I’m a 32 year old straight man. What the heck do I want with a cheap vinyl/plastic/whatever backpack with Legally Blonde: The Musical written on it? Honestly. What am I supposed to do with it? Tell me. I’m at a loss. I was halfway forced into paying $10 for it, so I at least want to know what I can do with it.
Even if I did want a Legally Blonde: The Musical backpack, what the heck would it hold—tissue paper? I think trying to carry two thick books and a cell phone would be too much stress on the “fabric” of this backpack.
I thought it was preposterous when Disney forced you to shell out $20 to buy a Tarzan souvenir program with a paperish Tarzan tote bag. But at least Disney had the class to make the souvenir program something special—extra thick with beautiful studio photographs of the actors. Even if the show wasn’t too hot, the program was at least worth $15 of the $20 you had to pay.
If you were not aware, the latest trend seems to be—on the road at least—to force anyone who wants to buy a souvenir program to pay $20 to get a program (the same ones that were formerly $10) AND a stupid logo backpack. Make that, a stupid and worthless logo backpack.
I always get the programs because I am a Broadway nut and want to remember the experience. I love looking back on my collection of programs from The Music Man, Aida, Les Miserables and remembering the evening I had. At the same time, when you’ve just dished out $80 for a Broadway tour, you have to be conscious of the price of things. I can’t believe that the average Broadway tour attendee who typically buys a program is going to be dedicated enough to pay extra to get the backpack. Face it, of the thousands of people who pack a touring house every stop, how many of them are really going to walk around with a Legally Blonde: The Musical backpack?
If producers really think people want these backpacks, then they should sell them separately for $10. Until that happens, I think we need to acknowledge what they really are—pieces of crap lobbed onto a popular souvenir item to gouge the audience member even more.
Shame on you, producers (namely Legally Blonde: The Musical and A Chorus Line) for gouging your audience members. I hope it bites you in the butt.
the Broadway Mouth
June 30, 2009
Showing posts with label A Chorus Line. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Chorus Line. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Casualty of Love: A Chorus Line
I one time counseled someone in a Broadway chat room not to write off Hello, Dolly! after they had seen a community theatre production of it and thought it was only okay. Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing was my first big Broadway show (on tour), and I can’t imagine anyone seeing the show for the first time with such talent and not loving it. It’s such an amazing show and a model of musical theatre perfection.
I wouldn’t myself understand the power of community theatre to destroy a perfectly good musical had I not experienced it on a few occasions. The first time I experienced The Music Man was in a so-so production where the director fixed Meredith Willson’s original book by removing “Rock Island.” In this production, Harold Hill was old enough to be Marian Paroo’s father.
When I saw the thrilling 2000 revival of The Music Man starring Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker, I got the message loud and clear. Any Broadway masterpiece can become a casualty of love in the world of community theatre (which, in my findings, tends to be far weaker than high school theatre).
A Chrous Line is a particularly difficult show to do unprofessionally. You have to have triple threats, and you can’t easily rely on a bunch of clumsy hockey moms to carry you through, like you can with The Pajama Game or Annie. A show that communicates so much with dance simply must have people who can actually dance (not to mention a choreographer up to the challenge of creating impressive steps).
It also doesn’t help that the libretto of A Chorus Line is fragile in areas. I probably wouldn’t have noticed this except I witnessed a community theatre production in which A Chorus Line became a casualty of love. Without skillful directing, the plotless nature of the show becomes a burden on the audience, with the “What will you do when you can’t dance” section collapsing under the weight of its own annexation, feeling more like a Michael Bennett soap box than an extension of the narrative. Furthermore, without careful direction, the conceit of the show gets off to a rough start as actors struggle to make establishing dialogue function as subtext-rich, naturalistic dialogue.
Plus, it doesn’t help when the Cassie really can’t act.
The true test of A Chorus Line came when the Broadway tour came into town. But more on that next time.
After my first trip to Broadway in 2000, I remember sitting in the audience of the Parade tour, talking with a woman who was planning a trip to New York. She was asking me what I liked, and I was telling her about Kiss Me, Kate. “Oh,” she said dismissively, “I’ve seen that.”
Now, I might have the guts to say, “Yes, you’ve seen a production, but I don’t think you’ve really seen Kiss Me, Kate.”
the Broadway Mouth
June 22, 2009
I wouldn’t myself understand the power of community theatre to destroy a perfectly good musical had I not experienced it on a few occasions. The first time I experienced The Music Man was in a so-so production where the director fixed Meredith Willson’s original book by removing “Rock Island.” In this production, Harold Hill was old enough to be Marian Paroo’s father.
