What can a musical do or say about issues?
1) Which musical from Week 13 provoked the most thoughts for you? Why?
2) If you had to create a musical to advocate for a cause, which type of new musical or musical storyline would you want to see that is not currently on Broadway? Describe a few ideas you would want to include. Revivals, Revisals and New Ways of Doing Business
Copyright 2010
Introduction
This week, will discuss America and Broadway and the major events that impacted both in the 1990s and 2000s. What new challenges were being faced in America? How did Broadway accommodate/respond to these issues? The variety of musical and dance offerings will be surveyed. In addition we will closely investigate the contributions of women on Broadwaythe choreographers, the dancers and the reality of being a woman in the industry.
History
The 1990s found Americans uninterested in Government. The three previous decades had left them worn out and distrusting. Voting in presidential elections was at an all-time low (Jones, 2003). The recession resulting from the Wall Street and Savings and Loan problems–when coupled with little understood military deployments around the world and violence on American soil–instigated an emotional crisis. Bombings at the World Trade Center (1993) and the Oklahoma City Federal Building (1995) were frightening. But the rash of indiscriminate shootings by teens and pre-teens that began in 1997 and climaxed in 1999 with the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado, terrified the public (Jones, 2003, p. 208).
According to John Bush Jones (2003), all of the above resulted in an alarming rise in compulsive gambling, clinical depression, Prozac prescriptions and less-than-careful sex practices [frightening in light of the AIDS epidemic]. It seems that one way or another, Americans needed to escape the harsh realities of the 1990s.
The beginning of the next millennium provided little relief from the political scandals, financial woes and random violence of the 1990s. The horrific, purposeful crashing of a hijacked airliner into World Trade Center Towers I and II on September 11, 2001; the meaningless deaths of 2603 civilians (Bullock, Haddow, Coppola & Yeletaysi, 2009, p. 16); and the resulting panic and rage that led us into war in the Middle East, started America on a downward emotional spiral that is just now beginning to level off. Add to that the economic recession that has crippled the majority of Americans, and it is no wonder that escapism is far more tantalizing than reality.
Americas economy and desire for escape were both reflected on Broadway. The types of musical offerings and the way in which shows were or were not produced were all the result of the necessity to save and make money by giving the people what they wanted.
A Longing Look Back
Periods of intense longing for an earlier era indicate that people are discontented with the present. Excessive, sentimental nostalgia generally occurs during times of perceived crisis (social historians Douglas Miller and Marion Nowak, as cited in Jones, 2003, p. 305).
Nostalgia and money were the reasons behind an unprecedented number of revivals during this period. Producers were not willing to take financial gambles, unless a creative team who had proven to be successful was involved. Many of the revivals were completely reworked to accommodate new visions by new creative teams. When a revival uses some of the original book and music as a foundation, but makes significant subtractions, additions or changes, historians refer to it as a revisal [revised revival]. Here is a list of some of the revivals and revisals of shows that we have discussed throughout our course:
Revivals and Revisals: 1990 – 2010
The King and I (1985) – 191 performances
Cabaret (1987) – 261 performances
Aint Misbehavin (1988) – 176 performances
Gypsy (1989) – 476 performances
Fiddler on the Roof (1990) – 241 performances
Guys and Dolls (1992) – 1143 performances
Carousel (1994) – 332 performances
Imported from London, the re-envisioned show played at Lincoln Centers Vivian Beaumont Theatre. The new version explored the social structures and relationships of its characters more than the original. For the first time since the shows debut in 1949, Agnes de Milles choreography was not used. Sir Kenneth MacMillan, a renowned British ballet choreographer created new dances for the production. These dances returned to expression through the classical ballet tradition. While extremely beautiful to watch, the dances lacked the integration that de Milles choreography provided.
Grease (1994) 1505 performances
The original
Grease (1972) didnt win a single Tony, but ran for 3388 performances. The first revival, directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun [which, in this authors opinion looked more like a high school production than a Broadway show], had a great run, but did no better at the Tonys. Dancer/singer extraordinaire Sutton Foster came into the title role of Sandy and would soon take control of many female lead roles in both revivals and original musicals including
Annie (1997) which ran for 239 performances,
Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002), and
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006). [More about these last two later in the unit.]
