Three New Broadway Shows Begin This Month - Which Do You Most Want To See?
After two months filled with a whopping fifteen new Broadway shows, the dawn of November brings with it a bit of a respite. Only three new additional shows begin previews this month.
They include Elf (November 2, previewed here), Elling (November 2, previewed here) and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (November 14, previewed here).
With these three new works, I invite you to respond to my latest SOB Poll below that asks, "Which of these productions do you most want to see?"
Please take a moment to vote in this poll, and feel free to provide your comments below as to why.
For the complete list of Broadway shows confirmed for this season, please click here. For shows that have been announced, but not fully confirmed with venues and/or dates, click here.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations 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: Broadway, Elf-The Musical, Elling, Previews, SOB Poll, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark
The SOB Poll - October Results
At the beginning of October, I noted how eight new shows were starting on Broadway this month and asked you to vote for the show you most wanted to see.
The results are in and they're staggering.
The Pee-Wee Herman Show easily won, outpolling every other show with a whopping 63.7% of your votes. It was followed by Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (15.5%), The Scottsboro Boys (6.2%) and Driving Miss Daisy (5.6%). 857 total votes were cast in this poll.
Credit certainly goes to Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman for truly getting the viral nature of blogging, Facebook and Twitter. He mobilized his fans to vote and they turned out in droves. Other Broadway shows could learn a thing or two from his "get out the vote" campaign!
And is it saying something that two shows couldn't even muster enough votes that they earned a place on the list below "I don't want to see any of these shows"?
How did your favorite show place?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations 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: Broadway, Driving Miss Daisy, Paul Reubens, SOB Poll, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, The Scottsboro Boys, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown
The SOB Poll - Septem-ber Results
At the beginning of Septem-ber, I noted how seven new shows were starting on Broadway that month and
asked you to vote for the show you
most wanted to see.
The results are finally in.
With a plurality of the 149 votes cast,
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jack-son led the pack with 36.9%. The musical went on to receive largely positive views,
present company excluded.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was followed in a close race for second
place.
A Life In The Theatre (14.8%) narrowly edged critical darling
Brief Encounter (14.1%). They were followed by
La Bête (10.7%),
Lombardi (8.1%) and
The Pitmen Painters (6.7%).
How did your favorite show fare?
Tomorrow, I'll provide the results of your top picks among Broadway shows starting in October.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations 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: A Life In The Theatre, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Brief Encounter, Broadway, La Bete, SOB Poll
7 New Broadway Shows Begin This Month - Which Do You Most Want To See?This month, Broadway's 2010-11 Theatrical Season begins in earnest as seven new plays and musicals start previews.
They include
Mrs. Warren's Profession (September 3),
Brief Encounter (September 10),
The Pitmen Painters (September 14),
A Life In The Theatre (September 21),
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (September 20),
La Bête (September 23) and
Lombardi (September 23). Which leads me to ask in my latest SOB Poll, "Which of these productions do you
most want to see?"
Please take a moment to vote in this poll, and feel free to provide your comments below as to why.
Thank you for participating!
For the complete list of Broadway shows confirmed for this season, please click
here. For shows that have been announced, but not fully confirmed with venues and/or dates, click
here.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations 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: A Life In The Theatre, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Brief Encounter, Broadway, La Bête, Lombardi, Mrs. Warren's Profession, SOB Poll, The Pitmen Painters
Are You Cheering Yet?Earlier this month,
one of my welcome guests challenged a comment
I made with respect to my posting on entrance applause. I said, "I would also venture that a large number of audience members have decided to visit Broadway because an actor or actress they've greatly admired is performing. For many, it may very well be their first foray into the theatre, and thus it does not surprise me that they would applaud the star of the show."
I took his comments to heart and posed the first of a two-part poll, asking you, my dear readers, to vote for what compels you to experience live theatre. The results are in, and as I suspected, the opportunity to see a favorite actor or actress ranked first with 78.6% of you.
That was followed by
plot (64.3%),
music and
buzz (tied at 57.1%),
reviews (48.4%) and
awards (39.3%).
While price and availability of tickets received some votes, they certainly weren't the major motivators.
So, now that we have established that cast members constitute the major reason why individuals -- at least for Steve On Broadway readers -- go see a particular show, it's time to move on. To part two.
