SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: My First Blog And Bloggers Meet-UpOver the course of the last decade, I’ve been truly fortunate to enjoy a number of enlightening firsts in my personal theatergoing that have only served to increase my deep and abiding love for the art form known as live theatre. What follows is one of my ten favorite experiences of the last ten years.In April 2006,
I began Steve On Broadway (SOB), not because I work in the theatre, but because I am deeply passionate about it.
While the silence at first was deafening as I wondered who on earth could ever possibly find little old me, let alone
want to, I was surprised as the hits started coming and a dialogue was formed with you, my dear readers, along with a growing contingent of other bloggers who are fellow theatre enthusiasts.
Initially, I had no idea how many of us there were. And to be perfectly honest, I’m still not exactly certain as so many come and go, while others are clearly here for the long haul.
It wasn’t until March 2008 that my dialogue with my fellow bloggers leapt to the next level. Thanks to the coordination of my dear "sister" Esther at
Gratuitous Violins, a blog she created only after I urged her to turn her comments she left on my site into postings she could claim as her own, I finally came face to face with a wide swath of these men and women by virtue of
our first-ever bloggers brunch.
There, I had the opportunity to meet Aaron at
‘kül That Sounds Cool, Alicia at
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me, Chris at
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, Jan at
Broadway & Me, Jimmy at
Third Row, Mezzanine, Kari at
lit-wit, Mike at
The Lunar Gemini, Patrick at
Just Shows To Go You and last, but most certainly not least, Sarah at
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment, and it was the beginning of many fine friendships that only continue to grow and flourish.
Ever since that time, I’ve been proud to meet an ever-growing online community of true theatre aficionados. Early this year, one of them, my friend dear Jan of Broadway & Me broached the subject of organizing this coterie of theatre bloggers into something more. She suggested organizing a theatre bloggers association. While it would take producer
Ken Davenport to make Jan’s inspired dream a reality, the fact is there are now 40 theatre bloggers who comprise the
Independent Theatre Bloggers Association (ITBA), and I am very pleased to be a member of this fledgling organization.
Bloggers I've had the distinct pleasure of meeting personally since beginning Steve On Broadway include:
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of EntertainmentBroadway AbridgedBroadway & MeConfessions Of A Chicago Theatre AddictDaddycatcher's RealmEverything I Know I Learned From MusicalsFragmentsFrom The LedgeGratuitous ViolinsJust Shows To Go You‘kül That Sounds CoollitwitModern FabulousityOne Producer In The CityPataphysical ScienceStage BuzzStage Left, House RightTapeworthyTheatre Aficionado At LargeThe Broadway Musical BlogThe Clyde Fitch ReportThe Stephen Mosher BlogThe TheatergoerThings You'll Learn To Love About MeThird Row, MezzanineWest End WhingersIt's been such an honor meeting these individuals who reside in such far-flung places as London, Chicago, Providence, Boston, Minneapolis and of course New York City. To have forged some strong friendships with many of them has been icing on the cake.
As the world of social networking continues to evolve, I realized earlier this year that it was time to adapt Steve On Broadway for
Twitter and
Facebook. As someone who had previously scoffed at the notion of using Twitter, I’ve come to depend on it for learning so much of my news. In a very short period of time, I’ve become quite proficient at micro-blogging, and both it and Facebook have enabled me to reach an even greater audience.
If anyone had told me that I would have over 1000 followers or be ranked among the
top 20 "most influential" Broadway tweeters by the end of 2009 or that I would have the
number one Broadway-tagged blog on Facebook or that Steve On Broadway would be
independently ranked as one of the top 15 theatre blogs, I would have wondered what you were smoking. But here we are at the conclusion of 2009, and that’s exactly what has happened, much to my amazement.
If you’ve read
this far, I want you to know how much I appreciate
your having taken the time to read SOB. I thank you for being part of my online audience, which now includes members of the broad theatre communities throughout the United States as well as in such far-flung places ranging from Australia to the United Kingdom.
Just as I am deeply humbled by the friendship so many of you have given to me, just an average theatre fan, I am also grateful for your support. What ostensibly started out as something I did just for my own personal enjoyment has transformed itself into a part of a larger dialogue among like minds.
Thank you for joining me on my theatrical journeys. Here's to many, many more over the next decade.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Broadway and Me, Facebook, Gratuitous Violins, Twitter
Random Thoughts & Tweets: Social Media And Criticism
Yesterday, theatre blogger Joseph Anthony Gomez of
I Can't I Have Rehearsal posed the following question to me via Twitter (@):
@ What do U consider pros/cons 4 writing theater reviews 4 blogging format/social media as opposed 2 other media like print?
My response:
@ Perhaps I'll need to write a long-form answer on my SOB blog since 140 characters won't do!
Joseph responded:
@ it took me 20 minutes just to reword the question so it would fit in 140 characters or less! haha!
Joseph and I subsequently communicated via that outmoded tool -- e-mail -- and he added some depth to his questions.
