2009 Theater Year In Review

With 2009 winding down, I thought I’d make my first post in a while a wrap up of this past calendar year. Obviously, these lists are usually not the most relevant because the theatre year goes from Tony season to Tony season. At the same time though, there was some wonderful moments for the musical theatre this year that deserve to be tied up in a nice little bow.

1. Even the most popular “Golden Age Musicals" can flop in today’s market.

When I heard there was going to be another revival of Guys and Dolls, I was less than excited. I didn’t see a reason why audiences needed to revisit this masterwork today. There was a wonderful revival in 1992 that breathed new life into the work and made it accessible to contemporary audiences. This new revival took the entire spectacle out of the musical by relying on projections to create the visual world. Theatergoers have spoken: do not give me projections as the primary visual outlet (As if The Woman in White wasn’t enough proof). I hope that the next revival is produced in 2025, the 75^th anniversary of its creation and we can once again compare the musical theatre of our time to the “Golden Age”

2. Casting can deter even the most marketable of musicals

When Roundabout announced it was producing a revival Bye Bye Birdie, the theatre community was genuinely excited to see the first Broadway production since the original. When the casting was announced, people started to get skeptical. In many situations, people are pleasantly surprised by the actors they doubted and take back their criticism. Then there are times when the performances just don’t gel. Although I haven’t seen this revival, from my sources I can conclude that some of the casting choices might not have been the best fit for such a high profile revival. I think it’s a really shame that it couldn’t open the new Henry Miller’s Theater with more fanfare.

3. Small musicals on Broadway are a tough sell

I commend the producers of The Story of My Life for taking the chance of putting this musical on Broadway. They did many things right, including booking it into the Booth Theater; a house with a manageable amount of seats. They cast two wonderful musical theatre actors who could give such shape to a beautiful story. Unfortunately, the economics of producing this type of work on Broadway are astronomical. This is going to be a challenge for young writers and producers who are trying to get the best visibility for a work: How can you produce a small musical on Broadway without star casting under an economic model that isn’t doomed from the first preview.

4. Hair will always be in style

I am enamored with the popularity of Hair, a musical that in form is so out there, yet so accessible to many generations. It is remarkable that this production has once again brought theatergoers in wartime (I think we forget this) together. I hope this revival can run at least one more year on Broadway and then book a national tour; maybe even an international tour.

5. Rock of Ages might have started a new trend of Compilation Musicals

As much as many musical theatre lovers might hate this idea, the idea of a compilation musical is nowhere near new. The example I think of is a form between ballad opera and comic opera called the “pasticcio,” a dramatic work where the writer selects music from various famous composers to tell their story. The most popular example of this is John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. Although today in the age of copyrights this would be considered illegal without permission, this form was key to getting people who didn’t usually go to the theatre to enjoy seeing a story by way of integrating familiar songs. There seems to be a similar trend today. People enjoy familiarity and sometimes that is what is going to bring them into the theatre. From my point of view, there is a place for this in the musical theatre canon along with standard musical theatre fare. I also don’t think this type of work will ever replace what we deem “standard musical theatre” because most people clamor for a musical story that is told through conventional and unconventional avenues.

6. Sometimes the biggest musical is going to win the Tony Award, no matter how hard a disagree

It is no secret that I believed that Next to Normal should have won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I thought this piece was the rare original contemporary musical that explored something new in the human condition. Billy Elliot has wonderful choreography and tells a remarkable story that many connect with. At the same time, if you’re deciding which of the two you were going to vote for, I don’t see how Next to Normal doesn’t get the nod, but I digress.

And for some quick hits in the play world:

7. Movie stars ruling the straight play world might not be the worst idea

I recently read a quote by a producer who said in regard to this trend that basically: maybe we like putting movie stars in straight plays because they were our dream choices for the roles. I bet when A Steady Rain was produced in Chicago, Keith Huff never would have dreamed that Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig would star in the play on Broadway. What a tribute to a writer. I think it’s pretty remarkable when stars come to Broadway and embrace the challenges of a grueling rehearsal process and eight shows a week. I know I gain more respect for them by doing so.

8. Neil Simon is no longer money in the bank.

A year ago, if you asked me, “I want to do a revival of a Neil Simon play that would make me the most money,” without thinking, I would tell you to do Brighton Beach Memoirs. It would be a no-brainer. Every community theatre on the planet sells out when they produce it and there hasn’t been a Broadway revival. A year later, I am still shocked that the revival didn’t last two weeks. There are many ways to look at this, but I think the fact that their advertising deal with The New York Times, which didn’t allow the producers to do extraneous advertising like direct mail, really hurt the building of a core audience. I also think it was hurt by the fact that the Yankees were in the Playoffs and World Series during this period, which made some theatergoers (including myself), wait to see it. At the same time, you’d think a Neil Simon play would be a home run in itself. It is also tragic because I was very excited for a revival of Broadway Bound, which I’d never seen.

So there you have it: a year in review. I am proud to say that even in tough economic times, the musical theatre has given us a lot to be happy about this year. Not including in this piece were the countless developmental readings and workshops of future musicals that will hopefully be changing the landscape sooner than later. That is what I’m truly most excited for this year. Nothing makes me happier than to see a writer put pen to paper and catch a break.

Feel free to comment with your favorite moments in theatre for 2009. That being said, stay tuned this week to my Top Ten Musicals of the Year, as well as the Best of the Decade. Thanks for reading!