Now, I invite you to vote in the second in my series of polls, this time asking you about entrance applause. Do you naturally applaud when your favorite actor takes to the stage or do you sit on your hands? Or does it all depend on the actor or whether the rest of the audience is erupting in spontaneous adulation?
After voting, please share your comments regarding your personal hands-clapping modus operandi.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
What Motivates You To See A Broadway Show? (July 5, 2007)
From Now On, I'll Just Sit On My Hands (July 1, 2007)
Labels: Blogs, Entrance Applause, Jeffrey Cafaude, SOB Poll, Theatre Etiquette
What Motivates You To See A Broadway Show?
Last week, one of my welcome guests challenged a comment I made with respect to my posting on entrance applause. I said, "I would also venture that a large number of audience members have decided to visit Broadway because an actor or actress they've greatly admired is performing. For many, it may very well be their first foray into the theatre, and thus it does not surprise me that they would applaud the star of the show."
Am I right or am I wrong? Or perhaps it's just one of many factors. You tell me!
Share your thoughts here, and don't forget to vote in my latest SOB Poll in which I ask you to tell me what motivates you to see a Broadway show.
Also, thanks to everyone who
voted in my last poll in which I asked you if you'll see
Young Frankenstein in spite of the fact that the top seats are priced at $450. To date, even though a sizeable minority (43.2%) were evidentally appalled enough to say "Absolutely not!" a majority of you (56.8%) said you would see it, with most of you indicating you'd opt for the cheapest seats.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
From Now On, I'll Just Sit On My Hands (July 1, 2007)
That's Franken$$$$$TEIN! (June 29, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Motivation to see show, SOB Poll, Ticket Prices, Young Frankenstein
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See?Now that the 2007 Tony Awards are history, I'd like to cordially invite you to vote in my latest SOB Poll (found on the right-hand margin) for each of the the upcoming Broadway musicals -- already slated for the 2007-08 Theatrical Season -- that you plan to see.
Feel free to vote for as many of the ten selections of new musicals and revivals as you want. Your choices include:
After voting, feel free to share why each of the shows you've selected pique your interest.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Grandage Guys And Dolls Set For Great White Way (June 6, 2007)
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway (May 25, 2007)
Off-Broadway Hit Seeks Greater White Way Heights (May 23, 2007)
Sunday In The Park With Daniel And Jenna (May 7, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Mermaid Casting Anything But Little (March 20, 2007)
It's Official: Mullally Cast In Young Frankenstein (March 9, 2007)
Broadway Can-Du? (December 18, 2006)
Trevor Nunn's West End Porgy and Bess Will Transfer to Broadway (July 25, 2006)
Labels: 13, A Catered Affair, Broadway, Grease, Guys And Dolls, In The Heights, Musical, Porgy And Bess, SOB Poll, Sunday In The Park With George, The Little Mermaid, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein
Backlash Awakening?After the Tony nominations were announced on Tuesday, the prevailing conventional wisdom among most pundits seemed to be that
Spring Awakening had a solid lock on winning the honor for Best Musical.
Even
the pundit of all Broadway pundits,
Michael Reidel of the
New York Post,
dutifully painted a picture of backroom drama at the Tony nominating committee meeting that sought to ensure a win for
Spring Awakening by locking out
Legally Blonde:
Some of them, who were very much in the thrall of Spring Awakening, got wind of the Pinkies' plan (to get the road vote) and, it appears, blocked it by giving the fourth slot for Best Musical to Mary Poppins instead of Legally Blonde. The path to Tony Award glory is now clear for Spring Awakening.
"Not so fast," cry a number of vital voices like Rob Kendt (
Broadway.com and
The Wicked Stage) and
Peter Filichia of TheaterMania. There's even a backhanded compliment thrown its way by
Chris Caggiano at Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals who quite accurately points out that
Grey Gardens could have tied
Spring Awakening's impressive 11 nominations had it not been for its lack of choreography.
I also vividly recall when another one of my favorite theatre bloggers
Rocco at What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre bluntly stated in January:
I was shocked...to find myself among the ranks with those who kinda hated Spring Awakening. I thought for sure, I was going to love this show. It seemed right up my alley, as a fan of the original play, and an advocate of new musicals on Broadway. But those factors are the main reasons why I was put-off by almost every aspect of this production. For starters, the cast is constantly giving off this attitude that what they're doing up there is so cool and so edgy.