Which is kind of a funny coincidence given a column on the other side of the Atlantic in today's
The Independent. Nicholas Lezard doesn't seem to comprehend that more often than not people are using Twitter to communicate news with one another. Ironically, I learned about Lezard's column from, you guessed it, Twitter (via @)!
In his rant, Lezard says:
The name tells us straightaway: it's inconsequential, background noise, a waste of time and space. Actually, the name does a disservice to the sounds birds make, which are, for the birds, significant, and for humans, soothing and, if you're Messiaen, inspirational. But Twitter? Inspirational?
No – it's inspiration's opposite. The online phenomenon is about humanity disappearing up its own fundament, or the air leaking out of the whole Enlightenment project. In short, I feel about Twitter the way some people feel about nuclear weapons: it's wrong. It makes blogging look like literature. It's anti-literature, the new opium of the masses.
Since I'm writing what you're currently reading via, um, what Lezard describes as "literature," here's my two cents. Twitter is a great and essential tool for aggregating information as never before. While it may have previously been microblogging at its worst, it is evolving every day. In my humble opinion, the best tweets come from those who are sharing ideas and information (along with their
TinyURLs and
Bit.lys) to move people to read comprehensive stories in, oh, say newspapers, as well as blogs.
Now, as for answering Joseph's more thorough off-line questions, here's what I shared via that old-fashioned and oft-overlooked tool called e-mail:
It's kind of funny. In the earliest days of writing reviews on SOB, I took to doing them longform where I would write exhaustively about every aspect of a show.
But putting myself in the audience members' shoes, I came to realize that reading a review online can be tedious if it's too long, so I started to shorten them significantly and that usually came at the expense of critiquing some of the design elements and providing extended comments about plot lines. Online audiences want something shorter, more concise and easier to read, and it's more akin to radio/television reviews as opposed to the longform variety that you'll see in newspapers and magazines like the New Yorker.
As to the format I use? I've been across the board. I try to vary my style rather than writing the same thing over and over again. It takes some imagination. I usually try to think of the beginning and conclusion first and then build each review from there. It can be a challenge, but then it's nothing compared to producing a show, right?
Regardless of the new FTC rules governing blogs, which by the way I think are foolhardy, I think freebies will continue to exist for some of the reasons I outlined on the show, including the sheer cost per (theatre) ticket. Even though I pay for each and every ticket for shows I see and review, I'm the exception to the rule. I think what you'll see are bloggers simply noting at the bottom of each review that they were comped, and chances are you might even see more negative reviews as a way to tell their audiences that no free ticket can sway their opinion.
As social media continues to grow at the very same time mainstream media is cutting back (and print media is dying altogether), I believe blogs will be sought out even more, especially as mainstream critics gravitate online. Of course, anyone can have a blog or an opinion (it's true in some respects, now more than ever, that "everyone's a critic"), but it takes resolve and drive to keep blogging on a regular basis. And just like any other critic from other media, you build an audience who knows and respects your point of view or on the flipside can say, "well if he likes it, that means I'll hate it."
Blogs are here for the long haul. It's just a matter of finding those you value and trust.
How's that for 140 characters?!
Mr. Lezard, I would readily admit that I poo-pooed Twitter before I actually took the time to understand it and grasp its potential. But remember, without it, I would never have known about your opinion, however misinformed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Critics, Twitter
Give My Regards To BroadwayCall it a crazy confluence of coinciding circumstances. Or call it the beginning of dramatically different Act Two after a bit of an intermission.
Though I'll spare you most of the personal details, after almost three years of nearly nonstop daily blogging, I have decided to suspend my regular postings on Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Alongside travel, history, politics and music, live theatre has been one my greatest passions since my formative years. I've been extremely fortunate to have seen some of the greatest shows of our time, along with some of the biggest and brightest stars of the stage.
Even more fortunate was my opportunity to share this most unique and entertaining of communal experience
with so very many of you,
my fellow enthusiasts (and truly dear friends). For that, I'm all the richer.
While I've been indisposed over the past week, I've had a chance to reflect on how blogging about live theatre has substantially detracted from my passion for this beloved art form. In my mad dash in trying to see everything (spending my own hard-earned dollars to boot), all the while reviewing each and every show, I've become much more critical of the form. I have sacrificed the opportunity to judiciously select what I'd most like to see. A consequence has been that I no longer just sit back, relax and enjoy each production for the entertainment that it is.
On top of that, I write all day in my professional life, which is squarely outside of the realm of theatre. When you write for a living, oftentimes the last thing you want to do is write on your own time, particularly when your inherent instinct is to live life to its fullest. As a good friend once told me, "If you're baking pies all day, who wants to come home and bake one?"
Unlike all too many others, including a disturbing number of family and friends, I'm extremely fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to continue working in this most difficult of economies. I'm resolved to be better than ever, not only professionally, but especially in my relationships with my loved ones. They're what matter more than anything else to me.