Damn Yankees (1994) – 533 performances
Show Boat (1994) – 947 performances: Discussed later in this unit.
Company (1995) – 60 performances
The King and I (1996) 780 performances
3 revivals of the King and I restaged Jerome Robbins choreography. For each revival, the torch was passed along to a cast member from the previous production, and Robbins steps and intent in the dances were faithfully reproduced. The latest revival in 2015 took the chance of incorporating new choreography by Christopher Gattelli, choreographer of Newsies, though the choreography was based on that of Robbins’.
Cabaret (1998) 2377 performances
Co-directed by Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall and choreographed by Marshall. Marshalls choreography for the show was grittier and left less of the sexuality of the Kit Kat Klub girls to the imagination. It was a strong reflection of an era in which clothing, attitudes and values surrounding sexual display had significantly changed from the society in which the original was created. [More about this shift in our next unit.]
Annie (1997) 239 performances
20 years after the original opened, this production went up, with its original director (Martin Charnin) and choreographer (Peter Gennaro).
On the Town (1998) – 69 performances
42nd Street (2001) – 1524 performances
The, original show ran for 3486 performances. The revival choreographed by Randy Skinner, ran for a more-than-respectable 1524.
Oklahoma! (2003) 388 performances: Discussed later in this unit.
Fiddler on the Roof (2004) – 781 performances
A Chorus Line (2006) – 759 performances
Grease (2007) 554 performances: This time directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. [Still no Tony.]
West Side Story (2009) – 748 performances
Neck and neck with
A Chorus Line, this show was the most highly anticipated revival of the decade. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the original shows book, supervised and directed the production. Though the book, songs and choreography were the same as the original, Laurents made a bold [and some say unwise] decision: Laurents had the Puerto Rican Sharks gang speak and sing in Spanish. Laurents wanted to even the playing field for the Sharks. He said that giving them their language intensified the racial issues in the show and made audiences more empathetic. In the original version, according to Laurents, the Sharks came off like the bad guys. In this revival, both gangs were equally to blame for the violence (Cohen, 2009).
The 2009 version was, by far, the most successful of the revivalsit ran for 748 performancesbut many audience members who had seen the original or the film were left feeling disappointed. For the most part, audiences were less than thrilled by the Spanish version of familiar, well-loved songs. Much of the Spanish speaking and singing was cut during the course of the run. The stand-out performance came from Karen Olivo, who stepped into the shoes of the character, Anita, formerly danced by star dancers such as Chita Rivera and Debbie Allen. They were big shoes to fill, but Olivo made the role her own and was the only Anita to win a Tony. [Rita Moreno won an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in the film version.]
A Different Way of Doing Business: New Off-Broadway Producers
The continually increasing costs of producing musicals forced producers to try out material Off-Broadway.
City Center
Encores!
City Center in New York found a new way to provide audiences with quality musical theatre without incurring the ridiculously high cost of full productions.
The City Center
Encores! series was conceived in 1994 to produce small, concert versions of nostalgic shows. Initiated by executive director Judith Daykin in 1993, the series features old showssome dating back to the 1920sin a spring season of three productions. [Ethan Morrden commented on the sad state of Broadway that made the City Center series a necessity:
Were all glad
Encores! is there, but it must be said that if the musical were still in its Golden Age we wouldnt need
Encores!: wed have new shows. I mean good ones. The reason that
Encores! had to be invented to bring good old ones back is that many of the new ones blow dead rats in hell. (2004, p. 132)
With audiences longing for happier days, it is no wonder that the series is almost always sold out. With no set, a short rehearsal and show period [usually two weeks from start to closing show] and previously written book, music and lyrics, production costs are far below those of full-productions. The limited run is also appealing to many celebrities, who would not be able to commit to a Broadway production. Thus, the caliber of talent that comes onto the City Center stage is of the highest quality and star power. Musicals are dusted off and reworked for a present day orchestra and cast. The book is often edited for politically incorrect or outdated content.