When I saw the thrilling 2000 revival of The Music Man starring Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker, I got the message loud and clear. Any Broadway masterpiece can become a casualty of love in the world of community theatre (which, in my findings, tends to be far weaker than high school theatre).
A Chrous Line is a particularly difficult show to do unprofessionally. You have to have triple threats, and you can’t easily rely on a bunch of clumsy hockey moms to carry you through, like you can with The Pajama Game or Annie. A show that communicates so much with dance simply must have people who can actually dance (not to mention a choreographer up to the challenge of creating impressive steps).
It also doesn’t help that the libretto of A Chorus Line is fragile in areas. I probably wouldn’t have noticed this except I witnessed a community theatre production in which A Chorus Line became a casualty of love. Without skillful directing, the plotless nature of the show becomes a burden on the audience, with the “What will you do when you can’t dance” section collapsing under the weight of its own annexation, feeling more like a Michael Bennett soap box than an extension of the narrative. Furthermore, without careful direction, the conceit of the show gets off to a rough start as actors struggle to make establishing dialogue function as subtext-rich, naturalistic dialogue.
Plus, it doesn’t help when the Cassie really can’t act.
The true test of A Chorus Line came when the Broadway tour came into town. But more on that next time.
After my first trip to Broadway in 2000, I remember sitting in the audience of the Parade tour, talking with a woman who was planning a trip to New York. She was asking me what I liked, and I was telling her about Kiss Me, Kate. “Oh,” she said dismissively, “I’ve seen that.”
Now, I might have the guts to say, “Yes, you’ve seen a production, but I don’t think you’ve really seen Kiss Me, Kate.”
the Broadway Mouth
June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Broadway Recording Producers: Stop the Insanity!
I typically wait at least several months before buying pop/rock albums because I don’t want to get burned by any more “special tracks” available exclusively at one store. It is frustrating to buy a CD at one store, only to realize that you are missing out on a track or six available elsewhere
Let’s be honest, it would be very easy to steal music for free online, but as obsessive Broadway collectors, we enjoy supporting the artists and doing what is honest and right—paying for our music. When I buy a Broadway CD, I do look at it as, “I’m supporting Jason Robert Brown” or “I’m making a statement that there is a market for shows like Bernarda Alba.”
But there is a two-way street. Let’s ask those who produce and sell Broadway recordings to be fair in return.
We’d already gotten to the point where the revival cast recording of A Chorus Line had an additional track available from one of the online music sellers, and now the annoyance with the revival of South Pacific, in which Barnes and Noble is selling a special edition with additional tracks, after many fans flocked to Amazon to pre-order the CD at a special price.
Nate on All That Chat on Talkin’ Broadway listed the following details about the Barnes and Noble edition:
I just bought the CD tonight...the Bonus Tracks are:
27. Bali Ha'i (Billis)...this is Billis's reprise after the song proper
28. Cable Hears Bali Ha'i...this is Cable's reprise that follows Billis's
29. Company Street...this is incidental music that plays during the transition after all "Bali Ha'i" Reprises and the book scene leading into "My Girl Back Home" (the book scene is not on the CD...just the incidental/transition music)
30. A 30 second track labeled simply, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair." This is the small section that Emile sings in the last scene of Act I when he is teasing Nellie...it's odd that they didn't include it in the normal place, because they have all the other reprises in the Act I Finale scene on the regular CD.
31. Wonderful Guy (Orchestral)...It is simply the orchestral track sans Kelli O'Hara, but the chorus sings at their proper times.
32. Some Enchanted Evening (Orchestral)...The orchestral track sans voices...NOT the Exit Music, which is what I initially thought it would be.
Personally, the orchestral tracks are not particularly of interest, but I would really want the vocal reprises. When someone buys your product, you want them to be thrilled with what they’ve purchased, not frustrated or angry that they are saddled with the lesser version for which they’ve paid top dollar. You also want strong opening week sales for bragging rights on the charts. Doing something that causes people to wait before buying the CD isn’t an effective way of achieving that.
the Broadway Mouth
June 7, 2008
Let’s be honest, it would be very easy to steal music for free online, but as obsessive Broadway collectors, we enjoy supporting the artists and doing what is honest and right—paying for our music. When I buy a Broadway CD, I do look at it as, “I’m supporting Jason Robert Brown” or “I’m making a statement that there is a market for shows like Bernarda Alba.”
But there is a two-way street. Let’s ask those who produce and sell Broadway recordings to be fair in return.