The
death this past week of
Horton Foote -- one of America's great playwrights, whose tender works not only centered on family, but quite often featured his own talented daughter
Hallie -- had me further pondering the vital role my loved ones play in my life, as well as the cost of writing Steve On Broadway (SOB) at their expense.
So it's after much contemplation that I suspend regular, let alone daily, postings here. Having said that, if there's a theatre headline or personal experience worth writing about, rest assured I'll still be posting them. As far as the shows I see, I may attempt to write one or two lines about my overall experience in an easy-to-read nutshell, along with whether or not I actually enjoyed the performances. But that my friends will be about all.
For those of you who have visited here for the rundown of shows opening on Broadway, I advise you to regularly visit the two sites I visit most:
Playbill and
TheaterMania.
For those of you who have enjoyed my critics' capsules, I'd like to redirect you to
Did He Like It? or
Critic-O-Meter.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other excellent theatre-only bloggers who review shows, including bloggers I personally know and trust like
Broadway & Me,
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals,
Just Shows To Go You,
‘kül That Sounds Cool and
West End Whingers, as well as individuals I've come to know strictly via the ether:
About Last Night,
The Clyde Fitch Report,
The Playgoer and the type of succinct reviewer I would aspire to be,
What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre.
Since this is not farewell -- I don't do goodbyes -- I'll leave you with a protracted "We'll be seeing you soon."
Hopefully, it will be at a Broadway show, and a good one at that.
Now that you know the face that goes with those eyes, please take a moment to say hello.
And remember that "Life is a stage. Act appropriately."
Thank you!
<-- This
is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Special Messages
Who Is Stage Right?
Who Is Stage Right?Is the theatre world really
that fascist in suppressing all thought out of lockstep with its supposed group thinking that conservative theatre bloggers must go completely underground? Are the reprisals against such individuals that severe that individuals can no longer exercise their freedom of speech?
That appears to be the case according to a "veteran of the Broadway theatre industry" now writing anonymously since early January as
Stage Right, one of a host of unabashedly conservative bloggers whose writings are aggregated on "
Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood" Web site.
But don't let that fear of retribution fool you. This Stage Right is one heck of a flamethrower, taking on everyone and everything from
Frank Rich to
Wicked from his hidden bunker somewhere out there. In fact, Stage Right sees his segment of the entertainment industry
as follows:
If the entertainment industry leans left, then the theatre world is left of left. And if theatre is left of left, then the theatre actor’s UNION is so far left they consider Dennis Kucinich the reasonable alternative to Ralph Nader.
Personally, the friendships I value most are those that challenge me, as well as my points of view, whether on politics, theatre or, well, you name the topic. It keeps me on my toes and requires me to actually think, thus avoiding intellectual laziness. Talk about a novel concept. I can only hope it makes me a better person.
Similarly, as regular readers know, if there's one American liberty I value above all others, it's our freedom of speech. I may not always agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend your right to say it.
But before I defend your right to say it, I usually like to know who you are.
POSTSCRIPT (5.10.09, 9:30 a.m. EST): It should be noted that according to his description:Stage Right posts at Big Hollywood in anonymity not for professional reasons, but out of deference to his spouse who still maintains deep friendships with many members of the theatrical industry.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Freedom Of Speech, Stage Right
In Lieu...Forgive me, dear readers, for not posting a regular item today. Due to a death in my family, I've spent the last 24 hours in Seattle and will be heading home on a red-eye, so a post tomorrow is rather unlikely.
But because I have caught up on a few of my favorite theatre blogs, I'm more than happy to redirect you to some that captured my attention this evening:
SarahB at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment manages to make the Great White Way seem, well, substantially less dark or stark. Thanks to her camera in hand, she's providing actual snapshots of the bright lights to come to Broadway.
Then there's Vance at
Tapeworthy, who sums up countless shows he's considering seeing as he traverses the North American continent ... and then some.
Finally, check out
Modern Fabulousity's outstanding compendium of Broadway's coming attractions.
Oh, and since immitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I've been
really digging what Leonard Jacobs has been doing in summarizing the best (and worst?) of theatre blogging over at
The Clyde Fitch Report.
See you soon.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, Blogs, Broadway, Modern Fabulousity, Tapeworthy, The Clyde Fitch Report
Steve am Broadway (SOB)So today, I was doing a routine check of all the crazy stats I come across via Statcounter. It's always a little amusing to learn how various people find
Steve On Broadway, be it through search terms or a link from another site. I'm sure other bloggers might be similarly amused.
Little did I know that
Google (which owns
Blogger) translates blogs to other languages. Who knew?
In my discovery, I learned that Steve On Broadway translates to
Steve am Broadway (SOB) in German! Of course, "SOB" is completely lost in translation.