Several shows performed in the series were mounted as full-scale Broadway productions after their run at City Center. The most successful by far, was
Chicago, which opened at City Center
Encores! in 1996. Author Louis Botto is convinced that the positive reception of Chicago had much to do with the theatrical, much publicized events surrounding the trial of NFL star O. J. Simpson in 1995 (2002).
Chicagos theatrical satire of Roxys sham of a murder trial was well timed.
The production at City Center featured two of Broadways most elite dancersBebe Neuwirth, a veteran dance star ironically known best for her role on the television show,
Cheers, and Ann Reinking, the Fosse muse who we discussed in our Fosse content. Later in 1996, the show reopened on Broadway, and it is still running. (As of June 4, 2017 the show had logged 8539 performances!)
The show was choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse. Reinking was 25 when the original
Chicago opened in 1975, and she went on for Roxie in 1977, about six months before the show closed. The revival opened four days after her 47th birthday, with Reinking as the lead, Roxie, alongside Bebe Neuwirth as Velma. [Neuwirth was just shy of her 38th birthday.]
By the time they are 30 years old, dancers are usually viewed as oldby themselves, by other dancers, and by creative teams. However, another important contribution that concert dance made to Broadway was a training regimen. Dancers in concert dance companies almost universally begin their day with a long dance class. In addition to expanding a dancers technical and artistic prowess, the dance class warms muscles, builds strength, and promotes flexibility.
All of these benefits produce a body that is resilient and less likely to be injured than the body without class. When it became apparent that concert dance had taken up permanent residence on the Broadway stage, hoofers ran to dance studios to improve their technique and maintain their competitive edge. As a result, they received all of the residual benefits mentioned above. Dancers have also become almost fanatical about following the latest nutrition, sport and exercise news. Some follow fads; some follow research. And some just dance. Yes, its true. Some remarkable specimens are able to dance beautifully and powerfully with little or no warm up. This phenomenon lies mostly with very young dancers. As dancers age in the industry, it is less likely that they achieve any sort of career longevity without a proportionate amount of attention paid to their bodies.
With training and knowledge as a regular part of dance life, it is more and more common for audiences to see dancers in their 30s and even 40s. You wont know them by looking at their appearance. But if you look closely, you will see their years of training and artistic experience oozing out of their fingertips. Take for instance, this video of Ann Reinking. [Yes, watch her fingertips! Those babies are oozing!]
Video: Chicago Roxie
(2010) Original cast of the 1996 Broadway revival.
Concert style minimalism, in terms of sets and costumes, was kept for Broadway. Every performer wore a distinct, black dance outfit that emphasized the sexuality of the individual actor. The orchestra also maintained its place on the stage. Mordden believes the lack of scenery and overproduction leaves a blank slate that allows replacements in the lead roles to bring their own interpretation/style to the show without changing the evenings success.
In its original run,
Chicago set a new Tony record, receiving 11 nominations, but no awards. It lost almost every award to
A Chorus Line. In 1997, the musical
Steel Pier tied that nomination/loss record, watching many of its possible Tonys awarded to the revival of
Chicago (Tonyawards.com, 2010).
Gypsy (2007)
Another
Encores! production–the third revival of
Gypsy, with the original Jerome Robbins choreography–also moved to Broadway in 2008, running for 332 performances.
Whether by design or by happy byproduct, City Center
Encores! became a new starting point from which musicals had the opportunity to travel to Broadway. With minimal cost [when compared to mounting a full-scale Broadway production] and maximum star power, a musical could be tested out on musical theatre enthusiasts. Because there were no distinct sets or lighting, and choreography was minimal, the materialthe book and songswere left exposed. So, if the audience loved the presentation, there was a good chance that the musicalwhen integrated with these other creative elementswould do well.
Regional Theatres as Producers
Another way in which new Broadway material was developed was through regional theatres. Out-of-town tryouts had always been crucial to the success of a new show, and regional theatres had long supported this tradition, as well as housed the national tours that went out after shows played on Broadway.