Although
I kinda liked this electrifying show -- and could certainly put aside how anachronistic and smugly self-aware I found it -- much of
Steven Sater’s book was surprisingly predictable. As "shocking" as the material was clearly intended to be, I found myself easily figuring out where this was all headed. Although it came close, I never thought this show reached the heights of excellence that
Grey Gardens or even
Curtains mastered.
Although I realize my little SOB Poll may not provide the most accurate barometer of what's to come (even though your votes proved to be largely correct in predicting the outcome of the Tony nominations), I find it interesting that in the current poll where I ask which show will win the Tony for Best Musical, that the numbers for
Spring Awakening have been dropping fairly precipitously over the past three days, mostly to the benefit of
Grey Gardens. Yes, there's still about a 20% gap between the two shows, but it's much closer than it was even 24 hour ago.
All this leads me to ask: could it be that
Spring Awakening is already peaking? Just as a summer breeze begins to blow away the last vestiges of spring, could it be that Tony voters might be considering a show that can reputably blow away
Spring Awakening as its Best Musical? We'll know for sure in another 24 days.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Grey Gardens tickets.Click here for Spring Awakening tickets.Related Stories:Tony Award Nominations Announced (May 15, 2007)
New York Posts Picks For Tony Nods (May 11, 2007)
Which Shows Will Be Tony-Nominated For Best Play? (May 8, 2007)
Which Shows Will Be Tony-Nominated For Best Musical? (May 3, 2007)
Theatre For A New Age (April 8, 2007)
Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Musicals Versus Plays: You Decide (January 5, 2007)
Spring Awakening Rouses Box Office; Cast To Appear At Big Apple Store (December 12, 2006)
Waking Up To Critical Acclaim (December 11, 2006)
Spring Awakening Blossoms On Broadway Tonight (December 10, 2006)
Curtains To Rise At Al Hirschfeld Theatre In March (November 3, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
How Sheik: Spring Awakenings To Receive Broadway Transfer (July 20, 2006)
Tony Award Nominations Announced (May 16, 2006)
Labels: Blogs, Grey Gardens, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, Michael Riedel, Musical, SOB Poll, Spring Awakening, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
West End To Open New Gardens Of The Grey Variety
Move over Leicester Square and Covent Garden. There's a new property considerably more grey that's about ready to move into your West End neighborhood.
Today, it was announced that the Broadway musical
Grey Gardens -- which yesterday received ten Tony Award nominations, including for Best Musical -- will take to the London stage sometime during the 2007-08 Theatrical Season. Even better news is that
Christine Ebersole will re-create her roles as both Edith and Little Edie Bouvier Beales (she's currently under contract with the Broadway production until October). As
I've previously noted quite enthusiastically, Ebersole deserves the Tony for her stunning, virtuoso performance.
The producers also confirmed plans for a North American tour. Stay tuned for more casting news on both the London and touring productions.
Also, don't forget to vote in the current SOB Poll that asks you to name the shows that you believe will win the Tony for Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play -- you'll find all four polls on the right-hand column of Steve On Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Broadway, Christine Ebersole, Film, First Word On New Show, Grey Gardens, London, Musical, SOB Poll, Touring Production
Tony Awards Nominations Announced
The Tony Awards were named for the legendary actress and director
Antoinette Perry who had her hand in 27 Broadway productions over nearly 40 years -- including her career capper directing the celebrated comedy
Harvey -- until her death in 1946.