What bemused me even more was seeing how some of my important sidebar links to my favorite theatre bloggers translated. Below is the actual way each appears on my site, followed by how each has been translated by Google, and then the translation provided back to me by
FreeTranslation.com, an essential site to use if you ever wish to get a quick and easy translation:
Theatre Bloggers SOB knows and loves / Theater Bloggers SOB kennt und liebt ("Theater of blogger SOB knows and loves")
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment /
Adventures in the Pursuit of Endless Entertainment (sorry Sarah, I guess they just liked to flip the words, but the result is interesting, and true)
Broadway & Me /
Broadway & Me (guess they just couldn't translate this)
Casual Heap /
Casual Heap (same here)
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals /
Alles, was ich weiß, dass ich gelernt, aus Musicals ("All what I know, that I learned, out of musicals")
Gratuitous Violins /
Kostenlose Geigen ("Free violins")
Just Shows To Go You /
Just zeigt, gehen Sie zu ("Just shows, go you to")
‘kül That Sounds Cool /
"Das klingt kül Cool ("That sounds kül coolly")
Man In Chair /
Der Mensch in der Stuhl ("The person in the chair")
Modern Fabulousity /
Moderne Fabulousity ("Modern Fabulousity")
The Lunar Gemini /
Die Lunar Gemini ("The Lunar Gemini")
Theatre Aficionado At Large /
Theater Aficionado at Large (sorry TAAL, but you're the same)
The Theatergoer /
Die Theatergoer ("The Theatregoer")
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me /
Dinge, die Sie werden lernen, zu lieben Über mich ("Hire, will learn that you, to love over me")
Third Row, Mezzanine /
Dritte Zeile, Mezzanine ("Third line, mezzanine")
West End Whingers /
West End Whingers (same ol' Whingers!)
I think my favorite is der mensch in der stuhl, mostly because you can guess what it is, yet it ends up sounded downright funny. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of all of this is that when you click on each link, up comes a complete German translation for each, even though each blogger's original skin is still there.
Enjoy!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Germany, Special Messages
Theatre Bloggers I Know And LoveIf there's icing on the cake for me as a theatre lover -- that is, in addition to actually sitting in a theatre to soak in a live performance -- it's meeting kindred spirits who share my unbridled enthusiasm and appreciation for the art form played out on the stage. And what deliciously sweet icing it has turned out to be.
Earlier, I've reported on how over just the past couple months, I have been meeting a number of bloggers who write predominantly about theatre. First (and actually coming last summer) was Esther at
Gratuitous Violins, who graciously organized a
bloggers roundtable in March that included Aaron at
‘kül That Sounds Cool, Alicia at
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me, Chris at
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, Jan at
Broadway & Me, Jimmy at
Third Row, Mezzanine, Kari at
Casual Heap, Mike at
The Lunar Gemini, Patrick at
Just Shows To Go You and Sarah at
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment. Last month, on my visit across the pond, my trip was not complete without
finally meeting up with Andrew and Phil at
West End Whingers. And just a couple Saturdays ago,
it was my pleasure to meet Gabriel of
Modern Fabulousity.
Given how wonderfully accessible these individuals are, I've enjoyed getting to know some of these terrific bloggers even better since initial meetings. In fact, I feel a real bond, friendship and sense of community that respects disagreement, where dissent is welcomed, but also where points on which we're simpatico are savored.
Now, over the past week, I've had the immense honor of formally meeting two other fine theatre bloggers,
Eric of
Man In Chair (whimsically named for the character created by
Bob Martin for
The Drowsy Chaperone)
and Kevin from
Theatre Aficionado At Large (who has this incredibly encyclopedic mind capable of pulling virtually any YouTube performance out of his hat). Just as I've earlier enjoyed meeting the diverse array of other theatre bloggers before them, I was genuinely thrilled meeting these two gentlemen as we exchanged stories about our own unique theatregoing experiences.
In the event you haven't already checked out Man In Chair, here's a nice little thumbnail:
Man in Chair came about after reading a few articles about blogging, and taking some valuable advice from a friend about following your passion. Theatre is my passion. After 39 years on this earth, I’ve finally come to realize that theatre is in my life to stay. I just have to be open to the various incarnations it inhabits.
Likewise, if you want to get a sense of what Theatre Aficionado At Large is about, here's his synopsis:
Just a place where I can rant and rave and be a total lunatic about theatre, film and anything artistic that strikes me as entertaining, interesting or important.
What this all leads me to is a new blog order on the right hand side of my site. I'm now going to split my reads into "Theatre Bloggers SOB Knows and Loves" with the aforementioned folks listed, and all the remaining theatre bloggers I continue enjoy reading (and hopefully, someday, will also be able to meet if the stars align
and they're so willing).
Here's to an outstanding, thoughtful and eminently fun group of theatre lovers. I'm looking forward to our next adventures.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:ModFab Helps Kiss The World Better (May 5, 2008)
Whinging My Way Into Second Anniversary (April 24, 2008)
Blog Day Afternoon (March 31, 2008)
Labels: Blogs, Man In Chair, Theatre Aficionado At Large
ModFab Helps Kiss The World Better
Over the weekend, I caught one of the press previews of
Glory Days, and who should I see in the audience (other than critics) but none other than the fabulous Gabriel of
Modern Fabulousity.