We’d already gotten to the point where the revival cast recording of A Chorus Line had an additional track available from one of the online music sellers, and now the annoyance with the revival of South Pacific, in which Barnes and Noble is selling a special edition with additional tracks, after many fans flocked to Amazon to pre-order the CD at a special price.
Nate on All That Chat on Talkin’ Broadway listed the following details about the Barnes and Noble edition:
I just bought the CD tonight...the Bonus Tracks are:
27. Bali Ha'i (Billis)...this is Billis's reprise after the song proper
28. Cable Hears Bali Ha'i...this is Cable's reprise that follows Billis's
29. Company Street...this is incidental music that plays during the transition after all "Bali Ha'i" Reprises and the book scene leading into "My Girl Back Home" (the book scene is not on the CD...just the incidental/transition music)
30. A 30 second track labeled simply, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair." This is the small section that Emile sings in the last scene of Act I when he is teasing Nellie...it's odd that they didn't include it in the normal place, because they have all the other reprises in the Act I Finale scene on the regular CD.
31. Wonderful Guy (Orchestral)...It is simply the orchestral track sans Kelli O'Hara, but the chorus sings at their proper times.
32. Some Enchanted Evening (Orchestral)...The orchestral track sans voices...NOT the Exit Music, which is what I initially thought it would be.
Personally, the orchestral tracks are not particularly of interest, but I would really want the vocal reprises. When someone buys your product, you want them to be thrilled with what they’ve purchased, not frustrated or angry that they are saddled with the lesser version for which they’ve paid top dollar. You also want strong opening week sales for bragging rights on the charts. Doing something that causes people to wait before buying the CD isn’t an effective way of achieving that.
the Broadway Mouth
June 7, 2008
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Amazing Broadway Performer: Donna McKechnie
My first real understanding of the talent of Donna McKechnie came with the blessing of Blue Gobo and the clip which I have linked below. With great performances, you can read about them, but you never fully grasp them until you’ve seen them first hand. I love how when she belts out “The Music and the Mirror,” Cassie’s passion seeps out of every pore. You know exactly what this character wants more than anything, what struggle and pain she’s been facing, all for “the chance to dance.”
I also love her Sally on the Paper Mill Follies recording. Up until I heard this recording, I think somewhere in the back of my mind I had thought of Donna McKechnie as a dancer. Hearing her nuanced Sally, I learned Donna McKechnie was a true triple threat.
My other big encounter with McKechnie as an actress is on the OBCR of State Fair in which she plays Emily Arden. First of all, she’s very well sung, easily conquering those wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes. But what I love about it is that she gives Emily Arden such vulnerability. In the few songs on which McKechnie performs, she creates an Emily Arden who is sympathetic and struggling.
Most importantly, in getting to see McKechnie’s interview on the Broadway: The American Musical documentary and on the DVD bonus features, you can tell that she is a sincerely sweet person. My favorite interview snippet on the bonus features is McKechnie attempting to explain her relationship with Michael Bennett and the influence that had/didn’t have on the development of Cassie in A Chorus Line. It’s priceless. Because of these interesting interview snippets, high on my list of must-reads is her recent biography Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life.
I hope I someday get to see McKechnie on stage. It’s really sad that a talent like hers has been gone for so long from a Broadway stage.
Website: http://www.donnamckechnie.com/
the Broadway Mouth
September 6, 2007
I also love her Sally on the Paper Mill Follies recording. Up until I heard this recording, I think somewhere in the back of my mind I had thought of Donna McKechnie as a dancer. Hearing her nuanced Sally, I learned Donna McKechnie was a true triple threat.
My other big encounter with McKechnie as an actress is on the OBCR of State Fair in which she plays Emily Arden. First of all, she’s very well sung, easily conquering those wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes. But what I love about it is that she gives Emily Arden such vulnerability. In the few songs on which McKechnie performs, she creates an Emily Arden who is sympathetic and struggling.
Most importantly, in getting to see McKechnie’s interview on the Broadway: The American Musical documentary and on the DVD bonus features, you can tell that she is a sincerely sweet person. My favorite interview snippet on the bonus features is McKechnie attempting to explain her relationship with Michael Bennett and the influence that had/didn’t have on the development of Cassie in A Chorus Line. It’s priceless. Because of these interesting interview snippets, high on my list of must-reads is her recent biography Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life.
I hope I someday get to see McKechnie on stage. It’s really sad that a talent like hers has been gone for so long from a Broadway stage.
Website: http://www.donnamckechnie.com/
the Broadway Mouth
September 6, 2007
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