Stage elf
  • FRONT OF HOUSE
  • Stage Directions
    • Finding a Show
    • Choosing a Show
    • Getting a Ticket
    • Choosing a Seat
    • Getting a Discount
    • The Theaters >
      • Broadway
      • Off Broadway
      • Washington, DC
    • Theater Tips
  • Stage Presence: A Blog
  • Stage Door Tips & Tales
    • Stage Door Tales: A Blog
    • Stage Door Stars!
    • Stage Door Tips/Etiquette
    • Stage Door Locations >
      • Stage Doors on Broadway
      • Stage Doors Off Broadway
      • Stage Doors in Washington, DC
  • StageSprites [taking the kids!]
  • UpStage...Theater News Feeds
  • Curtain Call
    • About Me
    • Contact Me

Stage Presence...

Random & occasional musings on theatre-related topics...   

N.urture E.ach W.ork (or, I love NEW theater!)

11/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
I talk a lot about how much I enjoy experiencing new theatrical works...it's especially exciting to see a new musical "grow up" and leave the nest to meet the world.  But there are many risks with musicals, in particular...you're not just asking the audience to find the story appealing, but the music as well-and any accompanying choreography too.  Oh, and they probably should like the cast; a cast that often must be filled to the brim with triple-threat actor/singer/dancers

(For an example of the work going on in the area of musical development, visit the 5th Avenue Theatre website (link above) to find out more about their New Works Program.)
From readings, to workshops, to small productions, to regional runs; and maybe New York, or a tour, if that's the goal, someone has to care enough about the show to give heart, soul and body to making it grow over the course of years.  That's one of the reasons I love going to these shows.  Even if a show ends up not making my list of favorites, I still root for it to succeed; if nothing else because the artists involved have likely sacrificed mightily to present  it for me to experience.
Picture
So today is a special day, because it marks the Los Angeles opening of The Black Suits, a new musical by a great young composer, Joe Iconis.  You may know Joe's work from the television show Smash (the song Broadway Here I Come), and I make it a point to see his cabaret performances whenever possible.  It is a testament to Joe that he is able to assemble groups of some of the most talented performers I've ever seen on a stage.  Some you saw on Smash (Krysta Rodriguez, Jeremy Jordan), and some are working actors in New York and beyond, that jump at the opportunity to sing Joe's music on stage.  I guarantee you'll want to see them again once you've seen them the first time.  The Black Suits, is a story about a group of high school friends trying to win a "battle of the bands," and move towards adulthood at the same time.  The show ran at Barrington Stage in Massachusetts last year, and has now crossed the country to The Kirk Douglas Theatre, part of the Center Theatre Group at The Music Center.   

I know some of the people involved with The Black Suits from other shows, and I know how hard they've all worked to make this happen.  For many reasons, I can't wait to see the show next week in LA!  Here's an introduction to the show:

Picture
For those who love musical theater, the annual New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), a three week festival in New York City, is a true treat.  Each summer, NYMF celebrates the development of new musicals, providing just a glimpse of the amount of new work being generated from every corner: 30 new musicals, over 1,000 artists and 40,000 visitors coming together, all for the love of musical theater.  In 2013, I saw 7 productions, both big and small, and loved every minute!

Fast forward to October '13.  I just saw six new musicals in the past two weeks.  Two were Broadway productions, one was a pre-Broadway engagement, two were Off Broadway shows and one was a regional production here in DC.  Three were based on films, one on a graphic novel, and two were original stories for the shows.  My favorite was one of the Off Broadway shows, but I also loved both Broadway shows (and of course there are those that would strongly question my choices, but that's the beauty of it...you get to like what you like, and let others like what they like :)).   

Although I love discussing theater with friends and not-so-strangers, I have found that a person's reaction to a musical (or play) is generally wildly instinctive, and decidedly not responsive to arguments against that instinct.  I know people who have changed their minds after seeing a show more than once (maybe with a different cast), but I've never known anyone to change their mind about a show just because someone else pointed out all its wondrousness from their perspective.  The really fascinating parts of these discussions though, are how different people seeing the same show will notice, and remember (or not :)), completely different things (both positive and negative). 
See what you think from these peeks at the other new musicals I saw this past week, and then go find something to discover for yourself (and let me know about it :))!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Big Fish, The Neil Simon Theatre, NYC

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Walter Kerr Theatre, NYC

Fun Home, The Public Theater, NYC

Little Miss Sunshine, Second Stage Theatre, NYC

Honeymoon in Vegas, Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn NJ

Crossing, Signature Theatre, Arlington VA

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Stage Directions
    Stage Door Tips & Tales
    Curtain Call
    Picture

    Archives

    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2016
    December 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Categories

    All
    Alan Burkitt
    Andrew Keenan-bolger
    Benj Pasek
    Broadway Cares
    Broadway Easter Bonnet Competition
    Celia Keenan Bolger
    Celia Keenan-bolger
    Charlotte Gooch
    Cherry Jones
    Christopher Plummer
    Colm Toibin
    Condola Rashad
    Craig Wallace
    Cyndi Lauper
    Deborah Warner
    Dublin
    Fifth Of July
    Fiona Shaw
    Green Chimneys
    Harvey Fierstein
    Holly Twyford
    Joe Iconis
    July Fourth
    Justin Paul
    Kimberly Gilbert
    Lauren Bacall
    Lgbt
    Maggie Keenan Bolger
    Maggie Keenan-bolger
    Matthew Gardener
    Michael Kahn
    Mitchell Hebert
    New Musicals
    New Theater
    Off Broadway
    Orlando Bloom
    Playbill
    Playlist
    Rachel Sullivan
    Richard Rodgers Theatre
    Richard Thomas
    Romeo And Juliet
    Schmackary's
    Shakespeare Theatre Company
    Signature Theatre
    Smash
    Social Media Marketing
    Stage Door
    Swoosie Kurtz
    Testament Of Mary
    Theatre Weekends
    The Black Suits
    The Laramie Project
    Tom Hanks
    Tonya Pinkins
    Tony Awards 2013
    Top Hat
    Tweet Seats
    Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co.
    Zachary Quinto

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages, including photographs, other than those clearly attributed to others or found on third-party websites linked to herein, are copyrighted by the the author and owner of this site.  No part of these pages, either text or image may be used for any purpose other than personal use. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.
  • FRONT OF HOUSE
  • Stage Directions
    • Finding a Show
    • Choosing a Show
    • Getting a Ticket
    • Choosing a Seat
    • Getting a Discount
    • The Theaters >
      • Broadway
      • Off Broadway
      • Washington, DC
    • Theater Tips
  • Stage Presence: A Blog
  • Stage Door Tips & Tales
    • Stage Door Tales: A Blog
    • Stage Door Stars!
    • Stage Door Tips/Etiquette
    • Stage Door Locations >
      • Stage Doors on Broadway
      • Stage Doors Off Broadway
      • Stage Doors in Washington, DC
  • StageSprites [taking the kids!]
  • UpStage...Theater News Feeds
  • Curtain Call
    • About Me
    • Contact Me