OK, truth be told, I was a full-fare paying audience member who just happened to attend along with the media. Also, Gabriel and I knew we'd both be in the same audience ahead of time, but it's fun thinking we would have just happened upon each other.
While I'll wait until Wednesday to provide my SOB Review on the smallest of Broadway musicals to come along in a very, very long time, it was an enormous pleasure meeting this larger than life blogger, who has an immense heart and truly amazing insights into that entertainment form I love so much: live theatre. No wonder he calls his regularly recurring column "
Stage Addiction."
If ModFab tells us something about the stage, you had better believe that I'll never doubt his word about it ever again.
Here's to you, Gabriel. Always a pleasure meeting another face behind the blog!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Glory Days, Modern Fabulousity
Catching Up On Reading...Since I'm just back from vacation and catching up on a mountain of work, as well as all the latest theatre news, I thought I'd use today to pause and let you know what I'm reading:
The eternally effervescent Sarah at
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment offers an illuminating piece on the organization responsible for the
Tony Awards:
The American Theatre Wing.
New England's finest bloggers Chris Caggiano (
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals) and Esther (
Gratuitous Violins) tell us how
The Drowsy Chaperone is faring on its Boston tour stop. Chris comes at it from the perspective of a long-time fan, while Esther has seen it for the first time.
Broadway Undercover was fortunate to get into the actual catered affair for
A Catered Affair and snapped a few photos in the process. Meanwhile
Modern Fabulousity tells us to ignore Big Ben's take on the musical and just go see it. I will, ModFab, in about a week, and given all those Drama Desk nominations, I'm really looking forward to it.
And finally, a reminder from my new best friends Andrew and Phil of the
West End Whingers that there
really have been worse musicals than
Gone With The Wind (read:
Carrie). Last Thursday,
I spotted a story delineating the 10 worst musicals of all time as endured by London's
Telegraph.
Happy reading!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Catered Affair, Blogs, Carrie, Gone With The Wind, The Drowsy Chaperone, Tony Awards
Blog Day AfternoonIt's no secret I love to talk about live theatre. In fact, aside from travel and politics, it's one of my greatest passions.
Yet despite the
great discussion from a couple weeks ago on the value of theatre, I find myself rarely discussing anything pertaining to the stage with friends or family. My discussions are largely relegated to
this forum.
Fortunately, over the weekend, thanks to Esther at
Gratuitous Violins, 11 bloggers who are predominantly focused on theatre
became friends and family as we joined together for a freewheeling brunch at
Angus McIndoe's -- one of the Broadway theatre district's more renowned hot spots.
While the group was just a tad too large for all of us to get to know each and every person assembled, I couldn't help but feel a special kinship with the intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, funny and genuinely nice men and women seated around our extended table. Sharing stories that ranged from our seminal theatre experiences to our favorite theatre moments, as well as glimpses into our own backgrounds that in turn precipitated our interest in the stage, made this a meal to savor in every respect.
There may be a preconceived notion out there that bloggers are wonky nerds. Well, that may be true depending on the topic being blogged, but given the very communal and experiential nature of live theatre, it came as no surprise to me that nothing could be farther from the truth when it came to this fine cross-section of the larger theatre blogging community.
Even better, when we invariably disagreed, the respect for each other's point of view was unassailable. Perhaps it's the realization that our divergence and diversity of opinions actually make live theatre blogging ever more relevant to anyone seeking to better understand the stage.
So to my new friends and family, Aaron at
‘kül That Sounds Cool, Alicia at
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me, Chris at
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, Jan at
Broadway & Me, Jimmy at
Third Row, Mezzanine, Kari at
Casual Heap, Mike at
The Lunar Gemini, Patrick at
Just Shows To Go You, Sarah at
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment and of course, my dear "sister" Esther at
Gratuitous Violins -- as well as Bill and Kristen -- I'll not only raise a glass to each of you, but look forward to continuing to share live theatre experiences with each of you, be they in person or in our blogs.
I'm thrilled to have met so many others who share my passion. Here's to you!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Broadway
Early Tony Handi-cappingTwo of Steve On Broadway's favorite "Must Read" blogs --
Full Force Theatre Musings and
ModernFabulousity -- have already begun handicapping the 2008 Tony Awards.
FFTM's CaraJoy, of course, first posted her mid-season musings
in 2007 and
last mentioned her early betting in January.
Last week, ModFab's Gabriel began
his discussion on plays and revivals of plays and
continues it today with the betting on musicals, new and otherwise.
ModFab picked up on
a comment I made last week in posting the news (
now confirmed) that
Glory Days would be heading to Broadway from the DC Area's
Signature Theatre (not to be confused with the Off-Broadway
Signature on West 42nd Street). I said that given the Main Stem's "disappointing big musicals" (
read: critical drubbing of both
Young Frankenstein and
The Little Mermaid), "this is quickly becoming the year of the little musical with oversized hearts." ModFab was quick -- and right -- to point out that two "big" tuners,
Cry-Baby and
A Catered Affair, have yet to open.
