Sunday, September 01, 2013
Breaking Hearts Away From Broadway
Butts In the Seats: Broadway Producer Ken Davenport wonders why Broadway doesn’t do an American Idol type audition either having open auditions or putting casting directors on a bus to tour the country.
The basis for this suggestion is that it would get a lot of people engaged in the process–not only the people who auditioned, but all their friends and family as well. And they would remain engaged over a longer period of time, keeping the show present in their mind during the rehearsal period, leaving them primed to want to attend once it opened.
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4 comments:
I think that this is an issue where the pros and cons are balanced. On one hand, talent can be found literally anywhere, whether that be a top notch drama conservatory or a subway station. If auditions where to be open to all of the public, it is more than likely that a star would be found, that wouldn't be found otherwise. On the other hand, the sort of spectacle that this would attract would also have a significantly negative affect. The article mentions American Idol, which is a perfect example. In its first few season, it attracted the cream of the crop, and put a wealth of undiscovered talent on the map, however as the years went by the show's goal was lost in the fan fare and it has lost its effectiveness. Perhaps foregoing televising the auditions would curb the negative affects, but I doubt that would be enough to eliminate them.
Here's one thing that I think shows like American Idol do really well: open doors where before they were closed. There is talent everywhere. A lot of it isn't on the surface or supported. What I mean by that is that not every actor with potential and promise is going to audition for schools like CMU or be able to get training. Maybe they can't afford college out of state, maybe they don't believe they can make a living in the arts, maybe the opportunity just wasn't presented to them. What might be great is a process like that which was done for "A Chorus Line" in '07, which is brilliantly documented in the movie "Every Little Step." A number of dancers were cast out of a huge open call, many were fresh out of school, or hadn't done broadway before. They also had massive equity tryouts, and cast roles from there. There is talent waiting to be discovered if you give it the chance, and talent that has been trained and is ready. Best case scenario is a balance of both, and open calls can help make that happen.
I personally hate the reality shows of finding a "Broadway Star" like Grease: You're the One That I Want!, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, or Over the Rainbow.
I know that there is some hidden talent out there. But talent is not enough!!
Stars that are now performing on Broadway, not only do they have amazing talent, but they have years of experience and thousands of hours of work and learning.
The fact is, I don't think that any star that was ever found on one of these reality show, was even half as talented as the usual Broadway stars that climb their way up the theater ladder the normal way.
It's like a previous article on this blog said: you need the 10,000 hours rule. Pure talent is not enough.
I really find that these silly reality shows are a real problem. They take down the high standard that Broadway has for actors.
I don't like the idea of turning the broadway audition process into an American Idol type ordeal. It ruins the magic of the performance for the audience. It's essential that the audience believes in and is fully invested in the characters and plot in order for a show to be successful. Exposing the production process and allowing the audience to create connections with the actors- opposed to the characters they play- detracts from the show's believability and therefore enjoyability.
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