Broadway Abridged: October 2011 Archives

NYMF 2011 Review #5: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (in 3-D)

By Gil on Monday, Oct 17, 2011 | 1 Comment

Real Quick: If you're a writer with a musical that you're planning to submit to NYMF for 2012, the submissions end in two weeks and not January, due to next year's festival being in July and not September. See here.

Continue reading NYMF 2011 Review #5: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (in 3-D).

NYMF 2011 Review #4: Kiki Baby

By Gil on Friday, Oct 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

                 KIKI
    I want all the dolls in the world.

                 MOTHER
    Yes, I will give you all that, and I'm sure it won't make
    you spoiled at all.

                 STROKE-RIDDEN GRANDMA
    WWWWAAAAIIIILLLL.

                 KIKI
    I want unlimited candy.

                 MOTHER
    Sure, my four year old daughter, I shall raise you with
    no preceived boundaries.

                 STROKE-RIDDEN GRANDMA
    WWWWAAAAIIIILLLL.

                 MOTHER
    Grandma what are you doing?

                 STROKE-RIDDEN GRANDMA
    I have the sort of stroke that causes omnious-foreshadowing
    moans when poor parenting choices are made.

Continue reading NYMF 2011 Review #4: Kiki Baby.

NYMF 2011 Review #3: Madame X

By Gil on Sunday, Oct 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

                          MADAME X PROGRAM
    Melodarama!  Music!  And Murder!  
    A hysterical take of the Douglas Sirk films of the 
    1950s--complete with the altruistic, self-sacrificing
    mother.

                          YOU
    But what if I don't really know much about Douglas Sirk?

                          MADAME X PROGRAM
    Based on the 1905 play by Alexandre Bisson...
    ...and every movie and musical between 1946 and 1966!

                          POSSIBLY YOU
    I was born after 1966.  Say isn't this written by the
    same guy who wrote Forbidden Br--

                          MADAME X PROGRAM
    Forbidden Broadway ended in March 2009 right after the
    economy crashed.  You're going to have to actually deal 
    with getting over this someday.

                          YOU, OR AT LEAST ME
    Noooooooooo.....

                          MADAME X PROGRAM
    Oh good, it seems you are understanding the Melodrama bit.

Continue reading NYMF 2011 Review #3: Madame X.

NYMF 2011 Review #2: Kissless

By Gil on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 | 1 Comment

                          JOCKS
    We hate you goths!

                          GOTHS
    And we hate you equally, jocks!

                          REDNECKS
    And as for you nerds, we hate you, just as you hate us 
    back!

                          NERDS
    Since when did nerds and rednecks become mortal 
    enemies?

                          REDNECKS
    Since when this musical was written in Texas, where 
    Nerd-Redneck feuds are common knowledge.

                          NERDS
    Why is Texas always like The Middle Child?

Continue reading NYMF 2011 Review #2: Kissless.

What do you mean, "New Musical"?

By Gil on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 | 3 Comments

With the announcement of Jesus Christ Superstar being revived on Broadway, let's take a look at the state of announced Broadway Musical Revivals for the 2011-2012 Tony Year.

Godspell
Follies
Jesus Christ Superstar
Porgy and Bess
Evita
Funny Girl
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (a revisal)
Nice Work If You Can Get It (well, yes, it's "new", but I liked it more the second time I saw it, when it was called Crazy For You, but not more than the first time I saw it, when it was called Girl Crazy).

And new musicals:

1. Ghost
2. Lysistrata Jones
3. Bonnie and Clyde

3 1/2. Spider-Man (yes, technically it counts)

Let me know if I've missed anything.

The back-and-forth is silly. Last year we had only two new REVIVALS. The year before we had to pad NEW MUSICALS with "Million Dollar Quartet". Back in 2006 and 2005 we only had 3 REVIVALS--and 2005 was the Spamalot/Piazza/Scoundrels/SpellingBee year! And then in 2002, the Millie/Urinetown/etc year, we again had only two REVIVALS (Into The Woods/Oklahoma). And in 2000, the year that we had the REVIVALS Kiss me Kate, Music Man and the Darth-Vader JCS, we had so little in the way of new musicals that CONTACT won.

Why does this keep happening? It's not just "theater dying", were that the case we'd see a year with only 3 new musicals and 3 new revivals.

End rant.