While I would never want to count either one out, let's just say that how ever fair or unfair, the initial buzz I've been hearing on
Cry-Baby is not terribly favorable, and
A Catered Affair is further challenged both by the
stinging tryout review by
The Los Angeles Times 's Charles McNulty and the subsequent
kerfuffle, as well as the initial capitalization necessary for the Broadway incarnation.
Personally, I have high hopes for both.
As a big fan of
John Waters, I'm champing at the bit to see if
Cry-Baby can replicate some modicum of
Hairspray's universal success. I'm also rooting for
Harvey Fierstein and know that
he's pouring every last ounce of energy into making
A Catered Affair a complete delight. I hope both succeed.
While I agree wholeheartedly with ModFab that inevitably, the Tony focus turns to what shows can sell tickets on tour, if either of these shows is torpedoed by bad reviews, the Tony race just may become one big Cinderella story for this year's little shows. But I'm prepared to withhold my glass slipper fitting until
Cry-Baby and
A Catered Affair have had the opportunity to open.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Glory Days Yet To Come This Broadway Season? (March 19, 2008)
Heights Opens: Did Critics Offer High Marks? (March 10, 2008)
Did Critics Provide Passing Grades To Passing Strange? (February 29, 2008)
Did Little Mermaid Find Its Legs Among Critics? (January 11, 2008)
Did Critics Think Young Frankenstein Was Putzin' On The Shtick? (November 8, 2007)
Did Critics Offer Xana-Dos Or Don'ts? (July 11, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Blogs, Broadway, Cry-Baby, Full Force Theatre Musings, Glory Days, Modern Fabulousity, Musical, The Little Mermaid, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations, Young Frankenstein
Producer's Perspective Is Sneak PeekThere's a relatively new entrant among theatre blogs out there, and it's from Off-Broadway producer extraordinaire
Ken Davenport, the mastermind behind such hits as the blissfully funny
Altar Boyz.
Called
The Producer's Perspective, it contains the impresario's musings on "everything related to Broadway and beyond." He's been blogging since October.
How did I find him?
While perusing through the
Chicago Sun-Times Web site, I spotted
a story on my favorite Broadway show of the season,
August: Osage County. The item, written by Davenport, focused on the inspiration behind the play's title. Turns out, the second city's second newspaper lifted the post directly from Davenport's blog.
The producer-cum-blogger (a progger? a blucer??) indicated that he had been provided a sneak peek at the script, which included playwright
Tracy Letts' dedication of what Davenport describes as "arguably one of the worst titles since
Flahooley for one of the best plays of the last decade."
Welcome to the blogosphere, Ken. I'm looking forward to more of your personal insights!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Altar Boyz, August Osage County, Blogs, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Producer's Perspective, Tracy Letts
Value Of Theatre ReduxAs
part of yesterday's
extraor-dinary online discussion of the value that theatre represents, I failed to mention that
I love theatre.
It's fun.
It's exhilarating.
It's magical.
It's three dimensional.
It's the one opportunity where you can come eyeball to eyeball with your favorite actor, or discover a new one before they flit off to television or the movies.
It's a bridge to expanding your imagination.
It's unlike anything else.
It's live.
It's a powerful community unlike any other:
Theater For The Future,
Rat Sass,
Theatre Ideas,
Parabasis,
The Next Stage,
Theatre is Territory,
Freedom Spice In the New Mash-Up World,
Mike Daisey,
An Angry White Guy In Chicago,
Bite & Smile,
That Sounds Cool,
A Rhinestone World,
GreyZelda Land,
On Theatre And Politics,
The Devil Vet,
Play Out The Play,
West End Journal,
Gratuitous Violins,
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment,
About Last Night,
All About Musicals,
Artsy Schmartsy,
Broadway & Me,
Broadway Undercover,
City Slicker,
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals,
Full Force Theater Musings,
I'm Ted Green,
Interval Drinks,
Just Shows To Go You,
Man In Chair,
Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog,
Modern Fabulousity,
Pixeltheatre,
Show Showdown,
Stage Notes,
The Clyde Fitch Report,
The Lunar Gemini,
Theatre Snobbery At Its Finest,
The Playgoer,
The Stephen Mosher Blog,
The Theatergoer,
The Wicked Stage,
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me,
Third Row, Mezzanine,
West End Whingers,
What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre,
among what I'm certain is many, many more!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:"What Is The 'Value' Of Theatre?" (March 19, 2008)
Labels: Blogs, Special Messages, Theatreforte, Value of Theatre
"What Is The 'Value' Of Theatre?"Did you know that today is the International Value of Live Theatre Day?