The 2006-07 nominees are:
Best Play
The Coast of Utopia (Tom Stoppard, author)
Frost/Nixon (Peter Morgan)
The Little Dog Laughed (Douglas Carter Beane, author)
Radio Golf (August Wilson, author)
Best Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening
Best Book of a Musical
Curtains - Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone
Grey Gardens - Doug Wright
Legally Blonde The Musical - Heather Hach
Spring Awakening - Steven Sater
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Curtains - Music: John Kander; Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes
Grey Gardens - Music: Scott Frankel; Lyrics: Michael Korie
Legally Blonde The Musical - Music & Lyrics: Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Spring Awakening - Music: Duncan Sheik; Lyrics: Steven Sater
Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Journey's End
Talk Radio
Translations
Best Revival of a Musical
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade
Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brían F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raúl Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde The Musical
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde The Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens
Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde The Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens
Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy
Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical
Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade
Regional Theatre Tony Award
Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
No surprise by the overall success of
Spring Awakening or
Grey Gardens, which garnered 21 nominations between them. But
Curtains showed amazing strength by earning 8 nods. The biggest surprise on the list is
Mary Poppins' unexpected nod in the Best Musical category (although readers in this space called it by a nose via my SOB Poll), which appeared to narrowly edge out
Legally Blonde, given the latter's prominent placement among tuners in other major musical categories including Best Original Score and Best Book.
The biggest goose egg comes up for
The Pirate Queen, which I frankly thought would pull at least one nomination for its star
Stephanie J. Block (
Laura Bell Bundy of
Legally Blonde overruled her). Even
High Fidelity earned one nomination. Unless something dramatic happens to ignite its box office, expect to see the vultures swirling around
The Pirate Queen for closing notices sooner than later.
It's noteworthy that two of the current most underperforming Broadway shows have reaped significant nominations:
Journey's End and
Company. The former was nominated for 6 awards, including in the Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor in a Play and Best Direction of a Play categories; the latter was nominated in the parallel musical categories. I'm predicting now that
Journey's End will ultimately triumph by winning the Best Revival of a Play honor, while
Company will win in both the Best Revival of a Musical and
Best Actor in a Musical categories.
There was only one surprise in the Best Play category: the showing of
The Little Dog Laughed, which I guess one could say got the last laugh (with the exception of this show, you called all of them correctly in my last SOB Poll -- the fourth place finisher in the poll was
Coram Boy).
The Coast Of Utopia marathon nearly tied
Spring Awakening's nominations by earning 10 nods -- quite a triumph for a straight play. Expect it to steamroller its competition in all but the Best Actor and Best Actress categories, which I believe will be won by
Frank Langella and
Eve Best, respectively
(
Coast Of Utopia had no nominations in the latter category).
Which productions do you think will win the Tonys for Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play? For the first time ever, I have four SOB Polls running simultaneously on the right-hand column of this site, so I invite you to vote now in all four, and feel free to share your comments about why you've voted for each, as well as share which shows you'd vote for if you had the chance!
The 61st Tony Awards will be telecast at 8 pm EDT, Sunday, June 10 on CBS.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories: Tony Award Nominations Announced (May 16, 2006)
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Grey Gardens, Play, Revival, SOB Poll, Spring Awakening, The Coast Of Utopia, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Which Shows Will Be Tony-Nominated For Best Play?This evening's opening night for
Radio Golf -- the last play from the canon of August Wilson -- marks all but the final chapter for the 2006-07 Theatrical Season. It's the last new play of the season to open (the revival of
110 In The Shade opens Wednesday)
, and it's doing so on the eve of the May 9 cut-off date for eligibility in the upcoming
Tony Awards.
Next week Tuesday, May 15, this year's Tony nominations will be formally announced; the actual Tony Awards ceremony will be presented on Sunday, June 10.
Just as I've invited you to vote in my SOB Poll to name the four tuners you thought would be nominated for Best Musical, I'd like to invite you now to vote for the four plays you believe will get the nod from the American Theatre Wing. You'll find the poll along the right-hand margin of Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Your choices include (in alphabetical order):
The Tony committee previously determined that
The Coast Of Utopia would be considered as a singular work for the purposes of nominations. You may have noted that I have not included
Talk Radio among the selections -- I'm anticipating that given previous practices, it will be deemed a revival.
Thanks to everyone who took a moment to vote in the last SOB Poll on the four musicals you think will receive Tony nominations for Best Musical. There's little surprise that
Spring Awakening and
Grey Gardens were tops with 84.9% and 81.1% of you, respectively, voting for these picks.
Curtains came in a respectable, solid third with 69.8% of you saying you thought it would be nominated.
But the fourth Tony slot appears to be far less certain as
Mary Poppins received 41.5% of your votes -- still ahead of both
Legally Blonde (30.2%) and
LoveMusik (28.3%) -- which is by no means a lock. Any of these three could conceivably receive that fourth Tony berth.
