www.broadwayworld.com: This holiday season, Times Square celebrates the creativity of Broadway designers and the power of live theater with four Show Globes. These globes feature designs inspired by some of the most-loved musicals on Broadway and invite passersby to admire the imagination and talent that give life to every show.
7 comments:
This is really wholesome. I like how they chose a variety of shows, some who’s Broadway debut was a while ago, like Wicked, and some who’s was pretty recent, to the likes of Dear Evan Hansen. I wonder though, how they could have been more creative with the inside of the globes. For all of the globes except for Evan Hansen, it was simply the characters featured. I think it would have been interesting if they artists would have played around with the set and like, main motifs and imagery from the stories. The Evan Hansen globe was nice, because it featured the apple trees, which was a main theme throughout the story. The life sized characters within the globes is good for touristy pictures although, and is more obvious to viewers what they are looking at. For those who haven't necessarily seen the show, it is good to give them familiar faces they will still recognize.
I really love this idea. It kind of reminds me of something you might see in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and brings back a lot of childhood memories. I think that thats really what is at the center of this idea is that sense of wonder to the heart of times square. I agree with Bridget that it might have been more interesting to have designers play around with the themes of the shows, but at the same time there is something kind of nice about representing a show through classic visuals. One thing I appreciate is that even within the three globes that show characters from the productions, there is variance in how they are represented and their settings within the snow globes. While the Wicked globe emphasizes costumes and lighting on 3D models, the Lion King scene includes other elements from the musical like the iconic sunset and a small sample of the puppetry featured in the costumes of the show. This has the opportunity to be a really fun tradition for Broadway to set up in Times Square because it brings these shows out of the theaters and lets people get their fun pictures.
This is so cute! I love the idea of the pun "Show Globes" that look like snow globes. I'm interested to know why they picked the shows they did. I know they picked some of the most popular ones, but it would still be cool to know more about why they picked those four. Also, I agree with Mia about the creativity factor. I love how they incorporated details from the Wicked set on the outside of the globe, but I think they could have been more artistic on the inside, especially since they're putting them in Times Square. Many of the images seen within the globes, such as the cutout of the man in Ain't Too Proud, resemble the types of advertisements you'd see in Times Square. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I think if they would've been a little more creative and artistic in the designs of the globe, it would've been a nice addition to Times Square. Other than that, though, I think this idea is adorable and fits in perfectly with the types of things you'd see while walking around this bustling part of the city.
There is absolutely nothing that compares to New York City at Christmas time. As a person who spends a great deal of time in the city, I attempt to avoid midtown however I make an exception and bare the crowds of tourists to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree and the Saks Fith Ave light show. I think this new display in Times Square is such an awesome way to expose tourists to what is on the big white way this holiday season. Times Square as a whole is known to draw in a huge amount of tourists, especially during the holiday season, and these displays give a very quick glimpse into the show that is up close and personal, and not necessarily on a large billboard. Not only does it showcase the show itself, but it also showcases elements of design such as costumes, scenic elements, and lighting. This is such a fun and festive way to advertise for these shows!
This is such a wonderful idea. I saw a couple videos of these on a friend’s story a week or so ago and it’s so nice to see them in much more detail in this article. I think it’s interesting how there is a little bit of discontinuity in the design between all of the globes. For example, the “Wicked” show globe has painted figures (like mannequins) that have been made up and put in actual costumes to mimic the two lead characters in the show. Similarly, the “Lion King” show globe has a dressed up figure in it, along with a 3-D section of scenery and the iconic sunset and birds. Noticeably, the “Lion King” globe is also the only one without a tree of some sort incorporated into the globe. The “Ain’t Too Proud” globe also depicts the actors in the show, but this time in cardboard cutout form while the “Dear Evan Hansen” show globe contains none at all, simply including a well-known lyric from the show. All in all, though, I think it’s a very nice homage to Broadway in Times Square; a landmark adjacent to many Broadway theatres that millions of people pass through.
On one hand I really love this. I like the fact that they are bringing so much attention to theatre and this is such an adorable and festive way to do this. This is also a heartwarming way to show appreciation to those shows, the amount of people that they bring in to New York, and the way they help to boost the economy and put positive words out there about New York in general. However, on the other hand, I'm not sure if this is necessary. Do these big-named Broadway shows really need more attention? I am sure they have enough billboards and marquees in New York. Better yet, I am sure they get enough promotion in Times Square. I don't mean to be that person, but we get it... For such a captivating instillation, I feel like it would have been so much more worthwhile to do something for more of a cause. Maybe shed light on an important topic. Or since it's the holiday season, and it's a holiday instillation, maybe use it as a way to unify us a nation for the holidays, for example. Of course I don't know how this would be done, but I do think that these globes could have had much more meaning to them. Not to take away from the work that the people on those shows have created, but they have received their roses and more, and will continue to...
I love it!!!! I can’t wait to go see and take pictures of each one of them this winter!!! It is interesting to see how Times Square chose the four shows, Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, and Wicked, as the representation of the current Broadway musicals. I am assuming that they chose the two, The Lion King and Wicked from the most popular long runs. Probably, the two, Ain’t Too Proud… and Dear Evan Hansen were chosen from the list of recent shows, but why those two out of other shows like Hamilton, Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! and etc. etc? That aside, I did not know that the website for Times Square exists, and I never thought of who is in charge of “the center of the universe”. It seems to be extremely chaotic during the holiday season, including the new year’s eve, but I am so ready for it!
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