Well, not because of any proclamation from the
United Nations or individual governments around the world. It's because Matt Slayer of
Theatreforté has reached around the globe to at least 40 theatre bloggers in Australia, Europe and North America,
asking us to join in solidarity today and write about the value that theatre affords individuals who wouldn't typically identify themselves as theatregoers.
My personal value statement regarding theatre has been posted on my home page ever since I began writing Steve On Broadway (SOB) nearly two years ago. And it's relatively simple:
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show (Annie in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Whether you identify yourself as a theatregoer or not, I would bet money that you enjoy being entertained. Right? I mean, who
doesn't? Entertainment is one of life's greatest pleasures.
Most of us have our own favorite television show. Just about everyone can identify their most beloved film. And a sizeable number of us remain mesmerized by a fascinating book. They all entertain and inform us with their storytelling genius, making our lives a little richer for the experience. In that regard, theatre is in the same league.
But the beauty of live theatre is the communal aspect of the shared entertainment experience. Sure, we can sit down to watch television with our friends, and we can certainly enjoy the same movie with an audience of strangers. But live theatre is the one singular opportunity we have to enjoy the telling of a story that evolves from one night to the next, often due to the audience's response to the magic and artistry being performed
live and in front of us.
When I recently saw
August: Osage County for my second time, I had an opportunity afterwards to chat with
Amy Morton,
Rondi Reed and
Mariann Mayberry. Separately, each told me how well my audience responded and helped fuel their performances even further. There's an unbelievable amount of power that resides with the audience that simply doesn't exist in television, movies or books.
There's also the air of danger in seeing a live performance. As much as the cast and crew hope and pray nothing goes wrong, the mere possibility that it could simply takes my breath away. And when something indeed happens, such as a missed cue or a flubbed line or a
flipped wig, well, isn't that what ultimately transforms our unique experience into something all the more memorable?
Sure, live theatre may be one of the oldest forms of entertainment, but it also remains the most vibrant, innovative and daring.
It's why when given a choice, I'll happily make my way to a live performance any day. There's nothing else quite like it on earth.
UPDATE (March 19, 2008, 4:45 p.m. EDT): It should be noted that the following bloggers around the world are participating in this incredible discussion. I invite you to visit their sites as well to learn what they believe the value of theatre is:Theater For The Future,
Rat Sass,
Theatre Ideas,
Parabasis,
The Next Stage,
Theatre is Territory,
Freedom Spice In the New Mash-Up World,
Mike Daisey,
An Angry White Guy In Chicago,
Bite & Smile,
That Sounds Cool,
A Rhinestone World,
GreyZelda Land,
On Theatre And Politics,
The Devil Vet,
Play Out The Play,
West End JournalGratuitous Violins,
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of EntertainmentAs I learn of other bloggers posting on this topic, I'll add them to this mini-blog roll.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Community Experience, Theatreforte, Value of Theatre
How 'kül Is This? Strange $25 Rush Ticket OfferMajor tip o' the hat on this fine St. Patrick's Day to Aaron Riccio of
‘kül That Sounds Cool and
MetaDrama and Show Showdown for being among the first to report something that not only sounds cool, it actually
is!
Aaron reports that the überkül musical
Passing Strange will now offer same-day $25 rush tickets for anyone wishing to see the show. Aaron writes:
In other words, now you have no excuse for not seeing Passing Strange. It's already clear that Passing Strange is a young, hip, vibrant show, unique in its stubborn charm to Broadway. This incentive carries that energy on by making Broadway really accessible to anyone passing through -- in the neighborhood and want to see something? For little more than twice the cost of a movie ticket, now you can.
My one and only concern: Broadway musicals need a consistent advance box office business and more than an average ticket price of $49.91 -- let alone $25 -- to remain open. When the last box office scores were posted a week ago,
Passing Strange had increased its capacity significantly ... but only to 49.3%.
UPDATE (3/17/08, 3:39 p.m. EDT): Last week for the first time in its relatively brief Broadway life, Passing Strange broke through the 50% capacity mark as it reached 55.5% with average ticket prices barely increasing to $50.89.
Will this
Strange gamble pay off for the
best new musical on Broadway? I sure hope so.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Provide Passing Grades To Passing Strange? (February 29, 2008)
Passing Strange (The SOB Review) (February 29, 2008)
Broadway's Strange Opening Night (February 28, 2008)
Strange Stagefellows (February 20, 2008)
Passing Strange Jersey Boys And Rock 'N' Roll: Downbeat Box Office (February 19, 2008)
Stranger Things Have Happened! (October 19, 2007)
Passing Strange To Broadway? (October 16, 2007)
Labels: Blogs, Box Office, Broadway, kul That Sounds Cool, Musical, Passing Strange, Ticket Prices
As I Was Saying....Can it really be that two long weeks have gone by and
nobody picked up on
my story that Broadway's
Young Frankenstein quietly discontinued its
obscene premium ticket pricing until
now?
I mean, it's not as if
respected newspaper writers avoid reading blogs!
