Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
Variety: "There's always some new crisis in the theater. A year ago this time, it looked like Broadway would be one of the early casualties of the Great Recession. Nine shows closed that Jan. 4, with five more to follow before month's end."
Like the article discusses, there always seems to be a problem on broadway. What people forget is theater is an art. It isn't something so cut and dry that you can predict an immediate hit or miss. Sure it helps to have Hugh Jackman in your production and other big name stars, but as past shows have showed, those too can fail. A name isn't enough. Audiences want more. They want to be transported with their favorite star, not see the star. I think producers forget that. They look for consumer income as opposed to the best theater and it is that best theater that succeeds. Shows like August and History Boys lacked big stars and instead because of their good writing went on to show up everything on broadway. Take note, producers, theater is an art. Not an income.
I find it encouraging that there are the same number of "check writers" funding Broadway shows now as in the past. That means that American commercial theater isn't going anywhere soon. Now lets worry about the small guys. While part of theater's purpose is to entertain, another part is most definitely to make people think. It is the whole "what people want" vs. "what people need" argument and theater needs to provide both. The industry can't just rely on show-stopping spectacle, but at the same time, without it, the theater would not succeed economically. It is economics against art. Like Bryce said, theater is an art, not a science. It is almost impossible to guarantee a successful performance (though one can make it more likely). I disagree with quote that shows that can't raise money do not deserve money. Sometimes seminal works in theater are not the most popular.
I think that the fact that producers are still willing to invest money in Broadway shows that theatre is not a dying art, although I would hope that producers are investing because they believe in the message of the show, not because they just want to earn huge amounts of money. I'm glad that Broadway is still getting the financial support that it has always received. I think as long as there are shows that create an experience that audiences will enjoy and connect with, the art of theatre will continue to thrive.
3 comments:
Like the article discusses, there always seems to be a problem on broadway. What people forget is theater is an art. It isn't something so cut and dry that you can predict an immediate hit or miss. Sure it helps to have Hugh Jackman in your production and other big name stars, but as past shows have showed, those too can fail. A name isn't enough. Audiences want more. They want to be transported with their favorite star, not see the star. I think producers forget that. They look for consumer income as opposed to the best theater and it is that best theater that succeeds. Shows like August and History Boys lacked big stars and instead because of their good writing went on to show up everything on broadway. Take note, producers, theater is an art. Not an income.
I find it encouraging that there are the same number of "check writers" funding Broadway shows now as in the past. That means that American commercial theater isn't going anywhere soon. Now lets worry about the small guys. While part of theater's purpose is to entertain, another part is most definitely to make people think. It is the whole "what people want" vs. "what people need" argument and theater needs to provide both. The industry can't just rely on show-stopping spectacle, but at the same time, without it, the theater would not succeed economically. It is economics against art. Like Bryce said, theater is an art, not a science. It is almost impossible to guarantee a successful performance (though one can make it more likely). I disagree with quote that shows that can't raise money do not deserve money. Sometimes seminal works in theater are not the most popular.
I think that the fact that producers are still willing to invest money in Broadway shows that theatre is not a dying art, although I would hope that producers are investing because they believe in the message of the show, not because they just want to earn huge amounts of money. I'm glad that Broadway is still getting the financial support that it has always received. I think as long as there are shows that create an experience that audiences will enjoy and connect with, the art of theatre will continue to thrive.
Post a Comment