Way back in the pack were
The Pirate Queen (7.5%) and
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (3.8%), but it's doubtful either of them could really be in contention. Considering their quick shutters, there's no surprise that
High Fidelity and
The Times They Are A-Changin' failed to register with any of you.
Finally, as always, I invite you to share your comments on why you've selected the shows you have and share any insights you may have into the minds of the Tony nominators!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Which Shows Will Be Tony-Nominated For Best Musical? (May 3, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Grey Gardens, Musical, Play, SOB Poll, Spring Awakening, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Which Shows Will Be Tony-Nominated For Best Musical?
As noted earlier,
LoveMusik is the last new musical to open on Broadway during the 2006-07 Theatrical Season. After that, the only other new shows to open prior to the May 9 cut-off date for eligibility in the upcoming
Tony Awards are two plays:
Deuce (opening May 6) and
Radio Golf (opening May 8).
The next step in the vaunted Tony process is the official May 15 announcement of this year's nominees -- the actual Tony Awards are handed out on June 10. With that in mind, I invite you to vote in my latest SOB Poll (along the right hand margin of Steve On Broadway) to tell me which four musicals you believe will be nominated for Best Musical this year.
Your choices include (in alphabetical order):
I also invite you to share your comments on why you've selected the shows you have and share any insights you may have into the minds of the Tony nominators!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Musical, SOB Poll, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Theatre Etiquette, Part Two
You see, right during the middle of the performance, something occurred that I've never before experienced in a theatre. It came from the audience. It blew me away.
As the two fine actors were attempting to soar to new heights on the stage, one audience member selfishly put himself way above everyone else in that theatre by keeping his cell phone turned on.
It wasn't just that the cell phone went off, mind you. The walkie talkie feature was active, allowing the self-absorbed "patron," along with everyone else including the actors, to hear his companion's conversation starter. This was absolutely unforgivable. The individual did eventually leave the confines of the theatre (so sorry if the show was interrupting your conversation!) -- I can only hope that the theatre forbid him entry back into the show.
Incredibly enough, there is a federal law that by extension forbids the blocking of cell phone signals. This arcane, antiquated law -- the Communications Act of 1934, section 333 -- makes it illegal to interfere with radio communications. But it was enacted long before anyone fathomed that virtually every individual could be a walking, talking radio transponder thanks to breakthroughs in communications technology. Until an exemption is granted by either the FCC or Congress, stage and movie theatres alike are barred from blocking cell phone signals.
Until then, what is it with
people anyway? As
I noted last November, I'm continually amazed at the number of people who forget that they're no longer in the comfort of their own living room when they go to see a live stage performance.
Cell phones go off, people have
conversations (at my recent visit to London's
Wicked, actual
spoken conversations were taking place all over!), they unwrap candies, some insist on text messaging or scrolling through their BlackBerrys, a couple take flash photos and a few even hum along to the musical score (I had to tell the lady sitting behind me at London's
Evita to please be quiet --
she was offended!).
As my SOB Poll from last November/December shows, I'm not alone in destesting appalling behavior.
It's bad enough for those of us sitting in the audience, but these jerks need to give some consideration to the actors. Lest the buffoons think that no one on stage can hear or see them, think again. Steppenwolf's excellent ensemble member
Tracy Letts lets 'er rip with a
well-founded denunciation of all dummies who take it upon themselves to single-handedly ruin the theatre experience for everyone else, including the actors.
If you're going to behave badly, stay home where you belong.
I'd love to hear about your personal experiences with lapses in good theatre etiquette.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Evita, K2, SOB Poll, Steppenwolf, Theatre Etiquette, Tracy Letts, Wicked
Grease: The Ones That I Want
OK, so the television show that's about to select Broadway's new
Grease stars -- Sandy and Danny -- was not quite the
electrifying experience I had hoped for. But I did find myself tuning in whenever I happened to be home.
And when I did tune in, I found myself rooting for the underdogs. I must not have been alone.
Max Crumm and
Laura Osnes have transformed themselves from longshots into finalists.
Sure,
Austin Miller is a great entertainer. His status as a veteran musical actor has been unquestioned from the start of the show. Indeed, he played the romantic lead role of Link in the original touring production of
Hairspray; when I saw the show, I was struck by his terrific on-stage presence. Yet his sparkle never quite translated through television.