Some theatres became even more involved in the 1990s, establishing a new way of doing Broadway business. Rather than developing material and rehearsing in New York, then taking it out of town to test the material and polish up the performances before live audiences, creative teams began developing new shows in willing regional theatres, performing them for an extended run far away from the critical eyes of New York audiences. If the show received rave reviews, it was sent on to Broadway, with the regional theatre as the producer. If it didnt, millions of dollars were saved.
The following is a list of some of the most successful regional theatre producers.
The Public Theatre
The Public Theatre had perfected the try-it-out-and-send-it-on strategy from the moment it opened. But the motivation had been a bit different. Shows with content that was out of the box, risky or thought to be inappropriate for mainstream midtown were the staples of The Public.
Joseph Papp, executive director, chose Hair as the first show to be produced at the newly built Public Theatre in 1967. The shows controversial content and the loose manner in which it was developed were well-suited to the downtown location. It was actually the scheduling of back-to-back shows at The Public that forced
Hair out of its village nest and on to Broadway. The Public remained the producer of the show.
Next, Michael Bennett and
A Chorus Line came to roost. Bennett needed the freedom of a workshop to see what could be formed from his ideas. Papp produced the workshop, the show at The Public and the subsequent Broadway phenomenon.
Since its opening, 52 shows have made their way uptown from The Public Theatre to a Broadway theatre, including
Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk (1995) and
On The Town (1998), directed by then producer George C. Wolfe (The Public Theatre, 2012, History).
The Old Globe (San Diego, California)
Founded in 1935, the The Old Globe Theater boasts three houses [theaters] that provide venues for a 15 show, year-round season. The Old Globe has developed and produced several original shows and revivals, and many have traveled to Broadway, including
The Full Monty (2000) and
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005) (The Old Globe, 2008, History).
The Full Monty
Based on the 1997 British film,
The Full Monty tells the story of six unemployed steel workers who form a striptease act to make money. It opened on Broadway in October of 2000, running for 770 performances, each one of them featuring full nudity. Interestingly, authors Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik posit that the overall conservative mood of America at the time kept the show from being shocking.
For the most part, nudity has been toned down as society has become more conservative. Commonplace in the New York theatre of the late 1960s and early 70s, skin has become more of a rarity, what with the rise of modern morality and the Disneyfying of Broadway. What was once used to shock and titillate, is now, as in the case of
The Full Monty, presented in a humorous, almost genteel fashion. (Bloom & Vlastnik, 2010, p. 71)
Video:
The Full Monty Let It Go
(2006) The cast of
The Full Monty performs at the Tony Awards.
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse, also in San Diego, has produced 18 shows that transferred to Broadway, including:
The Whos Tommy (1993): The rock opera using the iconic original music, was choreographed by Wayne Cilento.
Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002): Sutton Foster was the understudy for the lead while the show played at La Jolla. When it moved to Broadway, she took over, wowing audiences. The musical ran for 903 performances.
Jersey Boys (2005): The show is still playing on Broadway. As of July 24, 2011, it has run for 2361 performances.
Memphis (2009): This musical, discussed in further detail later in the unit, won 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, giving La Jolla Playhouse a total of 30 Tonys for its musicals. The Playhouse also received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1993 (La Jolla Playhouse, n.d., On to Broadway).
Corporate Advertising
In 1997, Broadway got its first corporate sponsorship. Although individual shows were often sponsored by corporations, Continental Airlines bought into the industry for a rumored $750,000 per year for 5 years in exchange for the right to the title official airline of Broadway. The money was paid in cash and services to the League of American Theaters and Producers (Collins, 1997, p. 1).
Who’s the Leader of the Club?
Video: Disney
Play media comment.
(Dupre, et al., 2004)
Disney landed on Broadway via its theme parks.
The Little Mermaid and
Beauty and the Beast had been presented in short, live versions at Disney theme parks around the globe. Disney obtained a 49-year lease, with an option to renew. Not only did this save Disney’s paying a percentage of its gross to a theater, it ensured the conglomerate a venue for any of its future shows. Usually, incoming shows have to wait until a theater becomes vacant, when another show closes.
