www.backstage.com: Of the eight new plays and musicals that opened on Broadway this fall, all will be closed by Jan. 6. Not even headliner Katie Holmes could keep Theresa Rebeck’s critically panned “Dead Accounts” open much past the new year.
“We had some bold openings on Broadway of plays that probably should not have been on Broadway,” says New York University theater instructor and Playgoer blogger Garrett Eisler of the first half of the 2012–13 season, noting David Mamet’s “The Anarchist” as a prime example. “When the most famous playwright in America can’t get his new play running, that’s not a good sign.”
5 comments:
I have to say I agree with the closing comment in the article about casting New York actors instead of stars. Of course it's fun to see our favorite film stars onstage (I'll admit I wish I could see Al Pacino on Broadway). But at the same time I think that sometimes producers are stuffing their shows with famous actors to make the big money, which, while important, is not the point of what we do. Also, while promoting new works is important to the growth of our trade, I think putting up revivals frequently is not bad idea, as it it educates the younger audiences about what came before their favorite pop-musical.
I think it's an interesting article. Although the complaint that only stars can keep a straight play running is somewhat true, there are exceptions, such as Peter and the Starcatcher, and the new Revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. However, the complaint that broadway will do revivals comes up every year, and It's absolutely true, but it's nothing new. While the revivals and the jukebox musicals are going on, there is a lot of really exciting new work happening a well. I think the complaint is valid, but people always act as if it's only been in the last season, when, in fact, it happens almost every season!
I couldn't really get the gist of whether or not the srping season was going to be good or not. The article seems to focus more on the problems with shows that come to broadway and the opinions that people have about them. I thought the comments about american v. british actors and new York actors v. stars was an interesting one. as for the latter of those debates, I think that it isn't a big issue. sure Brits come here to act from time to time. But americans also go over to england to act. As for the New york actors v. Stars debate, I think New York actors should be considered first. Yes I understand that starts will bring in the audiences but broadway is such a closed door enterprise, there is no reason to seal them shut. If you keep casting stars then someone truly brilliant might slip by without your notice.
I'm a little disappointed in Broadway. It's upsetting that most of the shows are revivals or need a famous star to keep audiences coming. In a world that is changing quickly and becoming smaller with every new invention, it does not surprise me that Broadway is going down this path. With such quick and easy access to film and art from the internet and DVD's, audiences seem to close their minds to experimentation and only open their eyes to commercialism and well-known actors. I don't think this will change anytime soon however. As Patrick said, this complaint comes up every year, and it has to do with risk-taking. With the recent economic recession, people have been afraid to spend money or take risks in business. We have seen in theatre that this means audiences want to be sure that they are spending money on famous plays that are guaranteed entertaining. I don't think we will be seeing much risk-taking, new productions, or professional Broadway actors for a long time.
I dont think it is necessarily a bad thing that movie stars are going to broadway, I think it is interesting to see these actors live and the difference between them live and in front of the camera. When I saw the understudy I was excited to see an actor I had seen on the show "Weeds" and It was great to see how lively his performance was. Maybe these actors give stage performers a run for their money! At the same time many shows and movies that are too star studded end up being a let down, so I suppose that is something to keep in mind.
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