And sure,
Ashley Spencer possesses that certain
Meg Ryan girl-next-door look. She even has pretty decent pipes on her.
But my votes go to Max and Laura.
Simply put, Max
looks and sounds like Danny Zuko. Plus he's age appropriate. I think he's the reality show's ultimate find and has the greatest potential for moving viewers to actually buying tickets to see
Kathleen Marshall's stage production.
As for Laura, she may not have Ashley's blonde mane, but she more than makes up for it in charm and innocence that her competitor just can't touch. Maybe it's the fact that she's not from LA. To me, Laura epitomizes Sandy.
Now, I realize that all this is a moot point for many of you. According to my recent SOB Poll, 38.2% of you either refused to watch any of "
Grease: You're The One That I Want" or it simply wasn't of any interest to you in the first place.
But to the 55.9% of you who either watch the program regularly or at least on occasion, as well as the additional 5.9% of you who said you'd finally succumb to watching when it came down to the final four, I'll be interested in hearing whether your picks match mine. And more importantly, do you see yourself buying a ticket to the revival that opens this summer?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Broadway, Grease, Hairspray, Kathleen Marshall, Musical, Revival, SOB Poll, Television
The Phantom Of Manhattan?It looks like the world will have another phantom to kick around. That’s right, just as
I raised that specter a few weeks ago,
Andrew Lloyd Webber is now officially set to resume writing a sequel to Broadway’s longest running show,
The Phantom Of The Opera.
According to Sir ALW himself, the action will move from Paris to Gotham City. Maybe instead of a plummeting chandelier, he’ll simulate a drop of the New Year’s Eve ball.
Years ago, the knight was collaborating with
Frederick Forsyth on a sequel. But after that effort failed, Forsyth published a novel called “
The Phantom Of Manhattan.” No word on whether the new stage sequel will be based on said book.
The Phantom Of The Opera is perhaps the last of a certain dying breed of European mega-musicals where spectacle and song thrill audiences the world over. I remember seeing the original London production back in what seems a lifetime ago, and I even admit that I enjoyed it, despite having undoubtedly the worst seat in the house.
But I hardly consider
Phantom to be Lloyd Webber’s best work. Personally, my favorite from his canon is
Evita. I also much prefer both
Jesus Christ Superstar and
Sunset Boulevard over
Phantom. Still,
Phantom is much better than
Starlight Express or my least favorite of his, the interminable
Cats.
While
Chris Caggiano reminds us that there have indeed been decent sequels to big, beloved musicals, it’s hard to believe the odds favor lightning striking twice on something so universally loved (or reviled) as
The Phantom Of The Opera. When I put my SOB Poll question -- “Do you think Andrew Lloyd Webber should move forward with a stage sequel to
The Phantom Of The Opera?” -- to you just a couple weeks ago, the overwhelming majority (85.7%) of you voted thumbs down.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether Sir Andrew can triumph again. You can bet I’ll be watching developments closely.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
SOB Readers Produce Results For Pulling Plug (November 7, 2006)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sequel, SOB Poll, Starlight Express, The Phantom Of The Opera
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II)...Do we
really need a sequel to
The Phantom Of The Opera? I thought
Cats were supposed to have nine lives, but isn't two phantoms one too many? What can
Sir Andrew possibly do for an encore? Implode the opera house?
You can weigh in via the new SOB Poll found on the right-hand side of the site.
...Wasn't it a relief that temperatures finally began to warm up and
inspire more people to go to the theatre last week? And how about
Spring Awakening's amazing bump up at the box office! Not only has the tuner finally scored a capacity of over 90%, but it's also among the top five Broadway shows in that category. The great word of mouth is finally catching up with the show.
...Isn't the prurient interest in all things
Daniel Radcliffe just a little bit unseemly for someone who's still 17 years of age? If I have to see one more picture of his bare bum, I'm going to turn myself in.
With talk that his full frontal turn in
Equus might transfer to the States, hopefully Radcliffe will have the temerity to first celebrate a birthday before an official Broadway mounting.
