and story where Ms. LuPone uses humor and heartbreak to talk about her career in the theater while singing some of her greatest hits. Obviously best known for being the first actress to play the iconic role of Eva Peron on Broadway, Ms. LuPone’s biggest applause break came after singing the shows anthem “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” shortly before the intermission on Friday night. Using quips about her diva reputation too introduce the song saying, “This was the role I wanted to play, but NO! I had to play this,” extending her arms into the role’s signature pose she easily got a two-minute applause break before being able to actually start the song. By the time she finished, half the audience were on their feet and the other half still amazed that thirty years later she can still define the role that brought fortune and fame.

From then on out the evening was hers and she leads the audience through her history as an actress and her love through the theatre performing such hits as, “How to Handle a Woman” from Camelot, the title track from Anyone Can Whistle and “A Wonderful Guy” from South Pacific.

Ultimately what makes Ms. LuPone such a great actress is that while her history in the American theatre is extensive, the stories behind each of her roles seem like the plot of a Broadway musical itself. She maybe most famous for Evita but she has made not secret that she herself hated the role. This however doesn’t stop her from flawlessly performing the shows anthem because she understands what her fans want and that as long as she performs for them they will never leave her side. In the end this trait only benefits Ms. LuPone because it allows her to takes risks that other actresses would only dream about.

Ms. LuPone's no risk attitude was most apparent during her second encore rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Stephen Sondheim’s Company. "The Ladies Who Lunch",most famously associated with Elaine Strictch, is rarely done because many fear the comparison between themselves and Ms. Stritch. This does not seem bother Ms. LuPone and as for the audience, well they I don’t think that they minded seeing as to how they rose to their feet for the countless time.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda is based off another LuPone show, Patt LuPone: Live on Broadway which played the Walter Kerr theatre in New York during the spring of 1995. During this time Ms. LuPone was coming off a major blow after being famously dropped from her contract by Andrew Lloyd Weber and replaced by Glen Close for the lead the musical Sunset Boulevard. In order to once again prove her courage as an actress she compiled this show to show that no one should cry for her.

In their review of this show The New York Times said, “Clearly, Ms. LuPone's personal wounds from having been dumped from "Sunset Boulevard" after its London production, in favor of Glenn Close, have not all healed. But just as clearly, she has found a way to make effective use of them in spinning her own Broadway legend: the legend of the jittery, vulnerable diva from Northport, L.I., who wears her insecurities on her sleeve.”

While time has healed, Ms. LuPone still endears and after her most recent concert, she is sure to forever solidify herself a place in theatre history.

Patti LuPone in Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Friday October 5, 2007

Strathmore Music Hall

The link for The New York Times review for Patti LuPone: Live on Broadway can be found below:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5DD163DF930A25753C1A963958260

Previews

Before any broadway show offically opens, their first month of performances is called previews. This allows for the cast and crew to change or correct any problems before opening to the press and the world wide public. So for the next week, consider blog's on here to be just that previews. I won't offically open to next week, but when I do I'll state my purpose for the blog, two show review and commenatry with the purpose of truly starting a debate about where American theatre is headed. Until then, break a leg and enjoy the previews!