The very capable Campbell Robertson
finally reports in yesterday's issue of
The New York Times what I wrote about two weeks ago today!
Frankly, this is why it's important to
never discount the ability of the dedicated portion of the immense blogosphere to scoop mainstream media.
But two weeks? Wow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:There Will Be Violins: Frank Talk (March 11, 2008)
Young Frankenstein Discontinues Premium Ticket Prices (March 2, 2008)
Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Campbell Robertson, Ticket Prices, Young Frankenstein
What? No Whingers?Surely, there must be some oversight.
The UK's
Guardian has come out with its "list" of "
The World's 50 Most Powerful Blogs," and there's no
West End Whingers in sight.
Never mind, apparently, that even the
Guardian's own
Chris Wilkinson writes about them in his column:
The West End Whingers were so prepared for the show to be bad that, in emulation of the great critic himself, they had bought nightgowns and nightcaps in order to drift off in the cosy warmth of the theatre.
I mean, how influential is
that?!
There are few theatre bloggers who receive mainstream media attention on either side of the Atlantic quite the way Andrew and Phil do.
I demand a recount!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Best Of Lists, Blogs, Guardian, West End Whingers
Blonde Not Quite Ready To Jump SharkImagine my surprise when one of my dear, regular readers sent me the following from
Us Magazine:
A source says Britney Spears’ ex, 30, may be heading to NYC in September to make his Broadway debut in Legally Blonde, the Tony-nominated musical adaptation of the hit film, Us Weekly reports in its latest issue, on newsstands now.
“He’s so excited!” a Federline source tells Us.
The former backup dancer and aspiring hip-hop artist — who is hitting the gym after packing on “daddy weight,” ex Shar Jackson says — will test his song-and-dance chops in a trio of roles — including the UPS guy who inspires the “bend and snap.”
“This is his chance to show the world what he can do,” says a pal.
And now that he has physical custody, sons Sean, 2, and Jayden, 18 months, might join him in the Big Apple.
“This is his dream and he wants to bring the kids,” says the insider. “Jamie and Lynne [Spears] promised to help him make it work.”
(A rep for the show says he is not scheduled “as of this time.”)
Federline may not be the only star hitting Broadway: New mom Nicole Richie has been approached to star in Chicago.
Then, imagine my even
bigger surprise when reading Chris Caggiano's post yesterday at
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals:
Another sign of the impending apocalypse: US magazine reports that Kevin Federline may be joining the cast of Broadway's Legally Blonde. Presumably as Warner, the part originated by Richard Blake? Or perhaps as the UPS guy that Paulette falls for? Or maybe even the "Is he gay or European?" dude at the trial? Certainly not as Emmet, the good guy who gets the girl, a part originated by the talented Christian Borle?
My surprise wasn't necessarily that
Legally Blonde would actually jump the shark with stunt casting. No. It was that either of these fine people would read
Us Magazine!
So I clicked onto
Us this morning to see what's up. And guess what? Kevin Federline
will not be appearing in
Legally Blonde. Or at least, so they say now.
Impending apocalypse avoided? Well, not if the
Us rumor on Nicole Richie going
Chicago proves true. But let's just say, I'll believe it when I read it somewhere else.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Britney Spears, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Jump The Shark, Kevin Federline, Legally Blonde, Nicole Richie, Stunt Casting, Us Magazine
There Will Be Violins: Frank TalkSomehow, I completely missed
this, but nothing gets by the ever-sharp eye of Esther at
Gratuitous Violins.
She takes on one of my all-time favorite theatre critics, Frank Rich, for this
comment at last week's discussion of
August: Osage County, sponsored by
The New York Times:
By the way, many of the most vicious reviews are written on theater blogs, and they can’t be stopped either.
I'm with you, Esther. I don't read too many blogger reviews that are outright vicious, and in fact, I think the one critic out there who seems to take the most glee in being so is none other than the Grey Lady's current lead critic.
But I will say this: I miss the days before Mr. Rich transferred over to the Op-Ed pages. Not because I'm upset by what he has to write over
there, but because as a theatre lover, I felt that I had a kindred spirit writing reviews for other theatre lovers. "Butcher of Broadway," indeed.
Those were the days, and they were rich.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Criticizing Critics, Frank Rich, Gratuitous Violins, The New York Times
A Chorus Line: From Priscilla To Mario LopezOh, how the mighty have fallen.
Once a
cutting-edge show originally starring
Priscilla Lopez (pictured, left),
A Chorus Line is now a revival caught
jumping the shark with
Mario Lopez (pictured, right).
I'll leave the choicest comments to my friend Chris Caggiano over at
Everything I Know I Learned In Musicals.
P.S. I can't wait to see the
real deal later this month when I see
In The Heights at the
Richard Rodgers Theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for A Chorus Line tickets.Click here for In The Heights tickets.Labels: A Chorus Line, Blogs, Broadway, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, In The Heights, Jump The Shark, Mario Lopez, Musical, Priscilla Lopez, Stunt Casting