...Don't all those
Olivier Awards for
Sunday In The Park With George make you wish that its Broadway transfer were sooner than later? And wasn't it amazing how two Tony Award-winning Best Musicals --
Avenue Q and
Monty Python's Spamalot -- were snubbed in honor of
Caroline, Or Change, which despite being Tony-nommed, it ultimately lost to
Avenue Q.
...Can the already announced
Xanadu musical really find the appropriate mix of tongue-in-chic relevance with
Kristen Bell, now that
Jane Krakowski won't be riding her roller skates across a Broadway stage this spring? Thankfully, we can still see the latter on "
30 Rock" -- arguably the most hilarious show on television.
...Isn't Rocco at
What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre just about the funniest theatre blogger around? Today's entry on "What My Mom Says About..." is priceless. Rocco, I think our mothers would get along just fine (and by the way, that's a great wide-eyed photo, presumably of you!).
...Why do directors and/or producers think that a novel winning formula for one show will work for another?
John Doyle has already been burned for attempting to parlay his success from
Sweeney Todd in requiring his actors to double as musicians one too many times (
read: Barnum) even after the novelty wore off with critics via
Company. But now,
Doug Hughes appears to be copying
Spring Awakening's unique onstage audience seating formula for his upcoming revival of
Inherit The Wind. Still, I guess it would be rather cool to be able to say you were on stage with
Brian Dennehy,
Christopher Plummer and
Denis O'Hare, now wouldn't it?
Tell me what you think!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or... (June 24, 2006)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Box Office, Broadway, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Inherit The Wind, Is It Just Me, John Doyle, SOB Poll, Spring Awakening, The Phantom Of The Opera
To Fee Or Not To Fee? Apparently, That Is No Longer The Question
Saturday's issue of
The New York Times included a
must-read story for anyone who has been confounded by the rampant misuse of ticketing fees tacked onto Broadway tickets. Cara Joy David's exposé decodes the burgeoning use of "restoration" or "facility" fees, as well as the escalating costs for service charges and even mailing of tickets.
Now I realize that it usually takes a human to place tickets into an envelope when tickets are mailed out, but does it really take the $4 Telecharge now charges for the "service"? Or how about that $2.50 fee for an e-mail version of the ticket? According to David, a Ticketmaster transaction illustrated in the story incurs an additional $11 in fees -- essentially 10% more than the actual price of the ticket.
While theatre impresario
Daryl Roth may try to spin his way out of this by stating, "That is not what people complain about anymore. People are understanding of it,” I share the belief of
Ticket Central's Mike Rafael, who responds that it's all about additional profits. I just wish they'd be honest about it, particularly as most top seats are seeing yet another increase in bottom-line ticket pricing.
All this leads me to invite you to vote in my latest SOB Poll that asks, "What is the top price you're willing to pay for a Broadway ticket?" You'll find the poll on the right-hand column of the site.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, SOB Poll, Telecharge, Ticketmaster, Tickets
Musicals Versus Plays: You DecideMuch has been written recently about the seeming rise of musicals at the expense of plays, not only on Broadway, but also on London's West End. Seems the straight play just isn't getting much of a break these days, at least in the media. The latest play to announce it's shuttering is
The Little Dog Laughed.
However, it wasn't very long again when the death knell was being sounded for the American musical. Remember when the American Theatre Wing was scrambling just to come up with some semblance of a musical list to nominate in the Tonys?
In the eyes of many, 2000 was the low watershed year when
Contact won Best Musical, despite the fact that all of its music was recorded (1999 wasn't much better when the tribute "musical"
Fosse won Best Musical). Best Book in 2000 went to the nominally musical
James Joyce's The Dead.
All that began to change when
The Producers hit the boards in 2001.
Now it seems as though success on Broadway and the West End is spelled "M-U-S-I-C-A-L" as the art form has come roaring back from
certain extinction. As
I've previously noted, this is shaping up to be one of the best seasons in well over thirty years for tuners on the Great White Way. There is such an abundance of good-to-excellent musicals for this theatrical year that Tony nominators will likely ponder whether to expand the list of musical categories' nominees to five instead of the standard four.
Thankfully, Broadway is far from dead and keeps reinventing itself as last week's boffo box office proves. Yet, it’s now the state of the play over which the prognosticators are predicting doom. Personally, I believe everything is rather cyclical. And working in plays' favor is the simple cost factor, along with the wellspring of excellent playwrights out there today, as well as so many thriving, vital theatre companies where plays rule the roost. I’m confident they'll always have a place, even on Broadway.