After a tryout at Houstons Theatre under the Stars, [
Beauty and the Beast] opened on Broadway in 1994 to general critical derisionTraditionalists were all but keening and rending garments on Times Square, such was the fear that an international conglomerateone that presented, to many, cartoon and theme park entertainment coupled with a voracious appetite for total control of the entertainment industrywas nesting on BroadwayThe ill will was at times profound. Articles about the Disneyfication of Broadway abounded, and the entire industry endured endless speculation about the implications of a Hollywood behemoth in the theatre district. (Adler, 2004, pp. 90-2)
Disney’s Broadway musicals became the sure fire destination for families with children. Sets, costumes, casts and technology were all integrated to provide the heightened Disney magic that audiences expected. Dancers in
Beauty and the Beast found themselves dancing with plates on their backs, candelabra torches on their hands. Dancer bodies in
The Lion King became moving parts in elaborate, life-size puppets. Mermaids and Mermen in
The Little Mermaid floated through the “sea” on shoes with wheels. These types of costumes can weigh anywhere from 20 – 50 lbs. When the added weight is combined with the awkwardness of the costume pieces, dancers have to pay particular attention to their posture and overall physical health in order to avoid both accidental and overuse injuries.
Video:
Beauty and the Beast Trailer
(2009)
Mark Grant (2004) considers Disney musicals–such as
The Lion King–and popular musicals–such as
Cats–to be throwbacks to the Hippodrome.
Like the Hippodrome, Disney provides hundreds of jobs to performersespecially dancersin New York City.
Beauty and the Beast (1994) – 5461 performances
As stated earlier,
Beauty and the Beast was the first of the Disney animated films to be adapted for the Great White Way. I saw it many years after it opened, and I was surprised by the larger-than-life animated quality of the musical. Of course, I shouldnt have been. Disney has been producing theme park musical adaptations of their movies for years. [Casting for Disney theme parks and shows is meticulous. Height, coloring, body type, voice and personality are all typecast, so that the animated character truly comes to life in the body of the performer.]
In addition to providing employment for Broadway industry professionals, Disneys presence and money also helped to renovate gritty Times Square. After years of pouring money into the area, weeding out businesses catering to provocative adult hobbies, and transitioning Times Square into a no-traffic walking mall, Broadway has a new, shiny face that welcomes residents of all ages and hoards of tourists.
The Lion King (1997) Still running: 7770 performances as of July 17, 2016
Critics of Disneys move to join the Broadway industry were concerned that the conglomerate’s productions would prove to be childish fluff. But the adaptation of Disneys animated 1994 film
The Lion King, brought revolutionary ideas to the concepts of costuming, set design and dancing. Julie Taymor directed the show and also created the costumes, which were designed as puppets. The costumes alluded to animals, while allowing the performer’s face to show. In this way, the performer’s expressions and movements brought the animal to life.
Mary Poppins (2006) – 2619 performances
The Disney brand brought guaranteed attendance to whatever Disney produced. Even Disneys film-to-musical flops ran for at least a year.
Tarzan (2006) 486 performances
The Little Mermaid (2008): Everyone wondered how Disney would manage to create Ariels underwater world. Mermaids and fish rollerbladed through the sea, impressing no one. Even this flop managed to run for 685 performances.
Sister Act (2011) – 561 performances
Peter and the Starcatcher (2012) – 319 performances
Newsies The Musical (2012) – 1004 performances. One of Disney’s best hits on Broadway, it won two Tony Awards, including one for Christopher Gattelli for Best Choreography.
Aladdin (2014) – Still running; 975 performances as of July 17, 2016
Adult Entertainment
Aida (2000): In order to produce adult musicals, Disney created an additional production company, Hyperion Theatricals.
Aida was based on the opera by Verdi. Elton John and Tim Rice wrote the music, and the musical ran for 1852 performances.
[Note: Unless otherwise stated, production info such as opening dates, cast members and number of performances are retrieved from ibdb.com]