All this leads me to inviting you to vote in my latest Steve On Broadway (SOB) online survey on the right hand column of the site. The poll enables you to voice your opinion on which theatrical experience you enjoy more: Musical or Play. If you're like me and like both equally, you have that option as well.
Also, thanks to those of all of you who voted in my most recent survey on whether you'll be seeing
Spring Awakening -- the new Broadway musical from
Steven Sater and
Duncan Sheik that has audiences spellbound. A whopping 86.7% of you indicated that you'll be making tracks to the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre to see this show (even though 16.7% of you said you already saw it), while another 6.7% said you might see it.
Finally, if you're looking for an excellent historic read on the decline and amazing rebound of Great White Way tuners, look no further than the excellent PBS documentary "
Broadway: The American Musical" available on DVD. Hosted by Julie Andrews, it remains a breathtaking perspective on the last century of one our greatest, enduring art forms.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Play, SOB Poll, Spring Awakening
SOB Poll: Most Readers Hope To Step In Time With Mary PoppinsIt's been less than two weeks since
Mary Poppins landed on Broadway. While critics were wildly all over the board in their reviews, it appears that most readers of Steve On Broadway could care less what they've said as more than three-quarters of you (79.2%) plan to see the new stage musical adaptation.
Given the response from some critics and bloggers, I was surprised that only 14.4% of you said you weren't planning to see the show. Of that figure, 11.5% of you indicated you had already seen
Mary Poppins either in previews or in London; the remaining 2.9% of you said that it didn't interest you. Another 11.4% of you said that you might see the tuner, but "it's not at the top of my list."
Admittedly, I have a soft spot in my heart for the magic of
Mary Poppins. In fact, I'm one of those 17.1% who said I planned on seeing the show even though I've already seen it (in my case, I first saw the great nanny in London). Other bloggers whose opinions I respect are certainly weighing-in with their
Mary Poppins experiences, ranging from
Stephen Mosher who clearly loved the show to
Chris Caggiano who makes no bones about hating it.
Of course,
Tarzan -- Disney's other new Broadway offering for the year -- still manages to sell nearly four out of five seats despite the
near-universal pans it received after its May debut. Could it be that Disney productions are simply critic
and blogger-proof?
P.S. There's still time to vote in my Thanksgiving poll along the right-hand column that asks, "For which U.S. show opening during 2006 are you personally most thankful?"
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Find Mary Poppins Practically Perfect? (November 17, 2006)
Mary Poppins' Flight On Broadway Begins Tonight (November 16, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Mary Poppins Lands Top Five Capacity Spot With Broadway Debut (October 17, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, London, Mary Poppins, Musical, SOB Poll
SOB Readers Doubt Pirate Queen Will FloatDespite the much ballyhooed addition of
Richard Maltby, Jr. and
Graciela Daniele to
The Pirate Queen's creative team, a plurality of you (48%) think it's doubtful at best that they'll be able to salvage the show in time for its Broadway run, while another 12% are even less certain. All that according to a Steve On Broadway poll asking whether you thought they would succeed in saving the show.
Personally, I'm among the 24% who think the jury is still out. Maltby and Daniele have had their share of hits
and misses. On the plus side, Maltby has
Miss Saigon and
Fosse to his credit, but he also had such misfires as
Big and
Ring Of Fire. Daniele had a huge hand in
Ragtime 's ultimate success and helmed the last revival of
Annie Get Your Gun, but unfortunately,
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life didn't have longlasting legs.
Being the eternal optimist that I am, I never wish failure on any show. But unless the producers are prepared to throw much of their Chicago tryout overboard, the Broadway production is still likely to sink.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Bailing Out A Sinking Pirate (November 15, 2006)
Critics Assail The Pirate Queen (October 31, 2006)
The Pirate Queen (The SOB Review) – Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL (October 30, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Sails Into Chicago Opening Tonight (October 29, 2006)
Pirate Queen to Sail Into Broadway's Hilton Theatre (July 27, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Musical to Sail Into Chicago This Fall (May 15, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago, Musical, SOB Poll
